Table of contents for May/June 2024 in FineScale Modeler

NNL West 2024 model car show gallery More than 300 modelers attended this year’s NNL West in Santa Clara, California, exhibiting nearly 1,000 scale-model lowriders, hot rods, customs, gassers, trucks, pickups, and much more. FineScale Modeler returned to photograph the models. Visit FineScale.com/show-galleries to see images of some of the best scale models on the West Coast, including the Youth People’s Choice winner, a custom Auburn Roadster, and a crazy Bf 109 VW. Scale Model Basics how-to videos Don’t miss Scale Model Basics Season 2! FSM brings you all sorts of how-to advice, from using two-part decal setting solution systems and making sprue goo to painting a World War II airplane cockpit and airbrushing a smooth paint finish every time. FineScale Modeler’s editors want to help you make your best…

At the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the submarine was an unproven weapon seen as best utilized in a supporting role for battleships and heavy cruisers. That opinion changed forever on September 22, 1914 when, in the span of a little more than an hour, S.M. U-9 sank three Royal Navy armored cruisers, HMS Aboukir, Hogue, and Cressy. That action made the German crew national heroes, shook British public confidence, and cemented the submarine’s place as a potent weapon. While World War II submarines are well represented in plastic kit form, the same can’t be said for their predecessors. That was until 2020 when Das Werk released a detailed, 1/72 scale kit of U-9. (For those keeping score at home, the model is a respectable 31 inches long…

Lockheed has built some of the prettiest aircraft in history, including the SR-71, Constellation, and F-104, to name a few. To my mind, the Lightning is the cream of the crop. (The original Lightning, the P-38, not its ugly namesake, the F-35.) The sleek, twin-boom fighter exudes grace and power and was responsible for shooting down more enemy aircraft in World War II than any other U.S. Army Air Forces plane. As anyone who has run into me at model shows knows, I have a strong interest in Royal Australian Air Force subjects. As a Commonwealth nation, the RAAF used plenty of British aircraft. But as one of the bastions against the Japanese forces in the South Pacific, a lot of American types found their way into Australian markings. Such…

I’m not particularly fond of modern armor, preferring World War II tanks. But after finding photos of Abramses on military exercises in Germany, I decided to give an M1A2 a go. My inspiration was the mud the images revealed coating the vehicles; it was a lot of mud, leaving muddy tracks on the road. Also, I really liked images of the tank kneeling under the weight of a mine plow. This project actually started 10 years ago converting a Dragon 1/35 scale M1A2 SEP (No. 3536) into a SEP V2 with a Def.Model set (No. 35030), Orange Hobby antennas, and an Aber brass M2. 50-caliber machine gun. I got though the build, painting, and lower hull weathering, then shelved the project. After a decade, it was time to pull it…

Afew years ago, I started using the weathering skills I’ve developed over years of building armor models on a variety of other subjects. I like to experiment with different colors, finishes, and weathering techniques across modeling genres. Such was the case when I turned my attention to a Tamiya 1/24 scale Subaru Impreza WRC ’99 (No. 24218). This was my first attempt at a rally car, and as I learned, this genre has some challenges I hadn’t faced building military subjects. The aesthetics and highlights are often the opposite to what I was used to from building military vehicles. Obviously, the rough metal texture sought when building a heavy World War II tank is the exact opposite of the smooth finish of a glossy modern car. Dealing with large clear…

Continuing its recent bomber trend, HK Models has graced the market with a 1/32 A-20G Havoc — the solid gun-nose version. The comprehensive kit contains 554 parts, including photo-etched details and cast-metal nose weights that are cleverly designed to tuck between the fuselage and the nose-gear bay. Two types of seat belts are included, with a set designated “RAF Style,” hinting at possible future releases. The surface detail is outstanding with stressed skin “oil canning” that looks just right. Unusually, the kit includes decals for only one airframe, but at three different points in its service life. The kit’s CAD-derived instructions are easy to follow. The fully detailed interior may have a bit too much detail because the radio racks behind the cockpit can’t be seen. A decal supplies instrument-panel…

I read Greg Kolasa’s letter in the March/April 2024 “ScaleTalk,” and it instantly brought back memories. Growing up, the only thing I liked better than building that next model was getting things in the mail. The Revell 7-inch promos were the perfect addition to the whole modeling experience. I had visited the USS Massachusetts one summer on a family vacation. Naturally, I picked up the model and when I saw the words “Exclusive record offer,” I sent off the flyer along with $0.35. Building the model while listening to the story of the battleship’s part in the invasion of North Africa, and the boom of those 16 inch guns, enhanced the build! Ashburn, Va. Ed.: What an amazing feature! Thanks to everyone who responded to Greg’s letter. – A.S.…

Arma Hobby’s little P-51B/C is a gem of a kit that includes photo-etched metal (PE) details, precut masks, exquisite surface detail, convincing oil-canning effect in some areas, and optional parts for different versions. Looking at all of that, I figured it needed a base to do it justice and took the build as an opportunity to venture into the world of 3D-printed accessories to place the Mustang in a diorama. Another change was to finish the plane as a Swedish J 26 using Moose Republic decals (No. 72007). In fact, the aircraft I modeled was the first Mustang in the Swedish air force, a U.S.A.A.F. P-51B interned after making an emergency landing in Sweden in May 1944. FINAL THOUGHTS AFTER ATTACHING THE PLANE, the little scene was complete. It didn’t…

Randy Derr started building scale model cars as a kid in the ‘60s. He earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering before he entered two model contests and finished second in both. While he worked at Delco Products (now Delphi Chassis), Randy built models in his spare time, which helped him achieve Best of Show in the 1985 IPMS/USA National Convention. The second Build a Model Month winner, Randy scratchbuilt around 90% of the 1/12th scale “Sebring 75” race car driven by John Greenwood at the 1975 Daytona 24-Hour IMSA endurance race. He began with 18 months of research on the original car, including a trip to southern France to document the full-size racer. This included taking thousands of photos, hundreds of dimensions, and dozens of sketches…

Developed for the civilian market in the late 1950s, the Hughes Model 269A was selected by the U.S. Army to replace the Hiller OH-23 Raven to train helicopter pilots. Almost 800 of the aircraft, designated the TH-55A Osage by the military, were built. It served for 24 years and more than 60,000 Army pilots trained on it. Students referred to it as the “Mattel Messerschmitt” because of its toy-like appearance despite the military garb. I learned to fly in the OH-23D, and after a tour in Vietnam, I returned to Fort Wolters, Texas, the Army’s Primary Helicopter Center, as an Instructor Pilot on the TH-55A. (Yes, that’s me in the top photo!) Compared to the Hiller, the Hughes was light, responsive, and quite maneuverable. It was considered a delight to…

Arguably the most detailed automotive kit series ever rendered in 1/24 or 1/25 scale and among the most controversial, the Accurate Miniatures McLaren M8B kits boast phenomenal technical rigor and a reputation for being virtually impossible to assemble as designed. Although the majority of Accurate Miniatures kits were aircraft, their first automotive foray was the well-received, 1/24 scale 1963 Corvette Grand Sport in three liveries, which the company thought sold reasonably well for such a niche topic. Well enough that the team planned to follow up with the 1969/1970 McLaren M8B, which dominated the Can-Am road racing series for years. The project was announced at the 1996 iHobby Expo, but it generated little interest from kit distributors, according to Bob Johnson, a former Accurate Miniatures executive. Accurate Miniatures subsequently faced…