Inhoudsopgave van December 2017 - FineScale Modeler

Spotlight Tamiya Archer hits target for ease of build Following the release of the Valentine tank in mid-2017, Tamiya (www.tamiyausa.com) follows with a 1/35 scale Archer selfpropelled antitank gun (No. 35356, $66). It makes sense, given that the Archer was built on the Valentine’s chassis. More than 650 were produced during World War II and the vehicle saw service in Northwest Europe and Italy. This kit shares some suspension and link-and-length tracks with the Valentine, but everything else is new including the upper hull, which is molded with the fenders. Sharp detail, including multipart louvers, marks the engine deck. But the real highlight is the fighting compartment with a driver’s position, racks of ammo, weld seams outside, and the rear-facing 17-pounder with breech, controls, and a one-piece barrel. Three figures…

D espite its reputation as a “hot ship” that required constant attention and earned nicknames like “Widow Maker” and “Martin Murderer,” the B-26 served admirably through World War II. Operated by U.S. 9th Air Force squadrons based in the United Kingdom, the medium bomber was known for bombing accuracy. Wonderfully molded, Hasegawa’s 1/72 scale Marauder shows all the characteristics of a modern kit: fine, recessed panel lines mark external surfaces, there’s good detail inside, and the canopy and other window parts are crystal clear. But that doesn’t mean it can’t be improved. I enhanced the details, then painted it with well-worn camouflage befitting a veteran bomber in the Mediterranean. Cockpit The cockpit subassembly incorporates the bombardier’s compartment. A decent level of detail highlights the instrument panel and center console. The…

The ’80s was a great time to grow up. Great music, great movies, great clothes — OK, maybe not so much the clothes … One defining event of that seminal decade was the launching of MTV. You didn’t just hear the music, you could watch a video, too. There was one music video that I remember vividly: the Blue Angels celebrating their 40th anniversary with a video for the song Dreams by Van Halen. Never before had this 14-year-old gotten to be so “up close and personal” with the Blues. I would try to catch it on TV to record it onto a VHS tape. Don’t laugh — you know you did it, too! Wanting my own Blue Angels aircraft, I started with Hasegawa’s 1/48 scale A-4E/F. The Blues didn’t…

32,500 feet Maximum ceiling of FlaK 36 anti-aircraft gun L ooking to display Tamiya’s “88mm Gun FlaK 36/37” (No. 35017), I decided to show it in a bombed-out Italian courtyard in 1944. I took a lot of “forum flak” for it, though it was possible — if not probable — that the gun could be set up as I have it. However, I wanted a compact scene. Small scenes can be detailed more easily than large ones, and I did not want to build more than I had to around the gun. And I learned new things from the project — achieving my personal goal of raising my own bar to new modeling heights.…

Photo-etch can’t hide now Once I’ve enjoyed a box of Ferrero Rocher chocolates (and who wouldn’t?), the sturdy, clear lid makes a perfect photo-etch (PE) working space. I line it with black Perspex, which allows me to easily see tiny PE assemblies. In the past, when a PE part fell out of my tweezers, the carpet monster devoured it. Now it falls into the tray, where it can’t hide. – Stuart Fooks Bangor, New South Wales, Australia Uses for champagne corks Don’t throw away champagne corks; they have many modeling uses: If you chop off the mushroom, it can be used as a stand for holding toothpicks or pins which can support small parts — such as wheels — for painting. The wire cage that held the cork in place…

The P-51 Mustang is always a popular modeling subject, and every kit manufacturer has to have one in its lineup. Meng enters the competition with a 1/48 scale P-51D. Interestingly, the kit features a push-fit assembly but does so without compromising detail. The cleanly molded gray plastic incorporates neat recessed panel lines and rivet patterns. Optional parts include: two canopy types; two types of propeller; 75- and 108-gallon drop tanks; and bombs. No pilot is given. Beautifully printed decals provide markings for two colorful Mustangs flown by World War II aces: American Beauty, of the 308th Fighter Squadron and Short-Fuse Sallee, of the 356th Fighter Squadron. Aided by the push-fit engineering, construction breaks down into subassemblies. The detailed cockpit comprises 19 parts and looks convincing with careful painting. Generally, parts…

This is a big deal: Takom has packaged the V-2, Hanomag, Meillerwagen and launch platform in one box. You can show the rocket erected or stowed for transport, the steering is movable, and there’s an optional APU setup. Markings are provided for four rockets and three Hanomag SS100 tractors. The instructions are split into two booklets, one for the Hanomag and one for the V-2/Meillerwagen/launch platform. I started with the V-2. Test-fitting the rocket halves, I found the two sides didn’t match. To fix this, I cut and glued tabs made from styrene sheet and let them cure. The halves then matched up better, but still needed careful sanding and filling because of the surface detail near the joint. From pictures, I noticed the tip of the rocket is slightly…

Nicknamed Aardvark early in its career, the F-111 was not officially given that title until its USAF retirement in 1996. Despite a relatively low production run — only 566 built — and a troubled development that stemmed from trying to produce both a naval interceptor and an Air Force strike aircraft, the F-111 went on to be a potent weapon. The first production aircraft with variable-sweep wings, it could operate in weather that grounded other aircraft and carry out missions without tanker or electronic countermeasure support. Combat experiences of the Aardvark include Southeast Asia in the early 1970s, the Gulf War, and the 1986 raid on Libya. Kelly Quirk, of Platte City, Mo., modified Academy’s 1/48 scale F-111F with a resin cockpit from Black Box, and resin wheels, exhausts, Pave…

While I am fascinated by most aspects of World War II, I have always been drawn to the Pacific Theater and what I consider the less-documented aspects of the war. The U.S. Marines’ tanks have always been of special interest, due to their color schemes, amphibious characteristics, and the many modifications by crews to counter Japanese tactics. I decided to derive this build from David E. Harper’s Tank Warfare on Iwo Jima (Squadron, ISBN 978-0-89747-559-4). The base kit is Dragon’s 1/35 scale “M4A2 Late PTO” (No. 6462), modified with bits and pieces from around my shop or cadged from friends. The mix of features was an opportunity to tackle some different customization ideas.…

No Seahawk is cooler than the HH-60 Jayhawk (redesignated MH-60), especially with its striking U.S. Coast Guard colors. Years ago, I wrote to the U.S. Department of Transportation and explained how I badly wanted to see one in action. My request was granted and I visited the USCG air stations in San Francisco and San Diego, where an HH-60J resided. There, I took all the reference photos a modeler could want. Back at the workbench, I began construction on the 1/72 scale Sikorsky SH-60B Seahawk from Italeri. A conversion set from Fireball Modelworks (No. FMR-002) provided resin upgrades and a complete decal sheet. I placed my HH-60 on a base made of wood and painted cardboard, weathered with pastels. I attached a U.S. Coast Guard logo and pilot wings that…

Search and ye shall find, we hope Q Can you provide tips for searching your archives (on FineScale.com)? For most queries, nothing comes up. – Roger Fisher Houston, Texas A Thanks for writing, Roger. Here are some basic tips for searching FineScale.com: • On the home page, click on the “magnifying glass” icon at the right end of the black bar at the top of the page, 1. • Limit your search to one or two key words. Do not type a full question as you might in Google. • If all you want is Reader Gallery, there is a box you can check at the top of the search results, 2. • To the right of the search box is the “Filter” button, 3. Use it to narrow your…

The North American P-51 Mustang found its way into the air forces of many other countries during and after World War II — including, albeit through capture, not export, the Chinese communist People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF), which was founded in Beijing with two PT-19s, two Mosquitos, and six P-51Ds. HobbyBoss’ latest entry in its “Easy Assembly” line of 1/48 scale aircraft is a PLAAF P-51D kit. The same kit is also available boxed as a P-51D/Mustang IV in Royal Air Force and U.S. Army Air Force markings; another boxing is in Korean War U.S. Air Force and South African markings. Cleanly molded in neutral gray plastic, the kit’s pieces are few (43) as separate parts are minimized. Optional parts are limited to drop tanks. The main components have…

The latest from Zvezda’s 1/144 airliner factory is a 737-800 kit and — good news — parts breakdown and features all but guarantee other variants and configurations in subsequent releases. Fine recessed panel lines mark the beautifully molded parts. Options include: three wingtips — no winglets, blended winglets, and split scimitar winglets — a standard tail cone and the redesigned, more aerodynamic one used on the 737 MAX; windscreens with and without eyebrow windows; and retracted or extended gear. A stand is included. Decals provide markings for two aircraft from Russian carrier UTair. Clear cabin-window inserts can be glued in the fuselage halves from inside. But to ease masking and painting, I elected to use the provided window outline decals with their clear carrier film for windows instead. No flight…

A “studio scale” model is the same size as a miniature used for filming. There’s no preset measurement or standard size — just what looks best on camera. But they do tend to be large. Bigger models hold more detail and catch more light. Also, movement — especially for a massive spacecraft, for instance — looks more realistic when the model is bigger. Studio scale modeling is not exactly mainstream — but when Theo Stefanski of Cambria, Calif., got the urge to build a studio- scale Orion spaceliner, he knew where to go. “Atomic City Models has a decadeslong history of producing resin models from 2001: A Space Odyssey, among others,” he says. “They are limited editions and hard to obtain. Once in hand, however, they invite modifications beyond their…

I f you are modeling soldiers from just about any era, you’ll need to paint guns — that means everything from rifles to pistols to submachine guns. Some have wooden stocks, others may include pressed metal, and all will have machined parts. To demonstrate some of my favorite techniques, I painted German World War II weapons from several Dragon 1/35 scale figure sets. These are some of the nicest plastic guns available. I used handmade brushes from The Brushman, David Jackson (thebrushman@hotmail.co.uk). Use one brush for metallic paints and another for other colors. In 1/35 scale, these things are small and kind of awkward to hold onto during painting. I stuck them in blobs of Blu-Tack poster putty on a cork handle. Next Issue What better way to follow a…

BRIAN HOFFMAN BEDFORD, INDIANA Having bagged Italeri’s 1/35 scale kit, Brian cooked up his DUKW with all the trimmings: Eduard photo-etch, scratchbuilt spotlight, twisted wire to replace the winch cable, solder tie-downs, and a scratchbuilt engine and engine compartment with spare PE added. He painted with Vallejo colors, artist’s oil filters and washes, and Mig pigments. The barrels are from a Tamiya vehicle accessories set. ERIK PEGLOW WERDER (HAVEL), BRANDENBURG, GERMANY Erik built Bandai’s 1/12 scale Sandtrooper and armed it with lethal jelly beans that it carries in a kit-bashed backpack. He painted his “Jelly Trooper” with “UV neon colors” and displayed it on a base made from wood, sand, plaster of paris, and oven-hardening Fimo. NATHAN CAMARILLO SEATTLE, WASHINGTON Bumping up his Bradley, Nathan added masking-tape bag straps and…

I ’d rather spend my modeling money on aftermarket parts and photo-etch than masking sets. Using simple steps and basic tools, I make masks that fit hard-to-cover nooks and crannies, like those on the three canopies pictured. Before I begin cutting, I coat all clear parts in Pledge FloorCare Multi-Surface Finish to protect the surface and create a barrier against super glue fumes.…

Talk about packing in the detail! MiniArt’s SU-122 provides a full interior, including engine and fighting compartment. (The kit has also been released without the interior.) You pay a price for all that detail, with nearly 900 parts spread over 80 individual sprues. Just keeping track of the parts is challenging. But the result is a real looker alive with details. The kit engine features fuel and coolant lines, and the transmission includes all of the linkages and even has photo-etched (PE) drum brakes. The straightforward engine compartment builds quickly, but I deviated from the directions and left the exhaust pipes (parts Da1 and Da2) intact; the instructions indicate cutting them apart and then rejoining them after the rear plate is in place. I was able to thread them through…

As model companies seem intent on outdoing each other in search of new subjects, fans of anything British have been the beneficiaries. IBG has produced several trucks used by the British army in World War II, and is the first to the market with a 1/35 scale plastic kit of the Scammell Pioneer. The initial offering is the SV2S heavy breakdown tractor. Cleanly molded in dark yellow plastic, the kit includes clear parts for the windows and light lenses, and a fret of photo-etched (PE) details. Take care removing parts from trees as the attachment gates are thick and some parts have placement pins right at the gates. Decals provide markings for a captured vehicle in German service, a Russian Lend- Lease truck, and three Commonwealth vehicles: one each in…

I was only aware of the Bücker Bü 181 Bestmann as the plane Hendley and Blythe attempted to fly to Switzerland in The Great Escape. It’s a German two-seat trainer that was used as a courier/ liaison plane during World War II. It was also converted to a tank-buster with the additions of wing-mounted Panzerfausts. However, Stepan Stransky’s 1/48 scale model kit depicts the Bestmann in foreign services, with decals for Czech, French, Croatian, and British markings. But the four Panzerfausts provided may foreshadow a German tank-buster to come. Typical of limited-run kits, there are no alignment pins; care must be taken to make sure fit is true. The panel lines are both engraved and raised, as on the real aircraft. For landing gear, you have a choice of wheels…