Great Scale Modeling 2023

RUSTY CREAMER CARTERSVILLE, GEORGIA A Rebel X-wing is serviced and fueled in preparation for another mission in Rusty’s Star Wars diorama. He cut out a panel on a Revell kit to show an open maintenance hatch and built a landing pad on insulating foam with kitbashed and 3D-printed equipment. The model is painted with Vallejo acrylics. After a couple of years of cancelled, postponed, or downsized model contests, 2022 saw a return to pre-COVID form. Hobbyists flocked to local, regional, and national shows, many bringing models built during lockdowns, swelling tables with great-looking dioramas, ships, aircraft, tanks, spacecraft, and figures. So much inspiration in one place! Or several places as it happened. This re-energized show schedule kept the staff of FineScale Modeler busy. Tim Kidwell, Kendra Bell, and I were on the…

Want to see your models in FineScale Modeler magazine? Read our tips and tricks to get the best photos and maximize your chance we’ll feature your scale creation in the FineScale Modeler Reader Gallery or Show Gallery. Images are like building models: There are no shortcuts to good ones, and those good ones really stand out. The higher the quality of the image, the more likely it will be published and not passed over in the editing process. PLEASE DO: Provide plenty of information: Put yourself in the reader’s place. If you see a nice model, what do you want to know about it? Which kit is it? How did you modify it? What type and brand of paint did you use? What does the model represent and why did you build it?…

WAYNE HOLMES NELSON, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA Wayne didn’t use aftermarket parts on his ProModeler 1/48 scale Curtiss SB2C-4 Helldiver. Instead, he scratchbuilt the bomb bay, folding wings, gear bays, and much of the cockpit. He masked with Silly Putty, painted with Mr. Color lacquers, and weathered with pastels and artist oils. LYNN ROWLEY MIDLOTHIAN, TEXAS “War Horse” is part of a planned six figures that Lynn is sculpting and detailing completely from scratch. He made the horse head and armor from Magic Sculpt, equipped it with styrene strip harness, a sword made of styrene sheet, and raided his sister’s beading supplies for interesting details. “When you’re scratchbuilding, you find ways to use all sorts of parts that you might not otherwise,” Lynn says. JOHN EVERETT LAS VEGAS, NEVADA This stegosaurus is ready to kick some Jurassic! John built…

HAROLD PARSONS INVER GROVE HEIGHTS, MINNESOTA Harold describes the Copper State Models 1/48 scale Caudron G.4 as an excellent kit; his only additions were Uschi van der Rosten line for rigging and beading wire pushrods for the engines. He painted the model with acrylics and enamels. JEFF BOBELA GLADSTONE, MISSOURI To model a loaded U.S. Navy jet, Jeff built a HobbyBoss 1/72 scale A-7 Corsair out of the box, added aftermarket decals, and painted it with Ammo by Mig Jimenez acrylics. Washes popped the rivets and panels lines, pastels mixed with water added streaks. MATT STOWELL HUNTLEY, ILLINOIS Matt isn’t sure who made this bust of a Sleestack from the 1970s TV show Land of the Lost. He painted it with Vallejo acrylics over Badger Stynylrez primer; the initial layers were airbrushed and the details were dry-brushed. JOHN W.…

JOHNNY YU WATERLOO, ONTARIO, CANADA Johnny’s Meng 1/35 scale World War I German A7V tank was built almost completely out of the box. The only detail he added were machine-gun shells made from brass rod. Johnny sprayed AK Interactive to paint the camo freehand and weathered with chipping fluid, oil paints, and pigments. BOB WILLIAMS PARIS, ONTARIO, CANADA The Kinetic 1/48 scale CF-188A Hornet is an “excellent kit,” Bob says. He finished his model of the fighter celebrating the Canadian Sesquicentennial with Testors enamels and custom mixed colors. Because it was a demo aircraft, Bob left it clean, showing off the bright, untarnished markings. NICOLÁS TEJADA BRAMPTON, ONTARIO, CANADA Presenting a new RX-78 Gundam ready for battle, Nicolás finished his 1/100 scale Bandai kit with a clean custom paint job from Tamiya spray cans. RICARDO SALAMÉ BURLINGTON, ONTARIO, CANADA Typically a…

OSMAN ERDEN ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS Thirteen-year-old Osman brought this dramatic scene to the show. He modeled a Zvezda 1/35 scale T-80BV aiming its cannon at a little girl in Ukraine. He used Tamiya spray paints, artist oils, and enamels on the tank and figure. GEOFFREY WALLER TINLEY PARK, ILLINOIS “These are Black Watch soldiers fighting a French lancer at the Battle of Waterloo,” Geoffrey says. He airbrushed the horse and painted the kilts by hand. Acrylic colors were used throughout. ADAM HILLS AURORA, ILLINOIS A fan of invasion stripes, Adam couldn’t resist finishing his Tamiya 1/48 scale F-15C Eagle in the Heritage paint job celebrating the 75th anniversary of David R. Kingsley sacrificing his life to save those of his aircrew when their B-17 was shot down in battle. Adam improved the cockpit with a 3D-printed details from Quinta…