A 'Jack' on its own

One of my recent projects is this J2M2 Raiden. The brief called for more than just what Eduard gives in their 'Zoom' set. I was also provided with two other frets, one of them for a George. This was almost enough to detail the cockpit in line with the many sketches and photos I had, and I scratch-built the remaining bits needed.


It's taken time to complete. If you check the photos you'll get some idea of the work involved. I've included additional electrical boxes and wiring, toned all the paintwork and added my own washes to bring out the final detail. The model is ready for overall painting to complement the cockpit. It's so cold in my paintroom at the moment that I feel like Captain Smith every time I go up there.


I've included this series of photographs so you can see the build sequence. For instance, the aperture in the fuselage was large enough for me to install the cockpit after assembly. This was very handy as it allowed me to rub down and prepare the surfaces without the risk of damage to the delicate parts in the cockpit.



More soon.

Subversive!

My last blog saw me talking about ICM's new midget submarine. There has been progress - I'm feeling very pleased with myself as I've finished this cheeky little project in super-quick time and I'm delighted with the results.


The parts went together very well and after 5 0r 6 hours hard building it was constructed. Undercoat was followed naturally enough by overcoat. Weathering consisted of increasingly lighter shades in a cloud pattern. I post-shaded in a black grey and then subtly re-did the panels in a pale grey. I applied a protective gloss glaze and the next day I put on a brown-black wash.

The decals went down really well - there are only a few of them, but they really make a difference. I sealed everything with a matt varnish and carefully dry-brushed the raised detail, of which there is plenty. The torpedoes don't have a lot of detail though, so I did what I could with them and attached them to the brackets.


This was a lovely little project that slotted in nicely between bigger jobs, and gave me a lot of pleasure. Time now to get back to more serious work, after this very enjoyable bit of fun.

To show just how midget this sub is, I've photographed it on top of my 1/72 scale 'Gato' class US ocean-going sub. They're both in the same scale....

Propulsion compulsion

Yes, it might seem I've suddenly veered off course, but as much as I love aircraft projects, I do harbour a love of all seagoing craft and armour, too. Recently I was thumbing through the new Airfix Model World magazine and there it was. The U-boat Type XXVIIB Seehund - an ICM minisub. It called out to me from the page - 'build me!' So imagine my surprise when my wife gave it to me as an early Christmas present. I must have been even louder in my enthusiasms than I thought.


When I was ten, I was given a small, tin-plate, clockwork midget submarine for my birthday. It was fitted with a downward angled bow plane. As it entered the water, it went straight down to the bottom, then promptly returned to the surface. It did this till the spring ran out and then you wound it up again. It made my birthday. I think fifty years on, it's partly this nostalgia that gives the ICM kit such appeal.
(Picture courtesy Vectis.co.uk)


I made a start last night. The parts are nicely rendered, especially the hull. It's only small, being 1/72 but so appealing.


If you want to see more, stay tuned. If subs are not your thing, the next aircraft project is right round the corner. More later.

Getting a Life

I've often heard model-building described as a lifesaver, but I think in my case these days it's more true than ever.

Last April I was feeling a bit rough, and had to go into hospital for a few days for 'tests' - never a good word, is it? It took a while, but eventually I was diagnosed with cancer, in my upper gastric area and pancreas.

It sounds terrible, but I've been reassured that I'm in no imminent danger. It's a very rare form, called neuroendocrine cancer, and it's referred to as 'indolent' - which means it's very slow-growing, and I've probably had it for many years. It was still a shock though, to both of us, and naturally you turn to something for comfort and escape, and for me, that meant modeling. I'm having treatment, and don't always feel 100 percent, but nothing has kept me from the bench, and kit-bashing has been one of the two things that has saved my sanity and I do believe, has relieved some of the stress and actually improved my health.

The other thing is the friendship and support of my friends and clients on the internet. I haven't wanted to mention anything about my health, but I felt it was time to share this information. I have always felt a bond with my fellow modellers, and without exception I have met only enthusiastic, loyal and generous people in this internet incarnation of my career. I hope I haven't let anyone down over the last few months - I have slowed down a little, and treatment takes up a a chunk of my time now and then, but the escape into a gripping magazine article, a really engrossing kit and a chance to share the result on here has contributed no end to keeping my spirits high and giving me a goal to aim for when times are hard. I've got a full diary, and it would take a lot more than a few rogue cells to keep me from my job. Everybody has problems, health issues and in this climate, work stress. I hope you too have a way to escape your worries and lose yourself in something you love.

And, as always, more on this later.

Phil

Many a good tune......Monogram's P-61 Black Widow

You may think it's an outdated kit from the seventies, but the old Monogram kit does have plenty to recommend it - plenty of open panels with detail and the cockpit/nacelle is superb. It has raised panel lines, yes, and the parts are heavy, but hey, they fit. And of course, it's the only game in town.


This particular build will feature Quickboost resin engines and cowlings, a wealth of Eduard colour etched parts, and if that isn't enough, how about powered props, interior landing gear and navigation lights, all working. And there will be sound! A sound box containing a recording of Pratt and Whitney engines will play at the start of the program. Some people prefer static models, others like the interactive sound and light that dioramas can provide.


Projects like this don't come along every day and it will be worth checking back to see how this one develops. The electronics for this diorama have been out together initially by Clyde Sasaki - if you're interested you can see more on his site at http://www.dynamicscalemodeling.com/

I can't see there being a new P-61 kit in this scale for some time, but I can't help wondering what it would look like in 1/32 scale.

More on this soon.

...Then they all come at once!

Inspiration for me comes in several forms - seeing a model that someone has done a top job one, a detailed article in a magazine on something I fancy, or a really top-notch kit.

This year, though, I've not quite felt that buzz too often. Work seemed a bit routine for a while, but then suddenly in the space of ten days, there have been new arrivals and commissions that have provided new motivation and pleasure. Have a look at this fantastic selection:


One item in particular gives me special pleasure. The Eduard Royal Class set which includes a pair of FW 190's, an Iron Cross replica and a small fragment of a fighter that took part in the battle of the Ore Mountains. This was a present from an appreciative client in New York. Truckloads of inspiration! Now I just need some time to get to them.

How much?

Is it me, or has the price of desire gradually escalated over the last year until kit prices have gone through the canopy? I can understand that the cost of new tooling in this period has gone up, but existing kits seem to have also almost doubled in price. For example, the Hasegawa BF 109G in 1/32 scale first hit the shelves of hobby shops six years ago at reasonable £25, but today the same kit costs in excess of £40!

And it's not just the kits. Accessories have also gone up; glue, tweezers, cutting boards, airbrushes - all the necessary bits and pieces the hobby (and professional) modeller relies on have crept up in cost, making this a very expensive pastime and perhaps pricing out the younger kit bashers. I started at nine or ten, and would need to be on some serious pocket money to afford even the most rudimentary aircraft kit and paint.

And yet we seem to have just accepted this without complaint. Some scales have faired better than others - there's better value for money if you work in one of the less commonly requested scales. In 1/32 you can get a lot of detail and extra features for your money, particularly with someone like Trumpeter, but pity the poor 1/48 struggler.

It seems to me that the hobby is growing more popular than ever - there are more magazines devoted to it, and the subject matter for kits seems to get more diverse all the time. Only a cynic would say our enthusiasm is being exploited, but it does seem as though we will be paying more for our pleasure in the future.

An odd mixture

A while ago I was asked to build the A-7D Corsair in 1/48 scale. The kit would include the Aires wheel bays and cockpit set. Are they nice or what? Oh, did I mention the kit? It's the old Esci offering, going back to when Adam were a lad. Are you interested to see how it'll work out? Me too. I'll leave you with these photos for now.

I haven't built one of these since......

One of my recent projects is the rather lovely FW 190 in 1/32 scale from Hasegawa. It builds up slowly but surely and offers some nice out-of-the-box detail. It has a convincing cockpit, a good BMW radial engine, landing gear, wheel wells and doors - even lowered flaps. All these increase the interest. At the same time though there's scope to add whatever you fancy. Take a look at the photos to see what I mean. More on this later, of course.

Timeless TBM

A couple of months ago I was asked to build the rather lovely TBF-1c Avenger from Accurate Miniatures. For those of you who have built it before, you'll know what I mean by lovely - if you haven't, you need to find out! It is one of my favourite modelling subjects, just straight from the box.

The fuselage offers untold opportunities for greatness. It's in four stages: the engine compartment; the cockpit, electronics compartment and turret; then on the lower floor the bomb bay and the rear radio room and ventral gun position. All these have exquisite detail. The crowning glory to all this is not just the engraved panel detail or the satisfying shape and proportions, no. It's that the parts actually go together - well! In 2005 Italeri sold this kit in their box for wait for it, £12.99! I bought quite a few...It costs a bit more now but it's not extortionate (unlike a lot of other kit prices currently) and there is scope for a certain amount of conversion, so do your research.

To my build I added Moskit exhausts, resin weighted wheels and a resin pilot, and that was all.
Check out the photos to see what I mean.


I'd not long finished it when I was asked to build another one - this time the TBM-3 Avenger.
Ok then.

The Tojo has Mojo

The Ki44 'Shoki' or Tojo is an unusual beast. It can look disproportionate and bulky, but those chunky wings and bulbous nose give it a unique look amongst aircraft.

This is the first one I have built, and I am just beginning to appreciate its unusual aspects. It's hard not to enjoy the excellent Hasegawa kit. By today's standards, the engine may seem a little basic, but you can do plenty with it. Careful attention with a paint brush and a good wiring job can give you a lovely and convincing unit to be proud of.

The cockpit looks better for the addition of some of Mr Eduard's parts. The seat, seat belts, instrument panel, rudder pedal straps, and assorted levers really make a difference, especially with some appropriate toning and washes. All these went on with the minimum of grief.

The fuselage was assembled ahead of the cockpit. This kept out the dust from rubbing down the fuselage. Next came the wings. Again, incident free-fitting here, but I was left with a sizable gap in the wing root, so the filler will have to come out, though it will be the first time. Not bad.

A head-on view of the model revealed that both mainplane and tailplane were symmetrically matched. None of that annoying twisted fuselage look.

And that's it for now. There'll be more on this promising build later.

The End and the Beginning

Since I've been blathering about this Lancaster build all summer, it's only fair that I add some pictures of the completed model. This has been a project that seems to have had more to do at the end than the beginning - that odd modeling paradox. There was such a lot of tiny detail - the folding of the metal alone took days. Tiny lights, and aerials took more concentration and a steady hand.


Anyway, photos will explain better. It's a satisfying end to another project, and hopefully a happy new home with its new owner.

It's all in the resin.

I always wanted to build an Arado Ar 240. It seemed like a compelling design. I considered the Revell offering in 1/72 scale, but does that scale do it justice?

Earlier this year, I received a box of builds from a client, and there inside was an Arado. In 1/48 scale. To be precise, it's the resin kit from MPM, and I was very excited.

I opened it up and saw a sea of pale yellow; everything, I mean everything, is resin. Apart from the vac-formed clear parts.


From the tiniest parts up to the larger fuselage and wing sections, all are contained in their own plastic compartments. There are sharp, subtle panel lines, a minimum of flash. The cockpit has reasonable detail, if not great. The decals from CMK look good, and the kit offers a choice of two aircraft - both from the Eastern Front in 1943.

One or two parts have to be very carefully separated from their sprues to avoid damage -see the photo for their layout.


Overall, it looks good, and certainly not a Tamiya kit you can knock off in a weekend. This kit needs attention to the fit, right down to the smallest detail. Such is resin. So, very-time intensive. More on this later.

Moving it along

Having just finished the 'Frank', here are some photos. I've just realised what an attractive subject this is. It's not as if the Ki-84 is a stranger to me, but it's the first time I've built one with such an obvious camo scheme.

The build did include the Eduard colour etch and flap set and the Vector resin engine - all of which contributed no end to the completed model. The resin engine was not a perfect fit, but with some minor alterations to the cowling I was able to make it work.


The decals for this model are from a Superscale set of which I'm not usually a big fan. I used the defining decals from this set, and then employed the Hasegawa decals elsewhere because they were of better quality, to get the best ultimate result. Hasegawa decals are excellent - see these photos of how well they've gone down on the 'Pete' I'm building:




Whatever the decal origin, I always start with a nice smooth gloss surface, then moisten it with decal setting solution. I apply the decal directly from the backing paper where possible, position it carefully, then gently smooth it down with a wet brush. The decal usually wrinkles at first, but then it starts to conform to the surface. Sometimes it takes more setting solution, but I'm careful not to overdo this. The advantages speak for themselves.

Not all manufacturers include such high quality decals, and the cheaper ones require a different method of fitting, which I'll talk about further down the line.