fm.04.2016

FineScale.com

70+ NEW PRODUCTS BUILD A BIPLANE

»

April 2016 p.44

SCULPTING ROUGH SEAS

CREATE REALISTIC BASES p.22

FSM EXCLUSIV E:

STUNNIN MMS I G FIGURE S p.

48

HMS Howe

HOW TO Use washes to weather a Syrian SP gun p.20 Re-create an Israeli ace’s Skyhawk p.30 Scratchbuild a fascine for a Churchill p.38 Paint perfect leading edges p.42 BONUS ONLINE CONTENT CODE

OUR EXPERTS BUILD AND REVIEW 5 NEW KITS

PAGE 3

Vol. 34 • Issue 4

CONTENTS April 2016 • Vol. 34 • No. 4 Online Content Code: FSM1604 Enter this code at www.FineScale.com/code to gain access to web-exclusive content.

22 18

FORM & FIGURE

Weather old leather Techniques for a cowboy’s chaps JOE HUDSON

20 18

AIRBRUSHING & FINISHING

Pigment washes for weathering Layers of camoulage and battle wear AARON SKINNER

22

Sculpting rough seas Modeling waves, wakes, and spray CHRIS FLODBERG

27 27

30

56

• Bronco Horsa glider

• Takom Chieftain Mk.5/5P

How to fashion a fascine Putting a Churchill AVRE to work

• Merit International USS John F. Kennedy • Meng T-10M 59

ANDY COOPER

42

Painting perfect leading edges ID stripes for a Ki-45 Toryu PABLO BAULEO

44

In Every Issue

Build a beautiful biplane Wingnut Wings’ Rumpler an easy build PHILLIP GORE

38

48

Page 56

58

Re-creating an ace’s A-4H Hasegawa’s E/F gets a workover YOAV EFRATI

38

5 NEW KITS

• Trumpeter Su-24 “Fencer”

Tips for tracks Individual links aren’t so tough TERRY HUBER

30

WORKBENCH REVIEWS

SHOW GALLERY

48

MMSI Chicago Show 2015

66

How was this a good idea?

Recalling Convair’s XFY-1 Pogo

FINAL DETAILS MARK HEMBREE

5 7 10 12 34

Editor’s Page Scale Talk Spotlight New Products Reader Gallery

54 55 64 65 65

Reader Tips Questions & Answers Classified Marketplace Hobby Shop Directory Advertiser Index

On the Cover First-time FSM author Chris Flodberg has developed a technique for modeling rough seas and wakes to display ships that look like they’re making way on the bounding main. Heave to on p. 22.

Get more at www.FineScale.com!

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FineScale Modeler (ISSN 0277-979X, USPS No. 679-590) is published monthly (except for June & August) by Kalmbach Publishing Co., 21027 Crossroads Circle, P.O. Box 1612, Waukesha, WI 53187. Periodicals Postage is paid at Waukesha, WI and additional oices. Postmaster: Send address changes to FineScale Modeler, PO Box 62320, Tampa, FL 33662-2320. Canada Post Publication Mail Agreement #40010760.

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Today

EDITOR’S PAGE

By Mark Savage

... and now a word from our sponsor!

AT THE RISK of sounding like one of those frantic, screaming TV pitchmen pushing Ginsu knives or ShamWows, I’d like to take a little commercial break from my usual editor’s note.

Certainly we have another fine issue of FineScale Modeler this month. You’re holding it.

The magazine is packed with how-to stories, finishing tips, motivational photo galleries, loads of new modeling products, and a stellar collection of model reviews.

But again, at the risk of sounding too self-serving, FSM has a lot more to offer daily, weekly, monthly … well, all the time.

Here’s the deal: I encourage you to dig deeper on our website when you’re watching the latest New Product Rundown video or scanning sto-

ries you saw in our biweekly e-mail newsletter.

I know the holidays are long past, but FSM now has an online hobby store to deliver a variety of informational books, special-issue magazines, back issues, downloadable PDFs, and even some 1/72 scale die-cast tanks and German World War II aircraft.

Finding any, or all, is as easy as clicking on the Shop button atop the FineScale.com website and then selecting Scale Modeling.

I won’t shout it like a TV huckster, because you already know FSM lives to help you better enjoy your favorite hobby. All of our products are designed to enhance your knowledge and skills, same as each issue of the magazine.

Your Editorial Staff

And the die-cast models?

They’re great gifts for your kids, grandkids, or friends’ kids to stir their interest in military models.

We trust you’ll follow up on that by teaching them how to build their own plastic model kits after they play with the sturdy die-cast versions.

Modeling starts with interest, and interest starts with fun. … We now return you to your regularly scheduled modeling magazine.

editor@finescale.com

Off the Sprue!

Favorite pet?

Editor Mark Savage msavage @Kalmbach.com

Senior Editor Aaron Skinner askinner @FineScale.com

Associate Editor Mark Hembree mhembree @FineScale.com

Assistant Editor Elizabeth Nash enash @FineScale.com

Editorial Associate Monica Freitag mfreitag @FineScale.com

Mark H.: Still recovering from an insane dachshund’s 18-year reign of terror: Zelda, the only dog I know placed on probation by a city attorney (true).

Aaron: Claire, a tortoiseshell cat found under a police car.

Mark S.: Super-frisky, over-friendly Brittany spaniel, Sandy, the wonder dog.

Monica: Zion, 22-pound cat, is my boy.

Elizabeth: My beautiful red Lab, Woody.

Contact Us Editorial: FineScale Modeler 21027 Crossroads Circle, P.O. Box 1612, Waukesha, WI 53187-1612 262-796-8776, weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CT editor@finescale.com Web: www.FineScale.com

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April 2016 www.FineScale.com

5

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

ART

Check out our Web site!

WWW.PACEPAINTBOOtHS.com

Editor Mark Savage Art Director Tom Ford

1020 South Wallace Place, Dept. FSM City of Industry, CA 91748

Illustrator Kellie Jaeger Photographer William Zuback Production Coordinator Cindy Barder

CONTRIBUTING MODELERS

Paul Boyer, Federico Collada, Andrew Cooper, Raúl Corral, Frank Cuden, Phillip Gore, James Green, Joe Hudson, Karl Logan, Harvey Low, Rato Marczak, Chris Mrosko, Bill Plunk, Darren Roberts, Chuck Sawyer, Cookie Sewell, Bob Steinbrunn, Cristóbal Vergara, Jim Wechsler, Adam Wilder

KALMBACH PUBLISHING CO. President Charles R. Croft Vice President, Content Stephen C. George Senior V.P., Sales & Marketing Daniel R. Lance Vice President, Consumer Marketing Nicole McGuire General Manager Brian J. Schmidt Advertising Director Scott Bong Corporate Art Director Maureen M. Schimmel Art and Production Manager Michael Soliday Circulation Manager Cathy Daniels Single Copy Specialist Kim Redmond

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SPECIAL E-MAIL & 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 Editorial phone (262) 796-8776; advertising (888) 558-1544. ©2016, Kalmbach Publishing 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.

6 FineScale Modeler April 2016

SCALE TALK Your voice in FSM Going strong

Hello, FineScale Modeler staf ! Very few people can say their work brings so much happiness to so many people. I hope you know that the work you do for the magazine does just that.

I have read many times how hobbyists are thrilled to receive their monthly issues of FineScale Modeler magazine. I’m 62 years old (young) and have spent about 50 years in the hobby. I have watched the industry go from simple, timesaving models to very advanced kits.

Now I also would like to acknowledge the passing of Shep Paine and to thank him for his great contributions. I hope he knew — and all of you know — how much he afected the modeling industry. And I hope your readers know how much your eforts and the way in which you share this hobby has afected all of us modelers as well.

Modelers are quick to share tips and ideas, and have a positive approach to helping one another, whether it be online or in submitted articles.

I think I have read all of FSM’s issues and always look back with a smile.

– Mike Glasgow Sammamish, Wash.

Wanting off-the-wall kits

Hi, I love your magazine! What’s better than opening up your mailbox and not seeing your electric or cable bill but a brand new issue of FSM! I’m writing with two ideas for models that need to be made — manufacturers, take heed.

First: Die Glocke — German for “he Bell” — a purported top-secret Nazi scientific device with ties to UFOs and antigravity research. Die Glocke actually covers two model categories: military and science fiction. Even though it may never have existed, this model would sell out and I would be first in line.

Second: monster models. here is a TV show called “Mountain Monsters.” hese adventurers from West Virginia track down mythical American monsters: Mothman, Bigfoot, Yahoo, Grassman, even Sasquatch.

I kid you not! I think plastic model kits of these beasts as they supposedly look would sell as well as the old Aurora monsters. hese are some models that I would buy.

What diferent models would you like to see for sale?

– Mark Korda Old Orchard Beach, Maine

With enthusiasm and talent, high schooler Lily Liu has started a young modeler’s club — a place where teenagers can learn from one another and have fun building kits.

Young modeler’s club Dear modeling community, I am a sophomore at Gunn High School in Palo Alto, Calif. I have been modeling since I was little. A huge amount of inluence has come from my father, who was on a national team for aeromodeling when he was young. he first contest I attended was the IPMS/ USA National Convention at Loveland, Colo., in 2013. Ever since, I’ve had an idea of starting a junior modeling club. he first regional contest I entered was the Silicon Valley Scale Modelers (SVSM) contest. Unfortunately, the number of entries in the junior categories was slim. he amount of the models could not be compared to the huge number in the adult categories. Hoping for more junior entries, I went to the Nationals. However, I was disappointed again.

I realized there were not many teen modelers who actually enjoy the process of creating something from scratch. At both the SVSM and IPMS shows, I saw that, although there weren’t many teens who entered the contest, there were quite a few making models at the Make ’n’ Take programs.

It was there I had the idea of starting a junior club that would not only support kids who want to build but also encourage them to enter contests, meet new modelers, and learn from each other! his club would be for area teens of any skill level. he thing I wanted to accomplish was to let the members have fun, let them explore, scrutinize, and also grow into modeling.

I started my club in December 2013 with my club manager, Larry Randel.

A month later, we had our first meet-

ing with 10 members at my school, Jane Lathrop Stanford Middle School.

After that, we started getting 15 new members every month!

I would like to give a big thank-you to both SVSM and the IPMS/Fremont Hornets for helping me start the club! he club and I would not have made it this far without their support and help.

I would also love to thank Modesto Hobbies and many other vendors for donating kits to us.

I have also created a club of my own at my high school. We have 14 members, ages 14 and up. Some have told me that they feel more confident and proud now that they know they are not the only ones making model kits. Alex, one of our members, says, “I was able to learn from other members when I got stuck on steps, instead of just giving up on the kit, which is what happened before I found this club.”

Being able to help other teenagers feel the joy of making models is one of my goals, and I am slowly progressing toward it. In the future, I would like to start a small contest for all members, both as a showcase for teens to see works from other teens and as an opportunity to get to know other young builders.

– Lily Liu Palo Alto, Calif.

Editor’s note: We’ve met Lily at several shows the past couple years and want to share her letter to modelers around the world, encouraging the formation of more junior clubs. We applaud Lily’s work in starting clubs in her area and urge other modelers to help young modelers get started. A club is one of the best ways.

April 2016 www.FineScale.com

7

ARA Press

SCALE TALK

The Spaceship Enthusiasts’ One-Stop Data Shop! an aircraft commander of the old C-54. I lew the Skymaster for Military Air Transport Service, Systems Command, and Caribbean Air Command over 10-plus years.

My model will replicate the JC-54D version. Several were modified for electronic/visual search and recovery of instrumented nose cones during early ICBM development. Clear bubble domes were added to both sides of the aft fuselage; Revell even included them on a clear sprue.

I enjoy each new issue of FSM. hanks!

6RYLHW 6PDVKXS Our two titles dealing with Soviet space programs available in this special combination offer.

Peter Alway's Twelve Soviet Missiles, a survey of Soviet military missiles from the 1950’s and ’60s, makes the perfect companion for our critically acclaimed N-1: For the Moon and Mars which tells complete story of the N-1 Superbooster.

Get both of them together at a significant savings!

– Bob Broughton Carlsbad, Calif.

x 235 Pages, 80 lb coated stock

NPRD for the win

Ahoy! Here’s U.S. Marine Cpl. Hunter Besouglof holding his issue of FSM on the light deck of the USS Essex LHD-2 of the California coast as the ship returns home from deployment.

I look forward to each New Product Rundown posted on your website (www.

FineScale.com). Elizabeth is a fine addition to the team. I am extremely pleased to see Tim making an appearance now and again.

And it’s great to see Aaron sparking it up at the end of the videos. Keep up the great work. Love the magazine as well.

– Neil Besougloff, editor of Model Railroader magazine, Oconomowoc, Wis.

– Daniel J. Hackett Houston, Texas

Form & Figure premonition

A very productive month

Way back in the March 2010 FSM (p.48), I saw an article by Joe Hudson on creating realistic groundwork on which figures were standing. Before even reading the article I said to myself, “his article should have been on figure painting. his guy is really good.� hen I wrote a letter a long time after that, asking FSM to do a workshop-style article on figure painting and let Joe Hudson run it. And then there it was in the January 2016 issue!

So, thank you for that. I am really looking forward to this new Form & Figure column with Joe Hudson. He is the right man for the job. Figures are so important to this hobby, and they can make or break your work. Good job, FSM!

I have been a subscriber of FineScale Modeler since the first issue. When the magazine shows up in my mailbox, I usually read all of the articles. I then go back and use pieces of sticky notes to mark the articles that contain info that I want to try in my model building. When I went back in the February 2016 issue to mark the articles that contained info I wanted to save, I noticed that I had marked nearly all of the articles.

I have always liked FineScale Modeler, but this issue was a real standout for me. hanks for all your efort to produce a great (and useful) magazine. Cheers!

– Joe Guaimano Manasquan, N.J.

Torino is late on the scene

x Smythe-sewn Hardcover binding

All in the model family

x Over 400 photographs and illustrations, most in color

x Over 100 pages of Dimensioned Drawings and hardware analyses

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x 15 Detailed Data Drawings.

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Call or write “info@arapress.com� for shipping options.

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ARA Press 785 Jefferson Ave. Livermore, CA 94550 (925) 583-5126 www.arapress.com 8 FineScale Modeler April 2016

The timing was perfect

he December 2015 review of the C-54 (p. 56) was another fine example of FSM’s timely and interesting articles.

I was in the process of building the model when the magazine arrived. Paul Boyer’s review was very helpful, as this was my first attempt at a Skill Level 5 kit. I thought the model’s detail was outstanding.

Building it brought back memories of being

– George Blair San Antonio, Texas

So I opened the January 2016 issue of FSM and had really mixed feelings about the New Products page.

Revell is finally issuing a plastic kit of Starsky’s Ford Torino from the TV series, “Starsky and Hutch,� but it’s about 40 years late!

Also, I would like to see markings for the Grumman F6F Hellcat lown by actor Wayne Morris in World War II. – John L. Kirk Forrest City, Ark.

There’s more at FineScale.com View more figure models online See more ridiculously detailed figures in our special gallery from the Military Miniature Society of Illinois 2015 Chicago show. Type 2015 MMSI into our search function. That’s the little magnifying glass icon in the navigation bar atop the home page.

FineScale.com/Reviews Workbench Reviews Subscribers receive special early access to upcoming reviews.

Free weekly review Check out this week’s free model kit review.

FineScale.com/HowTo Article archive Search our collection of stories to find answers to your modeling questions.

Tips database Subscribers can search our extensive database of reader-supplied tips.

FineScale.com/OnlineExtras Download this cool desktop wallpaper Download this awesome studio-quality computer wallpaper of the Trumpeter Su-24MR “Fencer-E” that Walt Fink built for this issue’s Workbench Reviews. Or download other wallpaper images!

FineScale.com/Video Video issue previews FSM Editor Mark Savage highlights what’s in the current issue.

New Product Rundown Editors Aaron Skinner and Elizabeth Nash pick the hottest model kits, open the boxes, and tell you what rocks.

SUBSCRIBE AT FINESCALE.COM AND GET IMMEDIATE ACCESS

April 2016 www.FineScale.com

9

SPOTLIGHT Compiled by Aaron Skinner

Eduard scales down Fw 190

M

odelers warmly received Eduard’s 1/48 scale Fw 190 and its mix of options and fine detail. Nearly a decade later, the company has kitted the potent fighter in 1/72 scale, releasing an A-8 (No. 70111, $24.95).

The kit comprises two medium gray plastic sprues, a tree of clear parts, and a small fret of colored photo-etched (PE) metal.

Pre-cut masks ease painting the five marking options.

Features include: finely engraved panel lines; a detailed cockpit with optional plastic and PE instrument panels; separate ailerons and rudder; well-appointed wheel well; a choice of bomb or fuel tank for the centerline; and optional canopies.

In addition to a full suite of stencils, decals provide markings for five A-8s from late 1944 and early ’45, including swastikas.

Unlike its 1/48 scale cousin, Eduard’s little Fw 190 does not

10 FineScale Modeler April 2016

include a complete engine or gun bays. Instead, a ton of extra detail is provided in aftermarket sets.

Under the Brassin banner, there’s: a pair of resin wheels (No. 672080, $7.95); a cockpit with resin tub, seat, instrument-panel coaming, and controls bolstered by PE parts (No. 672081, $19.95); exhaust stacks (No. 672085, $4.95); a propeller (No. 672086, $7.95); and fuselage gun bay and engine, including beautifully thin cowl panels (No. 672088, $29.95).

In PE, there is a general detail set with cockpit items, replacement landing-gear doors, and wheel-well parts (No. 72611, $16.95), and landing flaps (No. 72612, $12.95). Finally, in the Superfabric catalog, is a set of seat belts for the Fw 190 (No. 73033, $7.95). These pre-colored parts look just like real harnesses. More info: www.eduard.com.

Horizon lifts Atlas in all-new rocket kit

S

pace modelers got a blast out of Horizon Models’ initial kit, a pair of 1/72 scale Mercury spacecraft (Workbench Reviews, March 2016, p.57).

The Australian company’s sophomore effort builds on that with a 1/72 scale Mercury-Atlas stack (No. 2002).

The kit features a single sprue from the Mercury spacecraft kit with parts to build any of the manned-mission ships and the boilerplate test vehicles.

New are parts to build the Atlas missile with the main body in halves, as well as plumbing, short side pods, and booster and manuvering rockets.

Unused parts, including three types of warheads, indicate that an Atlas ICBM kit is likely forthcoming.

The remaining parts include the extended side pods, sustainer engine bell, more plumbing, and a display stand.

The decals include two styles of lettering for the launch vehicle, numbers for each of the Mercury-Atlas missions, stencils, and a bunch of other markings.

The kit costs $54.95 and can be ordered at www. horizon-models. com.

BOOKSHELF Wilder on building tanks

M

aster modeler Adam Wilder — we published his story about painting and weathering a KV-1 in December 2015 — has written a two-part guide to modeling military vehicles.

He describes Adam’s Armour Modelling Guide 1: Construction (AFV Modeller, ISBN 978-0-9555413-8-4) and Guide 2: Painting & Finishing (ISBN 978-09555413-9-1) as the culmination of everything he’s learned, studied, and taught about modeling.

After introducing himself and the state of the hobby, Adam uses the 192-page Guide 1 to cover assembly of plastic, resin, and photoetched metal. Other chapters detail modifying plastic parts, filling large holes, adding weld seams and Zimmerit, and modeling battle damage.

The 232-page Guide 2 provides a wealth of information about finishing, from the basics of airbrushing and hand-painting to the numerous modern weathering products and techniques. It includes sections on color modulation, filters, decals, washes, paint chipping, rust, soot, mud, and more.

Hundreds of brightly lit photos are supported by clearly written captions.

More info: www.afvmodeller.com. Each softcover book costs £29.95 (about $47).

Skyraider over Korea

B

etter known for its Vietnam service, Douglas’ Skyraider entered combat in the Korean War. That baptism of fire is detailed in AD Skyraider Units of the Korean War by Richard R. Burgess and Warren E. Thompson (Osprey, ISBN 978-1-47281264-3, $23).

Typical of the other books in Osprey’s Combat Aircraft series, the 96-page softcover combines historical and anecdotal text with scores of photos (many color) and dozens of color profiles. If you think Douglas’ big attacker looks right in gloss sea blue, this book is for you.

April 2016 www.FineScale.com 11

NEW PRODUCTS Compiled by Monica Freitag

AIRCR AFT

1/48 SCALE KITS

1/48 DETAIL SETS

Gloster Gladiator from Eduard, No. 1145,

Grumman Tracker early mainwheels from

$49.95. Limited edition.

BarracudaCast, No. BR48279, $7.95. Resin.

1/24 DETAIL SETS de Havilland Mosquito late mainwheels

from BarracudaCast, No. BR24281, $15.95.

1/32 SCALE KITS

Grumman Guardian AF-2S/W mainwheels from BarracudaCast, No. BR48261,

$7.95. Resin Spitfire XVI snapshot cockpit upgrade from

BarracudaCast, No. BR48197, $14.95. Resin DH.9a Ninak (Postwar) from Wingnut

Wings, No. 32061, $119.

Spitfire VIII snapshot cockpit upgrade from

BarracudaCast, No. BR48195, $14.95. Resin Mirage IIIC seatbelts (fabric) for Eduard Spitfire Mk.XVI Bubbletop from Eduard,

from Eduard, No. 49089, $14.95.

No. 8285, $49.95. ProfiPack Edition.

XF5U-1 Flapjack landing gear for Kitty Hawk from Scale Aircraft Conversions, No.

48295, $17.95. Metal.

Albatros B.II (Early) from Wingnut Wings,

No. 32046, $119.

1/32 DETAIL SETS F-151 Israeli air force from GWH (Great Wall Hobby), No. L4816, $109.99.

1/48 DECAL SETS

Mirage IIIC ejection seat from Eduard, No. 49734, $9.95. Photo-etched. de Havilland Mosquito T.Mk.III, B.Mk.IV, FB.Mk.VI

Fw 190F-8 engine (for Revell) from Eduard, No. 632063, $54.95. Brassin Line. Resin and photo-etched metal Mirage IIIC landing gear (for Italeri) from

Scale Aircraft Conversions, No. 32102, $18.95.

Metal.

12 FineScale Modeler April 2016

from Xtradecal, No. X48156, $11.75. , Marking for 7 aircraft: T.Mk.III TV970 FK-V, 20 Sqn, RAF Wittering 1946; T.3 VT588, 608 Sqn, RAF Manston, 1948; F.8 USAAF 334926 The Spook, Major Setchell, 3rd PG (Reccon), Tunisia, 1943; B.Mk.IV TA272/A unknown sqn, Far East, 1945; FB.Mk.VI RF838 EO-A, 404 Sqn, RAF Banff, 1945; FB.Mk.VI RS623 VV-A, 235 Sqn, RAF Banff 1945; FB.Mk.VI HR399 OB-R, 45 Sqn, India, 1945.

Ta 152C propeller & spinner for HobbyBoss and Dragon from Fusion Models,

No. FUS4815, $9.99.

Ta 152C Improvement set for HobbyBoss kits from Fusion Models, No. FUS4816, $19.99.

Nine resin parts.

Ta 152C Improvement set for Dragon kits

from Fusion Models, No. FUS4817, $19.99. Nine resin parts.

F-15 slime lights (for all F-15 kits) from

Steel Beach Accessories, No. SBA49053, $17.99.

F-4S conversion (for Academy) from Steel

Beach Accessories, No. SBA48982, $12.99.

F-4 wheel bay jigs (for Academy) from Steel

Beach Accessories, No. SBA48984, $9.99.

F-14A/C fans (to be used with PE parts)

from Steel Beach Accessories, No. SBA48142, $5.99.

EA-3B conversion Trumpeter A-3B from

Steel Beach Accessories, No. SBA48981, $14.99.

TA-3B turret for Trumpeter from Steel Beach

Accessories, No. SBA48141, $5.99.

No. X72232, $11.75. Marking for 13 aircraft: T.Mk.III TV970 FK-V, 20 Sqn RAF Wittering, 1946; T.3 VT588, 608 Sqn, RAF Manston, 1948; F.8 USAAF 334926 The Spook, Maj. Setchell, 3rd PG (Reccon), Tunisia, 1943; B.Mk.IV DZ421 XD-G, 139 Sqn, Wg.Com Peter Shand/Pilot Officer C.D.Handley, RAF Marham, 1943; B. Mk.IV TA272/A, Unknown Sqn FarEast, 1945; FB.Mk.VI RF838 EO-A, 404 Sqn, RAF Banff, 1945; FB.Mk.VI RS623 VV-A, 235 Sqn, RAF Banff, 1945; FB.Mk.VI HR399 OB-R, 45 Sqn, India, 1945; FB.Mk.VI RF751/B, 211 Sqn, India, 1945; FB.Mk.VI NT233 SM-X, 138 Wing, Gp Capt Bower/Flt.Lt Cairns, 305(Polish) Sqn, RAF Hartford Bridge, 1944; FB.Mk.VI HR623 CI, 618 Sqn, RAAF Narromine 1945; B.Mk.XX KB253 RI, RCAF 1944; B.Mk.XX KB288 VI-46 RCAF 1944.

72122, $13.95. Metal.

F4F Wildcat landing gear (for Airfix) from

Scale Aircraft Conversions, No. 72123, $13.95.

1/72 MASK SETS Hurricane camo scheme B from Eduard,

No. CX426, $12.95.

Spitfire camo scheme B from Eduard,

No. CX425, $12.95.

1/144 SCALE KITS

Armstrong-Whitworth Whitley B.Mk.V/ GR.Ml.VII from Xtradecal, No. X72231,

$11.75. Markings for 10 aircraft: Mk.V N1357 KN-H, 77 Sqn, RAF Driffield, 1940; N1428 GE-B, 58 Sqn, RAF Linton-on-Ouse, 1940; N1503/M, 19 OTU, RAF Kinloss, 1940; T4131 EY-W, 78 Sqn, RAF Linton-on-Ouse, 1940; BD661/25, HGCU, RAF Brize Norton, 1942; Z9478 RK-B, 10 OCU, RAF Brize Norton, 1943; Z6632 YG-B, 502 Sqn, RAF Limavady, Northern Ireland, 1941;Mk.GR.VII Z6968 KN-A, 77 Sqn, RAF Chivenor, 1941; Z9190 YG-B, 502 Sqn, RAF St Eval, 1942; Z9217 MH-F, 51 Sqn, RAF Chivenor, 1942.

1/72 SCALE KITS

F-4 Phantom II landing gear (for Academy) from Scale Aircraft Conversions, No.

Victor K.2 RAF tanker from GWH (Great Wall Hobby), No. L1005, $54.99.

1/72 DETAIL SETS Fw 190A-8 from Eduard, No. 70111, $24.95.

Fw 190A-8 cockpit (for Eduard) from

ProfiPack Edition. Look for a detailed review in an upcoming issue of FSM.

Eduard Brassin Line, No. 672 081, $19.95.

1/72 DECAL SETS

from Eduard Brassin Line, No. 672 085, $4.95.

Fw 190A-8 exhaust stacks (for Eduard)

Douglas DC-4/C-54 Skymaster

from Xtradecal, No. X72234, $11.75. Markings for 8 aircraft: C-54A 10358 /58, 31 Escadrile de Servitude French Aeronavale, Le Bourget 1962; C-54A 10402 5-T40/1, Aviacion Naval, Ushuaia, Argentina 1969; C-54B EW999/43-17126 100, 24 Sqn, used by Winston Churchill, RAF Northolt, 1944; C-54D KL978/42-72484, 232 Sqn, RAF Palam, India; C-54G 36028, Air America, Udon Thani, Thailand, 1967; C-54G 43155/6902, 44 Sqn SAAF, Rand, Sth Africa 1970’s; C-54G B-1004/004, Civil Air Transport (CAT) Haneda, Japan, 1960; VC-54 44-9117, Washington ANG; Japan 1962. de Havilland Mosquito T.Mk.III, B Mk. IV, FB Mk. VI, B Mk.XX from Xtradecal,

AR MOR 1/35 SCALE KITS

Fw 190A-8 wheels late (for Eduard) from

Eduard Brassin Line, No. 672 080, $7.95.

Fw 190A-8 (for Eduard) from Eduard, No. 72611, $16.95. Photo-etched.

Fw 190A-8 landing flaps (for Eduard) from

Eduard, No. 72612, $12.95. Photo-etched.

Fw 190A-8 seatbelts Superfabric (for Eduard) from Eduard, No. 73033, $7.95.

Hemtt M983 tractor from Trumpeter,

Avro Shackleton MR.2 AEW 2 wheel set

No. 1021, $79.95. Look for a detailed review in an upcoming issue of FSM.

from BarracudaCast, No. BR72274, $7.95.

Resin.

Avro Shackleton MR.2 early exhausts from BarracudaCast, No. BR72275, $7.95. Resin.

April 2016 www.FineScale.com 13

NEW PRODUCTS

REAL SPACE

1/48 SCALE KITS

1/72 SCALE KITS Mercury-Atlas launch stack from

Horizon Models, No. 2002, $27.95.

Look for a detailed review in an upcoming issue of FSM.

M901 Patriot SAM launching station and AN/MPQ53 radar set of M1M104 Patriot SAM system from Trumpeter, No. 1022,

$139.95. Look for a detailed review in an upcoming issue of FSM.

1/35 DETAIL SETS Panther Ausf. D Zimmerit horizontal (for Tamiya) from Eduard, No. 36328, $49.95.

RAF mid-late WWII fighter pilot from BarracudaCast, No. BR48270, $11.95. Resin.

1/200 DETAIL SETS

AUTOS

Photo-etched.

1/72 SCALE KITS 1/24 SCALE KITS

Figures Royal Navy from Eduard, No. 53144,

$32.95. Photo-etched.

SCI FI Toldi I Hungarian light tank from IBG

Models, No. 72027, $15.95.

Mazda MX-5 Roadster from Tamiya,

1/32 DETAIL SETS

No. 24342-3200, $49. Driver figure included.

Randy Cooper’s M.L.E.V.-5 (for Pegasus) from

ParaGrafix, $44.95.

Photo-etched.

Toldi II Hungarian light tank from IBG

Models, No. 72028, $15.95.

Brad Keselowski #2 Blue Deuce Ford Fusion from Revell, No. 85-1472, $23.95.

1/43 DETAIL SETS

MILITARY FIGURES

Millennium Falcon corridors (for DeAgostini subscription kit) from

1/32 SCALE KITS

ParaGrafix, $36.95.

Photo-etched.

Luftwaffe bomber pilot WW2 in summer flight suit from Master Details, No. 32042,

$14.95. Resin. Includes alternate heads, arms and decals.

14 FineScale Modeler April 2016

MAN TGX XLX from Revell, No. 80-7426,

$74.95.

www.FineScale.com featuring reviews, product information, photo galleries, and more!

2013 Camaro ZL1 from Revell, No. 85-4370, Joey Logano #22 Shell Pennzoil Ford Fusion from Revell, No. 85-1473, $23.95.

$24.95. Stock or custom hoods, detailed engine, custom wheels.

Features racing ingterior and metal axles.

Foose 2013 Challenger SRT8 from Revell, No. 85-4398, $24.95. Custom wheels and detailed Hemi V-8.

Manufacturer/Distributor Directory Aero Research Co. www.AeroResearchCDs.com AFV Modeller Publications 44-01670-823648 www.afvmodeller.com Porsche 918 Spyder from Revell,

No. 85-4329, $27.95. Features detailed motor and engine, open or closed top.

1/25 SCALE KITS

AK Interactive USA www.ak-interactive-usa.com BarracudaCast www.barracudacast.com CarTech Auto Books & Manuals 651-277-1200 www.cartechbooks.com

1960 Corvette from MPC, No. MPC830/12,

$22.99. Includes driver figure, six tires, two hoods.

Dragon Models USA Inc. 626-968-0322 www.dragonmodelsusa.com • Aoshima • Bronco • Cyber-hobby • Dragon • Fine Molds • Fujimi • G.W.H. • Master Box • MiniArt • Platz • Riich • Showcase Models Australia • Takom • Zvezda • Concord • Firefly Books • Nuts & Bolts Books Eduard 420-47-611-8259 www.eduard.com

1972 Oldsmobile Indianapolis 500 Pace Car with Linda Vaughn figure from Revell,

85-4197, $34.95.

Fusion Models 514-356-1883 www.dp9.com/fusion

Hannants 44-1502-517444 www.hannants.co.uk • Xtradecal • Xtrakit

Revell 847-758-3200 www.revell.com

Horizon Models www.horizon-models.com Master Details 815-218-3461 www.masterdetails.com Merit International 626-912-2212 www.merit-intl.com • AFV Club • HK Models • Kinetic • Merit • Takom

Revell Germany www.revell.de Round 2 574-243-3000 www.round2corp.com • AMT • MPC • Polar Lights • Lindberg • Hawk Scale Aircraft Conversions 214-477-7163 scaleaircraftconversions.com

Osprey Publishing 212-850-2294 www.ospreypublishing.com Pacific Coast Models, Inc. 707-538-4850 www.pacmodels.com • Amusing Hobby • Asuka • Ebbro • HK Models • Kitty Hawk • Pacific Coast • Panda • Rye Field Model • Takom • Tiger Models • Xactscale ParaGrafix 508-431-9800 www.ParaGrafix.biz

Steel Beach Accessories spruebrothers.com Squadron Products 877-414-0434 www.squadron.com • Encore Models • HobbyBoss • ICM • Meng • Roden • Super Scale International • Sword • True Details • Trumpeter Stevens International 856-435-1555 www.stevenshobby.com • IBG • Noys Miniatures • Tanmodel • Trumpeter

Peregrine Publishing 516-759-1089

Tamiya America Inc. 949-362-2240 www.tamiyausa.com

Retromechanix Productions www.retromechanix.com

Wingnut Wings www.wingnutwings.com

April 2016 www.FineScale.com 15

NEW PRODUCTS Dodge Daytona and Plymouth Superbird, $39.95,

AD Skyraider Units of the Korean War, $23,

by Steve Lehto, hardcover, 204 pages, 360 color photos, ISBN: 978-1-61325204-8. From CarTech Auto Books &

by Richard R. Burgess and Warren E. Thompson, softcover, 96 pages, all black-and-white photos, 978-1-47281264-3. From Osprey Publishing.

Manuals.

Tanker 2 - Extra Armor, $13.60, 2014 Ford Mustang GT from Revell, No.

85-4379 $XX. Stock and custom hoods and detailed engine.

softcover, 102 pages, all color photos.

From AK Interactive USA.

World War II US Army Combat Equipment, $19,

by Gordon L. Rottman, softcover, 64 pages, all blackand-white photos, 978-1-4728-14241.

From Osprey Publishing.

The Eagle has Landed (Armour & Aircraft dioramas by Aitor Azkue), $59.99, by Aitor

Azkue, softcover, 288 pages, all color photos.

From AK Interactive USA. Foose 2015 Corvette Stingray from Revell, No. 85-4397, $24.95. Custom wheels and detailed engine.

Aces High, $9.85,

softcover, 82 pages, all color photos.

From AK Interactive USA.

BOOKSHELF Northrop N-63 Convoy Fighter — The Naval VTOL Turboprop Tailsitter Project of 1950, $15.99, by

Jared A. Zichek, softcover, 44 pages, all black-and-white photos, drawings, ISBN: 978-0-9968754-17. From Retromechanix Productions.

Martin Model 262 Convoy Fighter — The Naval VTOL Turboprop Project of 1950, $16.99,

by Jared A. Zichek, softcover, 48 pages, all black-and-white photos, drawings, ISBN: 978-09968754-0-0. From Retromechanix Productions.

16 FineScale Modeler April 2016

Adam’s Armour Modelling Guide 1 — Construction,

$44, by Adam Wilder, soft cover, 192 pages, all color photos, 978-09555413-8-4. From AFV Modeller Publications.

Adam’s Armour Modelling Guide 2 — Painting & Finishing, $44, by Adam Wilder,

soft cover, 233 pages, all color photos, 978-09555413-9-1. From AFV Modeller Publications.

www.FineScale.com Subscribers have exclusive access to model kit photos not published in the magazine! Simply go to FineScale.com/Reviews.

Railway Guns of World War II, $18,

by Steven J. Zaloga, softcover, 48 pages, all black-and-white photos, 978-1-472810687. From Osprey Publishing.

ELECTRONIC MEDIA F-18 Hornet Part 2 from Aero

Research Co., No. 1055, $12.95.

F3F-2 Flying Barrel Aircraft Walk Around #9

from Peregrine Publications. $10.

Peregrine Publications.

Weather old leather A cowboy’s chaps bear the brunt of this technique • BY JOE HUDSON

FOR

C

1 I started the chaps with a base-coat mixture of 70% green ochre and 30% chocolate brown.

4 I used the same basic mixes on back sections of the chaps, but applied them with a fine brush for more control. I went a step further and added a little more dark sand to brighten the highlights even more.

18 FineScale Modeler April 2016

2 Next, I painted the first highlights by adding green ochre to the base-coat mix. I kept the outlines a little rough because I wanted the chaps to appear weathered. Before applying the color, I brushed water over the chap to help the paint flow better and better feather the transitions.

5 I mixed a thin glaze of chocolate brown and water and applied it quickly over the front and back of the chaps to blend the layers. Brushing water over the surface first helped the glaze flow evenly.

UR

E

haps, leather coverings designed to protect a rider’s legs in rough, scrubby environments, take a beating. I wanted to show that distress when I painted a well-worn pair of chaps on Andrea Miniatures’ 54mm Tom Doniphon. I painted his belts and holster in the March 2016 issue.

M&

FIG

3 For the uppermost surfaces, I added a little dark sand to the mix and brushed it on.

6 Using a detail brush, I applied a dark wash/ glaze — thin chocolate brown with a little black — to shadow areas and build contrast.

7 Flow it around items like buttons and straps to enhance the details.

8 After adding a little more black to the chocolate brown glaze, I applied wider areas of color to the lower sections of the chaps. This replicates dirt and grime deposited on the well-used leather.

9 For splattered mud, I dabbed the dark glaze higher on the chaps with a fine brush.

10

11

12

To highlight edges, I mixed a little green ochre with dark sand. The most-exposed edges were painted pure dark sand. Running the side rather than the point of the brush along the molded edge gives more control over paint placement.

Chaps take a beating from branches and brambles, so I added some scratches. I started by painting short slashes of a thin mix of green ochre and dark sand with a long-bristled 000 brush. It holds more paint than a short brush and produces long, smooth lines. Paint dries too quickly in short bristles.

Then, I painted a thin mix of chocolate brown and black above the light scratches. The effect is a shallow cut in the leather. It’s tedious but worthwhile; the hardest parts are keeping it realistic and not getting carried away and applying too many marks.

Vallejo Model Color paints used 70.807 70.865 70.847 70.872 70.914 70.983

Next

13 Finally, I added a thin glaze of oxford blue to some of the shadows and recesses. This subtle color change gives the leather even more life.

Oxford blue Oily steel Dark sand Chocolate brown Green ochre Flat earth

Paint aircrew for model planes in 30 minutes — Joe shows you how.

The finished cowboy stands ready. FSM April 2016 www.FineScale.com 19

Pigment washes dirty a Layered paint camouflages a captured 2S1 • BY AARON SKINNER

T

he Syrian Civil War is a rich source of inspiration for modelers. The conflict involves a lot of Russian-built vehicles used by Syrian government forces and captured by opposition groups. The battlefield ranges from open desert to cities, and the Internet is filled with images of tanks, APCs, and artillery in interesting camouflage and field-applied markings.

Prompted by photos of Syrian self-propelled guns in rebel hands, Brett Avants built Trumpeter’s 1/35 scale 2S1. The combination of the subject matter and its worn appearance were inspiring. He was eager to apply key aspects seen in images to his model, including three-color camo, field-applied slogans, and a hodgepodge of military and civilian crew.

“These vehicles looked very worn and battle-scarred,” says Brett.

After a coat of Vallejo Russian green primer (74.609), Brett airbrushed Vallejo Model Air camo black green (71.018). This color served as a base for chipping with hairspray used as a release agent.

He airbrushed Ammo of Mig Jimenez (Ammo) Russian green base (A.MIG-0932) over the hairspray, then used a damp brush to remove some of the paint and reveal the darker green underneath.

More hairspray covered this layer before he added camouflage with Ammo red brown shadow (A.MIG-0912) and Ammo sand yellow (A.MIG-0030). After chipping these layers, he let the model dry for a couple of days.

“I love the Ammo acrylic paints,” Brett says. “I use them straight from the bottle with my Grex and Badger Krome airbrushes. If I need to thin them, I use a drop or two of Vallejo airbrush cleaner (62.067). Yes, 20 FineScale Modeler April 2016

cleaner!” He typically sprays the paints at 17 psi. Air pressure is the key, he says. Tweak the regulator until the paint is spraying the way you want it, then apply it in thin layers, gradually building up the density until smooth, opaque coverage is achieved.

He took a layered approached to weathering as well, starting with an overall application of Wilder Nitroline brown filter (HDF-NL -13) to give the vehicle a worn look. Washes with Wilder deep shadow ((HDF-NL-02) and orange-brown artist’s oils came next.

After adding subtle scratches with Ammo Russian green highlight (A.MIG-0934) and a 00 brush, he used a host of Ammo weathering products — dust effects (A.MIG-1401), streaking grime (A.MIG-1203), and engine grime (A.MIG-1407) — and burnt umber oil paint to turn the vehicle into a combat veteran.

“I also used a number of sand, rubble, and dust pigments from Ammo and MMP on the lower and upper hull,” Brett says. “On the lower hull, the pigment was applied dry, then fixed using pigment fixer from a dropper.”

Before that layer dried, he sprinkled on several colors of dry pigments. They contrasted nicely with the wet layer when everything dried.

“I used this kit to develop my pigment wash technique to simulate dust and dirt on armored vehicles,” he says. These washes are a mix of the pigments and fixer that he flowed into nooks and crannies on the 2S1’s upper surfaces. When dry, it looks like accumulated dry dust and dirt.

“On subjects like this one, I would encourage modelers to stretch and try techniques that they have never done,” says Brett. FSM

Crew: After adjusting figures from two Warriors Scale Models sets — a Mideast tanker and a Hezbollah soldier — to fit the hatches, Brett painted them with Vallejo acrylics. He thinned the paint with water and Vallejo glaze medium and applied thin layers to build up color.

Streaks: Brett applied Ammo of Mig Jimenez dust effects and streaking grime to the hull and turret, then dragged the enamels down. The result looks like dirt and grime that’s run down the vehicle in the rain.

Base: Working with a VLS street scene, Brett painted with Tamiya NATO black (XF-69). Then, he misted Tamiya medium gray (XF20) mixed with Tamiya lacquer thinner over the asphalt area, just enough to make the street look dark gray with lighter patches. The sidewalk received a thin coat of Tamiya deck tan (XF-55), then he applied repeated artist’s oil washes of burnt umber, sepia, and Mars black. Pigments added dirt and dust.

IS

AIRBRU

war-weary gun

HING

ING & SH

FIN

Meet Brett Avants BRETT, 49, built his first model when he was 8; it was a Monogram 1/48 Stuka his dad got for him. “We built it together and it was a blast,” Brett says. “I have been hooked ever since.” Armor quickly became his main interest, and he built a lot of the old Aurora, Monogram, and Tamiya kits. “Shep Paine was an inspiration, and I still have my original How to Build Dioramas,” he says.

Like many, Brett’s active modeling took a

hiatus for life, military service, and kids. Nowadays, the bug is back full-time and Brett’s building more — mostly armor, with some mecha and sci-fi kits, and a few aircraft. Brett and his wife of 27 years live in St. Charles, Mo., in suburban St. Louis. He says the area is home to some world-class modelers and figure painters.

Dust and dirt: Applying pigments wet and dry gives the dirt and dust on the lower hull a layered appearance — some dirt is fresher than other. On the turret and upper hull, pigment washes settle dirt in corners and recesses.

Chipping: Separating coats of paint with hairspray allowed Brett to produce layered chipping effects. The 2S1 looks like the camouflage has been applied at different times.

Slogan: Brett wrote the Arabic script with a fine-tip Badger Krome airbrush spraying Tamiya flat white (XF-2) acrylic mixed with Tamiya lacquer thinner at low pressure. “I had to practice several times to get the right look and right amount of paint,” he says.

Friulmodel metal tracks and a Model Point turnedmetal barrel dressed up Trumpeter’s 1/35 scale 2S1 before careful painting and weathering created a Syrian army gun in the service of rebel forces.

April 2016 www.FineScale.com 21

Sculpting rough seas Shape waves, wake, and spray to put ships in stormy weather • BY CHRIS FLODBERG

T

here’s something truly magical about seeing a model ship depicted at sea. But there are significant technical issues to overcome for realistic results, as anyone who has ever modeled an ocean scene can attest.

A seagoing diorama comprises three components — basic sculpt, waves, and paint — and each element must be realistic for the illusion to work. I wanted an easily replicable method using easy-toobtain materials to reproduce just about any type of sea.

I lived and breathed this problem every day for two years and produced a heap of really poor sea bases until I figured out what worked. I spent hundreds of dollars and thousands of hours experimenting with just about every material I could get my hands on.

I continue to experiment, but I’ve discovered techniques that produce a range of realistic ocean surface conditions. The following description is my go-to method for choppy-to-rough seas.

Meet Chris Flodberg A PROFESSIONAL ARTIST, Chris lives in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. He returned to modeling after years away when he set out to create a series of large-scale ship paintings. The models served as references for paintings, but building them quickly grew into a passion. His models and dioramas were shown alongside his paintings at the Military Museums of Alberta. “The first time I saw a realistic depiction of a ship at sea in small scale, I was hooked,” Chris says.

Trumpeter’s 1/350 scale HMS Repulse cuts a realistic line on a simple base of foam, paint, and rayon.

1 The technique starts with foam insulation, in this case a 1"-thick piece. I place the ship where I want it and trace around it with a pen.

3 Using a broad, wire cup brush in a drill, I make eye-shaped gouges in the foam. Keep them running in the same direction and vary the size of the grooves so they look like waves.

2 I cut nearly all the way through the foam along the outline. I keep the cutout in place for the next two steps to protect the edges of the opening.

4 It is important to even out unusual peaks or holes at this stage or they can become permanent flaws and spoil the finished model.

5 Thoroughly vacuum the foam, your workspace, and your clothing to keep debris out of the paint to come.

April 2016 www.FineScale.com 23

6 I coat the entire sea with a generous layer of clear gloss acrylic medium.

8

7 While the medium is wet, I lay a single, long piece of paper towel over the sculpted foam, taking care to avoid tearing the paper.

9

I gently press the paper towel into the waves with my fingers.

Before the underlying layer dries, I liberally apply more medium, taking care not to brush or press too hard to avoid wrinkling the paper.

10

11

I squeeze air bubbles from under the paper with my fingers to ensure a snug fit against the foam. Again, avoid creating wrinkles that will spoil the realism of the waves.

Once everything is dry, trim the paper from the opening for the ship and the outer edges of the base.

24 FineScale Modeler April 2016

12

13

Next, I apply several coats of artist’s acrylic gesso to the surface. Always brush in line with the grooves so any brush marks will be going with the waves rather than against them.

After more than a dozen coats of gesso, the sea looks smooth, most of the towel texture is gone, and it’s ready for paint. I sand debris out of the finish.

14

15

I base-coat the sea with a mix of phthalo blue, black, and white acrylic paint; I would describe the resulting color as denim.

Guided by photos, I airbrush dull, mint green to suggest subsurface churn created by the ship. The color is a mix of white and turquoise with a tiny bit of black to dull the shade.

16

17

I seal everything with a clear flat acrylic to prevent subsequent layers from affecting the mint green.

For white-water effects, I use medical rayon balls (far superior to cotton balls). You can pull the fibers between your fingers to create webs.

April 2016 www.FineScale.com 25

18

19

I attach the rayon fibers with Liquitex high-gloss varnish, a watery clear, shiny finish. First, I brush a little onto a spot where I want to attach the fluff.

While the medium is wet, I place a web of rayon.

20

21

Lightly applying medium with a brush causes the strands to bunch up and become coarser. The results can be quite realistic.

Brushing on more medium tamps the rayon onto the surface of the sea.

22

23

Once the rayon is on, I coat the entire base with multiple layers of Liquitex high-gloss varnish. Gluing wooden blocks into the hole makes attaching the ship easier.

Once the ship is in place, I patch the crack along the waterline with rayon and gloss medium. I like to create an up-and-down undulation along the waterline to suggest the movement of water. FSM

26 FineScale Modeler April 2016

1/35 Scale

TIPS FOR TRACKS Adding individual-link tread is easier than you might think • BY TERRY HUBER

The Bee Gees were atop the Billboard charts when Tamiya’s 1/35 scale M8 Howitzer Motor Carriage came out in the late 1970s.

It’s not a bad kit, but its “rubber band” tracks can’t match contemporary tracks from AFV Club.

M

aybe you’ve built a few armored vehicle kits out of the box, or perhaps you’re taking a break from superdetailed aircraft. Whatever your modeling experience, individual-link tracks can enhance an armor kit. You may say, “hose track sets are too complex,” or “hey take forever.” While it is true that some sets are so complicated that I would only recommend them to the most experienced or patient builders, other sets are pretty easy once you get the hang of it.

April 2016 www.FineScale.com 27

1 This part is easy: Links connect the block pads.

Plan installation in sections to know how best to hide ejector-pin marks on the pads.

4

2 Working in sections also makes assembly quicker; you can clean up several block pads and links at a time. Apply glue to the pin holes from outside the link.

5

3 Once the glue is on, press the section down with a straightedge to keep the tracks flat.

6

Build a small section to approach the bottom of the sprocket.

Place the freshly glued track section onto the sprocket to get the right shape …

… and allow the super glue to set up slightly.

Then remove the track and let it dry off the sprocket.

My M8

and idler. On the top run, along the return rollers, put the marks on the top side so they don’t show.

Some track sets are handed (diferent on left and right), and some are front-facing.

Be sure to check your directions and references. On my set, the track is the same for left and right, and front to back.

After I had built a run of about 3", I was ready to round the sprocket and idler.

I joined six track pads as a run-up from the lat track section to the sprocket, then started fitting the tracks on the road wheels and up to the bottom of the sprocket, 4. As you glue the tracks, place each section on the vehicle and bend them slightly to conform to the sprocket. Wait a few seconds for the super glue to take efect, then carefully pry them of the sprocket and allow them to dry of the vehicle, 5. You do not want to get glue on the sprocket and have the tracks stick to it.

Continue around to the top of the sprocket, 6, and also around the idler in the rear, 7. he best connection point at final assembly will be at the idler. So, for now, build only halfway around the idler.

Now build up some small straight sections. hese will be attached at the top of the sprocket, 8, followed by another section that will go all the way to the rear and around the idler to meet the previously built section, 9. Do not glue the very last link at the idler; this will be done later when you finally join the tracks after painting and weathering.

I was well into Tamiya’s 1/35 scale M8 Howitzer Motor Carriage (No. 35110) before I opted for aftermarket tracks. he Tamiya kit dates from 1979 and, like most kits of its era, it has one-piece lexible vinyl tracks that lack fine detail. I was thinking of using them anyway until I found pin marks on the bottom of the track. Also, they lacked the right connection points and spacing when it came to the links and rubber-block cleats. So, I decided to shop the aftermarket.

AFV Club tracks I ordered AFV Club T16 tracks (product No. AF35019, the rubber-block type) at www.Squadron.com. he set contains six sprues; each sprue holds 24 pads and 48 links. he instructions call for 132 total pads (66 per side); there are 12 extra block pads and 24 extra links included. his is appreciated when those little links go lying of into space. After a quick wash in mild detergent to remove mold-release agents and oils from manufacturing, my tracks were ready for me to begin. he track blocks have an ejector-pin mark on one side. So, make sure these are installed with the pin mark facing down for the bottom run, and on the inside where you are running track around the sprocket 28 FineScale Modeler April 2016

Track assembly At first I removed one pad and two links from the sprue and glued them together, 1, then repeated the step for the next pad. his was growing tedious until I realized it would be better and faster to remove several pads and links, clean up the sprue connection on the pads with a hobby knife, then glue them all. he instructions say pads and links should not be glued, just pressed together. his didn’t make sense: Normal handling, twisting, and test-fitting the assembled tracks on the sprockets, road wheels, and return rollers would eventually unravel them.

I placed a small amount of thick ZapA-Gap super glue on the outside of each link once it was in position over the trackpad pins, continuously checking to make sure I was keeping the tracks straight and level, 2 and 3. Since the tracks are so well engineered, I found I only needed to make sure they were lying lat before gluing them; they came out straight without having to use any building jigs. I simply put them on a hard, lat surface, placed a straightedge on them, and pressed down until they were level.

7

8

9

Repeat the process to bring track around the idler.

Short, straight sections are assembled and attached to the track around the sprocket.

Again, the same goes for the idlers.

10

11

12

Links won’t clear the return rollers without trimming either the axles or the guide horns. The latter is easier to hide, so I marked links at those spots with white paint …

… and cut those guide horns on the inner side to clear the return rollers.

The AFV Club tracks are a big improvement over the kit’s (left).

13

14

15

After base-coating the tracks with a flat black/ gunship gray mixture, I masked the block pads to airbrush steel.

I touched up the block pads and links. Ejector-pin marks on the upper run will be concealed under the fenders.

Dry-brushing the links with gunship gray (right) brings out more detail compared with the untreated links.

Track modifications

I airbrushed with Testors Model Master enamels, starting with lat black slightly lightened with gunship gray and 30% thinner, spraying at 20 psi.

After letting the tracks dry for 24 hours, I masked the blocks, 13, and airbrushed with steel using the same thinning ratio as before. I left the tracks overnight, then touched up with the leftover black/gray mixture to repair any steel overspray. hen I touched up the steel, too, 14.

I dry-brushed the tracks with gunship gray. Note the diference in the slightly weathered, dry-brushed track, 15. he track is now ready for a wash of Tamiya acrylic thinner mixed with a few drops each of Tamiya acrylic lat brown, lat black, and olive green. his is the same wash I will use on the completed vehicle; it

looks nice and dirty, and the acrylic lows across the enamel without damaging it.

Trimmed

Ejector-pin marks

On some vehicles, you will be instructed to remove a portion of the return roller axle so the links can clear. Since the return rollers were already built and assembled on my tank chassis, I used white paint to mark the links at the return rollers, 10. Trim the connecting link on the hull side of the track so it clears the roller axle but is hidden from view, 11. Set the assembled track to the side and remember the side of the vehicle from which it came to make sure it goes back on the same way. he completed track run already looks much better than the kit’s track, 12.

Painting and weathering Check your instructions and references to paint and weather your tracks.

Attaching your tracks Once the paint and weathering has dried completely, you can mount the tracks. If your previous work was done right, the tracks should join nicely with the proper tension and sag. hat was more than I could say. My tracks fit a little too loose, so I glued them tight to sprocket and idler, hiding the loose portion behind the fender over the idler.

But after the final washes, and weathering with Tamiya light earth airbrushed along the lower portions of the M8, the tracks look convincing. heir superior detail adds a lot to the model’s appeal.

I hope you have the same success. FSM April 2016 www.FineScale.com 29

1/48 Scale

Turning a A-4E/F Skyhawk into a MiG-killing Israeli A-4H • BY YOAV EFRATI

A real A-4H Skyhawk similar to the one Efrati modeled

D

uring more than 50 years of operation, the A-4 Skyhawk was rarely required to prove its air-to-air prowess. The Douglasbuilt A-4 was primarily an attack aircraft.

Its first air-to-air kill came on May 1, 1967, over Kep airfield in North Vietnam.

Lt. Cmdr. T.R. Swartz, flying an A-4C with VA-76 squadron from the USS Bon Homme Richard, downed a MiG-17 with a Zuni unguided rocket.

Three years later, on May 12, 1970, Col. Ezra Dotan, commanding officer of the Israeli air force’s Squadron 109 (the “Valley Squadron”) scored two kills over southern Lebanon. Dotan was flying an A-4H when he shot down two Syrian MiG-17s. He already had three kills in a Mirage IIIC, so his A-4H kills made him an ace.

Here’s how the encounter went down: On a search-and-destroy mission against Syrian armor, Dotan and his wingman were

30

FineScale Modeler

April 2016

intercepted by two Syrian MiG-17s. In the ensuing dogfight, Dotan downed the first MiG using the same technique as Swartz but with 38 Zuni rockets fired from two rocket pods. He then gave chase to the second MiG and got the kill with a burst of 30mm high-explosive rounds from the A-4’s DEFA cannon.

Building the model To re-create Dotan’s MiG killer, I chose Hasegawa’s 1/48 scale A-4E/F (No. 7224), which has all the parts needed to build an A-4H, known in Israel as Ahit (Eagle).

For an impressive display, I choose a maximum Mk.82 Snakeye bomb load left over from a Kinetic Kfir kit. I began assembly from the bottom up, mounting the Kinetic Snakeyes on Hasegawa’s multiple ejector racks, triple ejector racks, and outboard pylons.

Brass wire pins inserted in holes I made in the pylons aligned with corresponding holes made in each bomb. This aided in bomb attachment using minimal glue after the parts were painted, 1.

The upper wings have a step to allow cementing the leading-edge slats in an upand-closed position (as seen on Blue Angels Skyhawks). This step does not exist on the actual aircraft, so I filled it with putty. For a more-durable leading-edge slat, I replaced the kit’s plastic slat rails with flattened brass wire of the same length, 2.

The kit’s straight refueling probe was used as a dimensional reference for a replacement. Plastruct 1⁄16" plastic-coated wire (No. 90102) was the same diameter as the kit’s refueling probe. I stripped plastic from the end, drilled through the kit probe’s forward nozzle, and mounted it on the bared wire. I also removed coating from the rod’s aft end and inserted it in a hole that I

Inspired by Israeli ace Ezra Dotan’s air-to-air combat successes with the A-4H Skyhawk, Yoav Efrati modeled the plane using a Hasegawa A-4E/F as the base.

1 I embedded brass-wire locating pins in holes drilled in the bomb racks to aid in bomb alignment.

These require just a little cement to attach.

2 Filler putty eliminated the step between the leading-edge slat and upper wing surfaces.

Flattened brass wire replaced the kit’s fragile plastic leading-edge slat rails.

had already drilled through the fuselage’s right side, 3 and 4.

Engine intakes were then assembled and added to the fuselage. I mounted the intake’s outer contours (parts J5 and J6) flush with the fuselage, which left gaps at the boundary layer roots. However, these voids were easily filled with gap-filling super glue.

The kit provides external trapezeshaped reinforcement plates that did not exist on early A-4Hs; I sanded them off.

The mid-fuselage triangular NACA duct molded on the fuselage’s left side does not exist on Israeli Skyhawks, either, so I filled it with super glue and sanded it smooth, 5.

Prior to cementing the fuselage halves, I added a 10-gram fishing weight to the nose. I sprayed the cockpit FS36231 gray, the intakes and engine face (Part D12) Tamiya gloss white. The exhaust pipe and turbine blades were brush-painted with

4 Plastruct 1⁄16" coated wire was the right diameter to replace the refueling probe. I stripped the coating from either end of the wire and inserted it in holes I drilled in the kit’s refueling-probe nozzle and the right side of the fuselage.

3 A fishing weight in the nose kept the tail up. I replaced the kit’s plastic refueling probe with a segment of plastic-coated wire.

5 Sand off the kit’s molded intake reinforcement plates located on both sides of the fuselage. The recessed triangular NACA inlet on the left side of the fuselage is not found on the Israeli A-4H; I filled it with super glue gel.

April 2016 www.FineScale.com 31

6

7

The kit’s fuselage halves prior to closure: Note the FS36231 dark gull gray cockpit interior, white-painted intake, and burnt iron exhaust pipe.

8

The detailed cockpit has taken shape, as has the intake assembly. Soon it will be time to close up the fuselage halves and work on the exterior.

9

10

The painted True Details ESCAPAC ejection seat and the kit’s instrument panel enliven the cockpit, as does red, yellow, and blue paint applied with a toothpick.

Flattened brass rods are cemented just aft of the canopy to provide better support for the canopy during final assembly.

To replicate the A-4H, you’ll need to sand off the bulged reinforcement plate located just ahead of the windshield-bleed air nozzle. This version didn’t have that feature.

11

12

13

At the wing roots are 30mm DEFA cannons salvaged from my spares box. I’ve added metal tubing to replace the kit’s fragile barrels.

Black was sprayed from the outside to depict the interior color of the windshield and canopy.

Using flat white as a primer enabled the red to stand out without excessive paint buildup. By applying trim colors first, the chance of overspraying the camo is averted.

This shows the underside with the trim colors applied prior to applying the camouflage colors that will complete the model.

Xtracolor burnt iron (X508), 6 and 7.

After painting the inside of the intake ramp white, I applied Xtradecal 5mm-wide red decal stripes (No. XPS4) and sealed the decals with a brushed-on layer of Pledge FloorCare Multi-Surface Finish (PFM). I opted to close the aft fuselage speed brakes on my model, and it was prudent to do so at this stage.

To fit the speed brakes into the fuselage recesses requires careful trimming to prevent a big gap, especially at the forward hinges. To keep glue and plastic from filling the required gap between the speed brakes and fuselage, I drilled a couple of holes 32 FineScale Modeler April 2016

through the fuselage brake cavities and cemented the brakes to the fuselage with a bit of super glue gel.

The kit’s sharp, raised cockpit detail facilitates dry-brushing. Touches of red, yellow, and blue applied with a toothpick made for an accurate rendition, 8.

Flattened brass rods glued inside the canopy aft fairing provide support for attaching the canopy during final assembly, 9.

I joined the fuselage halves with liquid styrene cement, letting the softened plastic

form a bead outside the seam. I let the fuselage dry for a couple of days to allow the melted plastic bead to harden.

The A-4H’s distinctive squared-off vertical fin tip (Part 14) was cemented atop the tail and required filler at the joint. Dryfitting the wings with the fuselage revealed a gap at the roots, too.

I raised the upper-wing roots with sheet-styrene strips inserted between the lower wing (C5) and upper wing surfaces (B10 and B11). Filler was needed during attachment of the aerodynamic forward wing-root fairings (D6 and D7).

While letting the cement harden at the

fuselage and wing joints, I began painting the kit’s subassemblies. I airbrushed Testors Model Master FS35662 duck egg blue on the landing gear doors, flaps, and wing pylons. The blue was masked and the inner surfaces of these items painted gloss white.

White also was applied to the bomb racks, landing gear, wheel hubs, and bomb tips. The white served as a primer for Humbrol insignia yellow bomb tips. I used 1⁄16"-wide strips of Tamiya tape to mask the bomb tips and sprayed the midsections FS34087 olive drab, followed by FS34086 dark drab fins and Humbrol silver fuses.

Now it was time to return to the fuselage. Sanding off the hardened plastic bead left a join that required no filler. Lost detail was easily restored due to the kit’s recessed panel lines.

The raised rectangular reinforcement plate molded to the fuselage halves, just ahead of the windshield-bleed air wing shield fairing, is not necessary on the A-4H. So I sanded it off, 10.

Next, I located 30mm DEFA cannons in my spares box and attached them to the lower wing, using metal tubing to replace the fragile plastic gun barrels. Using photos as a guide, I drilled out the aft end of the gun fairings, 11.

Yoav celebrated Israeli ace Ezra Dotan’s airto-air combat victories by building an A-4H Skyhawk that looks the part.

Painting the Ahit Painting the fuselage began with spraying flat white inside the wheel wells, upperwing flap recesses, intake lips, leading edges, and the lower fairing just aft of the radome. I then sprayed Humbrol red over the white wing edges, upper wing flap recesses, flap inner surfaces, and intake lips.

Then I sprayed Humbrol flat black on the outer surfaces of the windshield and canopy as well as the fuselage adjacent to the guns. Applying these trim colors first eliminates the possibility of accidentally overspraying the camouflage with these hard-to-remove colors,12 and 13.

Model Master enamels were used for the primary camouflage, with duck egg blue applied first, masked, and followed by FS33531 sand, FS30219 brown, and FS34258 green, in that order.

For the aft fuselage “local” overspray areas, I mixed FS30145 brown using 3 parts Humbrol matt natural wood (110) to 1 part Humbrol matt light earth (119). I applied this mixture to the left side of the empennage; Model Master FS34227 green was applied to the right side.

A layer of PFM diluted with 70% rubbing alcohol was sprayed over the enamel to serve as a bed for decals and a barrier to the oil-paint weathering and fading that followed.

I used IsraDecal sheet IAF-17 for all

markings, referencing photos of the actual aircraft. Undiluted PFM was used as a wetting agent to help the decals settle.

Weathering and final assembly Small touches of Van Gogh artist’s oils — burnt umber, ivory black, titanium white, Amarillo oxide transparent and Payne’s gray — were applied to a pallet with mineral spirits used as thinner for the wash. I applied “dirty” mineral spirits to the panel lines with a 000 brush and let it dry for several minutes.

Wanting to represent a relatively new aircraft, I used the wash sparingly in accenting the panel lines and wiped off excess wash with a cotton swab.

To fade the wings’ upper surfaces, upper fuselage, and upper surfaces of the horizontal stabilizers, I applied touches of undiluted titanium white artist’s oil and carefully wiped them off in the direction of the airflow.

With the aircraft weathered, I super glued various items prone to accidental breakage, including: probes, lower fuselage drain tube, landing gear, landing gear doors, flaps, pylons, loaded bomb racks, and True

Details photo-etched antennas (72705).

A mix of PFM, 70% rubbing alcohol, and Tamiya flat base (X-21) sprayed over the model produced a semigloss finish.

Lastly, I added the True Details ESCAPAC ejection seat, canopy, clear teardrop position lights (painted red on the bottom), and burnt iron exhaust nozzle.

Chrome silver reflective lenses were used for the lower wingtip and right main landing gear door. I attached these with twopart clear epoxy, which does not attack or fog surfaces.

The result was a beautiful and accurate replica of an Israeli ace’s A-4H. FSM

REFERENCES

Israeli A-4 Skyhawk Units in Combat, Shlomo Aloni, Osprey, ISBN 978-184603-430-5 Walk Around No.41: A-4 Skyhawk, Lou Drendel, Squadron/Signal, ISBN 978-0-89747-499-3 Aircraft of the IAF No.3: A-4 Skyhawk, Ra’anan Weiss and Yoav Efrati, IsraDecal, ISBN 978-965-7220-00-9

April 2016 www.FineScale.com 33

READER GALLERY

▲ TODD SCHAUMLÖFFEL VERO BEACH, FLORIDA

▼ SCOTT WITHERS CANTON, MICHIGAN

Revell’s 1/56 scale Chris-Craft cabin cruiser was just a starting point for Todd, who waterlined the boat, added windows and blinds, grab rails, exhaust ports, and BareMetal Foil for the trim. “This is a scene, circa 1955, in which a 42-foot boat is navigating a small inlet in still-rural 1950s southern Florida,” Todd says. He painted with acrylics, enamels, and artist’s oils, both airbrushed and hand-applied.

Scott served up Tamiya’s 1/25 scale Tiger I with all the trimmings, sculpting Zimmerit with Staedtler modeling clay and loading the tank with Trumpeter tools and Aber photo-etched grilles, MG34 machine guns, and antennas. He dedicated the Tiger to his late brother, who built one when they were kids.

34 FineScale Modeler April 2016

◀ BOB STEINBRUNN STILLWATER, MINNESOTA

In 1948, on a farm in southeastern Minnesota, U.S. Air Force Capt.

Frank Hansen discovered a 1918 John Deere all-wheel-drive tractor.

He bought the hulk in 1961, began a restoration, and in 1964 commissioned 500 kits of 1/16 scale zinc castings that he assembled, painted, and sold. Bob acquired one of them online, and his research took him to a valuable nearby source of information — Hansen’s grandson. Bob superdetailed the original casting with brass rod, sheet, strip, tubing, and wire, as well as various styrene stock. He discovered that a 1:1 mix of John Deere original equipment paint and mineral spirits airbrushed and hand-brushed beautifully.

▲ MATTHEW TEEVAN WINCHMORE HILL, MIDDLESEX, ENGLAND

▼ SEAN McDERMOTT CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA

To model the “Space: 1999” Eagle 1 transporter, Matthew journeyed to the 1970s and MPC’s 1/72 scale kit. However, he made major modifications to enhance and correct it, removing 1⁄4" from the center and adjusting the spine accordingly. Also, he relocated the landing pads to their correct positions, made the passenger module skinnier, adjusted the nose-cone collar, detailed the spine, and rebuilt the engine cylinders. Other than that, it was a pretty straightforward build.

Sean mustered Pontos’ “Detail Up” set for duty aboard Tamiya’s 1/350 scale BB-63 USS Missouri.

His model of Big Mo was on display at a local hobby shop, where fellow Charlotteans encouraged him to send us a photo of it.

April 2016 www.FineScale.com 35

READER GALLERY

▲ FREDRIK STROM STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN

▼ MARTIN LAMONT MANCHESTER, NEW HAMPSHIRE

Working with Eduard’s 1/48 scale NATO Falcons kit, Fredrik used GSI Creos colors and inspiration from pictures taken at Souda Bay, Crete, during Operation Odyssey Dawn to paint a Norwegian air force F-16. Vingtor decals and a few scratchbuilt details, along with weapons he pulled from the kit and his spare parts, made Fredrik’s plane look ready for action.

Having built Revell’s 1/32 scale Arado Ar 196A-3, Martin says, “This is a well-engineered kit that goes together like a dream and looks absolutely fabulous simply out of the box. The only scratchbuilt additions I made were the rigging cables between the floats and struts, tie cables on either side of the fuselage, a tie cable from the port-side fuselage to the folded-back port wing, and the antenna cables.” If you’re thinking of building this one, Martin says, “Procrastinate no longer! Go ahead, make your day!”

36 FineScale Modeler April 2016

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 send prints or CD-ROMs 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!

◀ TOM VARNEY ANCHORAGE, ALASKA

Tom powered up Moebius Models’ 1/6 scale Robot B9 from “Lost in Space” with Starling Technologies’ Plug-N-Play Life Force kit, featuring animated lights and a range of remarks delivered by the voice of B9. ParaGrafix’s photo-etched set provided additional details. Tom painted with spray-can acrylic lacquers and hand-brushed clear paints from Tamiya. A shadow-box picture frame serves as a display base as well as a spot to hide the batteries. Jim Jensen photo.

▲ OSMANI VICENTE JR. LONDRINA, PARANÁ, BRAZIL

Osmani built Tamiya’s 1/35 scale Willys MB jeep and assigned it to the 7th Armored Division, 814th Tank Destroyer Battalion, Reconnaissance Co. 22 in Belgium, January 1945. He painted it with Tamiya spray cans.

▲ TOM BECKING TAYLORS, SOUTH CAROLINA

▲ JEREMY COLEMAN CHIPPENHAM, WILTSHIRE, ENGLAND

Tom airbrushed Moebius Models’ 1/8 scale 1966 Batman with Testors Model Master enamels. The kit’s Batarang rope has been replaced with eyeglass chain. Testors Dullcote and Krylon clear satin from spray cans finished the Adam West incarnation of the Caped Crusader.

Finishing one smooth fighter out of the box, Jeremy built Airfix’s 1/72 scale North American Mustang IV. He lightly weathered it with artist’s oil washes and used Tamiya smoke around the exhausts and machine-gun muzzles.

April 2016 www.FineScale.com 37

1/35 Scale

How to

FASHION A FASCINE

Putting AFV Club’s Churchill AVRE to work

BY ANDY COOPER

M

uch had been written about AFV Club’s Churchill Mk.III AVRE (Armoured Vehicle, Royal Engineers), all favorable. I just had to buy one — and I found the reviews were spot-on.

As I put the kit together, though, I thought something was missing — not from the kit itself, but in terms of what an AVRE, particularly a Churchill, actually did. As I looked through my references, it seemed every other picture of Churchills from World War II showed them carrying a fascine.

38 FineScale Modeler April 2016

Andy Cooper thought AFV Club’s Churchill Mk.III AVRE was spot-on, but as an engineering vehicle it needed just one more prominent feature — a fascine on the front end.

So what’s a fascine? Simply a tightly bound bundle of sticks carried on a wooden frame at the front of the tank. It was used to fill ditches and small water courses to provide a crossing point. Or, it could be placed against walls and other objects to surmount them. While carrying and deploying a fascine, the AVRE turret was traversed to the side as the carrier frame obstructed the petard mortar on the front.

Once the tank was in position, the fascine was deployed by an explosive bolt on a release mechanism above the turret. With

the fascine in place, the carrier was jettisoned and the tank reverted to its “normal” state.

I thought no self-respecting AVRE should be without a fascine.

Interior work I wanted to pose some of the hatches open, so I built an interior — not an exact replica, but enough to show something in there.

Working from photos, I set about scratchbuilding the necessary bits and pieces. I made a firewall from .020" plastic card, added some sprue boxes and copper-

Fuse wire

Turret floor

Transmission Styrene scraps

1

Petard mortar

2

Leaving a hatch open meant having to build an interior. Andy started with a basic driver’s station, transmission tunnel, and turret floor.

Turret details followed; Andy made the most of styrene scraps and fuse wire to imply a full interior for the tank. The kit supplied the mortar.

Firewall

3

4

5

After priming the hull gray, Andy should have glued some weight aft in the engine compartment to counterbalance the fascine.

Instead, he had to add it later.

Soft balsa beams were easy for Andy to saw up and pin together as he built a framework to carry the fascine. The beams were originally model airplane materials.

Trimming and test-fitting produced a framework that fit the tank …

wire pipes, and braced it top and bottom with sprue scraps, 1. To represent the floor of the turret basket, I stuck a circular section of diamond-plate-patterned packing strap on an empty tape roll. A rudimentary driver’s position consisted of a seat from my spares box and a transmission tunnel and gearbox selector made from sprue.

I scratchbuilt the radio set from plastic card and sliced styrene rod, mounted it in the turret, and ran thin fuse wire to it, 2.

Electrical and intercom boxes and more

wiring were added to the turret sides, again with scrap sprue and fuse wire. The smokegrenade launcher and pistol grip were made from a segment of styrene tubing and a pistol grip robbed from a carbine in my spares box. Finally, seats were fixed to the lower turret as they were prominent in views through the top hatches.

Wartime Churchills had a silver interior; I sprayed with Humbrol silver metallic (No. 11) and hand-painted details with more Humbrol enamels. A black watercolor wash

darkened recesses; Testors Dullcote sealed the colors.

I masked the turret interior and sprayed the whole vehicle with Tamiya gray primer, painting the tracks separately, 3.

Unfortunately, I forgot to weigh down the rear of the hull before I closed it up. I was able to feed small lead sinkers through the gap between the firewall and the sponson inside the tank. The problem was fixing them in place. Eventually, I hit on the idea of injecting Pledge FloorCare MultiSurface Finish (PFM) through the gap with a syringe and a small tube in the rear of the hull. I left the hull in a “forward up” position for a week until the PFM dried around the weights, securing them.

Honestly, it really is simpler to weight the hull while it’s open. Add 100-120 grams (3½-4¼ ounces) aft before you close it.

Wartime Churchill AVRE details There are subtle differences between World War II AVREs and their postwar counterparts. To build a more-accurate WWII AVRE, you should follow the B option in the AFV Club instructions and omit parts F12, 13, 14, and 15,

as appliqué armor was not fitted to early Mk.III Churchill AVREs. The raised commander’s cupola was also a later addition and was not found in this period. Use the low cupola supplied in the kit, not the taller one. Also, the correct

air intakes for the hull sides, parts E15, should be substituted for parts M10.

Early Mk.III AVREs were not fitted with the smoke dischargers at the rear of the hull (shown in Section 14 of the AFV Club instructions).

Fascine carrier frame Resicast makes a fascine carrier for Churchills, but I thought it would be simple enough to make from balsa. I used .030" x 030" (8mm x 8mm) beams available April 2016 www.FineScale.com 39

6

7

… over a series of irregular surfaces and details at the bow of the tank.

8

After it’s painted and weathered, the balsa looks a lot more like treated lumber.

9

10

Andy found broom bristles made good 1/35 scale palings. “I now envisage modelers worldwide storing old brooms just in case they become useful,” he says.

Tape and thread help Andy gather the palings into fagots; several fagots will be bundled to form the fascine.

Andy found aluminum tubing on his workbench that was just right for the core of his fascine.

with model airplane supplies. One beam makes several frames, so you can experiment without breaking the bank.

Guided by photos, I cut lengths and tacked them together with dress pins, 4. I cut the beams to duplicate the required components of the frame — in this case, three upright sections — and joined them with PVA wood glue. Building the upright sections, I allowed a little extra length on the feet (2-3mm) for adjustments to fit the hull.

Once the glue was dry, I measured and cut the cross members and completed the frame, 5. The balsa is so easy to work with and the PVA glue sets so fast (here in Perth, Australia, anyway) that I finished my frame in an afternoon.

Once the glue had set for 24 hours, all that remained was to shave sections to allow for the periscopes and differences in the hull height where the frame sits on the tank, 6. With weathering, the balsa looks like real wood — because it is, 7.

Fascine

dled 15 fagots (and a few spares) to make up the fascine. Remember, these were not uniform; your fascines may vary.

A search of the workshop turned up some scrap 10mm aluminum tubing (styrene tubing of similar diameter would serve as well). I cut three lengths to the approximate width of the fascine, taped them together, and poured super glue between them to keep them together. These pipes would become the center of the fascine.

I rolled the fascine on a flat surface until the fagots were more or less evenly distributed and the pipes were in the middle, 10.

Once this was achieved, I bound the complete fascine with a thicker black linen thread (available at needlework shops). I flattened one side slightly; this would be where the fascine met the carrier frame.

The fascine was now together, but it still was a little loose and squishy. To firm it up and make it easier to mount, I threaded a stiff piece of wire through the pipes in the middle to hold it and painted the fascine

40 FineScale Modeler April 2016

Fascines carried by the 79th Armoured Division Churchill AVREs were approximately 8' (2.4 meters) in diameter and about 12-14' (3.7-4.3 meters) wide; in 1/35 scale, that would be about 23⁄4" (7cm) diameter and 41⁄2" (12. 5cm) wide. A typical fascine would comprise smaller bundles of chestnut palings, or fagots, bound around three or four lengths of pipe to allow water to flow through. However, in the northwest European campaign, the 79th made fascines from local materials. I scaled up measurements from 1/76 scale drawings found in Geoffrey W. Futter’s book The Funnies.

An old millet broom in a corner of my workshop provided all the “sticks” I needed.

The bristles were the perfect size for palings. First, I cut small bundles of bristles, more or less the correct length, from the broom, 8. I taped these together while I bound them near each end with black, thin linen thread, 9. You may need a third hand to hold the knot while you tie it off. I bun-

with a 1:5 mix of PVA and water. The watery glue permeated and unified the fascine.

While it dries, turn the fascine every 10 minutes or so and wipe away excess glue with a brush to prevent it from settling in one place. (So, don’t start this step just before dinner is on the table!)

I test-fitted the carrier frame to the front of the AVRE, and the fascine to the frame.

Satisfied, I used PVA once more to fix the fascine to the carrier. I wrapped old insulated electrical wire around the assembly to hold it in place and let it dry overnight.

Crew Modeling figures is not my strength, but they add life and scale to any model. I used figures from a Tamiya Churchill I had on hand and found MiniArt’s British Armored Car Crew (No. 35069). Mixing parts of each set gave me four suitable figures; BluTack poster putty held the figure parts together while I experimented with poses, 11. I super glued wire segments in strategic spots to make the figures easier to handle for painting.

When the figures were painted I sealed them with PFM. After that had dried, a black artist’s oil wash deepened recessed details. Then I added a few drops of Tamiya desert yellow to the khaki base coat and dry-brushed highlights on the uniforms.

Red shoulder flashes were precisely applied with an artist’s fine-point pen.

11 Figures from two different sets were combined for what Andy wanted from his figures. He stuck their parts together with Blu-Tack to try different poses.

Finishing I gave the fascine and frame a burnt sienna artist’s oil wash, sealed with Dullcote to knock the shine off the PVA-soaked fascine, then super glued it on the bow of the AVRE. As a bonus, the kit’s working suspension took up the slack so the model has a slightly forward stance; the ballast in the rear simulates the weight of an engine there.

I airbrushed a thinned layer of Tamiya buff (XF-57) around the running gear and the lower hull to represent road dust, spraying progressively lighter toward the top of the hull. This blended the various shades throughout the fascine, its frame, and the AVRE itself.

Then, using the handling wires in the figures, I positioned the crew. The two at the top of the fascine had longer handling wires (about 2cm). I drilled a hole in the fascine and gently pushed the wire in, securing it with PVA. The cable tying down the fascine is the thicker linen thread painted with Tamiya metallic gray (XF-56); the release mechanism is made from spare parts of an aircraft undercarriage.

Andy’s Churchill AVRE is ready to roll into action, smoothing the way for Allied tanks to liberate Europe.

AFV Club’s kit supplies two rounds for the petard mortar; I placed these on the track guard, as if they were waiting to be loaded.

Finally, an overall layer of Dullcote flattened the finish on the vehicle, the fascine, and the figures.

Any AVRE model is unusual — and one with a real fascine will certainly draw interest, whether it’s on your shelf at home or on a table at a model club or show. FSM

REFERENCES

The Funnies by Geoffrey W. Futter, Model and Allied Publications, ISBN 978-0-85242-405-6 79th Armoured Division: Hobo’s Funnies by Nigel Duncan, Profile, ISBN 978-0-85383-082-5

April 2016 www.FineScale.com 41

Painting perfect

leading edges Masking tactical markings on a Japanese Ki-45 • PABLO BAULEO

S

urviving air combat in World War II depended heavily on visual identification of targets. Tactical recognition markings were widely used by all air forces to help pilots distinguish friend from foe in split-second combat decisions.

The Luftwaffe painted bright fuselage bands and wingtips; P-47s were given contrasting stripes on the tail surfaces; and Japanese airplanes wore a unique yellow-orange paint along the wings’ leading edges.

Often, these Japanese leading-edge tacti-

1 Prepare the surfaces by using any yellow you have at hand. I like to use gloss enamel for this stage as it adheres better to the plastic than acrylics, and the gloss finish provides a smooth surface for the next step. Make sure to mask any landing light covers before applying paint.

42 FineScale Modeler April 2016

cal markings are provided as a decal but the color is not quite right. Mixing the right color is as challenging for modelers as it is for the decal printers. However, my technique enables you to reproduce the yelloworange shade of the leading edges with little extra effort.

2 This is the real trick: Use Tamiya clear orange (X-26) over the yellow. Make sure your underlying yellow coat is fully cured and is compatible with acrylics. Cover the whole area that will be masked to reproduce the leading-edge tactical markings.

3 Masking around a curved surface — like a leading edge — can be a challenge. Luckily most modern models provide decals you can use as masks. Trim the decals using small scissors.

5 When you remove the decal you will have the outline of the masks on the tape. Given that the permanent marker was used on the outside of the decal, make sure you trim the outline on the inside of the line. Otherwise, you could end up with a slightly oversized mask.

7 Remove the mask from the index-card backing and carefully apply it to the leading edge. Ensure it is lined up with the wing and burnish the tape down against the smooth surface of the clear orange coat to prevent paint from running under the mask.

4 Place masking tape on an index card (for support), then place the trimmed decals on the masking tape. I like to make a small loop with regular tape to secure the trimmed decal to the masking tape. Trace the decal with a permanent marker onto the masking tape.

6 Here you have the original decals (still on their backing paper) and the matching mask (still on the index-card backing). Note that the mask does not need to include a cutout for the landing light.

8 Finish your model any way you want and remove the masks just before the final clear coat (flat or gloss, as you prefer). Take a minute to admire the perfectly painted leading edges that have captured the elusive shade of the Japanese yellow-orange tactical markings. FSM April 2016 www.FineScale.com 43

1/32 Scale

Build a beautiful BIPLANE Wingnut Wings’ German Rumpler is an easy-assembling eye-catcher

BY PHILLIP GORE

D

uring the first few months of 1917, Germany introduced a graceful two-seat biplane, designated Rumpler C.IV, for reconnaissance, artillery spotting, and light bombing.

Due to its impressive speed, range, and high ceiling, this aircraft was an immediate success in combat, and for a time was

able to operate deep behind enemy lines without much threat of being shot down.

Various versions of the Rumpler continued in service until hostilities ceased in November 1918.

In 2011, New Zealandbased World War I kit maker Wingnut Wings released its 1/32 scale Rumpler C.IV kit, which caught my attention even

44 FineScale Modeler April 2016

though it had one more wing than I am used to dealing with.

Here’s my straight-fromthe-box build of this beautiful aircraft.

Learning the interior The kit included an extensive interior that did not require much more than a good paint job, which is good since this area is highly visible on the fin-

ished model. First, the kit’s photo-etched seat belts and machine-gun cooling sleeves were bent to shape before being painted, 1.

The Wingnut Wings website (www.wingnutwings.com) has helpful tips on how to roll the photo-etched cooling sleeves to shape without damaging them. The kit’s instruction booklet is detailed and

1

2

Shaping the photo-etched machine-gun cooling sleeves and seat belts was easy.

3

Using the provided color recommendations for the cockpit created a realistic interior for the biplane.

4

Applying Winsor & Newton raw umber artist’s oil paint with a brush, then wiping much of it off, leaves a grimy finish.

5

The engine fits perfectly in the fuselage. But then again, all the parts fit well in the Wingnut Wings kit.

6

Placing masking tape loosely on the wings created a blurred demarcation line between the two green paints.

This taping method created a more realistic and accurately scaled color break on the wings.

clear on assembly, too. That’s good since this was my first biplane. Following the paint color recommendations produced a colorful cockpit, 2.

Most of the engine parts were painted Testors flat black and Model Master aluminum, but the assembly’s appearance was greatly improved by weathering and highlighting techniques. (All paints used are Model Master unless otherwise noted.)

The first step was burnishing dark gray pastel powder into all of the recesses and corners with a cotton swab. Next, a soft, flat sable brush was used to dry-brush dark ghost gray paint

green scheme and the white swans on the fuselage. German WWI exterior aircraft colors cannot really be compared to any sort of “standard,” so I made some selections based on Internet research and what looked correct to me. RAF interior green and field green were used for the upper surfaces, and a special mix of 90% white/10% intermediate blue for the lower surfaces.

A very loose and blurred demarcation line was created between the two greens by making sure the masking tape stood off of the parts by at least 1⁄8", 5. This produced an accurately scaled color break, 6.

over the black parts, highlighting the hard corners and raised details.

Finally, Winsor & Newton raw umber artist’s oil paint was applied with a brush, then mostly wiped away with cotton swabs, resulting in a grimy, realistic finish, 3. The engine, cockpit, and a few other parts were then installed in the fuselage, with the fit being outstanding everywhere, 4.

Color selection and decaling Decals and color schemes for five aircraft were provided. I decided to model Alexander Decker’s aircraft (No. 6689/16) because I liked the two-tone

After the base colors were applied, accents were added to the raised details by first brushing on medium gray pastel powder, then dry-brushing the same areas with dark ghost gray, 7. This same weathering technique was used on the upper and lower wings, giving the parts greater depth and highlighting the raised ribbing, 8.

Several thin coats of Pledge FloorCare Multi-Surface Finish (PFM) were airbrushed on the painted parts to prepare them for the kit decals which, with the use of Microscale Micro Sol and Micro Set decal solutions, conformed perfectly to the surfaces, 9.

April 2016 www.FineScale.com 45

7

8

I added accents to raised detail by first brushing on medium gray pastel powder, then dry-brushing the details with dark ghost gray.

9 Airbrushing a thin coat of PFM helped the decals adhere better. Then I added Micro Sol and Micro Set to settle the decals over surface detail.

The same brushed-on weathering technique also was used on the wings to bring out detail.

10

11

Attaching the upper wings, I glued the center struts in place first to assure proper alignment, working my way to the outer struts.

Rigging begins by coloring .005" Trilene 2-pound fishing line with a black marker.

12

13

14

I then glued the rigging into the locating holes on the upper wing, being sure to leave an extra inch on each piece.

After threading the rigging into place, I cut off the excess with a hobby knife and then touched up with paint to hide the connection points.

Super glue and white glue were used to attach elevator and rudder control cables. I used .004"diameter stainless steel wire for the cables.

After the decals dried, thin Testors Dullcote was airbrushed on the parts, then they were gently buffed with a soft T-shirt, producing a nice satin finish.

Next, I added the lower and upper wings. To ensure proper alignment, the upper wing was glued to the center struts first.

Then, working outward, I attached the remaining struts, 10.

It’s a rigged game Rigging (like death and taxes) is unpleasant to face. But it has to be tackled when building WWI aircraft. I used .005"-diameter Trilene 2-pound fishing line colored with a black marker, 11. Each piece was cut about 1" longer than required and glued into the locating holes in the top wing, 12.

The kit already had the rigging locators molded as

46 FineScale Modeler April 2016

recesses, which was a big help.

Holes were drilled all the way through the lower wings and the rigging was threaded through, removing the slack (but not taut enough to bend a strut!). The excess rigging was taped to the bottom of the lower wing; a small drop of super glue and accelerator locked them in place.

A sharp hobby knife blade cut the excess, and touching up

with paint made the connection point disappear, 13.

For the rudder and elevator control cables, .004"-diameter stainless steel wire was painted, cut to length, and carefully put in place with super glue on one end and white glue on the other, 14. Adding the rigging turned out to be more tedious than difficult. Once it was done, the rest of the build was uncomplicated.

15

16

After painting the prop with wood, I applied masking tape pieces drawn freehand. I then applied dark earth to the prop and removed the tape. Sealing with PFM gives the prop the look of varnish, as on real propellers.

Fit and finish were so good here that adding the observer’s machine gun gave the biplane a high-quality look with little work.

Final Details Most WWI aircraft used wooden propellers made from different woods laminated, then shaped. This caused the finished product to have unique, layered color patterns.

To reproduce this, I painted the entire prop wood and applied masking-tape pieces cut freehand, 15.

Next, dark earth was applied and the masking tape removed.

Dark red pastel powder was burnished in to tone down the color contrast and create a uniform tint. Finally, a heavy coat of PFM was added to simulate the clear varnish found on the real propellers.

The observer’s Parabellum LMG 14 machine gun was typical of the entire kit, with its simple construction, great fit, and impressive detail that elevates a “box stock” build close to museum quality, 16.

When the last exterior details were added, the project was done, completing one of the most enjoyable aircraft builds I have experienced in recent memory.

Although not really a WWI aircraft guy, I am now a Wingnut Wings fan, as this manufacturer really does get it right while making it as simple as possible. What more could a modeler ask? FSM

The Rumpler was an easy build with an impressive final product. I enjoyed the change of pace of a plane with an extra wing.

SOURCES

Wingnut Wings Ltd., P.O. Box 15-319, Miramar,

Wellington 6022, New Zealand Rigging: Trilene .005"-diameter 2-pound fishing line, Spirit Lake, Iowa 51360

April 2016 www.FineScale.com 47

SHOW GALLERY

MMSI Chicago Show 2015 If you want to see some of the best figures in the world, a good place to start is the annual show and contest of the Military Miniature Society of Illinois. Held each October in Schaumburg, Ill., just northwest of Chicago, the MMSI show attracts painters and modelers from all over the world. Here are some of the photos FSM Senior Editor Aaron Skinner shot at the 2015 show.

Want more great figures?

To see some of the other terrific models from the 2015 MMSI show, check out the gallery at www.FineScale.com/OnlineExtras.

▲ DAN CAPUANO ASTORIA, NEW YORK

The dramatic pose of Jeffshiu’s Miniatures’ 120mm German machine gunner is straight from the box. Dan painted the soldier with Vallejo acrylics over black primer.

The water is EnviroTex Lite. ▶ JOE HUDSON ST. CHARLES, MISSOURI

Joe painted this resin Green Lantern — sculpted by Joe’s friend Steve Party — with Vallejo and Andrea acrylics. The planet Guy Gardner soars over started life as a rubber ball; Joe carefully painted continents and clouds on the toy.

48 FineScale Modeler April 2016

◀ ZENO MLADIN LONDON, ONTARIO, CANADA

Zeno finished Best Soldiers’ “The Officer” as a commander during the English Civil War in the 1640s. The 75mm white-metal figure was painted with Vallejo acrylics and artist’s oils.

▶ SCOTT PRIMEAU ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA

Scott added a patch to the flight jacket’s shoulder on Life Miniatures’ 1/10 scale bust of Marilyn Monroe during a USO tour of Korea. He painted the jacket, dress, and hair with acrylic, and used artist’s oils for the flesh.

◀ PAUL KERNAN OAKVILLE, ONTARIO, CANADA

Working with Pegaso’s 200mm Spartan hoplite, Paul finished it as a soldier at the Battle of Thermopylae with artist’s oils for cloth and flesh, and printer’s inks for the metal armor.

▶ JOHN ESPEY BAY SHORE, NEW YORK

John painted Metal Models’ 54mm Chasseur à Cheval de la Garde — French light infantry from the early 19th century — with artist’s oils.

Pigments weathered the boots and trousers.

April 2016 www.FineScale.com 49

SHOW GALLERY ◀ MIKE BEDARD COTTAGE GROVE, MINNESOTA

Born in Ireland, Anne Bonny became famous sailing the Caribbean as a pirate in the early 18th century. To finish Nuts Planet’s 1/10 scale bust, Mike adopted the Flemish technique. He started with grisaille base coats, sketching out details in stark contrasts, then adding the colors as glazes.

▶ JIM ROBINSON WINNIPEG, MANITOBA, CANADA

There are five handpainted dragons on Jim’s 120mm geisha, including one on the fan and another in the tattoo on her neck. The Pilipili resin figure included the bridge, but Jim added the foliage and water.

◀ DOUG COHEN ROANOKE, TEXAS

To encourage the militia to preserve ammunition at the American Revolutionary War Battle of Bunker Hill, Col. William Prescott ordered, “Don’t one of you fire until you see the whites of their eyes.” Doug sculpted Prescott and two soldiers at the defenses on Breed’s Hill awaiting the British.

▶ JEFFREY CAMP CAROL STREAM, ILLINOIS

This is a 1/4 scale bust of Frankenstein’s monster made by Monster in the Woods.

Using acrylics, Jeffrey hand-painted it with stark green and yellow shades to suggest the glow of a nearby fire.

50 FineScale Modeler April 2016

GREG CIHLAR DOWNERS GROVE, ILLINOIS

Greg picked up this resin Gollum in an unmarked bag at a show, so he’s not sure of the manufacturer or scale. After airbrushing Tamiya acrylic base coats, he applied Vallejo washes and shaded with artist’s oils. He made the base by breaking up a scrap slate tile.

SHOW GALLERY

▲ LARRY CLAUSEN MUSCATINE, IOWA

▼ SAVANNAH FELL REESEVILLE, WISCONSIN

Rasputitsa is the Russian term for periods in spring and fall when rain and thawing snow turn roads into quagmires. Larry showed its effect on German military movement with a 1/35 scale diorama of one Italeri RSO attempting to extricate another after it ran off a corduroy road. It’s getting help from some Russian POWs (MiniArt) guided by German guards (Dragon). The model was painted with Vallejo and Tamiya acrylics.

After priming Safari Ltd’s Welsh cob, Savannah hand-painted a brown base coat using craft store acrylics. Different shades provided highights and shadows in the horse’s coat before Savannah added the dapples and details.

52 FineScale Modeler April 2016

JEFF BURNS WINNIPEG, MANITOBA, CANADA

Although Jeff built Nocturna’s 120mm Lilith out of the box, he wanted to finish her as something different.

So he turned her into the Butterfly Queen, painting with Games Workshop and P3 acrylics, and Winsor & Newton oils. He sculpted the base and made the tiny butterflies with a scrapbooking punch. FSM

READER TIPS

By Mark Savage Using worn-out sanding sticks

Sanding sticks are great wet or dry, but they wear out quickly. What else can you do then except toss them?

I turn my used sanding sticks into bases for models, especially for small figure vignettes or vehicle. This idea hit me while I was building a 1/72 scale vignette of the Allied landing at Tarawa, featuring a Japanese self-propelled anti-tank gun, a few Shermans, and a landing craft.

To model the water, the beach, the seawall and the island's surface, I needed several fairly flat layers of "ground." Here's where the sanding sticks came in. Gluing four sanding sticks across gave me a platform 7" long and just shy of 3" wide. I made the platform two deep (I have a lot of worn-out sanding sticks!) and four across (upper) and three across (lower), with the lower level sticks reinforcing the joints between the four sticks on the upper.

Once the yellow wood glue was dry, I painted the sanding sticks to seal them.

Then, I covered them with spackle to form the groundwork. This was in turn covered with acrylic paint and fine sand from my N scale model railroad scenery stash. In less than a half-hour (not counting drying time) I had just what I needed to provide the beach in front of the seawall. And I did it with items others would throw away.

– Ned Barnett Las Vegas, Nev.

your particular need). I further secured the thread to the tape with a small amount of super glue.

Once the glue was dry, I applied the tape to the inside of each fuselage half, covering the windows, and ran the thread back through the open slots for the rear horizontal stabilizers. Then I glued the fuselage halves together.

After the paint has dried, slowly and steadily pull the thread through the open slot. This will cause the tape to pull off rearward and out of the stabilizer slot. Now, any type of window maker can be applied. I call this the “ship in the bottle” method of masking.

A word of caution: Perform several dry runs before sealing the halves to make sure the method performs as described. For instance, if your knot is not up to par, you will end up with just a long piece of thread in your hand and a sinking feeling you will not forget! Done right, it’s a home run!

– Brian Yerich Stamford, N.Y. Rescribing panel lines

When rescribing lost panel lines, repurpose a leftover photo-etch sprue as a flexible straightedge. Cover all but the edge with masking tape. It will flex to the contour of the model surface when restoring the panel line.

– Davis Gandees Lutz, Fla.

Masking airliner windows

I just figured out a useful method for masking airliner windows from the inside. I am working on a 1/100 scale 747 and have added a custom interior. I wanted to mask the windows from the inside prior to sealing the halves and painting the exterior.

I simply took a good, strong thread and doubled it, forming a loop at one end to which I secured a 12" length of Tamiya 6mm tape (adjust the length of tape to suit Have a tip or technique to share?

Send a brief description along with a photo to tips@finescale.com or visit FineScale.com and click on “Contact Us.” Tips are paid for upon publication; if you live in the U.S., we’ll need your Social Security number to pay you. FSM obtains all publication rights (including electronic rights) to the text and images upon payment.

54 FineScale Modeler April 2016

Toughen up your primer

For anyone using polyurethane model primer, such as Vallejo surface primer, add a drop or two of Pledge FloorCare MultiSurface Finish to toughen it. I do this every time and it's just as good as enamel primer.

– Chris Lehman Princeton, Texas Glue mixing tips

I use a Post-it note pad as a disposable mixing surface for 2-part epoxy. I mix the epoxy on the top sheet. When I'm finished, I let the remaining epoxy harden, then just peel off the sheet and throw it away. You also can use a smooth tile to dispense glue into a small puddle and apply it to your model with a tool or toothpick. Once the glue hardens, scrape the remainder off with a single-edged razor blade!

– Dennis Rossko Carollton, Texas

These accordion-style bottles are especially useful for commonly used solvents.

Solvent containers

A

mong the most useful tools in our hobby are small containers that we can use for storing solvents we need every day.

Ones I’ve found useful are accordion containers (30cc capacity) to hold semi-liquids like tamarind. The containers are made of soft, thin plastic, which allows us to collapse the accordion, creating a vacuum inside. Then you can insert a feeding tube into an open container filled with solvent, release the pressure, and the vacuum sucks the solvent into the bottle to fill it.

Solvents I’ve used this for include alcohol, turpentine, and Tamiya thinner (X-20A).

All are colorless; to avoid confusing them, I label each with masking tape (or I paint a portion of the bottle top).

I’ve used my bottles for years.

Advantages? Each acts as a dropper, keeps a small amount of the solvents handy, is easy to refill, and doesn’t leak if tipped on its side.

– Manuel Ruiz Celaya, Mexico

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

By Mark Hembree Carrier needs aircraft Q I recently acquired two models of U.S.

Navy Essex-class aircraft carriers, angleddeck configuration, in 1/500 and 1/525 scale. However, all the aircraft were missing.

Is there anyplace I can purchase replacement groups of plastic aircraft?

– Mike Ball Grand Island, N.Y. A This is a bit of a stumper, Mike. Not counting eBay, I found one source: Starfighter Decals (www.starfighter-decals.com) has resin aircraft in 1/500 and 1/540 scale.

Trumpeter and others make carrier aircraft in 1/350 and other scales, but this is all I could find close to yours. If there are others I am sure we will hear about them in time for a following issue!

Why resin?

Q Resin is hard to work with and produces

harmful dust. What’s the advantage?

– Steven Siegel Nesconset, N.Y. A I will agree, Steven: Filing and sanding resin produces highly irritating dust. Always wear respiratory protection and goggles, too. That dust is nasty stuff.

But resin casting does serve an important role in modeling — and, in some instances, it’s the best way to go.

The casting process goes something like this: A master part is used to make a mold, often in RTV (room-temperature vulcanizing) rubber, although there are other mold-making materials. In turn, the mold is used to cast resin parts. The master part itself may be a work of fine art, such as a sculpted figure, or structural pieces, such as cockpit side walls or detailed bulkheads.

There are model makers who may not have the capital to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on injection-molding equipGot a modeling problem? Our Questions & Answers column is here to help. E-mail questions@finescale.com, or visit FineScale.com and click on “Contact Us.” We are not able to conduct lengthy research, such as answering questions on markings and unit histories. We publish letters of general interest in the magazine; however, mail volume and space limitations prevent us from printing every question. Please include your name, town, state, and a daytime phone number.

Featured in FineScale Modeler’s special issue Ultimate Guide to Finishing, Bob Davis’ 1/32 scale Ju 87D Stuka wasn’t “trying” to be legal — the real plane’s swastikas were painted out for night operations.

No swastika, no problem

Q Just finished reading your Ultimate Guide to Finishing. Great article on the Stuka (“Paint a Stuka for night attack” by Bob Davis). But surely the Germans didn’t paint out the swastikas on the fin. That’s how the kit manufacturers get around the law in countries where the swastika is banned, no?

– Bob Wolfenden, Horsham, West Sussex, England

A

It is true that display of the swastika is restricted or banned outright in several countries. However, that is not the reason the swastika on the tail and the crosses on the wings were painted out on this model. The plane depicted had those markings painted out at the time to reduce visibility. So, the model is accurate in that regard.

ment who still contribute by sculpting or building master parts and casting them in resin.

Many aftermarket accessories are made this way by “cottage industry” entrepreneurs who may not compete with Revell or Tamiya but nevertheless do a lively business.

But resin casting is not simply a matter of limited resources. Injection molding is unsuitable for certain shapes (such as thin edges or sharp overhangs). So, even kits from major manufacturers may include resin parts.

For the individual hobbyist, it’s a way to make or copy parts. Let’s say you have an armor model and you want to stow several jerry cans on the hull. Perhaps you have one or two plastic jerry cans among your spare parts, left over from another build. If you want more, you can use the spare as a master to make a

mold. Then you can cast as many copies as you want in resin, anytime you want to.

For another example, let’s say you have an airplane with four propellers and, somewhere along the way, your cat steals or hides one of the props. Do you have to buy another kit? Not if you know how to cast copies in resin. Problem solved (except the cat).

So, casting resin is a relatively inexpensive way to manufacture accessories, copies, or even an entire model kit.

For more on the process, see “Mastering and casting your own resin model” by Scott Doepker in the March 2011 FSM. Also, Chris Mrosko’s book Building Dioramas (Kalmbach, ISBN 978-0-89024-870-6) has an excellent chapter on the molding and casting processes. FSM April 2016 www.FineScale.com 55

WORKBENCH REVIEWS FSM experts build and evaluate new kits

Bronco Airspeed A.S.51 Horsa

W

idespread deployment of unpowered aircraft by the major combatants marked World War II like no other conflict. The United Kingdom had several glider designs, but the Airspeed Horsa was the most common.

Large and ungainly looking, the Horsa could carry up to 28 troops, a jeep, or an artillery piece. Employed in all major Allied airborne assaults, the Horsa proved maneuverable and robust.

Bronco’s kit opens up numerous diorama possibilities, given how many kits of vehicles and figures are available in the same scale. Despite the Horsa’s relative simplicity, Bronco included plenty of detail.

The cockpit is missing only wiring and plumbing. The cavernous troop cabin includes optional seats to fit along the sides, stepladders, and hanging straps.

A small photo-etched fret provides straps to stow the ladder, details for the 56 FineScale Modeler April 2016

cargo door, and optional shelves to replace the plastic version on the rear bulkhead.

There’s even a metal counterweight to keep the glider on its toes.

Decals provide markings for three gliders, all in identical Royal Air Force camouflage with invasion stripes. The stripe dimensions and placement vary slightly, so pay attention when choosing. The instructions incorrectly call for Tamiya dark yellow (XF-60) for the brown; it should be flat earth (XF-52). Also, the marking profiles show the RAF fin flash facing the same way on both sides. But the red portion should always face to the front of the aircraft. No detail color callouts are included.

The large fuselage comprises multiple sections. Decent fits aid assembly of the large plane, but care and clamps are needed to prevent gaps.

Numerous large ejector-pin marks complicate construction. They are easy to remove if you find them before applying glue; test fit, trim, and test fit again.

I didn’t join the fuselage frames to the floor as suggested in Step 5. Instead, I combined steps 5 and 6, trapping the frames between the floor and the lower fuselage, which includes alignment slots.

Don’t forget to install the nose weight.

It’s just barely sufficient to keep the tail up.

You’ll need to open holes in the floor for seating in the forward half of the fuselage; they’re present in the aft section.

The instructions warrant careful study.

Precise part placement can be hard to discern from the drawings. For example, I never figured out how part C30 fit. (It can’t be seen anyway!)

Step 17 shows the struts for the stabilizers fitting an incorrect hole in the fuselage, but the next drawing shows the right spot.

Before painting, decide which cargo door option to use. And don’t forget to install the overhead frame supports before attaching the roof. Ask me how I know!

Because of the model’s size, I left off the outer wing panels until after the center sec-

tion was mounted on the fuselage. That allowed for easier handling while cleaning up this critical connection. Once the roots were secure, it was a snap to level the wings.

Bronco includes masks for both the inside and outside of the windscreen and cabin windows, but many of them are slightly undersized.

I painted the underside of the extensive airframe with Tamiya spray-can semigloss black, then airbrushed highlights with Tamiya dark gray. To paint the upper camo, I made paper masks by enlarging the instructions on a copier.

The decals went on OK, but I encountered silvering around the fuselage numbers.

After flat-coating the beast, I attached the cargo door so it was level with the included ramp, and added support wires using EZ Line.

Bronco’s big Horsa took a bit of work — I spent a little more than 55 hours on it — but it wasn’t difficult.

– Chuck Davis

Kit: CB35195 Scale: 1/35 Manufacturer: Bronco Models, www.cn-bronco.com Price: $179.99 Comments: Injection-molded, 320 parts (11 photo-etched, 1 metal), decals Pros: Well-designed; good fits; inclusion of nose weight Cons: Vague instructions; no detail color callouts

April 2016 www.FineScale.com 57

WORKBENCH REVIEWS

Trumpeter Su-24MR “Fencer-E”

T

rumpeter’s “Fencer-E” features an astounding amount of plastic: 370 parts on 28 sprues. Everything is packed separately in a partitioned box, with the clear sprue in its own padded polybag. The parts have outstanding recessed detail except, curiously, the external fuel tanks, which show raised lines.

This kit depicts the maritime reconnaissance variant of the Su-24 without attack systems, so the offensive weapons — a couple of hundred parts — aren’t used. Recce pods are provided.

Illustrated options include retracted or extended flaps and speed brakes. For visual interest, I elected to open everything.

There are some features the instructions don’t point out: The wings can be posed swept or extended (but they don’t operate); the refueling probe at the base of the windshield can be posed extended; and, with a little sanding, the canopies can be closed.

Kit: No. 1672 Scale: 1/72 Manufacturer: Trumpeter, www.trumpeter-china.com Price: $64.95 Comments: Injection-molded, 370 parts, decals Pros: Great detail and fit; terrific decals Cons: Some errors and omissions in instruction sheet and color profiles

58 FineScale Modeler April 2016

Although the cockpit doesn’t precisely match photos in my references, it’s a jewel with nice detail and decals for panels and consoles. I added masking-tape belts to the well-done K36 ejection seats for effect. The canopy and windscreen were crystal clear.

Some parts are incorrectly numbered in the instructions, but the drawings were clear enough to figure out what the correct numbers should be.

The model virtually clicked together.

The only fit problem I encountered was the aft fuselage exhaust section.

Photos were invaluable for painting. The color instructions omitted the white leading edges plus the dark areas on the wings where they retract into the fuselage. My primary references were World Air Power Journal volumes 5 and 39 and the Internet.

Two decal sheets provide complete stenciling — one for all the external stores and one for the aircraft itself — and markings for two aircraft, one each from the Russian navy and Ukrainian air force. I chose the latter, more-colorful scheme.

The terrific decals were super thin but needed care during application to prevent them from folding back on themselves or wrapping around the edges of the carrier sheet. The external-stores diagram in the instructions was a bit vague.

With excellent detail, fit, and decals, Trumpeter’s “Fencer” is eminently buildable.

But, as a replica, it has a couple of issues.

I extended the flaps, but on the real aircraft the leading-edge slats extend with them.

That would take surgery to replicate. The nose-wheel doors are normally closed unless the gear is transiting. The box art shows those things but omits the fairings for the wing-glove pylons. Built according to the instructions, the model represents more of a maintenance scene than a mission-ready aircraft.

That said, Trumpeter’s Su-24 produces an impressive model; it’s not a difficult build, just a lot of parts. I spent about 30 hours building mine.

– Walt Fink

Takom Chieftain Mk.5/5P

W

hen the Chieftain entered British service in 1967, it was the most powerful tank in NATO’s arsenal. The primary versions of the main battle tank were the Mk.3 and Mk.5, the latter being the final production version. Later marks designated major upgrades or rebuilds of Mk.3s and 5s.

Large numbers of Chieftains were exported, and many served with armed forces in Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Oman, and Kuwait.

Given the Chieftain’s widespread service, it’s surprising that only two plastic 1/35 scale kits of the vehicle have been released previously (by Tamiya and Academy). Both are several decades old.

Takom’s kit features excellent detail on light gray plastic. Cleanly molded individual-link tracks come loose in a small bag and require only minor cleanup before assembly. Separate pads for the tracks increase assembly time but make painting the tracks easier.

Clear lenses are provided for the periscopes and major lights.

Instructions are provided in large, uncluttered illustrations, along with a separate color guide and decals for seven vehicles. Ammo of Mig Jimenez paints are referenced in the guide.

The outer wheels comprise four parts to properly capture the undercut rims of the real vehicle. The difference won’t be noticed on the inner wheels. I left off the running gear and tracks until after painting. I did the same with the spare tracks on the rear plate.

Detailing the upper hull went smoothly.

The driver’s hatch can be posed open or

closed through the use of optional parts.

The photo-etched (PE) engine grilles fit perfectly. Advanced modelers might choose to replace the lift handles for the engine hatches with fine wire, but the PE ones look OK. Adding the PE braces (TP4,TP6) between the headlight brush guards and the diverter plate (TP7) was challenging.

Turret assembly proceeded quickly. The main gun mount uses poly caps to make the barrel movable. But I found that the beautifully molded vinyl mantlet cover pretty much fixed the gun in a level position.

I filled small gaps around Part H4 (beneath the mantlet) with stretched sprue.

Sanding blended it into the turret.

The three-part main gun fit well and needed no filler.

With care, both turret hatches can be built to operate.

To paint my Chieftain as a BATUS (British Army Training Unit Suffield) Mk.5, I mixed Tamiya paints to match the suggested colors. The side and top views of the camouflage don’t align, so I adjusted the sides to match the top. A coat of Vallejo clear gloss sealed the finish.

The decals worked fine over flat areas, but the large number on the rear of the turret cracked in several places across the turret bin, even before I applied solvent. Once the decal dried, I touched up the fractures with paint. A flat black enamel pinwash made the molded detail pop before I applied clear flat.

Chieftain tracks don’t sag, so I built link-and-length tracks from the individual links. The instructions indicate 94 links per side, but I used 98.

I added the side-skirt supports when I

installed the suspension units near the beginning of the build and had trouble aligning them. If I build another Chieftain I will wait and add them when installing the skirts to simplify alignment.

I’m surprised it has taken so long for someone to release a new kit of this important vehicle, but Takom has done an excellent job. The model perfectly matches dimensions in Ian Hogg and John Weeks’ The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Military Vehicles (Book Sales, ISBN 978-0-90628675-3).

I spent 23 hours building my Chieftain.

Easy to build, the kit is perfect for intermediate armor modelers. The terrific PE and well-molded individual-link tracks would be a perfect introduction to these kit features for newer modelers.

– John Plzak

Kit: No. 2027 Scale: 1/35 Manufacturer: Takom, www.takom-world.com Price: $66.95 Comments: Injection-molded, 772 parts (42 photo-etched, 3 vinyl), decals Pros: Individual-link tracks need only minor cleanup; extensive clear parts; good photo-etched parts Cons: Slightly brittle decals; location of the coaxial machine gun is vague

April 2016 www.FineScale.com 59

WORKBENCH REVIEWS

Merit International USS John F. Kennedy

C

ommissioned in 1968, USS John F. Kennedy (CV-67), originally conceived as a nuclear-powered ship, became the last conventionally powered carrier in the U.S. Navy. A variant of the Kitty Hawkclass, it was 17' shorter.

In its 40-year career, Kennedy’s combat operations included Lebanon, Libya, Operation Desert Storm, Operation Enduring Freedom, and the Iraq War. Based on the instructions, Merit’s 1/350 scale kit replicates the ship during its final cruise in 2004, with RAM defense launchers and the deleted port forward catapultcable catcher horn as well as the aircraft.

Extra parts allow the ship to be built to reflect anytime between 1997 and 2007.

The large kit includes 35 plastic sprues and several single items: hull, flight deck, and bridge structures. Cleanly molded, the parts show little flash and minimal ejectorpin marks, although some, such as those under the edge of the flight deck, will be visible. Clear plastic supplies 21 aircraft and the bridge windows.

I skipped steps 1-5, the hangar deck, until after the hull was built and painted. I primed the hull with Tamiya flat black for 60 FineScale Modeler April 2016

pre-shading, taped the boot stripe, applied antifouling red to the lower hull, then remasked to paint the upper hull with Tamiya haze gray.

In Step 7, I had to remove the locator pins and sand the thick side walls of the close-in weapon system units (Z50) to properly fit the supports (Z40).

Defer Step 9 until flight-deck installation in Step 13. Part G22 requires trimming 1mm for a flush fit against the upper part of the stern opening. Steps 10-12 can be completed without issue.

Before attaching the flight deck, I painted it flat black, highlighted the 1,875 tie-downs with graphite, and added more than 40 decals over a layer of Pledge FloorCare Multi-Surface Finish. I split the single elevator double-line markings so the elevators can be posed up or down. I also removed much of the carrier film from the large 67 at the bow to minimize silvering.

The firm decals responded to Solvaset decal solvent.

The hull is stamped USS Kitty Hawk while the deck says USS JFK, and the class distinctions cause problems. The locator ridge under the JFK stern was 1.75mm off, misaligning the elevators and bow. So, I

removed the ridge and aligned the bow, leaving the extra at the stern. I needed to rework the flight-deck supports at the stern, but this alleviates issues with the elevator alignment.

Steps 14-16 were fine, but I skipped past the bridge structure (steps 17-22) except for Step 18a’s subassembly, which I needed in Step 39.

I added the hull sponsons without problems, until Step 29. Part E10 is too long to fit into sponson K2. Simply carve the halfmoon shape carefully and it will drop into place nicely.

Skip steps 41-44 to keep the flight deck flat. Step 44 creates the antennas for the deck edge; with care, they will all be moveable.

I skipped forward to steps 51-55 to mount the antenna and life-raft racks while the locator pins and indents were easily visible. You will need to shave the molded vertical frames on the deck edges to better fit the racks.

Moving backward in the instructions, I built the island. It was pretty straightforward, but the mast option in Step 20 is unclear. Also in Step 20, the subassembly does not fit the molded locator on part F16.

I removed the ridge and shaved down the wall on Part E16. Finally, Part J31 subassembly in Step 19 is too wide.

Part PE 18C was too short to fill the gap for the waist-catapult bridle catcher, but spare netting is provided. The aircraft crane is molded raised but can be lowered, with some modification, for flight ops.

Final assembly in steps 56-58 includes a nice PE and plastic mast. The instructions are vague: two parts J64 create the support between J9 and J10.

The aircraft — and you get a bunch — are a mixed bag. The kit provides five F-14Bs, five F/A-18Cs, five EA-6Bs, two S-3s, two E-2s, and two SH-60s.

The Vikings and Hawkeyes can be posed with wings folded, and the Tomcats have optional parts to show the swing wings extended or stowed. These three types have separate canopies, making painting a breeze. Optional parts allow the Seahawks’ main rotors to be folded. All fit pretty well.

On the other hand, the wings on the Hornets and Prowlers are molded in flight position only, the canopies are integral with the bodies, and filling was needed to blend the airframes.

The decals are a quandary. Insignia, tail markings, aircraft numbers, and even stencils are included for all types. But the same numbers are provided for all but the Prowlers, so you’ll need to modify them or hit the aftermarket for an accurate air wing.

Overall, Merit’s Kennedy is nicely detailed. But it requires work to produce an

accurate model. The PE is nice, but no railings are provided. The biggest hurdle was the vague instructions; a good part of the 137 hours building the model were spent deciphering the cryptic part-placement diagrams. Given the fit problems, I recommend the kit to experienced builders.

– Mark Karolus

Kit: No. 65306 Scale: 1/350 Manufacturer: Merit International, www.merit-intl.com Price: $240 Comments: Injection-molded, 1320 parts (41 photo-etched), decals Pros: Well engineered and molded; excellent one-piece flight deck; PE radar looks great; good selection of aircraft Cons: Some hard-to-hide ejector-pin marks; confusing instructions; disparities between deck and hull

April 2016 www.FineScale.com 61

WORKBENCH REVIEWS

Meng T-10M

T

he Cold War-era T-10M, the ultimate Soviet heavy tank, traces its lineage through the IS tanks of late World War II to the KV tank designed in the late 1930s.

The vehicles were built at two factories, and there are substantial differences in appearance as a result.

In FSM’s last “Most-Wanted Kit” survey, the T-10 made the top five in 1/35 scale armor, just behind the Soviet tank’s American counterpart, the M103 (FSM,

Kit: No. TS-017 Scale: 1/35 Manufacturer: Meng, www.meng-model.com Price: $89.99 Comments: Injection-molded, 952 parts (18 photo-etched, 20 vinyl), decals Pros: Terrific molding; precise engineering; individual-link working tracks Cons: Fussy tracks require patience

62 FineScale Modeler April 2016

November 2013). Meng answered those requests with an all-new state-of-the-art kit of this impressive Cold War beast.

Flawlessly molded in dark green plastic, the kit features individual-link workable track, photo-etched (PE) engine screens, clear light lenses and periscopes, articulating suspension, optional turret stowage box, and separate hatches.

The one-piece lower hull features subtle casting texture and integral sponson-blocking plates. Detailed road-wheel arms incorporate torsion bars that extend across the hull and allow the suspension to articulate, perfect for dioramas. Two styles of drive sprockets are provided.

The upper hull mates with the lower half perfectly. The kit’s engineering was so precise that I used no filler at all during the build.

The PE screens for the engine deck fit the opening without trouble and look terrific.

Other hull details include auxiliary fuel tanks and smoke canisters out back, an unditching log for the starboard side, and stowage boxes, headlights with guards, and tow cables in front. The latter are provided as plastic parts rather than the typical thread, but they match the separate ends and conform to the hull.

The track links have excellent detail and

assemble with a nifty two-part jig that guides insertion of track pins. Take note: Two types of pins are used — one for the outside edge and one for the hull side. The instructions are a little vague about how the jig operates, so study the diagrams and establish an assembly sequence.

I encountered no problems building the turret. The gunner’s and commander’s hatches both rotate and operate. The main and anti-aircraft guns assemble easily and have terrific detail. Stowage options include a rolled tarp or a bulbous turret bustle. I used the former to match photos of T-10Ms in Prague in 1968.

Decals mark four tanks, including two in Czechoslovakia in 1968. I painted my T-10 with Ammo of Mig Jimenez Soviet green shades. Photos of Soviet tanks in Prague show some with the ID stripes stopping halfway up the turret sides, so I did that rather than follow the kit instructions.

I completed Meng’s T-10M in 35 hours and enjoyed the build. The engineering makes construction a breeze, but the small parts, PE, and individual-link tracks make it a project for modelers with some experience. However, because the the PE and tracks fit so well, it might be a good entry point for someone wanting to get started on advanced techniques.

– Jim Zeske

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Est. in 1973, open 7 days, Th & Fr 'til 8.

Visit us @ www.sparetimeshop.com

THE SPARE TIME SHOP

508-481-5786

MASSACHUSETTS • Norton

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.

800-876-0414

HARRY’S HOBBIES & COLLECTABLES

508-285-8080

CONNECTICUT • Cos Cob

ANN’S HOBBY CENTER

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. he Advertiser Index is provided as a service to FineScale Modeler magazine readers. he magazine is not responsible for omissions or for typographical errors in names or page numbers.

Acrylicos Vallejo

989-720-2137

MICHIGAN • Royal Oak (Metro Detroit)

New & Old Toy Soldiers, Historical Miniatures, Models and Figure Kits from Around the World. Our famous selection of hobby supplies includes scenics, paints, reference and more. www.michtoy.com

MICHIGAN TOY SOLDIER & FIGURE CO.

248-586-1022

17

Let your imagination run wild!

Aircraft, ships, cars, armor, special orders, diecast cars, model railroading Z to G and more...

Minutes from Dulles Airport & New Dulles Air & Space Museum, Udvar-Hazy Center.

PLASTIC! PLASTIC! PLASTIC! Kits for aircraft - armor - ships - cars Daily 12-8; Sun 12-5. www.piperhobby.com

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

PIPER HOBBY

856-435-7645

13892 Metrotech Dr.

Plastic Model Specialists. Large selection of rare & out-of-production models.

Large selection of detail parts. Largest selection of plastic models in South Seattle! www.skywaymodel.com

SKYWAY MODEL SHOP

12615 Renton Ave. South

716-824-1049

Specializing in R/C models and accessories, helicopters, planes, cars, trucks, boats, plastic, die-cast & model rockets.

M T W F 9:30-6, Th 9:30-8 Sat. 9:30-5 www.modelland.com info@modelland.com

MODEL LAND LTD

3409A 26 Ave. SW

631-924-0583

One of Canada's leading model shops.

Complete line of military & aircraft kits, decals, paints and accessories.

Free parking. On Parle Francais.

HOBBY HOUSE, LTD

80 Montreal Rd.

212-987-4765

HOBBYLAND

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.

614-888-7500

231-947-1353

416-752-0071

SINGAPORE • Singapore

Oklahoma’s largest plastic kit, paint and aftermarket inventory. Planes, cars, trucks, armor, ships, trains and sci-fi. Special orders welcome! Mon - Fri 10-6, Sat 10-5, Sun 1-6 Web site: www.topshelfmodelsllc.com

Old kits & latest releases. Good selection of unusual model kits & accessories. We stock electric trains & slot cars. Open 7 days, 1pm-8pm. In the Katong Shopping Centre. www.hobbybounties.com

TOP SHELF MODELS

HOBBY BOUNTIES & MORGAN HOBBYCRAFT

918-274-0433

865 Mountbatten Rd #02-91/92

OREGON • Beaverton

65-6440-1890

Run your Retail Directory ad in the next issue of

Complete full line hobby shop.

Z, N, HO, O, Lionel, and LGB. Open Mon-Fri 10-8, Sat 10-5, Sun 12-5.

FineScale Modeler!

TAMMIES HOBBIES

12024 SW Canyon Rd.

613-749-5245

CANADA–ON • Toronto

206 Graceland Blvd.

119 S. Main St.

403-249-1661

CANADA–ON • Ottawa (Vanier)

JAN'S HOBBY SHOP, INC.

1435 Lexington Ave.

206-772-1211

CANADA–AB • Calgary

MEN AT ARMS HOBBIES, INC.

134 Middle Country Rd.

703-803-3103

WASHINGTON • Seattle

SECTION 8 HOBBIES

2243 Seneca St.

210-735-7721

VIRGINIA • Chantilly

503-644-4535

Call 888-558-1544, ext. 815 for more information.

Large Selection New & Used Kits Military books, tools, paint, airbrushes Full line hobby shop open Tue - Thur 10-6, Fri 10-7, Sat 10-4 www.CoolTrains.com

TRAINS & THINGS HOBBIES

210 East Front St.

NEW JERSEY • Magnolia (Camden)

PENNSYLVANIA • Landisville (Lancaster)

MICHIGAN • Traverse City

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.

1029 Donaldson Ave.

OKLAHOMA • Owasso

DEAN’S HOBBY STOP

1400 E. 11 Mile Rd.

DIBBLE'S HOBBIES

973-584-1188

Great selection of model kits, accessories, detail parts, magazines, tools & paints. www.hobbylandstores.com

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

COLORADO • Aurora

KENVIL HOBBIES

OHIO • Columbus

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

116 N. Washington Street

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.

Visit our in-house Aircraft Model Museum.

Foreign and domestic plastic and wood kits.

Open 7 days.

Your source for plastic models, die cast and all supplies needed to finish your latest model.

Mon-Sat 9:30-6, Sun 11-5. www.talbotstoyland.com 650-342-0126

590 Rt. 46

972-438-9233

TEXAS • San Antonio

NEW YORK • Upr Eastside GR Manhattan

MASSACHUSETTS • Marlboro

MICHIGAN • Owosso

TALBOT’S HOBBIES

108 S. Lee Street

Excellent selection of lead miniatureshistorical and fantasy. Plastic models, wargames & modeling supplies.

Books and magazines.

CALIFORNIA • San Mateo

445 South “B” Street

M-A-L HOBBY SHOP

603-749-0800

NEW YORK • Middle Island

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. Shipping available.

Info: hobbybunker.com

250 E. Main St., Rt 123

Imported & Domestic Aviation Books & Plastic Kits. Paint, Decals, HO, N trains, R/C, U/C airplanes.

Mon 1-6, Tue-Wed 12-6, Thur-Fri 10:30-7.

Sat 10:30-6. www.malhobby.com

ELITE HOBBIES

#334 90 Washington St.

713-529-7752

TEXAS • Irving (Dallas Area)

WNY’s largest selection of models!!!

We specialize in models. New, old, rare and vintage. Tons of detail and weathering products, paint, tools and so much more!

WELLER'S HOBBYCRAFT

Rt 20E Main, Post Rd. Plaza

2522 Times Blvd.

NEW YORK • Buffalo

Wide selection of plastic model kits, paint, books, magazines and tools.

Located on the beautiful windward side, a scenic 20 minute drive from Honolulu.

Mon - Fri 10-6, Sat 10-5, Sun 11-2

33 Exchange St.

G & G MODEL SHOP

702-889-9554

Full service hobbies, a full line of HO, N, 3-Rail, military, cars, boats, planes, dollhouses, scratchbuilding supplies, plus details-details-details!

METRO TRAINS & HOBBIES

767 Kailua Road

HO & N, Lionel trains.

Complete line of plastic kits, military and architecture supplies.

Open 11am-6pm M-F, Sat. 10am-5pm www.gandgmodelshop.com

HOBBYTOWN USA

4590 W Sahara Ave Ste 103

865-675-1975

TEXAS • Houston

NEW JERSEY • Kenvil

Come visit our new store!

Plastic modeling kits.

Paint, tools, scenery, accessories, & scale model railroads.

Mon - Sat 10:00am-6:00pm. Closed Sun.

47 Dunbarton Farm Rd.

11145 Turkey Dr.

Best plastic, resin & balsa kits from around the world. Scratch building & diorama supplies, reference books, large paint selection including Humbrol, Citadel & Testors

FLORIDA • Ft. Myers

12951 Metro Parkway

HOBBYTOWN USA

734-316-2281

NEW HAMPSHIRE • Dover

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

MODELCAVE

103 W. Michigan Avenue

East Tennessee’s largest plastic model selection. 8,000 sq. ft. of hobbies & toys.

Located in Knoxville’s premier shopping destination. Turkey Creek Area.

Open 7 days a week.

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.

TIME MACHINE HOBBY

394 New Haven Ave., Unit 1

TENNESSEE • Knoxville

Your single stop model building shop.

Michigan’s largest selection of new and vintage kits in all genres plus everything needed to build them. Wed - Sat 11-8, Sun 12-5 Visit us on Facebook. www.modelcave.com

NEVADA • Las Vegas

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

71 Hilliard St.

MICHIGAN • Ypsilanti-Metro Detroit

COOLTRAINS TOYS & HOBBIES

106 W. Main Street

717-898-7119

Alpha Precision Abrasives, Inc.

4

FineScale Modeler magazine - Digital

63

Pace Enterprises

6

ARA Press

8

Hankamer, Larry

64

ParaGrafix

4

6

Hornby America

Bluejacket Shipcrafters

6

Plastruct, Inc.

6

Colpar’s Hobbytown USA

64

IPMS Niagara Frontier Chapter

Dean’s Hobby Stop

64

IPMS Northern Virginia Scale Modelers

4

Sprue Brothers

Dragon Models USA

68

MegaHobby.com

4

Squadron Mail Order

67

64

Tamiya America, Inc.

2

Evergreen Scale Models

4

Fantastic Plastic Models

64

Micro-Mark

FineScale Modeler Email Newsletter

63

OldModelKits.com

Metro Trains & Hobbies

64

4 64

Roll Models

TotalNavy.com Zvezda USA

64 6

64 9

April 2016 www.FineScale.com 65

FINAL DETAILS

By Mark Hembree

How was this a good idea?

W

orld War II demonstrated not only the supremacy of air power but the dangers that it posed to other transportation modes — notably, shipping.

During the war, escort carriers improved the security of maritime convoys ( Japanese kamikaze attacks notwithstanding). But there weren’t enough carriers to defend all convoys. Onshore airbases could help, but they were more vulnerable to attacks.

Thus, in 1948 the U.S. Navy began exploring how to station VTOL aircraft aboard ships other than carriers — destroyers, oilers, transports, freighters, or even LSTs. Vertical takeoffs and landings would save valuable deck space while the ship or convoy would be protected by its own aircraft.

In 1951, Lockheed and Convair were contracted to design and build experimental VTOL fighters. Lockheed’s plane never achieved a vertical takeoff or landing, though it did fly conventionally with special landing gear. However, Convair’s plane — the XFY-1 Pogo — actually took off and landed vertically several times.

But it was a nervous business.

Although test pilot James “Skeets” Coleman eventually got the hang of it — with a lot of scary practice while the plane was tethered like an acrobat learning a new trick — his skills were not transferable. It was not reasonable to expect a less-experienced pilot to slow the aircraft to a controlled stall and, while craning his neck to look over his shoulder as if he were parallel parking, back the plane down to a soft landing. The only other pilot to fly VTOL in the Pogo nearly crashed it.

Under terrific stress, the XFY-1’s gearbox started to shed metal flakes; the aircraft needed an overhaul. Instead, the Navy cancelled the project in 1956.

The Pogo had accomplished its mission by proving what was possible — and whether it really was a good idea. FSM

www.FineScale.com Tell us what your favorite oddball/outlandish/ludicrous cancelled project is, and why.

66 FineScale Modeler April 2016

.com MAKING YOUR HOBBY TAKE FLIGHT

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Jef Verswyvel Chief Modeler at Squadron

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