Look! It's Finished.

In an earlier blog I was wailing about my Su-24 project. This is the one I've wanted to build from the moment of its release back in 2007, I think it was.  I was getting a bit broody as I had to keep setting it aside for other work.

So, a few weeks ago I managed to complete the other work (well, most of it) and it was out once more with the Fencer.  This turned out to be the best part of the build. After all the distractions causing me at one point to spray it the wrong colour, I was able to really get it going. And everything went  so well - completing the cockpit, adding that very complicated landing gear, the very convincing jet cans and the weapons. It was a project that very much lent itself to some nice upgrades.

When a project like this is complete the sense of achievement can be quite overwhelming. Was it frustrating and a little aggravating?  Very much so!  But would I do it again?  Certainly. What a very contrary hobby.

Five years....

I'm not one for delving back into the past, but looking through my blog last week, I noticed the photos I had posted of my work room.  Some subtle changes had taken place; back then it was more hair, less weight and a lot less clutter.  All those kits in the photos are now built and living in new homes around the globe.  Most of them have been examined on this blog.  This has been the ideal setting for some of my most enjoyable projects. And for those not so enjoyable, all I can say is I'm glad there's no CCTV!

Over the last five years I've been able to develop my client base and now produce models in all kinds of genres for people in six or so different countries.  Quite a change from a model shop in a sleepy village. I consider every one of these clients a friend, and feel fortunate to have met them even if it's only virtually. If the next five years are as good to me I'll be a happy builder.

To all those reading and following and indeed contributing to this blog, I wish you a very happy Christmas and a fabulous New Year's modelling.

A Month in the Malvinas....

.....or how I spent four weeks building an Argentine Navy Skyhawk circa 1982.

I don't know about you, but the build I'm working on often transports me into the time period to which the craft belongs.  In this instance I've been spending time on the deck of the '25 de Mayo' and wandering round Port Stanley.  I get really quite involved in the era of the work in front of me.  And isn't that a good thing?  It keeps me focussed and I feel it shows in the results.  Of course, it helped in this case that it was an excellent Hasegawa kit, I had the Eduard detail set AND the Aires resin sets for the cockpit, landing gear bays and speed brakes.

I used the best of the sets, adding a little bit of each. I combined a resin cockpit and Eduard colour etch parts, and with a little jiggling, it all went well.  The resin instrument bezel was a poor fit though, and required some filler.  I used the speed brakes supplied in the kit, since they seemed the better option.

The build all went pretty well, although I couldn't stop breaking those little lugs that the leading edge slats fit to! Photos of CANA aircraft mostly show dirty aircraft well used in the field.  The basic scheme was US Navy, grey over white, so I used that with a brown wash to achieve the right look. I felt it was very effective.

The decals are from Condor, which are actually made in Argentina.  The include three Dagger schemes and one for a Harrier, as well as three A-4s.  A bit on the thick side but they performed reasonably well.

So overall a very intense build, but one I wouldn't have missed.  Time to come home.

It's a bit of a carrot! A look at the MB 326

Yep, I've had all the remarks.  But the orangeness is all part of the charm of this particular model.  You'd be right to think that this is from the Italeri kit in 1/48 scale.  But did you know that this tooling dates back to almost thirty years ago? Originated by Esci back in 1983, it features crisp mouldings, recessed panel lines and sharp rivet detail.  But it is a bit disappointing in the cockpit area.  To overcome this there is only one option - the very nice Oz-Mods cockpit set.  It needs very little work.  The cockpit tub just drops into the fuselage. "But" I hear you say "there aren't any guns!" Actually, this type of craft was operated by the Argentine air force and carried out an attack on the Royal Navy during the Falklands War. Gun and rocket pods were added as needed. Check it out, very topical.

Finally, I'd like to say one thing about this kit.  Terrific fun, get one!

Waiting in the Wings

This is a project I've been working on for a couple of months now, a sort of on-off job - though lately more off than on.

What is it?  This is Trumpeter's 1/48 Su 24 'Fencer'.  And what a kit it is.  Excellent detail throughout, great selection of weapons, even the decals (millions of them) are quite nice.  All the sub-assemblies are complete, painted and weathered.  I merely have to fit them all.  So what's stopping me?  The answer to that lies in the next blog entry.  So for the moment, this great project is waiting in the wings.

A Wolf in Wolf's Clothing

The US said no to Pakistan over their F-16s, so Pakistan made their own with China, creating the JF-17 Thunder of 'Fierce Dragon'. This brings me nicely on to Trumpeter's 1/48 scale kit and it is really very nice. Well engraved and riveted, great cockpit, but terrible decals. While looking at photos of the real aircraft you can't help but notice how F-16-like it is, but with a Russian influence. This gave me an idea, to combine both looks into one radical colour scheme. I chose a great aggressors scheme I'd seen in Scale Aircraft Modelling. Also, I had some good decals from Linden Hill.

So here are the photos.  I think you might agree that the first photo, of the aircraft in service with the PAF is a little dull...Sometimes it's good to think outside the box.
                                (PA Defence Blog)

An Ace in 1/24

Here's the completed BF109 G-6, late version, by Trumpeter. What a lovely project this was. It lends itself perfectly to all the extra detail I added.   The builder is limited in 1/24 scale, so I made my own seat belts, wiring, cables and conduit.

I hope you have as much fun looking as I did building, and yes, I do highly recommend this kit.

Coming up....

Here's a visual list of forthcoming attractions.  Looks good, does it not? It's what gets me up in a morning.  Anything here that tickles your fancy?

On the bench right now is this - what do you think?

Do you know your cockpits?

Here are two cockpits I've recently completed.  Both are plastic, no resin or colour etched parts.  One is in 1/32, the other 1/48.   But to what aircraft do they belong?  They're both Russian,  and that's as easy as I'm making it.

The completed models will be appearing on here soon.  That is all.

Anti-grav Cocktail

Prawn?  Something about the shape and its original plastic colour makes this kit suggest a crustacean from space.

It's a kit I'd been keeping in a prominent spot in my workroom, anticipating the building of it for quite  some time.   Once I got started I wasn't disappointed. The cockpit was a blank canvas on which to add anything I wanted, so I did - conduit, wiring, extra instruments, seat belts and the radio placards from an Eduard BF 110 set, which were perfect here.

The build was great. Everything fitted pretty much as it should, but I would caution potential builders when they approach the jet can; this has to be fitted during the build, but then it's awkward to paint.  If you paint it first then it's awkward to fit, on its pair of moulded-on lugs.  These are designed to position the can in the tail, but they really got in my way, so I just cut them off.  Much easier then! This niggle aside, it was a real fun build, and a proper contrast to my usual diet of wartime fare.

If you find you like this, I'll repeat the links which a contributor passed on to me in an earlier blog entry. There are  terrific photos of some ingenious kits from this range, as well as some unique scratchbuilt models:

• http://www.q-net.net.au/~nipngnwm/index.html
• http://www.maschinenkrueger.com/joomla/
• http://www.scale120.com/