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?

Aircraft Recognition

Here are a couple of views of this little project I've been tinkering with lately. As you can see, it's a roomy interior - but what's the aircraft? Normally, with recognition you have to study it from the outside. It's a Hasegawa, that's all I'm saying.

Forgotten Models

Instead of talking about new jobs or work in progress, I felt that a moment should be spent with jobs that have fallen by the wayside. Currently, I have three or four projects residing in the naughty box. This is one - an S-100 attack boat from Revell. I started out filled with enthusiasm, which dwindled rapidly when I found a vital part was missing. It didn't help when I discovered it was me who had misplaced it. The project went back on the shelf, in Autumn 2006...
Autumn 2008 - just look at that dust! I would like to re-start it, but the same old problems are still there. Do you have models which have been consigned to a similar building limbo? You'll get a sympathetic hearing here.

Brilliant Boomer

I've recently been asked to build the new CAC 12 Boomerang from Special Hobby. Hmmm - doesn't Special Hobby have a reputation for turning out limited run kits with thick sprues and banana-shaped parts? A good poke round in the box soon put me straight. Beautifully moulded parts, finely engraved panel lines, superbly cast resin engine, photo-etched parts including seat belts and cockpit levers, and a crystal clear IM canopy.


There's a colour painting guide showing four RAAF aircraft and a complete instruction leaflet with colour refs in Gunze Sangyo. So the sprues are a little thick, but you won't be looking at those.

I'll be starting work on this little gem in the next few days. Photos will be appearing here soon.