fm.09.2018

97 NEW PRODUCTS

FineScale.com

BUILD A CORSAIR IN A WEEKEND September 2018 p. 38

A VINTAGE KIT GOES

HIGHTECH IMPROVE THE OLYMPIA WITH PHOTO-ETCH & RESIN

YOUR

VIETNAM WAR BUILDS PAGE 47

20 steps to raw metal on armor p. 18

Using foam to New figure create a stellar column: diorama p. 28 Paint & Play p. 15

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7 KITS BUILT & REVIEWED

Improve AMT’s cutaway Enterprise p. 52

Airfix’s B-25 Mitchell – p. 56

PAGE 3 Vol. 36 • Issue 7

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CONTENTS

ONLINE CONTENT CODE: FSM1809

September 2018 // Vol. 36 // No. 7

Enter this code at www.FineScale.com/code to gain access to web-exclusive content.

FEATURES

KIT REVIEWS

15 Paint & Play 56 Airfix Mitchell B-25C/D

Go green on a ’shroom shaman KIM TAYLOR

58 Ebbro HondaJet HA-420

18 Airbrushing & Finishing Painting unpainted steel DAVE PROSS

18

22 Old kit, new bits

59 Takom Type 94 Late 60 Revell Germany P-51D-NA

Fittings and fnish for USS Olympia BILL PLUNK

61 Takom M31 recovery vehicle 28 Luftangriff!

Heat-shaped foam wraps up what’s left of a building JONAS DAHLBERG

62 FlyHawk HMS Prince of Wales

28

63 Airfix Sea Fury FB.11

38 Build a Corsair in a weekend A beautiful, quick project NORM SHEPPARD

IN EVERY ISSUE

42 Bf 109 camo the easy way Finishing a kitbashed Bf 109G-10 SIMON HARRISON

47 FSM Vietnam War gallery

5 Editor’s Page

38

7 Scale Talk

Te best of all those images you sent

9 New Products

52 How to make a cutaway Enterprise whole

34 Reader Gallery

Improving AMT’s 22-inch starship PHILLIP GORE

55 Questions & Answers

66 Final Details Te best waylaid plans RICHARD RUTLEDGE

52

64 Modelers Mart/Classifieds

FineScale Modeler (ISSN 0277-979X, USPS No. 679-590) is published monthly (except for June & August) by Kalmbach Media Co., 21027 Crossroads Circle, P.O. Box 1612, Waukesha, WI 53187.

Periodicals Postage is paid at Waukesha, WI, and additional ofces. Postmaster: Send address changes to FineScale Modeler, P.O. Box 62320, Tampa, FL 33662-2320. Canada Post Publication Mail Agreement #40010760.

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EDITOR’S PAGE

By Mark Savage

Gaming miniatures, dioramas, and more

A

s we travel from show to other issue, alternating with Joe show and talk with hobby Hudson’s Form & Figure column. store owners and paint manPaint & Play will feature a variety of ufacturers, we’ve heard more and authors, each aiming to show you more about gaming miniatures. their way of detailing miniatures.

Seems more folks are honing their Tis issue we also introduce painting skills on these tiny treasures, Sweden’s Jonas Dahlberg to FSM plus having a blast using them while readers. Jonas is a born storyteller enjoying miniature wargames. and an excellent modeler.

Miniatures were a bigger Tat’s good for us, More folks because he regularly compart of WonderFest this year and will have their own catare honing bines the two skills to creegory next year. ate dynamic and dramatic their Plastic modelers tell us dioramas. We hope you’ll painting they also enjoy the change enjoy his frst appearance in skills on of pace that painting a FSM, starting on p. 28, and these tiny miniature delivers, and it look forward to seeing many treasures. helps them improve their more of his innovative diorafgure-painting skills, a mas in future issues. beneft when building dioramas or I also want to call out the Vietnam even detailing pilot fgures for their photo gallery that begins on p. 47. scale aircraft.

Tis stems from our popular So, in this issue we introduce February issue, which focused on Paint & Play, a new gaming miniaVietnam War-related models. tures column that will appear every We ran an online photo contest in

Meet Mr. Stinkmullett, Fungoid Cave-Shaman.

conjunction with that issue, and these are the images from the winning entries. I think you’ll be impressed.

Finally, a housekeeping note — starting this issue we’re mixing Reader Tips into Scale Talk.

Occasionally you’ll see them placed in other stories, too, as space allows.

So stay alert!

editor@finescale.com

Off the sprue: What decade would you like to visit?

Some of us already live in the past — but how far back? And it figures, Mr. Sci-Fi is looking to the future. I bet he wants a teleportation system, too.

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

I’d go back to 1910-’20 to see the early development of cars and the first decade of Indy 500s. Like today, technology was advancing rapidly then.

I’d love to see how that changed everyday life.

I’ll go with 2350. I‘d like to see what will have changed. And I want the flying car I was promised, dang it!

Ancient times have a fascination, but I prefer indoor plumbing. I’ll say the 1950s, so I can ride a fast train to New York City and see Ebbets Field, the Polo Grounds, Yankee Stadium, and a show at the Copacabana.

Leave a message for me at the Waldorf-Astoria.

Don’t mind me while I don a rockabilly dress, turn up The Platters, and pour myself a tiki beverage; 1950s here I come!

Probably the American Old West, 1870 or thereabouts. Run a saloon and hang out with Wild Bill, Jesse James, and Buffalo Bill.

Just call me “Miss Kitty” (Miss Kitty Russell on Gunsmoke).

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5

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Lost in Space Design: “No Place to Hide”

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

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ART Illustrator Kellie Jaeger Photographer William Zuback Production Coordinator Cindy Barder

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

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SCALE TALK Your voice in FSM

for where the air compressor and spray booth will go, but I need help with the placement of the rest.

And, yes, there is a small bathroom, Wi-Fi, and HVAC in place already.

Ed.: Help Dan out by sending your suggestions to editor@FineScale.com.

I am in full agreement with Richard Prechel ( July Scale Talk) regarding individual links. In my opinion, these individuallink tracks should be banned as cruel and unusual punishment.

After spending hours on my M1A1 tracks, I have decided that I will not purchase any more models with individual links. Only one-piece rubber tracks for me.

Down with individual links, cont.

– Price T. Bingham Melbourne, Fla.

– Dan Varner Louisville, Ky.

How to lay out my workshop?

Above is a photo of what will become my new workspace. I need other readers’ design suggestions on how to set it up.

My bride and I bought a house that needed a little work. As a result, I will have the entire northeast corner of the walk-in basement for a work area with nice, natural lighting from three windows in front and the east side.

Already in the works are the common things, like the addition of new drywall, laminate wood fooring, several more outlets, and a dropped ceiling. I have thoughts

And, keep them down!

I 100% agree with Richard Prechel’s opinion of individual-link tracks featured in July’s Scale Talk. One-by-one is a huge pain and takes the fun out of modeling.

I easily spent two weeks building a set for a Tamiya M1A2. Never again. I want to build a T90 but because all I have are individual-link track links, I won’t.

Now here’s an idea: Aftermarket manufacturers should produce rubber tracks for kits that feature individual-looking links.

I’d buy those in a heartbeat!

– Chuck Draksler Collegeville, Pa.

What to do with past issues When I’m fnished reading FSM, I purposefully leave my copies behind in doctors’ and dentists’ ofces.

Within the pages, I place business cards I had made with the name of the modeling club I belong to. Readers can take a card with them and look up our website.

I fgure a copy of FSM is a great vehicle for reaching out to potential new and returning modelers!

– Bill Michaels Derry, N.H.

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First, I coated the props with the chrome (left) and let it dry for 24 hours. Earlier tests showed that the ink needed to dry completely.

Second, I airbrushed light coats of Tamiya clear yellow (right). The result is a very convincing metallic brass.

I may go back and give the props one more coat of clear yellow to ensure that all pieces are coated evenly.

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SCALE TALK Reader tip

Now at www.FineScale.com

Modern ejection-seat handles made easy

– Greg Bale Towson, Md.

Free desktop wallpaper Download a desktop wallpaper of Revell Germany’s 1/32 scale P-51D-NA Mustang built by Jim Zeske for Workbench Reviews and featured on p. 60 in this issue.

WonderFest videos Want more sci-fi? FSM filmed a two-part video of the 2018 WonderFest USA show and contest. More than 700 models crammed the tables, and you can see many of them online.

New Product Rundown Curious about a new kit? Aaron Skinner and Elizabeth Nash host a twice-monthly video review of the newest models in which they open the boxes to show what’s inside.

A little history of the C-47/DC-3

You asked in April’s issue for readers to send in their earliest aircraft memories: My frst commercial fight was in June 1960, to Frankfurt, (West) Germany. Te initial leg was on a Piedmont Airlines Douglas DC-3 from Tri-Cities ( Johnson City, Kingsport, and Bristol), Tennessee, to Washington, D.C., with a stop in Roanoke, Virginia. Te airliner was the Chesapeake Pacemaker, N50V. It was originally one of fve Douglas C-47s acquired by Piedmont and converted to a commercial airliner.

I learned from Piedmont historian Robert Reed that the airline later divested

Christian Volpati Collection

I’ve never had much success painting the striped release handles on modern ejection seats (at least in small scales). Instead, I scratchbuild them using diferent colors of sewing thread.

Typically, I’ll knot 6-inch lengths of black and yellow thread together at one end, slip them through a paperclip, then tighten the loose ends in a swiveling pin vise. I clamp the paperclip to something fat and rigid, like a ruler, then spin the pin vise to wind the threads in a tight spiral.

When I’ve achieved the desired efect, I clamp the pin vise to the ruler as well (keeping the threads taut) and coat the coiled thread in white glue to bind and smooth it.

When the glue is dry (about 10-15 minutes), I have a single coiled strand fexible enough to shape. I can use it for face-curtain and seatfront release handles or the knife release switch on the side of the seat. The one shown here goes in a 1/72 scale Prowler.

its DC-3 feet in deals with Charlotte Aircraft Corp., a parts dealer and broker of used aircraft, from 1961 through Piedmont’s last DC-3 fight in 1963.

In 1962, Charlotte Aircraft sold N50V to the French Air Force, which used it as a trainee ship for 20 years before donating it to the Airborne Museum at Sainte-MèreÉglise in 1982. Tere it was restored back into a C-47 for display as Te Argonia, one of the Allied troop ships that few on D-Day. I’m starting work on my all-time favorite DC-3, Mohawk Airlines’ Gas Light Service liner (above). I luckily ran across a complete set of rare decals for this plane on eBay and got the set for $12. Even luckier is that I have a 1/72 scale kit to accommodate them!

I think the C-47/DC-3 was one of the most elegant aircraft designs ever.

– Ron Wells Abingdon, Va.

8 FineScale Modeler September 2018

NEW PRODUCTS Compiled by Monica Freitag & Aaron Skinner

AIRCRAFT KITS

1/48 SCALE

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He 280 from Eduard, No. 8068, $52.95.

1/72 SCALE Spitfre HF Mk.VIII from Eduard, No. 8287, $49.95. ProfPack Edition.

Junkers D.1 from Wingnut Wings, No. 32065, $79. Look for a detailed review in an upcoming issue of FSM.

McDonnell Douglas Phantom FG.1 from Airfx, No. A06016, $32.99. Look for a detailed review in an upcoming issue of FSM.

SPAD XIII late version from Eduard, No. 8196, $34.95. ProfPack Edition.

1930s Gee Bee Racer from Lindberg Line, No. HL515/12, $27.99.

Riders in the Sky 1944 from Eduard, No. 2121, $165.

Fokker E.II from Eduard, No. 8451, $22.95.

Weekend Edition.

F-5E Tiger II from Kitty Hawk, No. KH32018, $129.99. Photo-etch included. Look for a detailed review in an upcoming issue of FSM.

RWD-8 PWS Hungarian and Romanian Service from IBG Models, No. 72504, $16.95.

1/144 SCALE Fokker D.VIII from Eduard, No. 8085, $39.95.

ProfPack Edition.

F-104 Starfghter G/S from Italeri, No. 2514, $119.99. Upgraded edition RF version.

More at www.FineScale.com Check out our New Product Rundown videos as Elizabeth Nash and Aaron Skinner have fun checking out the latest kits!

UTI MiG-15 from Eduard, No. 4444, $24.95.

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9

NEW PRODUCTS

Vought F4U Corsair from AFV Club, No. AR14408, $23.99.

Mid M3 Lee from Takom, No. 2089, $50.99.

Bergerpanzer III German armored recovery vehicle from IBG Models, No. 72059, $21.95.

ARMOR KITS 1/35 SCALE

M54A2 5-ton 6x6 cargo truck from AFV Club, No. AF35300, $69.99. Look for a detailed review in an upcoming issue of FSM. Type 94 Japanese tankette from IBG

1/48 SCALE

Models, No. 72043, $22.95.

M4A3E8 Sherman Easy Eight from Tamiya,

Panzerkampfwagen II Ausf A1/A2/A3 from IBG Models, No. W-002, $TBA. Packaged with multilingual historical booklet.

M3 Stuart US Light tank late production from Tamya, No. 35360, $42. Look for a detailed review in an upcoming issue of FSM.

No. 32595, $30. Look for a detailed review in an upcoming issue of FSM.

French LeClerc Series 2 from Tamiya,

1/72 SCALE

SHIP KITS

No. 35362, $67.

1/700 SCALE

Merkava Mk.4M Israel main battle tank with trophy active protection system from Meng Model Co., No. TS-036, $77.

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

43M Turan III Hungarian medium tank

German Grosses torpedoboot G-39 1916

from IBG Models, No. 72049, $26.95.

from Flyhawk, No. FH1309, $TBA.

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10 FineScale Modeler September 2018

FIGURE KITS 1/8 SCALE Batman Classic TV Series The Joker from Moebius Models, No. 956, $34.99.

Hail Caesar: Viking Bondi from Warlord Games, No. 102013102, $29.

Landsknecht Missile Troops from Warlord Games, No. 202016003, $29. Italian Wars 14941559 Pike & Shotte.

SPACECRAFT KITS OTHER SCALE 1/24 SCALE Hitchkikers - Erica and Kery from Master Box Ltd., No. MB24041, $16.95.

Hail Caesar: Viking Hirdmen from Warlord Games, No. 102013101, $29.

OTHER SCALE

C3M25 heavy combat drone from Warlord Games, No. 502413004, $80. Beyond the Gates of Antares.

1/144 SCALE

Hail Caesar: Saxon Thegns from Warlord Games, No. 102013002, $29.

Convair NEV (nuclear exploratory vehicle) Landsknechts with Zweihänders from

from Moebius Models, No. 974, $24.99.

Warlord Games, No. 202016002, $25.50. Italian Wars 1494-1559 Pike & Shotte.

AIRCRAFT DETAILS 1/32 SCALE German Infantry winter (Grenadiers in winter gear) from Warlord Games, No. 402012027, $41. Bolt Action.

Reinforcements Urgent! Troops for the Front from Warlord Games, No. 301001002, Hail Caesar: Saxon Ceorls from Warlord

$19.25. Napoleonic British Royal Horse artillery limber.

Games, No. 102013001, $29.

Sopwith 5F.1 Dolphin landing gear (for Wingnut Wings) from Scale Aircraft Conversions, No. 32131, $16.95.

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11

NEW PRODUCTS

Tornado F.3 ADV undercarriage for Revell from Eduard, No. 49881, $29.95. Photo-etch.

Fw 190A exhaust stacks for Eduard from Eduard, No. 648 381, $7.95. Brassin Line.

AGM-154A/C Block I from Eduard, No. 648 383, $14.95. Brassin Line.

AVG C.VI landing gear (for Wingnut Wings) from Scale Aircraft Conversions,

GBU-38 thermally protected from Eduard,

No. 32132, $17.95.

No. 648 386, $14.95. Brassin Line.

1/48 SCALE

1/72 SCALE

SR-71/YF-12 Black Bird landing gear (for Italeri/Testors) from Scale Aircraft Conversions, No. 72157, $16.95.

MiG_21 landing gear (for Eduard) from Scale Aircraft Conversions, No. 72158, $12.95.

B-24 wheels (for Hasegawa) from Eduard, No. 672 170, $9.95. Brassin Line.

British RP-3 60-pound S.A.P. rockets from

B-24 turbochargers (for Hasegawa/ Eduard) from Eduard, No. 672 178, $9.95.

British 250-pound depth charges from

Eduard, No. 648-394, $7.95. Brassin Line.

Brassin Line.

Eduard, No. 672 172, $5.95. Brassin Line.

B-24 engines for Hasegawa/Eduard) from Eduard, No. 672 171, $49.95.

ARMOR DETAILS 1/35 SCALE

Sea Fury FB.11 cockpit (for Airfx) from Eduard, No. FE878, $14.95. Zoom.

Sea Fury FB.11 landing faps (for Airfx) from Eduard, No. 48944, $29.95. Photo-etch.

B-24 bomb bay doors (for Hasegawa/ Eduard) from Eduard, No. 672 183, $12.95.

Sea Fury FB.11 seatbelts — steel (for Airfx) from Eduard, No. FE879, $7.95. Zoom.

Brassin Line.

Spitfre Mk.VIII/IX cockpit doors (for Eduard) from Eduard, No. 648 380, $4.95.

Tornado F.3 ADV exterior (for Revell) from

M113A ACAV dashboard & seatbelts — steel (for AFV Club) from Eduard, No. 36378,

Eduard, No. 48943, $32.95.

$22.95.

AN/ALQ-131 (deep) ECM pod from Eduard, No. 672 382, $12.95. Brassin Line.

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Tornado F.3 ADV interior (for Revell) from Eduard, No. 49880, $29.95. Photo-etch.

Spitfre Mk.IXe/XVI landing gear (for Eduard) from Scale Aircraft Conversions,

Tornado F.3 ADV seatbelts for Revell (steel) from Eduard, No. FE881, $12.95.

No. 72158, $10.95.

12 FineScale Modeler September 2018

Visit our page for the latest workbench reviews, show coverage, Reader Gallery and more!

SPACECRAFT DETAILS MASK SETS 1/350 SCALE

44M TAS Rohamlöveg from Friulmodel, No. ATL-180, $32.

180 metal track links.

Star Trek Beyond USS Franklin (for

Tornado F.3 ADV TFace (for Revell), No. EX575, $19.95; Tornado F.3 ADV (for Revell), No. EX574, $12.95; Sea Fury FB.11 (for Airfx), No. EX573, $12.95 all from Eduard.

Moebius) from ParaGrafx, No. PGX212, $41.95.

DIECAST  AIRCRAFT

Marder 1A5 from Friulmodel, No. ATL-181, $32. 190 metal track links, two sprockets.

AIRCRAFT DECALS Curtiss P-40E Warhawk from Johnny Lightning/Round2. Metal fuselage, rotating propeller, display stand. WWII Allied Victory.

1/48 SCALE

DIECAST  ARMOR

US military bulldozer D7

Challenger 2 late type track

from Friulmodel, No. ATL-178, $26.

72 metal track links.

from Friulmodel, No. ATL-179, $35.

160 metal track links.

MISCELLANEOUS

McDonnellDouglas F-4K Phantom FG.1 from Xtradecal/Hannants, No. X48186, $10.59.

Bristol Blenheim Mk.I from Xtradecal/ Hannants, No. X48187, $9.45.

Dodge WC54 from Johnny Lightning/Round2.

Metal body and chassis, rubber tires. WWII Allied Victory.

1/32 SCALE Bristol Beaufghter TF. Mk.X from Xtradecal/ Hannants, No. X48188, $9.45.

1/72 SCALE McDonnellDouglas FGR.2 Phantom Pt. 3 from Xtradecal/Hannants, No. X72292, $9.45.

HMS Glory deck — Korean War from Noys Miniatures, No. NM3233, $28, single sheet length 23.38''x16.54''. Plotter printed on heavy paper, not cardstock. Rolled and shipped in a carton tube.

M16 half-track from Johnny Lightning/ Round2. Metal body and chassis, rubber tires.

WWII Allied Victory.

1/48 SCALE HMS Glory deck — Korean War from Noys Miniatures, No. NM4833, $9 single sheet length 15.55''x11.02'' . Quality printed on cardstock.

1/72 SCALE

McDonnell-Douglas FGR.2 Phantom Pt. 8 special markings from Xtradecal/Hannants, No. X72297, $9.45.

Bristol Blenheim Mk.I/Mk.If from Xtradecal/ Hannants, No. X72298, $9.45.

HMS Glory deck — Korean War from Noys Miniatures, No. NM7233, $6 single sheet length 12.2'' x 8.62''. Quality printed on cardstock.

Willys MB Jeep from Johnny Lightning/ Round2. Metal body and chassis, rubber tires.

WWII Allied Victory. www.FineScale.com

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GMC CCKW 2 1/2 ton 6x6 truck from Johnny Lightning/Round2. Metal body and chassis, rubber tires. Sandbag payload. WWII Allied Victory.

Images of War — German Armour Lost on the Eastern Front, $24.95, by Bob

Cromwell vs Jagdpanzer IV — Normandy 1944,

Carruthers, softcover, 144 pages, all blackand-white photos, ISBN: 1473868440.

From Pen & Sword Books Limited.

$20, by David R. HIggins, softcover, 80 pages, all black-andwhite photos, ISBN: 978-1-4728-2586-5.

From Osprey Publishing.

Italian Cruisers of World War II, $18, by

Bachem Ba 349 Natter, $20, by

Mark Stille, softcover, 48 pages, all blackand-white photos, ISBN: 978-1-47282535-3. From Osprey Publishing.

Robert Forsyth, softcover, 80 pages, all black-and-white photos, ISBN: 978-1-47282009-9. From Osprey Publishing.

US Flush-Deck Destroyers 1916-45 (Caldwell, Wickes, and Clemson classes), $18, by

American Tanks & AFVs of World War II, $25, by Michael

Warship 2018, $60, by John Jordan, hardcover, 224 pages, all black-and-white photos, ISBN: 978-14728-2999-3. From Osprey Publishing.

Camera On 2 — SdKfz. 7 Mittlerer Zugkfraftwagen 8t, $25, by Alan Ranger, softcover, 80 pages, all black-and-white photos, ISBN: 978-836528171-5. From Casemate Publishers.

M3 Lee from Johnny Lightning/Round2. Metal body and chassis, rubber tires. Moving tracks, guns and turret. WWII Allied Victory. Set of all six diecast $47.99.

BOOKS

Vietnam War Army Helicopter Nose Art $34.95, by John Brennan, softcover, 187 pages, all color photos, ISBN: 978-162545-035-7. From Casemate Publishers.

303 Squadron North American Mustang, $26, by

Wingnut Wings Volume 1 - Air Modeller's Guide,

Steve Brooking, Wojtek Matusiak, Piotr Sikora, softcover, 64 pages, 30 color profles, color photos, 120 black-and-white photos, ISBN: 978-836-528180-7. From Casemate Publishers.

$28, by , softcover, 160 pages, all color photos, ISBN: 978--095-554133-9. From Casemate Publishers.

Swedish Jet Fighter Colours, $68, hard-

Scale Model Handbook Figure Modelling 21 WWI & WWII Special,

US Navy F-4 Phantom II Units of the Vietnam War 1969-73, $23, by Peter E Davies, softcover, 96 pages, few color photos, mostly black-and-white photos, ISBN: 978-162545-035-7. From Osprey Publishing.

Images of War — SS Panzer Divisions on the Eastern Front, $24.95, by Bob Carruthers, softcover, 144 pages, all blackand-white photos, ISBN: 1473868408.

From Pen & Sword Books Limited.

14 FineScale Modeler September 2018

Mark Lardas, softcover, 48 pages, all black-and-white photos, ISBN: 978-1-47281997-0. From Osprey Publishing.

Green, softcover, 376 pages, all black-andwhite photos, ISBN: 978-1-4728-2978-8.

From Osprey Publishing.

cover, 200 pages, color profles, color photos, black-andwhite profles and photos, ISBN: 978-8365281-01-2. From Casemate Publishers.

$29.95, softcover, 50 pages, all color photos, ISSN: 2241-1054.

From MegaHobby.

PAINT & PLAY

By Kim Taylor

Go green on a ’shroom shaman The world of Warhammer may be dark, but bright colors make it fun

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nd now for something completely diferent — introducing Snazzgar Stinkmullett, a 28mm Fungoid Cave-Shaman who hails from the tabletop game Warhammer: Age of Sigmar.

It’s impossible to say if this cowardly yet cunning grot gets his power of premonition from a carnage-bent deity or from the hal-

lucinations caused by the massive quantities of mushrooms he ingests. However, so long as his visions lead to plentiful pillaging for his followers, does it really matter?

Released by Games Workshop in early 2018, this creepy character brings to life the equally creepy Malign Portents storyline within the Warhammer universe.

Snazzgar comes in seven well-molded

parts, with a 32mm round game base and color instructions. I left most of the parts separate for painting and used Games Workshop’s Citadel line (known for its eccentric names) unless otherwise noted.

Here’s something you might rather forget: Tose mushrooms are not hitchhiking fungi — the sniveling shaman has eaten so many they’ve started to grow out of him. www.FineScale.com

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Citadel acrylic types used Base (smooth, matte finish)

Layer (buildable, rich finish)

Abaddon black, Averland sunset, Caliban green, Dryad bark, Kantor blue, Khorne red, Leadbelcher, Mephiston red, Ratskin flesh, Waaagh! flesh, Warplock bronze, XV-88, Zandri dust

Baneblade brown, Elysian green, Flash Gitz yellow, Flayed One flesh, Hashut copper, Ironbreaker, Kabalite green, Karak stone, Liberator gold, Lothern blue, Moot green, Nurgling green, Runefang steel, Screaming Skull, Skarsnik green, Sotek green, Squig

Humbrol Maskol covered the connecting points. This masking fluid dries a dark purple so it’s visually easy to work around. When painting was complete, all I had to do was peel up the mask to reveal smooth plastic, ready for glue. The subassemblies clung to Blu-Tack on a stick during painting. Primer: Chaos black.

For the eye-catching mushrooms, I turned to nature for inspiration: My fungus of choice is the parrot mushroom, with a green top and yellowish-orange gills and stem. I started at the center with a darker green, blending outward with lighter shades. Caps: Caliban green, Warpstone glow, and Moot green.

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4 I painted the gills with the figure turned upside down so darker paint settled into recesses. I used a brush that held a fine point.

Gills: thin coats of Ratskin flesh; Agrax earthshade pressed into recesses; Ratskin/Tau light ocher mix along lighter, outer areas; Ratskin/ Squig orange mix on darker, inner areas.

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5 Wanting the staff to resemble layered bark, I built up brown shades from darkest to lightest.

It’s important to work in a brightly lit area to make subtle changes. Staff: Dryad bark base coat topped with liberal amounts of Agrax earthshade; layers of Baneblade brown, Karnak stone, and Flayed One flesh highlights.

orange, Tau light ocher, Teclis blue, Ushabti bone, Warpstone glow, White Scar, Wild Rider red, Yriel yellow Shade (defines recesses) Agrax earthshade, Nuln oil, Seraphim sepia

3 For subtle highlights, try dry-brushing — remove most of the paint from a stiff-bristle brush and make light passes. Outer edge: Ratskin flesh; Moot green/White Scar mix drybrushed on the front of the cap, Caliban green/ White Scar mix at the back of the cap.

6 To colorize the shaman’s caterpillar friend, I again looked to nature at an insect called a candy-striped leafhopper, which has red and blue strips on top and yellow beneath. With each new color, I painted from darkest to lightest. Red: Khorne red, Mephiston red, Wild Rider red, and a Wild Rider/White Scar mix …

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… Blue: Kantor blue, Teclis blue, Lothern blue, and a Lothern/White Scar mix. Yellow: Ratskin flesh, Tau light ocher, Averland sunset, Yriel yellow, and Flash Gitz yellow. An Optivisor came in handy with the fiddly details. I referenced photos of the leafhopper constantly.

Along with a metal claw, the caterpillar carries a bottle of probably-poisonous potion on a belt. Metallic bits: Leadbelcher base coat with layers of Ironbreaker; shadows are a Leadbelcher/Abaddon black mix; Runefang steel highlights.

I thought the mushrooms on Snazzgar’s back would look different from those on his head, so new colors came into the mix. Back ‘shrooms: two thin coats Zandri dust; Seraphim sepia wash focused into the crevices; Ushabti bone dry-brushing; Screaming Skull highlights.

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The eerie green skin required a unique color combination. (Hopefully you’ll never use these on a healthy human figure.) From darkest to lightest: Waaagh! flesh, Skarsnik green, Elysian green, and Nurgling green. Teeth: Averland sunset and White Scar. He’s a beauty.

Covering his impressive moon-shaped nose and chin are metallic guards. I imagined these as bronze with heavy patina from plenty of time spent in damp caves. Metal guards: Warplock bronze base coat; Nuln oil wash; Hashut copper layers; Liberator gold highlights. Patina: watery Kabalite green/Sotek green mix.

I wanted his cloak to resemble old leather.

Cloak: Formula P3’s bloodstone (No. PIP93029) base coat; bloodstone darkened with P3’s umbral umber (No. PIP93028) for shadows; Agrax earthshade deepened recesses. For highlights, I dipped my brush in XV-88 lightened with Zandri dust, wiped it mostly clean, and dry-stippled away. After adding sewn-on patches, Snazzgar Stinkmullett was ready to plunder. Would a mushroom by any other name be as evil? FSM

Meet Kim Taylor Kim Taylor is a part-time modeler and commission painter in London, Ontario, Canada. To get in touch and learn more about her work, check out her company, KTMinis, on Facebook and Instagram.

DON’T BUILD FANTASY FIGURES? Take a gander at caption 12 — learn how to create a leather look perfect for aviation jackets on human fgures.

AIRBRUSHING & FINISHING

By Dave Pross

Painting unpainted steel 20 steps to raw metal on armor

The unusual finish on this raw-metal tank, a Panther F prototype with a plywood turret, attracted a lot of attention from other modelers at shows.

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’ve always been interested in armor in its raw form, especially tanks in factory settings. When I saw Adam Wilder’s 1/35 scale Geschützwagen Tiger II, I had an “Oh, wow!” moment. Later, at a local hobby shop demonstration, I had a chance to talk with Adam and learn more about how he transformed gray styrene into realistic, unpainted steel.

Since then, I’ve developed a 20-step process that produces consistently realistic fnishes using the hairspray chipping technique as well as washes and flters of pigments and oil paints. In other words, it is a process of creating layers upon layers and blending everything together. Breaking the process into stages makes it easy.

Step 1: Primer Coat the model in a layer of primer to serve as a foundation for sub18 FineScale Modeler September 2018

sequent layers. I prefer etching primers, especially Tamiya’s spray-can surface primers. In my experience, some acrylic primers, such as Vallejo, can obscure fne detail.

Step 2: Base coat Spray a layer of brown and orange — fat brown, hull red, red-brown, NATO brown, fat earth, and orange work well — with diferent color mixes and varying density, A. A layer of clear orange over brown gives the impression of depth.

Step 3: Rust specks With a stif brush and your fnger, splatter contrasting brown and orange spots of acrylic over the base coat, B. You can blend unwanted or toolarge specks using water or thinner. I covered the exposed interior with tape and Post-it notes.

Step 4: Clear fat seal To protect the base coat and rust specks, spray on clear fat.

I use a spray can; a large can of Krylon from the hardware store works fne. Some modelers say there’s no need to seal the surface.

But the frst time you rub through the base coat to expose primer or even bare plastic later in the process, you’ll be sorry that you bypassed this step.

Step 5: Hairspray Apply two layers of hairspray, letting the frst dry before spraying the next. Te model will look shiny now, but subsequent steps will dull the surface.

You do not need three or four coats. Don’t let excess hairspray pool at the bottom of the painted panels.

Step 6: Light blue-gray Tis step is counterintuitive, but the result is essential.

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I use acrylics for the base coat, but enamels work just as well at this stage.

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Use a paintbrush rather than a toothbrush to apply rust splatter; the latter is too large for controlled splatter. Fine specks of contrasting colors are the objective.

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Keep the blue-gray thin and uneven so the plates appear patchy as the layers pile on.

Be careful not to remove too much of the blue-gray; a pitted surface looks better as tiny chips rather than large worn sections.

Spray a thin layer of light blue-gray acrylic over the hairspray, keeping the coverage uneven, C. Mask panel edges with tape or a hand-held index card to indicate separate plates. You are trying to represent diferent steel plates that have been welded together, so their markings, orientation, and discoloration should contrast.

Step 9: Second seal Spray the model with another layer of clear fat to protect the scratches and chipping.

Step 7: Scratches Draw a scriber (a

Step 10: Hairspray again Apply two

toothpick may not be hard enough to scratch the top layer of paint) along a metal straightedge to create long scratches and gouges. Use a light touch to cut through the blue-gray without damaging the underlying brown. Tese scratches represent casting imperfections and damage done during assembly as workers pulled it from storage.

more coats of hairspray, allowing the frst coat to dry before adding the next.

Step 8: Pitting Remove patches of bluegray with water. Many modelers use a stif brush and hot water to lift the color, but I

prefer a cloth diaper. Dip a corner in hot water, wrap it around your fnger, and rub the surface until the blue-gray paint begins to come of, D.

Step 11: Fresh rust Mask to leave 1mm stripes across the plates, and include a couple of right angles. Ten, airbrush light orange-brown to show rust left by another plate stacked unevenly on top of this one and exposed to the elements before the plates were cut apart to form the vehicle’s armor. While you still have orange-brown in the airbrush, spray uneven clouds to rep-

Geschützwagen Tiger für 21cm Mrs18/1 The model I built for this story represents the second of four abandoned German self-propelled gun projects. A prototype of the first, designed to carry a 17cm gun, was almost complete in May 1945 when it was captured by British troops at the Krupp factory in Haustenbeck. The second was to have carried a 21cm mortar, the third a Skoda 30cm mortar, and the fourth a 42cm mortar. None ever got beyond the drawing board, so this model is a “paper panzer.” As planned, the full-size 21cm assault gun would have weighed 58 tons but carried only three rounds.

www.FineScale.com

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Don’t make these streaks parallel to panel edges: They should end abruptly at one edge and start again elsewhere, because the hull panels would have been cut and assembled separately.

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Use a very light touch when removing the light rust to avoid taking away too much.

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Before adding thinner, I squeeze blobs of artist’s oil paint onto cardboard, which absorbs some of the linseed oil for a flatter finish.

Streaks of artist’s oils or enamels over the layers of corrosion and damage show fresh rust or lubricants deposited on the vehicle after construction.

Step 13: Third seal Seal the surface

resent fresh rust spreading on the surface as the vehicle is assembled, E.

again with a clear fat.

Step 12: Rust wipe Just as with the blue-gray earlier, use the diaper and hot water to remove some of the clouds of light rust. While you’re at it, carefully break up the long stripes of rust, F.

Step 14: Blending colors To blend the layers, mix various artist’s oil paints — brown, orange, yellow, and red — with similarly colored pigments and odorless turpentine or mineral spirits, G. Some

hardware store industrial-strength white spirit products are too harsh, so be careful what you use. Acrylic paints can’t be substituted at this step, because they don’t blend as well as oils.

Step 15: Rust streaks Using the colors from Step 14, create thin, faint vertical lines

Building Trumpeter’s Geschützwagen Getting Trumpeter’s Geschützwagen VI 21cm Mörser 18 (sf) (No. 01540) ready for painting necessitated dealing with three issues. First, multiple recessed ejector-pin marks mar almost every panel and will be visible on the open-top vehicle. I eliminated them with putty sanded flush. Second, I

textured the hull’s front and side armor with putty dissolved in liquid cement; this gives it a rough rolled-steel appearance.

Third, I added weld seams to the joins between panels with 3-D decals from Archer Fine Transfers.

Otherwise, I built the kit out of the box, only replacing the

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one-piece vinyl tracks with Friulmodel metal links.

The model must be built and painted in stages. The driver’s compartment includes a detailed transmission, and the engine compartment has a complete engine; both must be finished before the hull is closed. Also, the mortar should

be built and painted off the model, which requires that the fighting compartment’s upper panels be left off until the gun is installed. If you install the brace at the rear of the fighting compartment before you install the mortar, you will have a lot of problems placing the mortar.

Don’t ask me how I know.

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Weld beads typically don’t rust, so coloring them gray, then silver, provides an interesting contrast with the rusted steel panels.

Tarp made from packing tissue and white glue Hairspray pitting

I used Wilder dry-transfer factory markings on a Panther F to represent panel numbers on the plywood turret as well as the fabricator, inspector, and quality-control notes on the metal hull.

Exhaust stain applied with Tamiya smoke and black pigment

Red-oxide primer Tools and pouch Welds

to represent streaks created by rain or dripping water in the warehouse; darker colors can show oil leaking from the fghting compartment’s steel-slab hinges, H. Dab a little oil or enamel paint at the top of a panel.

After it dries, pull the dots into thin streaks with a little odorless turpentine on a fat brush. Rather than mixing colors, you can use AK Interactive enamel rust tones and the enamel engine oil and engine grime washes.

seams, I. I sprayed it freehand — to prove to myself I could — but you could mask and paint one side at a time.

To finish the nearly completed Geschützwagen, I painted a few panels with Tamiya hull red to represent factory red-oxide primer.

Other details hint that the vehicle had been tested and was undergoing additional work when it was abandoned.

Step 16: A few more fecks To add just a little more variety and depth to the metal plates, fick spots of another rust shade — it can be lighter or darker — over the model with a stif brush.

Step 18: Weld highlights Using a fne

Step 17: Coloring the welds Welding

Step 19: Metallic sheen Lightly apply

and cutting torches leave bright steel at the joins in stark contrast to older steel, so paint them separately. First, to represent heatcaused discoloration on the plates adjacent to the welds, airbrush medium gray along the

powdered graphite with a fnger to add a hint of metal to the surface. You don’t need much, and you should focus your eforts on the welds and the areas with the most bluegray paint left from Step 6. I recently sub-

paintbrush, hand-paint the actual weld bead with Testors Model Master chrome silver thinned with odorless turpentine.

stituted AK Interactive dark steel pigment for graphite in this step with good results.

Step 20: Factory marks Tis optional step adds interest to prototype vehicles. Apply chalk-written notes to the panels to show quality-control approvals, welding do-overs, etc., J. Tere are decals for this, but if you have a steady hand you can use paint or a white pencil. FSM www.FineScale.com

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Old kit, new bits Fittings and finish for the USS Olympia /// BY BILL PLUNK

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he Spanish-American War marked an cruiser,” balancing frepower and protection important turning point in American with speed for commerce raiding. Te ship history, particularly as it relates to the bristled with guns: primary 8-inch, secondary U.S. Navy and the advent of the U.S. as a 5-inch, and tertiary 6-pounder batteries. world power.

Sadly, there aren’t any modern new-tool While people “Remember the Maine,” it kits available. For this project, I’m using was the USS Olympia that achieved fame in Encore Models’ “Premium Edition” 1/232 combat as Commodore George Dewey’s (box) scale upgrade of the original Revell Asiatic Squadron fagship at the Battle of tooling, adding resin and photo-etched (PE) Manila Bay in 1898. Laid down in San details. I knew I’d have my work cut out for Francisco in 1891 and commissioned in 1895, me when I saw the original copyright date — Olympia refected a mix of the old and the 1959 — stamped on the main sprues. new in the predreadnought era. Te only ship All paints are Testors Model Master enamels except as noted. in its class, it was designed as a “protected

Revell’s original boxscale kit (1/232) first appeared in 1959.

Encore’s enhanced reissue (kit No. 85001) appeared in 2012 with new details for this turn-of-the-century “protected cruiser.”

1 The hull’s mating edges are narrow. I applied liquid glue from inside, starting at the bow and working aft. Clamps and strips of masking tape were added after to avoid marring the exterior.

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I replaced plastic barrels on the 6-pounder guns with Encore’s turned brass.

Holes for the base-mounting hardware were drilled from inside using a 5⁄8-inch bit in a motor tool.

PE life-ring cages

4 I added resin details to the bow, filling gaps with putty as needed.

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5 The rudder was surgically reshaped and the kit’s resin plug used to fill the resulting missing section in the hull.

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6 The 6-pounders’ guns were mounted in their sponsons with PE shields shaped for each position. The PE bilge keels were added as well.

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I airbrushed flat black as a primer and preshade. Olympia had no boot stripe, so I masked the waterline and airbrushed insignia red to create the antifouling color.

After letting the red dry overnight to ensure its adhesion, I masked it and airbrushed gunship gray above the waterline.

I painted the bow’s federal shield with the aid of an OptiVisor and a fine-pointed 18/0 brush.

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To weather the antifouling red, I airbrushed a coat of Pledge Floor Gloss (PFG), then dragged dots of flat brown and leather vertically using a square-tip brush damp with thinner.

The propellers were base-coated with nonbuffing Metalizer brass, then bronzed with a burnt umber wash.

The hull gray received a dot filter that mixed gunship gray and IJN sky gray, 2:1. Horizontal strokes, then vertical, plate by plate, created variation and enhanced molded features. www.FineScale.com

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Pinwashes define details: burnt umber on gray, flat brown on red, refined with clean thinner in a 10/0 square blender brush. Spray-can Testors lusterless clear flat imparted a uniform sheen.

The hull must be mounted on the base before the main decks; I test-fitted the decks, then mounted the hull with locking nuts secured by super glue.

To prepare for the wood deck veneers, I sanded the deck’s molded planks smooth.

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The 5-inch guns received turned-brass barrels before I snapped them into their casemates.

I removed stanchions from the superstructure sides, puttied sunken spots and unused mount holes, drilled out portholes, and added PE hatches.

Davits and the superstructure’s sides were attached amidships; the davits were placed one at a time with styrene glue, finger pressure, and patience.

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After adding caps to the aft pair of 5-inch gun casemates, I puttied gaps and sanded them flush.

I primed the deck with flat black and followed with gunship gray.

The two 8-inch turrets also needed some putty work on a couple of sinkholes. I upgraded them with turned-brass barrels and painted them separately.

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I installed wood veneer on the bridge deck and walkways.

The 6-pounder deck guns fore and aft are a multimedia assembly of PE mounts, turnedbrass barrels, and white-metal breeches.

I put the ventilator funnels and boat-rack frames in place to verify that everything fit.

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The large engine hatch was replaced with a 12-part PE assembly.

Skylights, pilothouse, ship’s wheels, and hatchway were airbrushed with a 1:1 mix of leather and military brown for a mahogany finish.

I super glued leftover wood planking to cover a gaping hole under the pilothouse. Leaving the plastic backing on the piece prevented the glue from bleeding through to the visible side.

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Clamps ensure the decking matches up with the superstructure.

The rest of the fixtures on the boat deck were fitted and the rear bridge walkway was added.

The superstructure received PFG, dot filters, and pinwashes to match the hull.

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I installed the three-piece main deck using liquid styrene cement and finger pressure to level it.

Four more pieces of wood veneer finished the main deck.

I cleaned up and assembled the two smoke funnels, removing moldings that would be replaced with PE and repairing nicks and gaps with strip styrene and putty.

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The PE maintenance platforms and access ladders were added unpainted to ensure a good glue bond; then I hand-painted them.

Taking advantage of the still-open space on the boat deck, I added PE railings and access ladders before installing the funnels and searchlight platforms.

EZ Line for the funnels’ guy wires: I drilled holes with a No. 78 bit, applied drops of super glue, and dipped the line’s end in accelerant.

Then, just a touch produced an instant bond. www.FineScale.com

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I replaced the masts’ molded platform supports with PE. Fine styrene rod plugged gaps and added strength.

Again using super glue and EZ Line, I rigged the foremast to re-create signal-flag lines and mast-bracing stays.

Ratlines

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The mainmast received a similar treatment, and the aft bridge deck and boat deck received their remaining rails and ladders.

The pilothouse area got the rest of its details and railings; PE ratlines were shaped to clear the railing’s edge, then super glued.

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I airbrushed the ship’s boats flat black/gunship gray, masked hulls, and airbrushed interiors with a 7:3 mix of Afrika grunbraun/light gray for a wood-tone base. Nonbuffing Metalizer brass picked out details on the steam launch. EZ Line runs from the boats to the davits. I also placed the dinghies at the outer rail.

After painting 8-inch turrets to match the hull, I installed the aft turret along with the remaining fittings at the stern, including two whale boats with their davits.

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Anchor chains were threaded through the winch housing in the turret base and checked for length; bits of tape held the ends at the right length and tension while I applied Gator’s Grip Thin Blend glue under the turret to lock the chain in place.

Bracing lines for the foremast were added once the jackstaff was in place. Bow railings were shaped, painted, and installed, and the anchors were connected to the chains with black sewing thread and super glue.

EZ Line rigging

PE components for masts, funnels

Wood-veneer deck

Turned-brass barrels PE rails

Reshaped rudder

Filters and washes for weathering

My USS Olympia was now ready for battle, with Commodore George Dewey’s famous command — “You may fire when you are ready, Gridley” — faintly echoing on the winds of time. FSM

www.FineScale.com

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Luftan Heat-shaped foam wraps what’s left of

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he German city of Mannheim was bombed throughout World War II. But December 16, 1940, marked a turning point for the Royal Air Force. In retribution for the Luftwafe’s blitz — especially Coventry and Southhampton just weeks before — Operation Abigail Rachel was the RAF’s frst deliberate raid on a civilian population.

My 1/35 scale diorama shows the efects of a dud fallen through a city house. Te result is a two-sided vignette with a peaceful facade outside and devastation inside.

It is an opportunity for me to demon-

1 I cut out slots for the floors as well as door and window openings. The window frames and doors are from MiniArt.

3 I loosely wrap the heated foam around the shape I want and allow the foam to cool for a minute.

griff! a building /// BY JONAS DAHLBERG strate the use of heat-sensitive foam for construction. I used a material called EZ Modelling, an 8mm-thick heat-sensitive foam. It’s easy to cut and has a coarse opencell texture that is receptive to plaster and fller. But the magic of the material is that you can heat and shape it, and it will retain its new form when it cools.

If you can’t fnd this brand of foam, an acceptable substitute is similarly thin EVA foam. Likewise, it can be heat-formed. Te diference is its closed-cell, smooth surface — although a primer coat can be textured to model a stucco fnish.

2 Warming the foam with a heat gun begins the process.

4 The structure is fixed to the base with liberal amounts of quick-drying PVA glue.

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5 The first floor begins with a scored balsa sheet, laser-printed wallpaper, and plastic card stock for wall trim.

8 A broken ceiling is depicted with thick paper, torn and soaked with PVA glue.

6 I embedded balsa floor beams in the foam, then glued and painted them.

9 I carefully scored floor boards, then cut through where I wanted damage.

7 Decorative plaster medallions can be created by mounting beads on a plastic card base, then covering with Vallejo white stone paste.

10 To make a cupola roof, I heated the foam …

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… and formed it around an appropriate shape, firmly pressing the heated foam.

When it cooled I cut out what I needed.

I chose where to “break” the roof, then glued bricks to the edges and painted them with various rust colors.

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The bricked edge is covered with another thin layer of foam prior to a liberal coat of spackling.

To make details for the building facade, I heat InstantMold (the clear stuff), press a form into it to make a mold, then fill the mold with twopart epoxy putty.

Thin strips of foam can be heated and formed into various profiles.

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The building facade comprises these foam profiles and decorative moldings.

To show shattered stucco and exposed bricks, I heat the foam and embed a section of premolded bricks.

I tape over brick sections and brush waterthinned spackling over everything on the facade.

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When the spackle dries, removing the tape reveals authentic edges of broken plaster.

To model distressed paint, I glue thin tissue paper in places and allow it to dry before applying spackle.

When the surfaces are prepared, I airbrush preshading ‌

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… and then three tones of gray. The “south” side is faded with a lighter gray overall.

Bricks are brush-painted with acrylics.

I painted the outer walls with two coats of acrylics, let it all dry, then weathered with washes, Mig streaking grime and rainmarks, and artist’s oils.

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I lift pre-placed swatches of tissue with a hobby knife to show damaged stucco.

Details are hand-brushed with acrylics.

Balsa joists will support a roof made from paper card stock, more balsa, and corrugated cardboard.

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I glued the card stock and streaked it with black paint; roof joints are made from aluminum foil.

A black primer was followed with Ammo by Mig Jimenez green acrylic paint.

Part of the roof was built up in balsa and carefully broken.

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I created roof tiles using corrugated cardboard covered with white stone paste colored by Ammo rust-colored acrylics. The cardboard is supported underneath by dowels.

Three layers of the paste were applied and allowed to dry before I painted. When that dried, I cut out the tiles …

… and placed them, one by one. To model broken and bent sheet metal, I used, well, sheet metal.

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Dots of artist’s oils and Ammo rainstreaks, streaking grime, and rust washes weathered the cupola roof.

Gutters and spouts are sheet metal shaped around a wood dowel. I undercoated with various rust colors, using hairspray to lift the top coat and show corrosion and bare metal.

With floors in place, the furnishing starts.

Meet Jonas Dahlberg

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Verlinden, MiniArt, and scratchbuilt furniture is detailed with spare photo-etch and painted with deck tan acrylic and artist’s oils.

It didn’t look that nice for long. Each floor gets debris and plenty of brick-dust pigments before the damage is complete. FSM

Jonas, 43, of Stockholm, Sweden, returned to scale modeling 14 years ago and discovered a new world of aftermarket accessories, multimedia kits, photo-etching, and figures.

He says, ”I read a lot of military history and have a certain respect for it.

I’m not a rivet counter, but I do think it is important to make my scenes as historically accurate as possible.

“Everything I build starts as a model and ends as a diorama. I just can’t help it; I can’t resist telling a good story.”

Jonas thanks Håkan Mattisson for his advice and Lars Befring for his help with photography.

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READER GALLERY

â–² JOHN FOSTER

HUTCHINSON, KANSAS Showing what can be done with minimal tools, solid techniques, and no airbrush, John hand-painted his Tamiya 1/35 scale German Wespe.

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▲ BRAD SHINN

HATFIELD, PENNSYLVANIA A Boeing 737-700 is the second Lone Star One painted by Southwest Airlines. Brad modifed Revell’s 1/144 scale 737800 to match the plane with the livery. ▲ CHRIS RAYUB

JACKSONVILLE, ARKANSAS According to Gundam.Wikia.com, the MS-06J Zaku II mobile suit is built for Earth operations and stands 17.5 meters tall. Chris built Bandai’s 1/100 scale kit.

LAWRENCE COHEN WAPPINGERS FALLS, NEW YORK A 1/72 scale LST (45 inches long and 7.5 inches wide) would be ambitious — but this is scratchbuilt. Lawrence formed the hull with fiberglass over foam board and used styrene, brass and copper tubing, and materials from art and fabric stores. On board are vehicles from Academy and Airfix, which also provided LCVPs. Armament comprises spare kit parts and 20mm cannons by John Haynes obtained from Floating Drydock. Oh, and the ship is wired for R/C with a working rudder, propellers, lighting, bow doors, ramp, and horn. www.FineScale.com

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READER GALLERY

▲ PEDRO NEGRÓN

TRUJILLO ALTO, PUERTO RICO Developed in the ’70s and entering service in 1979, the Leopard 2 remains Germany’s main battle tank and is operated by more than a dozen other countries as well. Pedro built Tamiya’s 1/35 scale Leopard 2A6.

▲ MIKE PABIS

PHOENIX, ARIZONA Mike detailed the cab, dressed it up inside and out with photo-etch, and added a working winch to Italeri’s 1/35 scale AM General M923.

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SEND US YOUR PICTURES! Shouldn’t your model be in Reader Gallery? FineScale Modeler is always accepting new material from around the world.

Upload high-resolution digital images (preferably unedited, RAW format) with complete captions at www.Contribute.Kalmbach.com, or burn it all on a disc and mail it to FineScale Modeler, Reader Gallery, 21027 Crossroads Circle, P.O. Box 1612, Waukesha, WI 53187-1612.

Be sure to tell us the kit manufacturer, model, scale, modifications, paint and finishes used, and reason for choosing the model, along with your name and address. We look forward to seeing your work!

▲ MARK LINKIEWICZ

CLAREMONT, NEW HAMPSHIRE “I’m not an airplane builder, usually, but I’ve always liked the lines of the Griffon-engine Spitfire/ Seafire series,” Mark says. He built Airfix’s 1/48 scale Supermarine Seafire F.XVII and finished it with Humbrol sky and extra dark sea gray. Aftermarket decals from Warbirds place the aircraft at RNAS Yeovilton in 1950.

▶ FRED JONES

KINGSTON, NOVA SCOTIA, CANADA At the edge of the drawing board, one may find arguments: This is Amusing Hobby’s 1/35 scale rendition of the variously described PzKpfw VII Löwe (Lion), a German heavy tank design never produced. It’s painted with Tamiya acrylics and weathered with artist’s oils and pigments. Stowage is a mix of the kit, spare parts, and scratchbuilt items. “I love the unusual, businesslike look of this ‘paper panzer,’” Fred says. ◀ NEALE O’LOUGHLIN

LEOPOLD, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA “A love affair with Japanese motorcycles!” is the reason Neale gives for building Tamiya’s 1/12 scale Repsol Honda RC211V. He added photo-etched front disc rotor covers and heel kick plates, and finished with Zero Paints and Tamiya lacquer spray.

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Build a Corsair in a weekend A beautiful quick build thanks to good fits and a simple paint job

BY NORM SHEPPARD

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ometimes, I want nothing more than to build a simple kit of a great plane without aftermarket add-ons or fddly photo-etch.

I found the perfect opportunity while at a fea market.

Tere, a vendor who had 50 or so 1/72 scale aircraft kits in a box posted a sign, “Make me an ofer!” Most of them were older kits from the ’70s and ’80s, so I got the whole bunch for $50. Can’t beat that!

One of those kits was an old Hasegawa/Minicraft F4U-1D Corsair with only 34 parts. Easy to paint, too, since the whole airframe is one color: gloss sea blue.

I kept the build fun, uncomplicated, and quick — my model came together in 16 hours.

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“I learned quickly that altitude was paramount.

Whoever had altitude dictated the terms of the battle.”

– 2nd Lt. Kenneth A. Walsh, first Corsair ace, U.S. Marines VMF-124

1 For an old kit, the parts looked clean. I painted several areas before assembly, such as the wheel bays and doors, cockpit, and engine, as well as breakable bits like propellers, tires, and landing-gear legs. These parts stayed attached to the sprue to ease painting. I chose zinc chromate green for the interior and gloss sea blue for the exterior.

3 The wheels and landing-gear struts received a shot of aluminum. The tire color was a mix of flat black, or very dark gray, with a touch of brown. Because tires don’t stay black for long, I weathered mine with colors from a Tamiya Weathering Master set.

5 After gluing the instrument panel to the right fuselage half, I glued the cockpit floor (with seat) to the left fuselage. I checked alignment and fit of the halves, then glued them together with Tamiya extra thin cement.

Clamps were used until the glue set.

2 To color the propeller blade tips yellow, I first painted them white; without that bright base, it would take four coats of yellow to cover the blue plastic. After spraying yellow and letting it dry well, I masked off the tips as shown. Next I airbrushed the blades with Polly Scale tarnished black; this made them look faded and used.

4 The instrument panel is a decal of white details. I applied this to a flat panel painted gloss black (decals adhere better to glossy surfaces). The decal is a little larger than the panel, so I employed decal softener to help wrap it around the edges.

6 The wings are one piece, so aligning them with the fuselage is easy. The fit here is excellent and little filler is needed for the joints. Once the wing was in place, I attached the horizontal tail parts and continued to check the alignment as the glue set. www.FineScale.com

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7 I couldn’t stop myself from adding a couple of details at this point. The exhaust pipes exit in two groups low on the fuselage, behind the engine cowling. I opened them with a No. 76 (.020-inch) drill bit. Later in the construction process, I painted them rust.

9 Before attaching the canopy, I dipped it in Pledge Floor Gloss, which protects the part and improves clarity.

8 The wing-gun shell-ejection ports are depicted on the underside of the wing by depressions. It was easy to open each end with a No. 65 (.035-inch) drill bit. Then, with the tip of a sharp hobby knife, I carefully cut out the plastic between the drill holes.

10 I masked off the canopy and painted the frame with the interior color, zinc chromate green, since that will be visible on the inside.

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The landing-gear doors fit the wheel wells perfectly, meaning I could cover the gear bays and paint the doors in one step. I applied sticky tack under the doors, which held them in place under the wings and at the rear fuselage. All small holes, such as those in the tail-wheel doors, were masked with sticky tack.

With no way to hold the airframe for painting, I drilled a hole at the front of the fuselage and inserted a small paintbrush — instant handle!

Throughout painting, I used my Iwata HP-C airbrush.

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For a dark final color, a light primer is best — I can tell if I have good coverage. I sprayed Alclad II light gray, followed by Testors Model Master acrylic gloss dark sea blue, diluted 40% with Liquitex airbrush medium.

Base-coating the navigation lights with silver makes the top color shimmer realistically. The lights on the left wing were painted red, on the right wing, green. A dab of silver went on the taillight, too.

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Even though the decals were from 1981, they went on perfectly with help from Mr. Mark Setter and Mr. Mark Softer. The checkerboards are slightly out of register, but not enough to worry about. However, I did replace the blurry Hamilton Standard logos for the prop blades.

My choice for antennas is EZ Line. The thread can stretch to seven times its original length, making it durable. It’s available in two diameters: .006 inch and .012 inch. The smaller is perfect for 1/72 scale. I left the front aerial mast on the sprue and super glued one end of the line to it.

From the now-installed mast, I ran the line back to the anchor point on the rudder.

While holding the line tight with tweezers, I applied fastsetting glue and let that cure. Then I ran the line forward to the upper right side of the fuselage, just behind the canopy, where I drilled a .014-inch hole.

I applied a small drop of glue to the hole and inserted the end of the line, keeping the tweezers away from the adhesive. With the antenna rigging complete, my Corsair was finished — and all within a weekend. FSM www.FineScale.com

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Bf 109 camo Finishing a kitbashed 1/48 scale Bf 109G-10

the easy way

BY SIMON HARRISON

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hile Messerschmitt Bf 109s are my favorite modeling subject, they are often difcult due to the complicated paint schemes worn. But I’ve developed a few uncomplicated tricks that make re-creating the patterns easier.

An old Revell 1/48 scale Bf 109G-10 provides a perfect canvas. The shapes are good, its panel lines are engraved, and it can be built into a handsome model right out of the box.

To build Helmut Neumann’s late-war, high-speed Bf 109G-14A/S, I combined Revell’s wing surfaces with an old Otaki Bf 109 and added other bits from my spares box.

With a few detailing modifcations, it’s easy to build any old, inexpensive kit into a model that can hold its own against the tide of plastic perfection represented by today’s state-of-the-art tooling.

A paint job such as this may appear daunting, but straightforward masking and airbrushing techniques make it easier than it looks.

1 While the wing chord on the Revell wing (left) was correct, the wheel bulge was not. Otaki’s kidney-shaped wheel bulge (right) would replace the large, late-war bulges.

4 I got creative with my cockpit additions: half of a bomb for a seat pan, copper-wire buckles, and model railroad accessories. Sometimes the new details can be glued right on top of the old.

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2 I grafted the darker Otaki wing panel onto the lighter Revell upper wing. Many special tools have come and gone, but a needle in a pin vise wins every time. Repeated light scoring freed the flaps and panels.

5 A nice, cheery dark gray homogenizes the raw colors of various media. Dry-brushing added highlights, and a wash deepened shadows.

This is an improvement on the old-tool soft renderings. No expensive resin castings here.

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3 Scrap styrene, photo-etch (PE), copper wire, chopped-up jet instrument panels, and brass tubing updated the starboard cockpit wall. The port side was a simpler affair where stretched sprue became a throttle handle.

6 This Hasegawa instrument panel replaced the kit’s original. Virtually any gloss coating can pass as an instrument lens. Here, Micro Kristal Klear shines.

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A Bf 109’s cowl guns are a prominent feature, and the gun troughs needed to be open. I spun the drill bit slowly between my finger and thumb so as not to remove too much material too quickly.

Deflected control surfaces add appeal to any model. But first those surfaces have to be cut away. A razor saw cut the relief for the rudder balance. I then sanded the raw edge with a jeweler’s file.

You may believe the model is ready for paint at this stage, but when so many disparate elements are engineered into one unit, there are always flaws. Priming is essential.

Winging it

faps free from each wing. Tey would be restored later. I did this to the lower wing and radiators as well.

Both wings have a panel line that’s a perfect scribing guide to separate each inner half from its outer, 2. It was a simple matter to join the inner Otaki section to the outer Revell section, aligning the upper airfoils of each half.

I locked the two panels together with super glue and was left with a slight overhang on the leading edge. (Otaki’s wing is thicker than Revell’s.) A sanding stick rem-

edied this.

Te chord diference between the two wings was repaired with scrap styrene. Te wing was then assembled.

Scraps of colored toothbrush handles make for great wingtip lights. After sanding and polishing the scraps, I cut out the kit’s lights and replaced them with red (left) and green (right) plastic.

Rather than do up the cockpit frst, I cobbled together the wing. Revell’s wing panel has large, late-model 109 wheel bulges.

Otaki’s has smaller, more-common kidneyshaped bulges. I needed to get the latter’s bulge grafted onto the former.

When the wing is laid over accurate line drawings, it’s clear that Revell got the chord right, 1.

A Bf 109 with its faps down looks predatory (in a good way), so I scored along existing fap-hinge lines and popped the

Ofce space Revell’s cockpit, while broadly accurate, looks better with the canopy closed. I www.FineScale.com

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I kept out the draft by sealing masking tape well. Pressing down with a fingertip was not enough; I used a tool to burnish all edges.

Trimming tape in situ was easier than cutting pieces to fit before applying them. Note the knife blade is aimed away from the model.

Shooting trim colors first, such as the bright yellow theater band, just makes life easier later in the painting process.

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Masking tape right off the roll won’t have a crisp edge, so I made new, clean cuts with a hobby knife and a ruler.

Thin strips of tape followed the curves without buckling or letting paint creep underneath.

To quote Nigel Tufnel from This Is Spinal Tap: “How much more black could this be? The answer is none. None more black.”

wanted it open; there was work to be done.

I sanded of the molded side detail and built them back up with scraps of styrene, PE, and copper wire. Brass tube made good fuel-line sight-glass when painted silver and black, 3.

I added eye candy to Revell’s cockpit foor. Te seat pan is half of a bomb, sanded to size with its open ends closed by sheet styrene.

Te harness is paper, and the buckles are old Reheat Models accessories detailed with styrene chips and fne copper wire.

Model railroad items made good trim wheels. My spares box gave up a cannon breech cover and a couple of PE rudder pedals. Low-tech, low-cost fun, 4.

I mixed Testors Model Master fat white and fat black to approximate schwarzgrau (RLM 66) and sprayed the interior of the cockpit. I used Testors products unless otherwise noted.

I then brush-painted details and drybrushed everything with fat gull gray. A wash of acyclic rubber, black ink, and Jo Sonja’s fow medium defned shadows, 5.

I sanded the kit’s instrument panel fat and glued a Hasegawa spare to it. After some judicious painting, Micro Kristal Klear stood in for instrument lenses, 6.

placed each wheel-half on glass to keep it fat and thinned it with sandpaper. Ten I super glued the wheels together.

While I was in a modifcation mood, I cobbled together a new prop using Fujimi blades and a hub from yet another Revell kit. Trough this I super glued a brass-tube prop shaft.

Te tail wheel and boot are spares from Hasegawa. Te upper-cowl piano hinge is stretched sprue. Gun muzzles are from my spares box, bored out with a new No. 11 blade and mounted in troughs that I carved, hand-drilled, and fled out of the cowl. I drilled perpendicular to the cowl, then tilted the drill toward the nose as I went, 7.

Modifying Revell’s rudder is easy since the entire part is molded onto one side of the fuselage. I scribed through the hinge line and snapped the rudder of. A razor saw removed the molded counterbalance, and a jeweler’s fle cleaned up the edges, 8.

I made an antenna mount from a styrene chip, and the Flettner tab actuator from a left-over PE brass fret.

Up to this point, the alterations and improvements were easy and straightforward. After priming, everything was coming together, 9.

Easy mods

Lick o’ paint

Revell’s wheels have acceptable hub detail, but they’re too wide for the G-14 series. I

A good paint job is only as good as the masking job done beforehand.

I substituted a Hasegawa windshield for the kit’s original and sanded the lower panes to ft. I dipped the clear plastic in Pledge Floor Gloss (PFG) so the super glue used to attached it to the canopy wouldn’t fog it over. I then masked it with frosted Scotch Magic tape.

Te cockpit opening was masked with Tamiya tape burnished down with a dental pick, 10. I trimmed the tape with a new hobby knife angled so I cut up and away instead of down onto plastic, 11.

I sprayed the yellow segment of the theater band with fat cavalry yellow, 12.

While the band was drying, I laid Tamiya tape on a sheet of glass and, using another new hobby blade guided by a straightedge, cut it into thin strips, 13. I wrapped these around the model’s fuselage, 14, to shield the yellow paint from the black which was to come, 15.

I goofed by masking directly on a panel line for the forward demarcation line; I had to backtrack later.

Since the canopy frames needed to be schwarzgrau on the inside, I frst shot the outside of the windshield and canopy with the same mix I had used on the cockpit (if the canopy is of the model, make sure to mask its inside!), 16.

Next, I primed the tops of the wings to spot faws in my conversion work.

Te Revell aileron mass balances and a Morane antenna from a Dragon Fw 190

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The interior color would show through Hasegawa’s windscreen from the inside. It made a good primer, too.

Ready for the main event: I super glued small items to a paint jar to keep them from blowing away.

Go with the wave, but never spray into a mask.

This pattern would be all but impossible to spray freehand.

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I angled my airbrush away from the fuselage whenever I could.

Sometimes, the laws of physics are the best masking agent. I sprayed across the wing’s leading edge, rather than toward it.

A wing root can cause a vortex that scatters paint, so it’s best to avoid spraying directly toward it whenever possible.

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Aim high, shoot low. This places the tight part of the spray pattern where you need it.

After consulting reliable references, I drew my own paper masks. I then ran off a few photocopies for my next 50 Messerschmitts.

Rolls of tape applied to the masks’ edges lifted them ever so slightly, allowing a bit of paint to blow under to create softer lines.

were set aside as I prepared to prime the entire model with a lightened shade of lichtblau (RLM 76), 17. Te drop tank pictured is from a Tamiya Fw 190 kit. It was detailed with brass-rod sway braces and added later.

fat white and grau (RLM 02), then airbrushed the mix, angling up and across the tape line, 18.

I unmasked this as soon as the paint was touch-dry to avoid odd masking lines caused by overspray later. Spraying across the fuselage and onto the wing ensured I could get good coverage on the inboard sides of the wheel blisters without getting too much overspray in the wing root, 19.

As I moved outboard, I kept the airbrush perpendicular to the wing’s leading edge, ensuring the underside was free of unwanted paint, 20. Tis also kept the color separation between the top and bottom of the wing slightly feathered but still tight.

As I moved closer to the wing root I kept the airbrush parallel to the fuselage

side — less overspray on the fuselage, 21.

Rather than ensure complete coverage, I left the fnish somewhat patchy.

An airbrush may make a round dot of paint when sprayed directly at a surface.

But tilting the airbrush creates an elliptical spray pattern, the edge of the ellipse closest to the airbrush’s nozzle being narrower than the farthest edge. Tis was how I shot the fuselage and tail after hard-masking the rudder hinge line, 22.

Work the angles Te prototype 109 I was copying showed varying degrees of overspray; from a tight wavy line on the cowl to loose, overlapping colors on the fuselage.

To get a tight, wavy demarcation line on the plane’s nose, I cut out the pattern in Tamiya tape laid on top of two layers of blue painter’s tape. Tis way the edge extended above the model’s surface.

I blended grauviolett (RLM 75) with

Above the mask I made camoufage templates by tracing a 1/48 scale Bf 109G upper wing on copy paper, sketching the pattern, and cutting it apart with scissors, 23. To create soft edges, these masks were lifted from the model’s www.FineScale.com

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I didn’t trust that simply curling a paper mask around a wing would suffice. A little more tape hugged it to the leading edge.

Thin paint and a soft, wide spray pattern take advantage of this raised masking.

Goldilocks would approve of these color lines: not too hard, not too soft.

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The realistic camo is looking good even before a lick of freehand painting has touched it.

If you’re going to use this masking technique, remember to protect everything that could catch overspray. In this case, I should have covered the entire vertical tail …

… but I didn’t, and here’s the result. Rookie mistake. Touching up required repainting this section of the model, working from lightest to darkest to blend the repairs.

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Small pieces of tape can be easier to manipulate than large ones. Overspray needed fixing on the wing root before I could apply the mottling. But I wasn’t too concerned, as this is where the exhaust stain usually goes.

Dissimilar tapes cohabiting: Blue painter’s tape is great for protecting large areas, but it’s not adequate for holding a crisp edge. Tamiya’s tape is best for that.

After all that heavy lifting, I found mottling the fuselage a relaxing break. Here’s the 109 ready for decals and finishing.

surface with Tamiya tape worms, 24. More tape made sure they stayed wrapped around leading and trailing edges, 25.

My reference showed the darker of the two upper colors as a shade similar to a blend of schwarzgrun (RLM 70) and graugrun (RLM 74), so I mixed graugrun with dark green and a little black.

Once I began to shoot color over the masks, I didn’t change the angle of the airbrush — ghosting (two color-separation lines) would result. I sprayed a misty, loose pattern and then flled it in, 26. Even while flling in, the angle of the airbrush is constant, as paint can get under the masks. Te result is overspray that looks to-scale, 27,

even on a wing’s leading edge, 28.

Te horizontal tail was treated in the same manner, 29, but here I slipped and managed to get paint under the stabilizer and had to backtrack a bit, 30.

Just before I could apply the mottling, I had to mask the panel in front of the windscreen with small sections of Tamiya tape, 31, and cover up the horizontal tail, 32.

After all this fnicky masking, applying the mottling was almost a nonevent, 33. I airbrushed an irregular arrangement of soft dots over the fuselage, vertical stabilizer, and rudder.

Before decals, I applied a coat of PFG to provide a smooth receptive surface.

Out of the woods

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While waiting for the PFG to cure, I culled markings from my decal box; most of them came from old Aeromaster and EagleCals sheets.

Weathering was mostly pastel powders with a little airbrushing for the exhaust stains and post-shading.

A silver Prismacolor pencil made scufs at the wing root. Fly-tying thread made the antenna, with white glue for insulators.

All this is incidental to the painting, though — something made possible by careful masking. Now, Helmut Neumann’s Bf 109G-14/AS stands resplendent in latewar Luftwafe camoufage. FSM

CONTEST GALLERY

Modeling the Vietnam War We asked you to send in photos of your Vietnam War builds, and you delivered! Here are some of the best models chosen by you and the FSM editors.

See more photos online To see all the models, including other angles we can’t deliver here, visit FineScale.com/ VietnamGallery

◀ JEREMY CHEUNG

BEECROFT, NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA Jeremy built this diorama after seeing a photo of an APC crew searching through the wreck of a crashed Loach helicopter. "They were recovering the seats from the helicopter to use for themselves because they were padded and much more comfortable than their own!” he says. The 1/35 scale APCs are from Tamiya, the 1/32 scale helicopter from Revell, and the 1/35 scale figures from Tamiya with Verlinden resin heads. The palm and banana trees are handmade with masking tape and wire leaves and trunks. The water is casting resin. www.FineScale.com

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▲ JACK LYNCH

FALLSINGTON, PENNSYLVANIA You’re looking at the same model in these two photos — one is “normal” and the other is the “exploded” view. Jack allowed for this 1/35 scale Tamiya M113 ACAV to be easily assembled and dismantled by keeping the components separate. You’ll also notice that the M113 seems to be in various states of weathering. Jack wanted to show how various materials and paints can be used throughout a build. If you look at the road wheels and tracks, you can see the progression from gray primer to painted to fully weathered components.

◀ MICHAEL DAVIS

PITTSBURG, TEXAS This build was personal for Michael: He flew a helicopter similar to Testors’ 1/32 scale Kaman HH-43 Huskie in combat and rescue missions from Pleiku in 1966.

“This helo was the only hoist capable of jungle recovery,” he says. “Looks belie its usefulness!

We could hover at 150 feet and pull out as many as six to eight wounded.” Michael built it mission-ready with factory livery port-side. On the real deal, the armor plate on the chin was added in the field and the clamshell doors were removable. Only 264 were built, and 25-30 were in Vietnam at any given time. “I am proud of the model, but more for its contribution,” says Michael.

▶ JOHN EATON

WOODLAND, CALIFORNIA Four different kits went into this 1/48 scale A-1E Skyraider: a Tamiya A-1J, Matchbox A-1E, Cobra Company interior, and a Squadron canopy. The main gear covers were scratchbuilt out of resin because the Matchbox parts were inaccurate; John made the decals on an ALPS printer. “It was a fun project with equal parts planning and plastic surgery, as well as learning about the history of War Monger in Vietnam, says John. “My favorite part? Probably looking at it in the display case.”

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▲ ▶ CHARLES

SPENCER MUNDELEIN, ILLINOIS “I found this 1/24 scale Monogram Phantom Huey on eBay for a reasonable price several years ago,” says Charles.

“Little did I know it was missing some pieces. I found a donor kit from the same mold, but with a solid body, that had some parts. Others, such as the fuel tank, I scratchbuilt from my spares supply.”

He used some of the original kit decals, which had to be treated delicately as they were from 1969. An electric motor powers the main and tail rotors. ◀ ANTHONY DAMATO

NOVATO, CALIFORNIA Anthony painted Tamiya’s 1/35 scale M48A3 with LifeColor acrylics. He converted the figures from Army soldiers to Marines using MB Models’ Vietnam patrolling set and Verlinden’s U.S. AFV crew set.

He painted the figures with Andrea acrylics. The building was scratchbuilt from foam, balsa, dollhouse shutters, corrugated plastic, and plaster.

www.FineScale.com

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CONTEST GALLERY

▲ PATRICIO GONZALEZ LUNA

AREQUIPA, PERU The hardest task when building this 1/35 scale diorama of the Cửa Việt River in 1968 was finding the right kind of dirt with the color and texture needed. After a long search, Patricio stumbled across adequate dirt on the island of Taquile, on Lake Titicaca in the Peruvian Andes. The resin boat is from Verlinden, and the figures from Dragon. Patricio used fine rope as tie-downs, and metal-foil strips for the weapon slings and backpack straps. The cigarette is a single bristle from a toothbrush. He painted with enamels.

▲ PAWEL MROCZKOWSKI

ZALASEWO, POLAND “Models of the Vietnam War are my specialty,” says Pawel. “This Duster is special, too, because it was built in close cooperation with Joe Bellardo, a track commander of this very vehicle at Đông Hà and Khe Sanh in 1968. Joe inspected every detail as I built, and gave the thumbs-up when it was complete. Other veterans from the National Dusters, Quads & Searchlights Association (NDQSA) helped, too.” AFV Club’s 1/35 scale M42A1 Duster represents the last American vehicle to leave the Khe Sanh tactical base.

50 FineScale Modeler September 2018

▲ ▼ GRAHAM MCNAMARA

DECEPTION BAY, QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA It took Graham three months to paint this impressive 300mm resin model from Naked Army. He was drawn to it at a swap meet due to its sheer size. He first airbrushed the uniform and weapon with Tamiya acrylics, then went back with a brush to pick out the details with Vallejo acrylics. He base-coated the skin with a combination of acrylics and followed with layers of oils. The result is amazingly lifelike.

◀ CHRISTOPHER BOWLING

LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY “I had to have this 1/35 scale Dragon UH-1H,” says Christopher.

“I was fortunate enough to be around the real aircraft a lot while in the Army. Because of my familiarity, I added a lot of accurate details that book research just can’t provide.” He painted with Testors Model Master enamels and finished with a pinwash of artist’s oils thinned with mineral spirits. The groundwork is ¾-inch plywood covered with premixed sanded grout and foliage meant for a model railroad. It’s mounted on a decorative plaque from a local trophy shop. ▶ CHRIS BOND

SIMMAMON PARK, QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA Chris says the inspiration for this 1/35 scale diorama came from Mud & Dust: Australian Army Vehicles & Artillery in Vietnam, by Michael Cecil.

Chris incorporated AFV Club’s Centurion Mk.5 /1 as well as Tamiya’s British SAS Land Rover with a 109-inch Series II conversion set from Mouse House Enterprises. Mouse House also produced the authentic olive drab lusterless used here, which has been in use on Australian AFVs since 1966. The figures are from Tamiya and Firestorm. Chris built this scene over five months and says that his favorite part was weathering the Centurion to bring the whole diorama together. ◀ JIM GARDNER

MEAFORD, ONTARIO, CANADA Jim’s diorama is titled “Nobody Left Behind.” The helicopter is Panda’s 1/35 scale 1st Cavalry UH-1D; the figures are from Dragon’s U.S. Marine Tet Offensive, Green Berets, and LRRP sets. The base hides a 12-volt battery and geared-down motor with a shaft that runs from the base up through the helicopter interior to the main rotor. FSM

www.FineScale.com

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Making a cutaway Enterprise whole Scratchbuilt and aftermarket improvements for AMT’s 22-inch starship /// BY PHILLIP GORE

It comes in pieces, but Phillip’s simple reinforcements and aftermarket details make the big Enterprise soar.

O

ne of the best-known features of the original Star Trek TV series was the USS Enterprise designed by the show’s art director, Walter Matthews Jeferies. AMT has a long association with the show and for many years ofered the only Enterprise, a 1/650 scale kit frst sold during the show’s original run. Recent decades have seen more kits, including AMT/Ertl’s 1/537 scale cutaway (No. AMT890), released in the mid-1990s and reissued in 2015. At 22 inches long, it was the largest until Polar Lights released a 1/350 scale kit in 2013.

Better in many ways than AMT’s 1966 ofering, the 22-inch kit still sufers from several incorrectly shaped parts and missing features. Construction is hampered by a cutaway design that splits up the primary and secondary hulls.

52 FineScale Modeler September 2018

1 Eschewing the cutaway, I discarded the parts for the interior and permanently attached the removable sections. I reinforced the large assemblies with hefty styrene strips.

4 To stabilize the engine nacelles, I cut off locating tabs molded on the end of the supports and replaced them with sturdy brass strips that extend the length of the struts. I bent the ends to match the angle of the slots in the secondary hull.

7

2 Shallow recesses represent windows on the starship’s hull. However, I intended to use decals instead, so I filled them with super glue and sanded flush to the surface.

5 The recessed lines that circle the nacelles just forward of the end caps are too wide, so I filled them with strips of styrene sanded flush.

Painted stripes applied later will represent the recesses.

8

3 Poor fits took a lot of effort to produce a smooth surface. I inserted styrene shims to fill gaps such as those at the front of the secondary hull.

6 Final surgery removed three incorrectly shaped intake-field generators molded under the front of each nacelle, making way for resin replacement parts.

9

To eliminate large gaps where the new brass tabs from the nacelle struts meet the secondary hull, I glued styrene strips around the openings. Super glue and sanding blended the inserts.

I fitted a scriber into a compass to engrave three circles on the lower half of the primary hull.

After tacking the primary and secondary hulls together with slow-setting super glue, I added 5-minute epoxy to ensure a strong bond. I repeated the process to attach the engines, adding copious amounts of epoxy through the still-open hangar bay to secure the pylons.

10

11

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Details from Don’s Light & Magic (set No. DLM01) includes a sensor dish, hangar-bay doors, planetary-sensor array, intake-field generators, end caps, and intercoolers for the engines.

I thinned the resin intake-field generators; wrapping a nacelle with sandpaper ensured the mating surfaces matched. Then I painted the starship (see sidebar).

Weathering applied to the filming miniature included a discolored half-circle of panels at the front of the primary hull. I drew matching lines on masking tape with a compass. www.FineScale.com

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13

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I placed those masks along panel lines on the hull and airbrushed thin Testors Model Master dark earth (No. 2054). Then, I brushed powdered medium gray and light brown pastels onto the primary hull top, secondary hull front, and front and rear of the engine nacelles. A heavy coat of Pledge Floor Gloss (PFG) sealed the finish.

Rather than kit decals, I applied JT-Graphics markings (No. JTG-020) and windows (No. JTG-G11) — nearly 293 decals in all. It was a laborious and time-consuming process, as the secondary hull and engine nacelles lack surface details to guide placement and alignment. I carefully measured to ensure each marking was right before applying decal solvent. I airbrushed several thin coats of PFG at 50 psi to seal the decals under a semigloss finish.

15

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I replaced the kit’s Bussard collectors with transparent domes from Creature Arts (No. CA-17). In the absence of lighting, I painted the inside of the domes — dark yellow (No. 2118) in the center and flat red (No. 1150) — to give an illusion of movement.

Finally, I added navigation lights to the primary hull by mixing a little paint — red for port and green for starboard — with 5-minute epoxy, then applying drops of it to the hull. With the model mounted on its stand, my Enterprise stood ready for its five-year mission. FSM

Coloring the Enterprise Although the 11-foot filming miniature variously appeared white, blue, green, and gray in the show as it originally aired, it was painted light gray. The finish was weathered sometime before regular-season filming began. Ultimately, my color decision was a personal opinion based on how the miniature appeared in color photographs as well as on the air.

Unless noted otherwise, Testors Model

54 FineScale Modeler September 2018

Master enamels were used throughout this project: I started with a base-coat mix of 77% light gray (No. 1732) and 23% light ghost gray (No. 1728). For initial weathering, I randomly airbrushed thinned light ghost gray over various sections of the ship.

With a pencil in a compass, I drew grid lines on the primary hull, guided by drawings from a Don’s Light & Magic set that I enlarged 172%.

To complete painting, I applied several grays: light ghost gray for the primary hull strong-back, bridge elevator, impulse engine, intercoolers, the underside of the nacelle front, and the front of the neck; neutral gray (No. 1725) for the final-stage flux chillers and end caps; gunmetal (No. 1795) for the nacelle compression rings; and anthracite gray (No. 2101) for the pylon vents.

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

By Mark Hembree

“The secret to making figures look like they are in motion is to pose them in positions that would be impossible for someone to hold if they weren’t moving. The two jumping figures look suspended in midair but are pinned to the side of the Tamiya 1/35 scale SdKfz 251 at only one small point. The haze was cigarette smoke blown into the scene during exposure.” – Sheperd Paine, 1946-2015

Sheperd Paine still in demand

Q

In which issue did you show some of Sheperd Paine’s dioramas?

– Paul W. Rosel Los Osos, Calif.

A

Thanks for writing, Paul. The better question might be, “In which issues did Sheperd Paine not appear?”

Here is at least a partial list: April 1982; November 1993; February 1994; November 1998; December 1999; January 2000; January 2001; January 2002; and an obituary in the November 2015 FSM. In addition, if you shop the Kalmbach Hobby Store online you will find: • A commemorative tribute in our special issue The Ultimate Guide to Finishing, available at KalmbachHobbyStore.com/product/specialissue/fs7151101

Filter, glaze, wash, or what?

Q I’m looking for clarifcation about single-color flters. Is a wash considered thinned paint applied overall but then wiped of, leaving paint just around details, and a flter as thinned paint applied to the entire model but left on to change the underlying color?

A member of our local IPMS chapter described a glaze as a flter that is applied only to a specifc area of a fgure or model.

– Chris Martin Renton, Wash.

A Though they are similar, these techniques differ in purpose and application.

I suppose a wash might be considered a filter or glaze in certain instances, except usually the wash is more selectively applied. A

• Many of those back issues may no longer be available in print, but you can find them in their entirety on our 25-year DVD (1982 through 2007), available at KalmbachHobbyStore.com/product/ dvd/15150 • The remainder (2007-2017) can be found on our 10-year DVD at KalmbachHobbyStore.com/product/dvd/15143 • And Kalmbach published his last book posthumously: Shep Paine’s Armor Modelers Guide is available at KalmbachHobbyStore.com/ product/book/12805 I know you will enjoy his work as thousands of others have.

thin mix — say, 9/1 thinner/paint — is flowed into recesses (panel lines, grilles, etc.) to darken them, deepening detail and increasing contrast with the surface color and high points.

A filter is a thin, often multicolored layer that can lend depth and provide subtle variation to a monochromatic finish (such as olive drab). It’s sometimes referred to as “dot filtering” — dots of several colors are applied and then all but removed with a thinnersoaked brush. At best it is a subtle effect.

A glaze can be multicolored or a single color. It’s similar to a filter, except more of the color is left to tint the underlying color or alter its sheen. Again, subtlety is key.

So, like the effects themselves, the differences are subtle. I’m just happy you didn’t ask me about color mapping!

When tube glue turns terrible Q What is the best solution to use to remove Testors plastic cement (No. 3501) accidentally smeared on a plastic model?

– Michael Ball Grand Island, N.Y. A Leave it alone for a day to dry. If it involves a clear part, allow 10 or more days for shipping (you likely will need to order a new part).

You may be able to slice off anything piled up above the surface, then sand and buff it out. Remove contaminated dust as you go, and keep going until you reach good plastic.

Filler putty or a treatment such as Mr. Surfacer may help fill and smooth pitted surfaces.

There’s no potion or antidote. The cement works by dissolving plastic. When it’s dry, sand, buff, fill, smooth, and hope for the best. FSM www.FineScale.com

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WORKBENCH REVIEWS FSM experts build and evaluate new kits

Airfix’s all-new Mitchell builds easily

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ot to be confused with its ancient B-25J, Airfx’s new kit represents the “early” versions of the Mitchell — those with the dorsal turret aft of the wing. Tis kit can make the B-25C or D version.

Te parts are molded in Airfx’s usual somewhat-soft gray styrene and feature recessed panel lines.

Interior details are excellent, extending from the bombardier’s Norden sight back through the turret compartment. Four 500pound bombs can be hung in the bomb bay.

A fne decal sheet, printed by Cartograf, includes markings for two aircraft: an antisubmarine bomber in olive-drab over white, and a desert Mitchell in sand over neutral gray. Te latter was a veteran of combat in North Africa aircraft that was specially marked for a war bonds tour back home.

One of the strengths of the “new Airfx,”

56 FineScale Modeler September 2018

instructions provide precise illustrations showing just a few parts in each large panel.

Subsequent steps highlight the parts installed in the previous step with a red tint.

But there is no parts map, and the color recommendations for the interior are simply numbers that match Humbrol’s paint line. For those without a Humbrol paint chart, here’s some help: 226 = interior green; 26 = khaki; 85 = satin black; 155 = olive drab; 56 = aluminum; 125 = dark gray; 53 = gunmetal; and 33 = matt black.

A separate double-sided color print shows the overall paint schemes and decal placement. One oddity: Tere’s an extra set of fn markings with a diferent serial shown for Desert Warrior, but no explanation is given for when or why they should be applied.

Te kit posed no ft problems. Airfx recommends adding 25 grams of weight to

the covered nose-gear well to balance the model. I don’t have a scale, but I flled the compartment with lead bird shot and it wasn’t enough to keep the model from being a tail-sitter. I ended up adding a small rectangle of clear sheet plastic to the extended aft boarding hatch to hold the tail up.

All the control surfaces can be left movable, and there are optional raised or dropped faps (I chose dropped).

Te attachment of the engines/cowls to the nacelles (steps 52 and 53) isn’t precise, so check that they sit properly before the glue sets. Also, the prop axles ft loosely inside the crankcases; if you want to keep your propellers spinning, you may fnd them to be wobbly. I glued the axles in place inside the crankcases.

Tere are unused parts in the kit for the smooth cowls and collected exhaust used

on the B-25B and early B-25C; that may be an indication of other kits to come.

Te gun turrets are especially nice and allow the guns to elevate and the turrets to rotate. Aligning the dorsal turret’s long vertical post with its seat at the bottom of the compartment was a bit tricky.

Te clear parts are well molded and allow several of the small windows to be added from the outside, making painting the airframe a lot easier. Airfx successfully captured the depth and contours of the Mitchell’s nose and cockpit glass.

I painted my model with Gunze Sangyo Mr. Color neutral gray, then masked for my favorite “sand” — old, but still good, Polly Scale acrylic.

Te decals performed as expected. Desert Warrior had a campaign map, mission tally, citation, and medal record painted in panels on the fuselage. Interestingly, a Liberator

with similar explanatory markings for this same bonds tour was featured in Hasegawa’s initial 1/72 scale B-24D. If you choose the antisubmarine Lady Jane, one note: Te instructions show dark green scallops on the upper surface of the wings and horizontal stabilizers. But I found a photo of this aircraft that shows the scallops should be a continuation of the white lower-surface camoufage — which also complies with the painting regulations for antisubmarine patrol aircraft of the time.

Airfx has already announced an RAF Mitchell kit to follow, and I hope that a Doolittle Raid B-25B is in the ofng. Tis kit didn’t take long to fnish – just 19 hours.

It’s clearly the best Mitchell in 1/72 scale, and I look forward to building another soon!

– Paul Boyer

Kit: No. A06015 Scale: 1/72 Mfg.: Airfix, www.airfix.com Price: $32.99 Comments: Injectionmolded, 163 parts, decals Pros: Great shapes and accuracy; good exterior detail; excellent interior parts; alternate opened or closed bomb bay doors; movable control surfaces; alternate raised/ dropped flaps; movable turrets; excellent decals Cons: Engine and prop attachments are easy to misalign; no parts map; incomplete painting information

www.FineScale.com

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WORKBENCH REVIEWS

Ebbro HondaJet HA-420

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s a car guy who has owned and enjoyed both a Honda car and motorcycle, I was intrigued when Ebbro announced its 1/48 scale HondaJet. Known for its die-cast models, Ebbro began ofering plastic models in 2012; the HondaJet is its frst aircraft.

Tis kit ofers a choice of red or blue color schemes. (But the day I completed it, Ebbro announced plans for variations ofering silver, dark green, or bright pearl yellow schemes, plus a clear

Kit: No. 48001 Scale: 1/48 Mfg.: Ebbro, www.ebbro.co.jp Price: $47 Comments: Injection-molded, 86 parts, decals Pros: Choice of color schemes; removable upper fuselage for interior view Cons: Minor fit problems and instruction errors

58 FineScale Modeler September 2018

upper fuselage.) Te color break on the real jet allowed Ebbro to mold a portion of the fuselage in color; this can ease painting, and you can remove the upper fuselage to show of the interior. Red and blue decals with silver separation stripes complement each color scheme and color the tops of the engines and vertical stabilizer. If you want to paint instead, decals provide a separate set of silver stripes for trim.

Te interior plate has molded risers for four passenger seats, two cockpit seats, and a large side-facing jump seat, all with molded seat belts. Te two-piece instrument panel is well engraved, and there are decals for it. Bulkheads separate the cockpit, passenger compartment, and lavatory. Painting instructions are fairly clear (though photos show wood grain on side panels).

Te upper fuselage has an odd parting line on top that almost looks like it belongs.

Faint sink marks can be sanded out without fller. I painted the lower fuselage halves before joining them, but flling and sanding required rescribing and repainting. I also flled a small seam on top between the vertical stabilizer and the antenna behind the upper fuselage piece. Te extra upper fuselage piece helped mask the fnished cabin.

Te cockpit’s clear panes didn’t want to ft fush. Separating the side windows allowed all four pieces to mount properly inside the fuselage.

Wings and stabilizers went together without any drama; I did have to fll some long, thin sink marks on the wings’ underside. Static dischargers on the trailing edges were so fragile most of them broke of as I was painting; I replaced them by drilling small holes and installing fne, black bristles from an old paintbrush. (Fine wire would work as well.)

Tere are chrome pieces on the leading edges of the wings, horizontal stabilizers, and engine intakes. In Step 5, a chrome wing edge (C5) is incorrectly called out as C3. Te two long chrome pieces for each wing were bowed out slightly on both ends; I carefully bent them back and taped them after gluing. Chrome quality is good, not great, with a couple of minor sink marks on the two large pieces.

Most of the decals were excellent, with a glossy, smooth surface. On the markings guide, the door decal (33, EXIT) is incorrectly listed as 32; the door handle/latch decal above it is 32. Decal 59 has a translation error, “CUT HEAR IN EMERGENCY.” I had trouble with the exit stripe around the main door; I should

have trimmed it into four pieces rather than leaving it as a big, fragile rectangle.

Te red and white fuselage sections are painted, clear-coated, and bufed; the silver stripe decals were not clear-coated, yet they look almost as glossy.

Final assembly was mostly trouble-free.

Te main landing gear had one ft issue, as the gear doors are too thick at the hinges; shaving with a hobby knife and a 320-grit

sanding stick easily corrected the interference with the landing gear.

Wings and horizontal stabilizers attach neatly to the fuselage and vertical stabilizers with interlocking tabs on the ends of the wings/stabilizers — you could even skip the glue. Te upper fuselage fts the lower fuselage with no notable gaps. Te side door is a bit thick for its opening, but if you leave the door open it isn’t an issue.

Overall, I’m impressed by Ebbro’s HondaJet. Despite a few minor glitches, it’s a high-quality kit of a unique and modern subject. I recommend it to anyone who wants to build a bizjet, and especially to car modelers who want to leave their comfort zone but like a glossy fnish. I plan to build a yellow or silver plane when the new kits become available.

– Bob Downie

Takom Type 94 Late

D

eveloped in 1934, the Type 94 tankette operated with the Japanese army in China and Manchuria in the 1930s as well as through World War II. Takom’s big kit crams a lot of detail into the tiny tank — even in 1/16 scale, the model is less than 6 inches long.

Tere are 427 plastic parts in the kit, but if you use the vinyl tracks rather than the optional crisply molded individual-link nonworking tracks, you’ll only use 227 parts. Features include posable hatches with detail on both sides, working suspension, and rolling wheels.

Te suspension and lower hull build quickly, aided by good fts. Paint the suspension parts before assembly, as some visible areas are impossible to paint once built.

To ensure the suspension and the rear idler sat on the ground with the vinyl

tracks, I weighted the rear hull with eight 1-inch metal washers. I used the vinyl tracks, which responded well to Tamiya Extra Tin Cement.

Te upper hull went together easily. Te kit provides struts and actuators to pose the hatches open, but there is no interior. Tis kit would be perfect for a scratchbuilt or aftermarket interior because most of the hatches are large.

Te turret was a straightforward build. Te machine gun is movable, but because of the tight quarters, it needs to be angled to accommodate the beautifully sculpted fgure; that molding includes realistic folds in the fabric and crisp edges on the helmet and belts.

Tis is a lovely kit with great exterior detail, and it goes together without problems. Te optional tracks and relatively low parts count mean anyone can build it.

Using the vinyl tracks to keep the suspension workable, I built and painted my model in about 15 hours over a weekend.

– Chris Cortez

Kit: No. 1007 Scale: 1/16 Mfg.: Takom, www.takom-world.com Price: $64.95 Comments: Injectionmolded, 427 parts (3 vinyl), decals Pros: Quick build; working suspension; sharp details Cons: No interior

www.FineScale.com

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WORKBENCH REVIEWS

Revell Germany P-51D-NA Mustang

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evell Germany’s new 1/32 scale P-51D adds to its growing list of new-tool 1/32 scale World War II aircraft. Te kit represents the initial production version of the D model, which introduced the bubble canopy. Tese saw extensive action in Europe and the Mediterranean in 1944.

Te kit parts are cleanly molded in light gray plastic. Options include two types of drop tanks, bombs, separate fying surface parts, clear parts for navigation lights, and three versions for the cowl air-intake panels. However, no pilot fgure is included.

Te cockpit is highly detailed and comprises many separate parts. Two types of seats are provided, but the instructions don’t shed any light on which one to use.

Kit: No. 03944 Scale: 1/32 Mfg.: Revell Germany, www.revell.de Price: $29.95 Comments: Injection-molded, 158 parts, decals Pros: Excellent attention to detail; accurate appearance Cons: Some fit issues; molded-together landing-gear doors required separation (could have been separate parts)

60 FineScale Modeler September 2018

Checking through my references, it appears parts F28/29 are appropriate for this production model of the Mustang.

Decals are provided for an array of cockpit placards. Tese, along with careful painting, made the fnished cockpit really stand out!

Te fuselage is broken down to front and back sections. (It can be deduced that Revell Germany plans a future kit that will have the fllet-tail confguration.) I had some trouble ftting the cowling front B51 and lower panel L122. Tese needed fller and sanding to eliminate gaps and blend them in.

Te wings are given as full-span top and bottom parts. Tis, along with the interior wing structure parts, ensures the proper dihedral.

And, yes, the wheel wells have the proper depth. Following the instructions, I added the wheel-well detail and joined the top and bottom wings. At this point I ran into a problem with the leading-edge wing/gun inserts (F113/114), which did not ft well. I found their join to the wing was too low on top and left gaps on the bottom. When I build this kit again, I plan to add these parts to the top wing before it is glued to the bottom wing; I did a dry run with a second kit and that seemed to be a good solution.

Te landing faps are accounted for with separate sets of parts for deployed and retracted positions. Tis depicts more-accurately shaped faps in regard to the down position.

One canopy is provided, and the shape looks like a good representation of one of the frst versions. My copy was clear and unblemished. Tere is no locking rail guide, so you can add or remove the canopy at will.

Providing markings for two schemes, the decals performed extremely well with the help of a bit of decal solution.

I painted the kit using a combination of Tamiya spray and acrylic paints, choosing from the two options one of the more controversial Mustang schemes — Lou IV. Tough the aircraft was well photographed, arguments have swung back and forth about whether blue paint was used on the top surfaces. Taking a conservative approach, I followed the instructions’ scheme recommendation, which does not indicate the use of blue.

My primary reference was North American P-51D Mustang by Robert Pęczkowski (ISBN 978-83-89450-60-9, Casemate). Also useful was Building the P-51 Mustang by Michael O’Leary (ISBN 978-1-58007-190-1, Specialty Press).

I completed my P-51D in 35 hours.

Being a Mustang enthusiast, I did enjoy the build and liked the fnished model. I might add seat belts or go to the aftermarket for an exhaust system, but, given the high level of detail and relatively inexpensive price, I don’t think you can go wrong with this kit if you’re looking for a 1/32 scale P-51D. I highly recommend Revell Germany’s new Mustang.

– Jim Zeske

Takom M31 U.S. tank recovery vehicle

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s the world’s armies became increasingly mechanized, the need to recover broken-down vehicles grew. Outdated tanks were often adapted to this purpose; the U.S. Army converted more than 800 obsolete M3 medium tanks to the M31 tank recovery vehicle.

With a large fghting compartment and additional space vacated by guns, the M3 was ideal. An internally mounted 60,000pound winch operated through the bottom to the front or rear and through a crane on the turret. Side hatches were welded shut; entry was through a door where the 75mm gun had been mounted.

Adding two new sprues (H2 and J2), Takom has used its recent M3 Lee kit to produce an M31. Detail is well defned.

Tere is little fash, and most of the knockout marks are easily removed or in places not easily seen. Fits are good, requiring very little fller.

Small instructions make the fve color profles from Ammo by Mig Jimenez hard to read. Markings cover fve vehicles: two olive drab, one olive drab and black, and two olive drab and sand.

Study the directions to drill out holes for this version; they’re hard to locate after the hull is assembled. You must decide how you want to display the crane. Steps 24 through 26 show you the options, but if you choose to mount the crane with its feet on the telescoping arms, do not drill out the holes in D16 as shown in Step 13; these are the four holes near the engine-deck screen.

Te lower hull is a one-piece tub. I mounted the winch rollers and their mount

after the model was painted. Be sure to paint the hull interior black; you can see through the photo-etch (PE) engine-deck screen directly to the hull bottom.

If you are careful with the glue, the bogies will work. But the set sag of linkand-length tracks make this a moot point.

Follow the directions and you will end up one link short — but there are four extras on the D sprue. Te kit supplies a form that can be used on the upper run to get the proper angle from the frst return roller to the drive sprocket.

On the upper hull, individual panels ft well and needed fller only in one small gap.

In Step 9, the directions have you bend part D12 into shape to ft around the hull roof D15. I glued the middle of D12 to the roof frst, and once it was dry I bent and glued the two side sections. Tis prevented overstressing D12.

A form is supplied to help bend the PE brush guards, but it was too small for my fngers. Glue a styrene rod to the form D24 for a good grip.

Step 17 has you assemble the cover over the oil flters/exhaust pipes, then glue this assembly to the hull. Instead, glue the two sides (H6 and H9) to the hull, then glue the back (H15). Any ft problems this causes are easier to fx than if you follow the directions.

Assembly of the crane can be a little tricky. If you glue the two plates J2-25 on the top and bottom of the crane frst, you’ll have a more-stable surface to allow you to glue the pins ( J2-7, J2-13) and the pulley.

When assembling the tow bar, ensure J2-19 has the bolt facing up (mine’s upside down). With the crane mounted to the turret the whole assembly is kind of fimsy. So I mounted the roller assembly (Step 21) to the turret and left the crane of, snapping it into place after painting. Te kit’s cable is oversized; I replaced it with thread. Te cable is also too thick to ft the roller that enters the turret; I had to raise it a little to ft it as shown. Tere is no hook for the winch cable.

I modeled a vehicle of the 2nd Armored in Sicily. After base-coating with Tamiya olive drab (XF-62), I varied the fnish with shades of olive drab from Ammo, LifeColor, and Vallejo Model Air, and used Vallejo sand yellow (71.028) for the tan portion of camoufage.

I had a little trouble getting the decals to release from the backing paper and had to soak them longer than usual. Several coats of Tamiya Mark Fit settled them with no silvering.

Modelers used to seek conversion kits or scratchbuild to make an M31, but Takom has come to the rescue with a model that looks complex yet is easy enough for most modelers. Mine took 52 hours to complete, mostly for painting and weathering.

According to published plans, the model is a little tall and wide but measures out to about the right length. Photos show these vehicles laden with tools and caked in mud — easy things to add to make this model your own.

– Mike Scharf

Kit: No. 2088 Scale: 1/35 Mfg.: Takom, www.takom-world.com Price: $52 Comments: Injection-molded 474 parts (36 PE, metal cable), decals Pros: Good level of detail, easy assembly Cons: Kit-supplied cable is too thick and has no hook

www.FineScale.com

61

WORKBENCH REVIEWS

FlyHawk HMS Prince of Wales December 1941

H

MS Prince of Wales, a King George V-class battleship was launched in May 1939. Two years later, when she and the battlecruiser HMS Hood were ordered to intercept the German battleship Bismarck, Hood was sunk and Prince of Wales was damaged, eventually withdrawing from the battle. Later that year she was sent to the Pacifc; on December 10, 1941, she and the battlecruiser HMS Repulse were sunk by Japanese aircraft.

Kit: No. FH 1117S Scale: 1/700 Mfg.: FlyHawk, www.flyhawkmodel.com Price: $84.99 Comments: Injectionmolded, 775 parts (117 resin, 96 PE), decals Pros: Excellent molding; amazing level of detail for the scale Cons: Painting instructions are difficult to follow; impossibly small PE pieces

62 FineScale Modeler September 2018

FlyHawk’s 1/700 scale kit of Prince of Wales shows the ship as it was at the last.

Te molding is so fne you really don’t need most of the photo-etch (PE) besides the railings, radar masts, and cranes. I spent 55 hours building without using all the PE in the kit, but others with better eyesight might want to try using more of it.

Tere are two large double-sided instruction sheets and three smaller sheets with color-coded placements for the PE and the many small packages of ventilating stacks (which have their own placement sheet). Tere are 35 small plastic sprues plus the deck and hull, which can be made full or waterline. Tere is one set of decals for the aircraft and ship fags. Te kit provides 26 cannon barrels machined from brass if you like, but the plastic barrels are excellent and don’t have to be cut and drilled.

Supplied with the deluxe edition is a small box containing 91 vent stacks. Tey are the tiniest pieces I have ever seen, so beware of losing them (let alone fastening them). Te hull interior has sprue which can be left in place for reinforcement.

I did all the hull painting before adding anything to it, following the camoufage pattern and color guides in the instructions.

Te complicated instructions must be studied carefully. In Step 7, I put of adding the two aircraft cranes until the end to avoid breaking them. Gluing the rear mast into position before adding the boats helps.

In Step 8, dry-ft the mast before gluing.

Te two hangar bays can be built open or closed. Te aircraft supplied is a Supermarine Walrus featuring PE and the option of folded or extended wings.

Since there are no rigging instructions, I left all wiring of because the masts were very fragile.

Tere are debates about the color of Prince of Wales in December 1941, so the color is an approximation from Page 3 of the instructions using a mix of: Polly Scale topside green; Tamiya fat white (XF-2) and fat hull red (XF-9); and Testors Model Master weathered deck blue, GI military blue, wood, and Navy gray No. 5.

I would recommend this kit for someone with PE experience and good eyesight.

It builds into a realistic, detailed ship model, more so than some 1/350 scale oferings. Can you imagine PE spider sights on quad anti-aircraft guns in 1/700 scale? Or pontoon struts for the aircraft?

Let the games begin.

– Ted Horn

Airfix Hawker Sea Fury FB.11

D

esigned during World War II for the Royal Navy, the Sea Fury didn’t get into combat before the war ended. However, it soldiered on until the early jets were ready for ship deployment, eventually seeing combat over the Korean Peninsula.

When I saw several fy in the National Air Races at Reno, I realized the designers had somehow managed to combine the beauty and elegance of the Spitfre with the brute force of the P-47.

Airfx’s kit looks great in the box.

Options include posable ailerons, elevators, rudder, and canopy. Te wings can be built straight or folded, and the kit provides plenty of ordnance to hang under them.

Airfx even included a set of closed gear doors in case you want to display the model in fight (stand not included). Te only thing missing is a gunsight.

Te 16-page instructions add only one or two parts in each of the 80 steps. Tere are numbers for color callouts, but no mention that they’re Humbrol paint numbers (or what the colors are). But those charts are easily available online, now that you know they’re Humbrol. Two color pages show paint and decal options, and a separate page lays out the stencil placements.

Te plastic is soft and quite rubbery.

I accidently bent the wing spar/bulkhead 120 degrees and it didn’t even show any stress marks. Te plastic was slow to react to Weld-On and Tamiya extra thin, but Mr. Hobby’s Mr. Cement S quickly produced an inseparable bond. Better yet, it made seams disappear.

Te molding features fash and seam lines, but once they’re cleaned up the parts’ detail really shines. Instrument-dial decals were included; they were thick, and two of them didn’t want to conform to the raised

detail. But the others look great under a drop of Pledge Floor Gloss (PFG), and the cockpit winds up looking good.

Te only fller used on the fuselage was to correct the leading edge of the starboard half of the vertical stabilizer. Te plastic just stopped at the panel lines. I built up layers of gap-flling super glue and sanded to match the port-side stabilizer.

Jumping ahead to add the horizontal stabilizers, I used a clear ruler with a grid pattern to check alignment. With the tail surfaces in place, it was easy to see that the spar provided an even dihedral for both wings.

Normally, a wing-fold option means horrible seams to fx and extra work to reinforce the joints. But Airfx has devised an internal structure that solves these issues.

Follow the instructions and the seams will become panel lines, and the joints will not fex. Engineering genius!

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of the engine cowling. Follow the instructions and you will have prominent steps at the nose and exhaust rings. Te diameter of the joined upper and lower cowls is smaller than the diameter of the rings. I think if you add the upper cowl to the nose ring, and then the lower cowl to the nose ring (leaving a small gap between the cowl pieces), and add the exhaust ring last, you could eliminate the steps. Filling the gaps should be easier than leveling out the steps.

Tere are one-piece aftermarket replacements already available to solve this problem.

I used Model Master enamels for the exterior, and Alclad II for the exhaust and heat shields.

A coat of PFG prepped the model for decals. Tey are thick and tend to bridge panel lines. I coaxed them with a hair dryer

until I noticed a pitot tube starting to curl.

Several applications of Microscale Micro Set did help. Te decals have minimal excess flm and are opaque and in-register, but a few of the stencils did silver.

Te landing gear has a little play in it, but this makes installation and alignment easier.

Te kit provides two sizes of drop tanks, what is either a reconnaissance or a searchlight pod, two styles of bombs, and doubled rockets. Te tanks and the British-style bombs look great. However, the rockets are split vertically and the ft is surprisingly bad; seams on the rockets and the aft end of the U.S.-style bomb are difcult to reach.

Still, most of the model’s problems are easily fxed. With the exception of the cowling and the ordnance, this is the bestftting kit I’ve ever reviewed. My recipe for the ultimate 1/48 scale Sea Fury starts with the Airfx kit and adds an aftermarket cowling and decals.

– Andy Keyes

Kit: No. A06105 Scale: 1/48 Mfg.: Airfix, www.airfix.com Price: $32.99 Comments: Injectionmolded, 129 parts, decals Pros: Accurate cockpit, mostly great fits Cons: The vertical split of the rockets was a bad idea; different diameters on cowl pieces; thick decals

www.FineScale.com

63

NORMANDIE

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We carry a huge inventory of plastic model kits from around the world! Full Line of Detailing Accessories.

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Classifed Marketplace COMING EVENTS

COLPAR’S HobbyTown USA To order call: 1-800-876-0414 1915 S. Havana St. For information: 303-341-0414 Aurora, Co 80014

I WANT TO BUY YOUR UNBUILT MODEL KITS. Any size collection. Dean Sills, 116 N. Washington St. Owosso, MI 48867. 989-720-2137. Fax: 989-720-0937. E-mail: dean@deanshobbystop.com

AL, HUNTSVILLE: Huntsville Plastic Modelers’ Society 42nd Annual Model Show. August 25, 2018, 8:00am-5:00pm. Jaycees Building, 2180 Airport Road. Free admission. Model Registration: $10 for the first 5, $1 each additional. Vendor tables: $25 each. Vendor info: 256-714-1745, mailto:skiphas@comcast.net General info:http//www.hpmsonline.org.

MODEL CAR AND TRUCK KITS. Unbuilt or built. Any size collection. Good prices paid. Please contact: Fred Sterns, 48 Standish, Buffalo, NY 14216. Phone: 716-838-6797. Fax: 716-836-6057. E-mail: fsterns@aol.com

IL, WHEATON: September 30th, 2018, 72nd ILLINOIS PLASTIC KIT & TOY SHOW, 150 show tables available, BUY/SELL/ TRADE/ or just browse. Come out and have a great time! Cars, Trucks, Airplanes, Trains/Military and more. DuPage County Fairgrounds 2015 W. Manchester Road, Time: 9:00am-2:00pm.

Admission: Adults $5.00, 12 and under $2.00. INFORMATION: Past-Time Hobbies, Inc. 630-969-1847.

ATTENTION KIT BUILDERS: If you are missing a model kit in your collection, check this out! Here are over 500 models, in 1/72 and 1/48 scale, plus over 100 decal sets available to be sold individually at fair prices. For a complete list categorized by scale, send a self addressed stamped envelope and $1.61 to Bob Twistol, 5005 Briar Oaks Circle, Orlando, Florida 32808. Any questions E-Mail them to jetpilotf105@yahoo.com. As an incentive please take 25% off my catalog prices.

PA, CARLISLE: PENNCON 2018 Model Show and Contest.

U.S. Army Heritage & Education Center, 950 Soldiers Dr. Saturday, September 15, 2018, 9:00am-4:30pm. Show Theme: AS SEEN ON TV. ‘Make & Take’ for kids 15 and under. For more info go to: http://www.cenpennipms.com/ or contact Chet Mohn, 717-774-4803. Email: Magus47@aol.com

AVIATION ART STORE Famous American, Allied and Axis Aviator limited edition prints. Rare signatures of French, Italian, and Japanese aviators. Aviationartstore.com

TX, AUSTIN: ASMS Capitol Classic 2018. Presented by Austin Scale Modelers Society. Travis County Expo Center, 7311 Decker Lane, Zip: 78724. Saturday, October 6, 2018, 9:00am5:30pm. Show Theme: “Red October, Cold War.” Model contest, vendor tables, door prizes, seminars and Make & Take for kids. Visit: www.austinsms.org or contact Ian Latham: latham.ian@yahoo.com VA, ROANOKE: 2018 Virginia Shoot-Out sponsored by Roanoke Valley IPMS, Salem Civic Center, 1001 Roanoke Blvd., Salem, VA. August 11, 2018, 9:00am-6:00pm. Over 70 contest categories, “Best-Ofs”, Mega-Raffle, vendors galore.

Contact Rocky Sink at 540-580-2023 or snkchevcol@aol.com or Greg Clower at 540-650-1552 or gclower@aol.com or www.rvipms.com for information.

WANTED AIRCRAFT, ARMOR, SCI-FI, FIGURES, AUTO, ETC. Buying kit collections, large or small, worldwide. Top prices paid. Call Jim Banko 610-814-2784 or mail list to 122 Independence Ct., Bethlehem, PA 18020, fax 610-439-4141. E-mail: cth1@prodigy.net

64 FineScale Modeler September 2018

FOR SALE

THOUSANDS OF MODEL KITS for sale. All types from Old Aurora to new releases. Send a $.70 SASE to: Dean Sills, 116 N. Washington, Owosso, MI 48867. Specify Military List. Phone: 989-720-2137. Fax: 989-720-0937. E-mail: dean@deanshobbystop.com WOODEN SHIP MODEL KITS: Inside every BlueJacket kit, all the parts are first quality, historically accurate, and exquisitely detailed. They’re produced using the latest laser, photo etching, die casting, and wood shaping technologies. All the parts fit together perfectly - the first time. And, the plans and instructions are clear and concise. These assurances are in every kit and goes out our door. Find out how this attention to quality, authenticity, and detail make a BlueJacket model ship kit a more satisfying simpler build that you’ll be proud of! Move up to wooden ship modeling!

WWW.ATLANTISTOYANDHOBBY.COM Covering all hobby Categories! Featuring Amazing closeout Section, New Kits, Discontinued & Old kits from Collections. Brand new website, Laser fast speed, CPI compliant. Shipping worldwide! Inventory updated Daily. Place your order online or call 631-499-6733.

All orders shipped from Deer Park, NY with care & common sense! Atlantis the Hobby Experts!

CANOPY MASKING AND MORE! WWW.EZMASKS. COM List $3.00. Chris Loney, 75 Golf Club Rd., Smiths Falls, ON, Canada K7A 4S5. 613-283-5206, ezmasks@gmail.com

MISCELLANEOUS

HUGE MODEL COLLECTION: Over 300 built cars, trucks, classics, drags, hot rods @ 1/25 many show winners. Plus model building supplies tools, air brushes and custom made dioramas!!

Downsizing MUST SELL. Photos by email available. Dennis 513-607-6700 or dennisnpc@aol.com

1ST AND ABSOLUTELY THE BEST MUSEUMQUALITY MODELS. IPMS Nationals winner building aircraft and armor to your specification, including conversions and scratchbuilt. Call BC Models for quote and information at 913-385-9594 or visit www.bcmmodels.com

SHIP AND AIRCRAFT MODELS. Built for display. For additional information contact, Ray Guinta, PO Box 74, Leonia, NJ 07605. www.modelshipsbyrayguinta.com

FINESCALE MODELER AUTHOR and IPMS medalist will build your favorite aircraft, specializing in metal finishes. Contact John Adelmann at 563-556-7641 or jjadelmann@yahoo.com

Te Classifed Marketplace section is open to anyone who wants to sell or buy scale modeling merchandise. FSM reserves the right to edit undesirable copy or refuse listing.

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Local Hobby Shop Directory Local Hobby Shop Directory listings are available for the next ten issues for $275 (payable in advance) or at $37 per issue (billed to established accounts for a minimum of ten insertions). Ads will be set in standard listing typography. All insertions must be consecutive and may be invoiced if you have credit established with us. No mention of mail order business permitted. For information call 1-888-558-1544, ext. 815. Closing dates listed in Classifieds section.

ALASKA • Anchorage

907-277-7778

ARKANSAS • Jacksonville

Headquarters for scale hobbies. Models; N-HO-O trains; gaming; tools; paints, etc.

Discounts & special orders.

Open 10-6, closed Sundays and Wednesdays www.railandspruehobbies.com

RAIL & SPRUE HOBBIES

501-982-6836

CALIFORNIA • Burbank

818-848-3674

CALIFORNIA • Canoga Park

Kits, plastic & wood, Slot cars & toys.

Rockets, paint, glue and tools. Model trains.

Mon thru Sat 10-6 Closed Sun & Major Holidays. www.scalemodelstuff.com

SCALE MODEL STUFF

818-716-7847

CALIFORNIA • Garden Grove

Rewards program for 10% back on purchases.

Plastic aircraft, armor, ships, cars, decals, books, paints, tools, miniatures war-games.

Mon-Thur 11-8, Fri 11-midnight, Sat 10-midnight, Sun 11-7 www.brookhursthobbies.com

BROOKHURST HOBBIES

12188 Brookhurst St.

714-636-3580

CALIFORNIA • Hollister

Model planes, car, ships & fgures. Model train scales: Z, N, HO, O & G. Paints, tools. R/C & parts, incl. service. Craft & educational kits, supplies, products. Clinics available. Tu-Sat 116; Sun 12-4. www.debbiebartunek@mac.com

B.C.T. HOBBY & CRAFTS

201-C McCray St.

831-635-0537

COLORADO • Aurora

Large inventory of models from the world over! Detailing accessories, research publications, games, trains, R/C, tools, and supplies. Easy access from D.I.A. http://www.colpar.com

COLPAR HOBBIES

1915 S. Havana St.

800-876-0414

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.

ANN’S HOBBY CENTER

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

Extensive selection of armor kits & Verlinden accessories. Military, auto & aircraft plastic models. Photo-etched parts. O gauge train sets. Open Tues - Sat 11-6, Sun 12-5. www.HQHobbies.com

HQ HOBBIES

394 New Haven Ave., Unit 1

203-882-1979

METRO TRAINS & HOBBIES

12951 Metro Parkway

239-332-0422

HAWAII • Kailua, Oahu

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

WELLER’S HOBBYCRAFT

767 Kailua Road

808-262-0211

HOBBY BUNKER, INC.

33 Exchange St.

781-321-8855

MASSACHUSETTS • Norton

6,000 model kits, old and new: Autos, armor, planes & sci-f. Reference books & supplies.

Open T-Th 11-7, F 11-8, Sa 10-5. Rt. 495 to Rt. 123E, behind Dunkin’ Donuts. www.mymummy. com E: mummy@mymummy.com HARRY’S HOBBIES & COLLECTABLES 250 E. Main St., Rt 123 508-285-8080

MICHIGAN • Owosso 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

DEAN’S HOBBY STOP

116 N. Washington Street

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. 1400 E. 11 Mile Rd. 248-586-1022

MICHIGAN • Traverse City

TRAINS & THINGS HOBBIES

231-947-1353

Your single stop model building shop.

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

MODELCAVE

103 W. Michigan Avenue

PENNSYLVANIA • Landisville (Lancaster)

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.

HOBBYTOWN USA

4590 W Sahara Ave Ste 103

702-889-9554

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

ELITE HOBBIES

#334 90 Washington St.

603-749-0800

NEW JERSEY • Kenvil

KENVIL HOBBIES

973-584-1188

NEW JERSEY • Magnolia (Camden) Huge foreign & domestic model selection all scales. Automobiles, aircraft, ship, books, wargames, scenery, diorama supplies, parts & tools. Open 7 days

AAA HOBBIES & CRAFTS

706 N. White Horse Pike

856-435-1188

NEW YORK • ASTORIA

RUDY’S HOBBY & ART

718-545-8280

NEW YORK • Middle Island Excellent selection of lead miniatureshistorical and fantasy. Plastic models, wargames & modeling supplies.

Books and magazines.

MEN AT ARMS HOBBIES, INC.

134 Middle Country Rd.

631-924-0583

Visit our in-house Aircraft Model Museum.

Foreign and domestic plastic and wood kits.

Open 7 days.

JAN’S HOBBY SHOP, INC.

1435 Lexington Ave.

212-987-4765

NORTH CAROLINA • ARDEN Not just trains. Academy Models, AFV Club, Bandai, Hobby Engine, Morgan Cycle, Revell Monogram, Tamiya & More! www.

FactoryDirectTrains.com

FACTORY DIRECT TRAINS

7 GLENN BRIDGE RD STE B

800-990-3381

734-316-2281

Oklahoma’s largest plastic kit, paint & aftermarket inventory. Planes, cars, trucks, armor, ships, trains & sci-f. Special orders welcome!

Tue - Fri 10-5:30, Sat 10-5, Sun 1-4:30 Web site: www.topshelfmodelsllc.com

TOP SHELF MODELS

119 S. Main St.

717-898-7119

HO & N, Lionel trains.

Complete line of plastic kits, military and architecture supplies.

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

G & G MODEL SHOP

2029 Southwest FWY

713-529-7752

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

M-A-L HOBBY SHOP

108 S. Lee Street

972-438-9233

TEXAS • San Antonio

Scale modeling from beginner to expert.

A wide selection of aircraft, armor, autos, fgures, ships, & sci-f. Lots of reference material, detail parts, decals, tools, & eight lines of paint. Open Tues-Sat 10am-6pm.

DIBBLE’S HOBBIES

1029 Donaldson Ave.

210-735-7721

WASHINGTON • Lynnwood

Car, Plane, Military, Models, Trains, Paints, Tools, Diecast. Art Supplies, Wood & Wood Models. Open Wed., Thur., Fri., Sat. 11:00 to 6:30.

3516 30TH AVE

COOLTRAINS TOYS & HOBBIES

106 W. Main Street

TEXAS • Irving (Dallas Area)

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

590 Rt. 46

Large Selection New & Used Kits Tools, paint, airbrushes & scratch building supplies.

Full line hobby shop open Tue, Thur & Fri 10-5, Wed & Sat 10-2 www.CoolTrains.com

TEXAS • Houston

OKLAHOMA • Owasso

Let your imagination run wild!

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

210 East Front St.

NEVADA • Las Vegas

NEW YORK • Upr Eastside GR Manhattan

MICHIGAN • Ypsilanti-Metro Detroit

CONNECTICUT • Cos Cob

405 E. Putnam Avenue

CONNECTICUT • Milford

Largest store in area, easy access via I-93, Rt. 1, and the T. Complete line of model kits & supplies, plus toy soldiers, fgure kits, games, etc. Shipping available. Info: hobbybunker.com

BURBANK’S HOUSE OF HOBBIES

7259 Canoga Avenue

860-646-0610

MASSACHUSETTS • Malden (Boston)

Large selection of plastic kits, paints, and supplies. Special orders no problem Visit us in person or online www.houseofhobbies.com Secure online ordering

911 S. Victory Blvd.

TIME MACHINE HOBBY

71 Hilliard St.

Plastic modeling kits.

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

Mon - Sat 10:00am-6:00pm; Closed Sun www.metrotrainsandhobbies.com

ANCHORAGE HOUSE OF HOBBIES

1200 John Harden Dr.

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

FLORIDA • Ft. Myers

www.anchoragehouseofhobbies.com Alaska’s best hobby supplier since 1964.

Two stories, 6,300sf, 1st foor all R/C, 2nd foor general hobbies, plastics, trains, slot cars, telescopes & more!

2803 Spenard Rd.

CONNECTICUT • Manchester

We are a full line hobby shop. Huge model selection. Gundam, supplies, tool, educational, kit, parts, kite, game. Huge selection, paint, train & R/C items. www.galaxyhobby.com

GALAXY HOBBY

19332 60TH AVE W

425-670-0454

WASHINGTON • Seattle

Plastic Model Specialists. Largest selection of plastic models in NW! We have Aircraft, Armor, Auto, SCI-FI, and Gundam, along with great paint selection. Email us at skyway@nwlink.com or look us up at www.skywaymodel.com

SKYWAY MODEL SHOP

12615 Renton Ave. S.

206-772-1211

CANADA–ON • Ottawa (Vanier) 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.

613-749-5245

CANADA–ON • Toronto Large selection of new & out-of-production kits.

Accessories & fnishing products. Servicing the hobbies since 1986. We buy kit collections. www.wheelswingshobbies.com

WHEELS AND WINGS

1880 Danforth Ave.

416-752-0071

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918-274-0433

OREGON • Beaverton Complete full line hobby shop.

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

Call 888-558-1544, ext. 440 for more information.

TAMMIES HOBBIES

12024 SW Canyon Rd.

503-644-4535

Alpha Precision Abrasives, Inc.___ 6

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ParaGrafix Modeling Systems ___ 6

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Glenn Hoover Models ________ 64

Roll Models_______________ 4, 64

Colpar’s Hobbytown USA _____ 64

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Squadron Mail Order __________ 4

Dean’s Hobby Stop ___________ 64

MegaHobby.com_____________ 64

Tamiya America, Inc. _________ 68

Eaglemoss ___________________ 2

Michigan Toy Soldier Co.______ 64

TotalNavy.com ______________ 64

Evergreen Scale Models ________ 6

Micro-Mark Tools ____________ 9

Xuron Corporation ____________ 4

Fantastic Plastic Models _______ 64

Oldmodelkits.com ___________ 64

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65

FINAL DETAILS

By Richard Rutledge

The best waylaid plans G od gives us glimpses into our future that we do not recognize at the time. While hindsight may be 20/20, foresight is blind.

In my youth, I spent parts of most summers visiting my sister in Wichita, abandoning the boredom of Arkansas for the boredom of Kansas. Known as the “Air Capital of the World” since the 1920s, Wichita has hosted Laird, Stearman, Beechcraft, Cessna, Lear, Airbus, and others. Boeing’s Wichita plant, on the west side of McConnell Air Force Base, produced B-29s, B-47s, B-52s, and various airliners until 2014.

My sister lived directly under an approach to McConnell, and there were steady streams of big birds grazing the rooftops as they came home to roost. It was heaven for a young airplane nut, and a hot spot for hobby shops where I would stare in wonder and occasionally buy a kit when I had 69 cents to spare.

One day a new kit caught my eye. Labeled “Jet Helicopter,” it was a U.S. Army HU-1A Iroquois. Choppers were not high on my list, but the word jet interested me — and there was something about it that seemed familiar, like déjà vu before the fact. (Avenir vu?)

But it was $1, and my sweet spot was still 69 cents. So, I walked away empty-handed.

Later, I reconsidered and decided to buy it. But when I returned, it was gone.

More about the war Turn to our Vietnam model contest gallery on p. 47, and see even more great models at FineScale.com/ VietnamGallery.

Tat memory remained dormant until a few years later, when Vietnam dominated the news and the helicopter became its ubiquitous symbol. Te redesignated UH-1 was suddenly famous as the Huey.

Every flm clip and photo I saw reminded me of that strange premonition. And more was yet to come.

I joined the Navy in part to avoid being drafted into the Army and sauntering through the jungles and rice paddies on foot. I knew I was not going to be the jet jockey I had hoped to be, but maybe I could get to be a mechanic or even part of an aircrew. And if I did fnd myself in Southeast Asia, it would be on relatively safe, blue water.

But, as Woody Allen said, if you want to make God laugh, just tell Him about your plans — and I made God laugh.

Tere was no steel deck beneath my feet, no rolling sea all around. Instead I was in the brown-water navy, near the (then) tiny village of Binh Tuy, standing on pierced-steel planking in smothering humidity. Parked in sandbagged revetments were two UH-1B/Cs with NAVY painted on the tail boom. Te Huey had found me after all.

I briefy enjoyed the illusion that we would soar high above the confict. Instead, we few low enough that we could still smell the rotting vegetation and water bufalo dung, having to climb a bit to avoid boats on the river and trees along canals.

Our 90-knot airspeed was far outmatched by the half-mileper-second velocity of a bullet.

Many times as I sat in the open door on a mission I wondered, “If I had just spent the dollar on a damn HU-1A at Woolworth’s, would I still be here?”

66 FineScale Modeler September 2018

Aviation Electrician's Mate 3rd Class Richard Rutledge, U.S. Navy, at Binh Thuy in 1968.

I was a door gunner with HA(L)-3 (Helicopter Attack, Light, Squadron 3), the Seawolves, from 1968-69, and fnished my Navy tour with VP-30 in Patuxent River, Maryland, as an aviation electrician on Lockheed P-3 Orions. (Quite a change from the Huey — we few the P-3 with the door closed.)

Decommissioned while still in-country on March 16, 1972, HA(L)-3 few more than

120,000 combat sorties, with 44 killed in action and more than 200 wounded.

After my discharge, I worked for Ma Bell, and with its remnants after Bell’s divestiture. I hoarded quite a few unbuilt kits to occupy me during retirement.

Now retired, I wonder if I will live long enough to make a dent in the collection.

But I haven’t mentioned those plans to anyone. FSM

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ADDON PARTS DRESS UP A HURRICANE

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p. 26

March 2018

From start to finish, each issue includes clear instructions and step-bystep photos that show you how to better assemble, paint, and finish kits.

You’ll also find: • How-to articles by experts.

• Galleries from shows and readers.

• Unbiased kit reviews and • Exclusive online content and product news. helpful tips.

• Valuable tips for every skill level.

• And much more!

MAKE AN ABRAMS POP USE FILTERS, OILS, SALT, AND PHOTOETCH p. 20 Karel Sutt builds a distinctive M1A2 – p. 20

HOW TO

Create sails for plastic ships p. 30 Detail a tired garage-sale triplane p. 45 Fill gaps with super glue p. 52 Apply disc camo to a Jagdpanzer p. 40

P32369

+ 7 KIT REVIEWS p. 56

PAINTING FOR MAXIMUM DETAIL! p.16

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