My New Year's Honours List

With the customary lull between festive parties I am able to compile my own list of promising new items for the New Year, some of which are already being offered for sale on eBay by enterprising dealers.

There is the new Spitfire from Tamiya, which the media has battered us with for a few weeks now. Yes, it's a beautiful kit, I may build one some day. But it is yet another Spitfire.

And what about the new Fiat BR-20 from Classic Airframes, or the Ki-43 'Lily' from AtoZ Models? And the new Arado 196 Seaplane from Italeri and a new Sukhoi Su 24 from Trumpeter? That's quite a list and it's just for starters. Most of these are out, ready and waiting. There are also some old favourites returning to the list - Revell are giving us the Dornier 217 and the ancient 1/32 Hurricane is back too. Got to take the rough with the smooth.

I'm hoping to get a chance to build most of the above this year, and I'll be sharing the details right here with you, patient reader. It looks as though 2010 will be even better than 2009; new kits, new projects, dioramas, articles, lots of photos. Feel free to contribute if you have a special interest, or just want to join in.

To all my visitors, whether you are an enthusiast or just interested, thank you for your time, and maw we wish you a very happy and healthy New Year.

Philip and Kim Goodier

Turning Japanese II

The Seiran Seaplane, with its clean lines and standard paint finish, calls for some special input to get a really eye-catching look. To start with, I sprayed the entire model in the underside grey.


I then sprayed the upper side dark green before I added some assorted shades of green and tan. This gave me the requisite patchy, sun-bleached finish - something rather more realistic than a flat colour offers. On the photo you can see the difference between the panels - two are different shades altogether.


I then fitted the decals. All the kit decals were crazed and broken up, so I had to find alternatives - there's another hour or two gone. The orange-yellow de-icing boots are painted on.

In this photo you can see the completed wing. I chipped and faded the paint for a authentic field look. The matt varnish, when it dries, brings all the odd shades together and the picture began to make sense.


Many Japanese wartime aircraft are shown in appalling states in photos, especially the fighters. They show heavy exhaust staining and large sections of flaked paint, demonstrating weeks of heavy fighting. Many aircraft would be lost before they had a chance to get battle-worn, but a reconnaissance seaplane, flying from some remote Pacific island, would survive intact having endured some very rough treatment. This was the look I was going for.

I've been through similar feats of endurance this week and here's what's come out of it. I'm very pleased. What do you think?

Recently completed

The Classic Airframes Gloster Meteor NFII and the La-5FN from Zvezda - you coudn't find two more dissimilar aircraft, but here they are joined by a common theme - both are extremely labour-intensive.

Both kits have good detail, especially the Meteor. Both have problems with wing attachment and cockpit, though mostly just basic fit issues. Overcoming these problems can be a bit frustrating for sure, but in a good way, very rewarding. Even with the effort put into producing a huge variety of kits, with hi-tech modern methods, if you want to build something a little different you have to put in the commensurate amount of work. I've been building models since boyhood, and that much hasn't changed. But both models have turned out okay, so the work speaks for itself. I hope they both become their new owner's pride and joy.

Turning Japanese

There are certain elements of my job that are determined by a metaphorical throw of the dice. I have just landed two Tamiya kits, both Japanese subjects, within a couple of days of each other.

The first is a Kawanishi N1K1 'George' and the other is the Aichi M6A1 Seiran Seaplane. Both are excellent kits and will build up into real head turners.

Japanese wartime aircraft have always been a big hit with me. The more of them I build, the more enthusiastic I become. To get to build two at once is an ususual pleasure and luck indeed. There will be more on here about these builds soon. For the moment, here are a few photos of their early stages. As you can see, the Seiran has its own trolley - almost a model in itself.

I will be delighted if anyone has a favourite that they'd like to discuss. If you are a big Jap fan like me, what pushes your buttons?

Taking Shape: the A-7E in 1/32

One of the things I enjoy about working in this scale is its relaxed nature. With so many parts and options, the builder can slow down and gradually build the model up.

I still have the copy of SAMI magazine (Vol 12 Issue 7) in which builder David Francis illustrates a bang up job of the kit. He added resin parts but I don't think it's necessary. This build is straight out of the box - always a good test of the build when you don't feel you need after- market parts to make a lovely job. These days especially, new toolings are so well-detailed, it seems a shame to discard them.

All went smoothly. The only real difficulty I had was jockeying the fuselage halves together around the cockpit and the intake trunking. You have to get all the little tabs in all the right slots for a good line up.


The trunking has a large tab that slots into the nose cone. I did this last and used a little cyano.
Getting it all together was tricky, needing at least three hands. Once in position the fuselage fitted together very well, needing only a little filler. I added weight to the fuselage to ensure a three point sit. The wing section fits 'saddle' fashion and wanted a bit of maneuvering to achieve a flush fit. With that section fitted that was the main assembly sorted. Apart from some odds and ends, the build is now ready for undercoat.

The kit is no Tamiya, but it's by no means a poor relative. There are no real hitches, just challenges - the heart of the hobby. To paraphrase Bones McCoy, I'm a modeller not a kit assembler!

Size isn't everything Pt 2

People say that until they actually see the size. Not that the Vought A-7 is a huge aircraft, even in 1/32 scale such as this one. But it certainly has a presence. Trumpeter issued the Vought A-7E Corsair back in 2005. Although it was a confirmed favourite of mine, I had not had a chance to build it until now.

When the box arrived ( a BIG box) it wasn't the scale of the parts I enjoyed so much as the sheer number of them. And the ordnance! It comprises a pair of fuel tanks, 2 GBU-8, 2 GBU-10, 2 AGM-6, 12 Mk 82 retarded, 12 MK 82 slicks, 6 M117 and a pair of side winders. Oh yes, and a FLIR pod. Here's a photo of the entire haul in case I missed anything.


It's gone very well so far. I've spent around ten hours to achieve what you see here. The painting process is about to begin. Of course, there'll be more photos of this through to its conclusion.

Arado 234 'Blitzed'

This must be one of this year's most demanding projects. The AR 234 Nightfighter came in at just under seventy hours work for me - unusually intense for a 1/48 scale model. To build it straight from the box would have produced a nice very presentable result, but this one came to me with a number of lovely add-ons to bring it up several notches. The Aires cockpit and landing gear bay, a Verlinden detail set and an Eduard detail set gave me an excellent choice of beautiful parts in resin and metal. This means there are four sets of instructions to follow, and some very difficult style choices to be made! Jockeying four sets of parts together is not for the novice - I did go cross-eyed a few times, and I needed to leave the room on occasion....


The result of all that jockeying and cross-eyed concentration? Well, I was very satisfied. High points? Certainly the front cockpit (there is also one in the back) and the gear bay, for their quality of detail and fit inside the model. Also the little wing-mounted rocket motors, which only needed some Eduard parachute straps, so good was their detail. I did have a set of Airwave gear legs and wheels, but for once the kit parts were superior and I didn't use them.

The final build looks very impressive from a few feet away, but get up close and it's really rewarding. It's a combination of excellent detail, and hard work getting the best out of the component parts. Am I blowing my own trumpet? Maybe, but maybe it's more a case of enjoying the fruits of more than forty years experience. I hope you think it looks good too.

The stuff that dreams are made of

Every old-hand modeller understands the obsession with building a certain kit. How long has a favourite kit been on your shelf ? You get it down, dust it reverentially and take a look inside. After ten minutes of fondling the parts and inspecting the decals you sigh a little and put it back, saving it a bit longer. Yes, I admit it, the Sukhoi Su 27 in 1/48 scale is a big favourite of mine. Ever since Academy announced it, I have wanted to build it. Then I read the review; with trembling hands I turned the page only to find 'disappointing cockpit' and 'decals need replacing'. I was crest-fallen. Like going to the cinema and finding there's no popcorn. What could be worse?

I bought the kit anyway. Eventually. And it's been sitting there in its slot since May 2007, flawed perfection waiting for me to sort it out. I was giving it its regular potential-next-build inspection when my wife came in and, perceptive woman that she is, said 'for goodness sake just get the parts and build the damn thing'.

So you know? I think I will.

Golden Oldies

Do you recognise this one? The long vanished Esci produced this kit back in the seventies. In those days, Esci kits were quite well thought of. I daresay this 1/48 F8 Crusader was state of the art.


Today, this has been overtaken by the Hasegawa F8. It's a gem, but it is £30. I bought this kit last year, for old time's sake, I suppose. The cockpit is bare, the ejector seat is hopeless and of course it has raised panel lines. But the basic shape is good.

I have loads of references on the F8, so I decided on some surgery. This was centred entirely on the wings, to drop the flaps and slats and incline the wing incidence. Also, I found an old resin ejector seat and some photo etched cockpit parts. As you can see it has the makings of a real project.

Just Finished

Too often I blog about projects that are stalled or in the middle stages of building. So here is something that's actually been finished in the last ten days or so. Both have been mentioned on here in their earlier stages so it seem only fair to display the completed models.

The Classic Airframes Martin Baltimore was first. It gave me the usual CA difficulties; a very dusty enclosed cockpit area, which I overcame by cutting out the pilot's canopy hatch to clean inside. The engines were a poor fit due to the over-thick plastic of the engine cowlings, and rather than alter them I reduced the thickness. Still, the results overall were lovely, because it's such a detailed kit and you can't go far wrong.


The other project, by complete contrast, is the MiG 19s from Trumpeter. Surprisingly this offered very few fit problems, and those were dealt with quite easily. Detail was excellent, the cockpit being particularly good.

I'd love to build their 1/32 scale version of this aircraft, but this scale doesn't seem to be popular amongst collectors.

Moving On

With the destroyer project now in the closing stages of the build, I am able to move on with new projects.

One of them is the Meteor NFII in French markings, of which more on here later.

The other is the Arado 234 from Hasegawa. Most of the internal parts are being replaced with Aires and Eduard items. A couple of photos here will illustrate the current stage. As you can see, much of the paint is already up to top coat, and in some cases ready for weathering.

You can see how much detail the resin parts have to offer.

The nature of the canopy means than most of its detail will be easily seen, and the same goes for the cockpit and the landing gear. And me, I'm just a sucker for all that...

Back to the boat

Yes, I weakened. With the destroyer showing such promise, I knew that one more big effort would see the hard work out of the way. So, with the Arado project just started and in its undercoat, it was 'all hands to the pumps'. Actually, the railings.

I realised that fitting the railings would be a long, tedious and frustrating job. I recently read a build article on this kit, wanting to see how someone else had resolved this one. The modeller had simply added stretched sprue to the stanchions. From a distance it looked very effective, but on closer inspection, the sprue looked heavy and unconvincing. So it's back to the fluffy twine from the kit. Is it awkward? Time-consuming? Fiddly? Damn right it is. But I did develop a system; after tying off a length of furry twine to the first stanchion, I ran it along the next four or five and then superglued it in place. The glue takes a minute to set so I attached a small bulldog clip to the loose end to keep it under tension. While that was drying, I started the process again, one tier up.

Did I hear someone say that sounds too easy? It's just easier. Later I'll have to varnish the twine to get rid of the fuzz and make the railings look finer. A bit monotonous but worth it for the final look.

Back to airplanes soon. Hmmm.

Destroyer Vs. Night Fighter

If you've been looking at the last blog entry, then you know I've been working on a Revell 1/144 Fletcher Class destroyer. Yes, yes, it's a ship - I'm a heretic.

It's been a fortnight of really intensive work. I think knowing that time was finite, because of other work coming in, really drove me on. Whilst I've made a lot of progress, I'm happy now to leave it for a while to start something new.

Here are a few photos of the three-quarters-finished warship.


Also, I've included a few pictures of the new project just getting under way. As you can see, Hasegawa's Arado AR234 is beautifully accessorised with resin and photo-etched sets from Aires, Eduard and Aeroclub, and decals from Aeromaster.


This has all the makings of a terrific project and will be featured here during the next few weeks. Got to go and sort my references.

Fletcher Class DD 449 Re-started

After completing a few pressing projects, I was able to steal a couple of hours to spend on my 1/144 scale destroyer. This is a project I began many months ago when I had a gap in my diary. You know how it is - you come home with your current favourite kit, go through the box, caress the parts lovingly, and after ten minutes you close the lid and put it on the shelf for when you have a few minutes together. Excellent room insulation when you do it a lot...
I was determined this was a fate that wouldn't befall this kit. It's been coming along so nicely.

Anyway, six months later I'm getting back to the varnishing, weathering and minor painting. The small parts such as railings and AA guns will be next.


Soon, other work will arrive and once again, this project will go to the back of the queue, so I'm making the most of the time. Will I be eating my meals in my workroom? Of course not. But it's worth thinking about.