Completion Day

Just in time for Christmas, here are my latest completions, and what a varied bunch they are.

Firstly, old 'Nick' himself, a pleasure to work on. Mostly built out of the box, needing only a few extras to finish what I think is a miniature masterpiece - thank you Hasegawa. The central point of interest is the cockpit of course. The builder gets the choice of parts for either canopy open, or closed. The undercarriage contains sharp detail throughout and only needs careful painting to set it all off. The radial engines are excellent but are mostly obscured by the large propeller boss. The props can, however, come off for separate display. What extras did I add? Seat belts, naturally, aerial wire with insulators, brake pipe tubing and wired up engines. What else can you give the kit that has everything?



And I built a jet. Yes, yes, a jet, remain calm. On a whim, I bought the Revell F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. A slight change of pace? For someone who builds as often as I do, a little of what you fancy does you no end of good. I found the Revell kit a bit on the bland side though. It has the basics - engraved panels and weapons bays. The landing gear was reasonably good and it has opening engine and intake compartments, and a pair of sparrow missiles and LGBs are also included. I went off to the internet to do some research, and found the Lockheed-Martin website a big help. In the end, I was able to upgrade the cockpit and ejector seat, and adding some additional wiring and photo-etched parts made all the difference.
Careful painting of the weapons and gear bays is really worth the trouble. Decals are included to complete the model for the USAF, the USN and the Netherlands Air Force. Naturally I chose the former and finished the model in a contemporary scheme. I do like the occasional modern jet, but I'm very choosy. Without wanting to sound elitist, I won't build without a lot of initial deliberation. I think I just invented plastic snobbery....



Then I moved onto ships. I have a small confession to make. I've always had a soft spot for ships. There, I've said it, it's out of the way. Specifically wartime naval vessels, mostly in 1/700 scale, waterline. Here are a pair of '0' class destroyers. They're built from the excellent Tamiya kit.
Although mostly built out of the box, I have added a few extras of my own. In the main, it's the painting. Intricate, delicate painting of these diminutive models makes all the difference. I will be building more warships, so be prepared to see more of them on here. I hope you'll enjoy them as much as I do.

Now that I've had the pleasure of all the above, they can go to eBay. There's only so much shelf space left in my workroom, and for me, the fun is in the building, not the owning.


More completions soon.

The Extra Mile

As yet another year races to an end, with a new one round the next well-worn corner, a look to the future always makes me spare a thought for the past.

Although I've been sticking kits and glue together since I was a boy, I've only been a professional builder for the last twelve years. It still surprises me to think that those last years have been the most intense learning curve of my life. It's not just the diversity of the work - although it has been pretty various - but also I've met so many people, mostly due to the internet. So many different people asking for so many different projects.

Some of my early work consisted of the 1:350 scale Lusitania, the ED209 model from 'Robocop', the R/C Tiger Tank in 1/16 scale, as well as a whole bunch of radio controlled cars and planes. These days the job takes a steadier course, winding its way through scales and subjects but mostly aircraft with the occasional ship or tank thrown in.

Only once or twice have I wondered why I put my wife and myself through this... Generally we have been lucky to have clients who have become friends and share their lifestyle and hobby with us in a way which has enriched my work no end. Projects are a pleasure, and the line between work and leisure is blurred.

When I was building for myself, I could please myself, build what I wanted in the way I liked. All that is different now. I have to build what the market wants, to very individual specifications. It can be hard to come to terms with - I prefer authenticity to creative styling, for example - but I look upon it as a challenge. Because I have to please someone else, my work standard has gone up exponentially. I find myself doing more, adding more, going the extra mile. I take a new pride in my work, and at the end of another year, when the job market has changed yet again and not for the good, I can honestly give thanks that I have a job I love.

More from Old 'Nick'

I deliberated for a while on wiring in the engines. It seems pointless adding unseen detail as the cowling appears quite closed, but I went with it. I think it was worth the effort, as you can see in the photos. The engine detail is already superb and the wiring just adds the finishing touch. Assorted metal shades amd dark brown paint really bring out the detail.


Moving on, with the camouflage complete but still masked , 'Nick' is about to receive its decals. Careful application of greens and browns, applied with the airbrush turned right down, make for a subtly weathered appearance. More later.

So What've You Been Up To Lately?

A good question. I've got three main projects underway.

As you can see, the 'Nick' has moved on a bit, and is awaiting some quality rubbing down.

The Italian CR 32 from Classic Airframes is no surprise; I've built around fifteen of their kits and you just can't get the cockpit to fit in any of them. I take the approach that 'there's only one winner' as a builder friend of mine says.

Finally, the Revell F-35 in 1/48 has gone together very quickly. It's not exactly over-endowed with parts, but it is a big chunky model and looks the part.

I'm also working on retrofitting the B-17 Nose, and putting together a very nice Heinkel 112 from RS Models.

So what are you up to?

I'll be adding more photos of these as they progress.

'Nick' the Dragon Killer

I couldn't keep my hands off it any longer. One minute I'm just looking at the parts, the next I'm snipping the parts off the spure. Since then, it's just been a blur!

The fuselage interior is nothing short of wonderful. Forget your Aires and Eduard. Sharp detail and lots of it. Decals are provided for the instrument panel, radio and some smaller panels; never mind them, use your paint brush. The parts respond really well to fine painting and subtle dry brushing. It's more enjoyable anyway. Have a look at the pictures and see what fun I had. The best fun you can have with your clothes on.

Further Down MiG Alley - Hobby Boss's MiG 17F

I have always had an interest in Russian post-war jets - unlike their wartime designs, which always looked as though they made them up as they went along.

Early MiGs from the Korean War usually pressed the 'aesthetically pleasing' button. I couldn't resist Hobby Boss's new MiG 17F. Areas of detail include the cockpit of course, radio equipment in the nose, landing gear and compartment, and a full engine. There are the inevitable fuselage fit problems with displaying the engine, so I made the most of everything else instead. I built their Fury Fighter, and can see that this one is much improved - sharper surface detail, better fit of the parts and better interior detail. Underwing pylons are included to accommodate either a pair of rocket pods or the fragmentation bombs included with the kit. When building, you have to look out for the location holes which are obviously intended for the later PFM version. And yes. I'll be having one of those, too.

It's not quite up to Tamiya standard of course, but then it's not Tamiya prices. It is the best '17 currently available, however.

MiG Alley

Do you think that today some manufacturers produce their new releases with the 'update' firmly in mind? To produce a kit with a bland cockpit or engine compartment is very cost effective. The keen modeller is bound to reject these unimaginative parts for the superior after market bits from Aires or Eduard.

A good example of this is the Academy MiG21 Fishbed in 1/48. Its shape is pretty good, nice panel lines and rivet detail and so on. However, the cockpit, the engine and decals are all so lacklustre that to do a satisfying job you have no choice but to replace them. The MiG you see here has been completed by an Eduard colour etch set. The set replaces the entire cockpit, most of the engine and provides some additions to the airframe. Most of the decals I replaced to avoid silvering. Frankly, this set transforms a mediocre kit in to a real head turner. Academy can't lose; they've saved money on the expensive tooling and enthusiastic modellers can be counted on to turn out a decent finished aircraft.

Don't get me wrong, it's been a hell of a build and the client gets a real collector's piece, so no-one loses. But it's a good game, right?

Research - No Problem

The internet is my wife's champion - she can find whatever she is looking for and print it out in a moment, but if you are like me, then a computer can be just a pain. When you need to know something it has to come from a tangible source. For me there's no substitute for a good reference book, or even a magazine.

I buy around three mags a month. Every month offers something useful - a conversion, the latest news on decals or resin parts. There is always a monograph on a selected aircraft or a build on a new kit. Here's a shot of my choice of mag - and I have a large selection which I guard jealously.


That's every one for the last five years; for around £4 a copy it's a comparatively cheap source of information. Not bad. And sometimes, I just like a good read. Do magazines do it for you?

Resurrection - Busted

My previous listing referred to a build on the Dragon P-51 in 1/32 scale. I was concerned that my impetus on this project would dry up, and I was indeed right. Problems with the landing gear have sent it back onto the shelf.
When I have the time and the inclination it'll be out for another visit. Here's a photo of it before it made its ignominious return to shelfland.



As well as enduring the disappointing Mustang debacle, I have been tinkering this Huey-Cobra together. It came to me missing its instructions and a number of parts. Being suitably irritated with the P-51 made me all the more determined that the Huey be a success. It is the Revell AH-1G Gunship again, in the heretic 1/32 scale. This completed model has done wonders to restore my flagging interest in an almost dis-owned scale. What do you think? Is it worth the thirty nine hours I put into it?

Forgotten Kits - The Resurrection

It recently occurred to me that the heretic 1/32 scale has remained unexplored by me for, well, months, actually. I decided to check my usual sources for a modestly priced kit to lead me back into temptation, only to discover the currently soaring costs of even a tatty old seventies Revell kit. I was prepared to settle for a much travelled P-51 I saw in a neglected corner of eBay when I remember that I had the very self-same thing stashed on a bookcase in a difficult corner of my workroom.

Last year I purchased the new Dragon P-51D in a moment of foolish enthusiasm. I worked on it for a few days, and then the dreaded disenchantment set in. It went back on the shelf. And there it stayed until my moment of epiphany. From reviled error to family heirloom in a moment!

So work is back on with it. Here is its progress in a couple of pictures. Most of the interior was completed during my first burst of activity, the restduring my second. Let's hope there's a third.

Boomer Build

I finished this model a week or so ago and it's gone to its new home, so I've finally got round to showing part of the build on here.

Although the instructions were a little vague and confusing in places, and the wings were a challenge to attach, it was an enjoyable build.

The resin Pratt and Whitney engine was well cast and detailed, as was the cockpit. There is a lot to shoehorn in because there is so much detail and the cockpit is a tight fit. It helps to assemble the fuselage before anything goes in, even the engine, then you can jockey everything into place.


Attaching the wings needed a little patience and a bit more filler. Time spent carefully rubbing down was rewarded. Some other minor blips but this is a limited run kit and they come with the territory.


The painting is always my favourite part of the build. Isn't she lovely? I got quite attached, but it doesn't look like this boomerang is coming back...

A Wish Come True

I knew I had a reason to keep a wish list. It's so gratifying to finally get your hands on a kit you've almost willed into fruition. These days we stand a better chance since the industry went bonkers and started giving us our heart's desire.

This time it's the Nick. Hasegawa has finally issued the Ki-45 Toryu in 1/48 scale, and it's a real beauty. It'll be a while before I can get to it - there are more pressing jobs on the bench. For now, I'm just enjoying owning it.

Aircraft Recognition Part Two

Recently I added some images of an aircraft cockpit to see if sharp-eyed readers could identify it. Here's the completed model, and I'm sure it's a mystery no longer...


Over the last five years or so I must have built around twenty Japanese torpedo and dive bombers, mostly from the Hasegawa range.


The detail and part fit in these kits is superb. It means that the kit builder can relax and put all his energy into adding those extra touches that make the finished model unique.


One finishing touch I added here was to razor saw the canopy to better show off the cockpit and aft gun position.

Seeing Double, Finally

The last time these two appeared, they were a bit on the shiny side. They've undergone their final treatment now, however, and are complete. And since they make such a nice pair, I can't resist sharing.

The straight wing F6F was a regular build, and being Hasegawa, was a joy. The second one was more challenging; have you ever done a wing-fold on a Hellcat? The complex shape of the fold rules out use of the razor saw to achieve a neat cut. Instead, it requires a series of painstaking cuts into the well-defined panel lines. This must be done with extreme care in order to realise the precise shape peculiar to this aircraft.

Since no after market parts appear to be available, I used a set of Monogram Skyraider wing-fold inserts. This worked remarkably well with little modification.

To support the weight of the wing, I was obliged to drill and pin the stubs, again with great care to make sure the angles were correct.

I'm not sure I'd take on the same subject again, but it was great experience. What do you think?