FineScale Modeler January/February 2023

Given that many of the models built are of historical subjects, it may seem odd that this issue of FSM focuses on what lies ahead. Predicting the future is fraught because some of it is assumption and guesswork based on the past. To be clear, I am optimistic and think the hobby’s future is rosy. We have new kits, accessories, finishing supplies, books, and tools constantly being produced. The quality and variety of the work being displayed at shows and online is truly inspiring. But just as scale modeling today doesn’t exactly resemble what it looked like 40 years ago — before photoetched metal and resin were commonplace — it is unlikely the future will look like it does now. How different it will be is a matter of perspective and attitude.…

Show off those what-if builds I have a suggestion for a small section in the magazine in which readers can submit photographs of their “what-if” builds. I’ve seen quite a few online, and some are very thought provoking. I thought there should be some “rules” for submissions, so, to that end: 1. Any prototypes (for example, the Airfix TSR.2) must be modeled as if it is in service and not just straight from the box. 2. Ideally, readers should also submit some theoretical context. For example, an East German Sukhoi Su-34 as alternative history in which the Berlin Wall never came down. You can also modernize historical vehicles. I am currently working on bringing Tamiya’s M3 Lee into the 21st century with a 120mm main gun from an Abrams and a 25mm…

AIRCRAFT 1/32 SCALE 1/48 SCALE 1/72 SCALE ARMOR 1/16 SCALE 1/35 SCALE 1/72 SCALE SHIPS 1/35 SCALE 1/700 SCALE AUTO 1/24 SCALE 1/25 SCALE FIGURES 1/32 SCALE Nieuport XVII pilot from Plus Model/Aero Line, No. AL3011, $16.70. 1/35 SCALE 1/48 SCALE F-18 pilot from Plus Model/Aero Line, No. AL3011, $8.70. SPACECRAFT 1/48 SCALE 1/72 SCALE 1/1400 SCALE MISCELLANEOUS 1/16 SCALE 1/35 SCALE PAINTS BOOKS US Attack Aviation from Schiffer Publications, hardcover, $35, 336 pages, 64 B/W and color photos ISBN: 978-0-7643-6356-6. Lockheed F-104 Starfighter from Casemate Publishers/Kagero, softcover, $22.95, 96 pages, 202 color photos, ISBN: 978-8-3672-9411-9. Battle of the Bulge - A Guide to Modelling the Battle from Casemate Publishers/Pen and Sword, softcover, $28.95, 64 pages, over 200 color and B/W illustrations, ISBN: 978-1-3990-0770-2. Cruisers of the III Reich — Volume II from CaseMate Publishers/MMP Books, hardcover, $52, 200 pages, B/W photos, scale plans, color profiles, ISBN: 978-8-3659-5885-3.…

Asking hobbyists about the future of scale modeling can sometimes feel like opening Pandora’s box. You aren’t quite sure what you’re going to get, but you can bet that it isn’t all going to be good. Prognosticating the hobby’s future makes for lively debate, and it’s not bad to take stock of where we are and where the hobby is headed. Shifts in the Golden Age “It’s getting to the point where almost anything you can imagine is being produced by kit manufacturers, which is why I feel we’re in the Golden Age of styrene modeling for now, “says George Seletas, contest chief at WonderFest USA, the leading show for sci-fi, fantasy, and horror modelers. He’s not alone. As one of scale modeling’s chief proponents, and certainly not blind to the challenges the hobby…

The 1969 model year saw the Chrysler Motor Corporation unveil a newly designed C-body line up that featured the Dodge Polara, Plymouth Fury, and Chrysler 300, among others. Dubbed the “fuselage look,” these were characterized by curved side glass that leaned in at the top of the greenhouse, coupled with body sides that bowed inward at the rocker panels, creating a cylindrical shape that was reminiscent of an airliner fuselage in cross-section. Four years later, with the 1973 models, this design era ended. Model kit manufacturers have shown some love for earlier (JoHan’s Chrysler 300s) and later (MPC’s mid-70s Monacos and Road Runners) C-bodies, but these fuselage Mopars have gone unrepresented, save for a few resin offerings. That all changed in recent years when someone, with the help of modern technology,…

No matter what you think of it, 3D printing is becoming a big part of scale modeling. Like home computers, you can bet 3D printers will likely be in every household. But which printers best fit our modeling? I spent weeks researching 3D printers before I bought mine, looking at the pros and cons of spool versus resin bath (SLA) printers, the different sizes available, and so on. I contacted modelers who were already using 3D printers and asked them questions, watched YouTube video reviews, and surfed the internet to compare prices. After all this research three things became obvious: First, I was going to go with an SLA printer rather than a spool-fed model. Second, I was going to get the biggest printing plate I could afford. And third, people…