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Hello, this is my next build after the A-6E Intruder. I used the Zactoman intake set, AirDoc Decals and the Academy Nay Pilot.... Thanks to Raimund, aka Isar30/07, I got new Canopy! Thanks for that againe! Hope you like it....

Hi there all forum members. This is my latest build. It is a Revell Hawker Hunter Mark 58, downgraded to a Mark 50(F4). A new resin tail cone and with small leading edges. Some fix for the spine and scratched F.O.D covers. I also used Flightpath photoetch airbrake and flaps. Decals from Moose Republic. The Swedish Airforce named the Hawker Hunter J-34. All aircrafts painted in Olivedrab. J-34 was first delivered to airwing F-18 in 1955. The Swedes used the Hunters until the J-35 interceptor was delivered to the airwings. Last flight with hunters in the Swedish airforce was 1967. Some of them was equiped with two RB24(sidewinder). Here is Yellow K from Airwing F-18 with white exercise markings. This particular aircraft collided in air with a J-29 "Tunnan" in 1961.

From left to right - Hasegawa/Belcher Bits CF-5A, Italeri CF-104, Hasegawa Sabre Mk.6. Paints used were Xtracolor enamels. Decals by Leading Edge.

At last there is some paint being used in this build - first time since the build began a few months ago. It's good to see the added, specific details for the Spanish Harrier blend well in the cockpit parts. It is a shame that many of the details will be hidden once the ejection seat will be placed in it, but, hey they're there and it was fun to build them. You can hardly see the rivets I added to the side of the cockpit wall either ... Here are two more views: Now this is done, the exterior of the nose section can be modified where necessary and I can get started with finishing the details on the air intakes and paint them as well. And painting the almost done engine bay. Slowly, the EAV-8B is taking shape. Hope you like the progress! Nic

Thanks guys! Especially the additional info on Horst Carganico's Mickey Mouse markings! Work continues on the G-6. The exhausts have been painted. Alclad Steel sprayed straight onto the resin as a base. Tinted with Alclad Exhaust Manifold, drybrushed with some rusty reddish brown color and then the tips were sprayed black. After the starboard side decals were completed, I sprayed the model with a light coat of Alclad Aqua Gloss. I use a custom-mixed, water-based pastel wash. All of the past riveting, filling and re-scribing comes to the surface. After the applied wash is dry, the model is wiped clean with a damp paper towel. It's funny that its called a wash when you are actually dirtying up things. I'm going to let this sit for a day. Before the wash is sealed with a clear coat, it's good to step away and then come back to make sure you clean off all of the wash. Some inadvertent stains are good, others will detract so I'll take a look with fresh eyes tomorrow. I love the look of the AMUR Reaver G-6/AS cowling. It has those bulged muscular proportions that made the DB605 aircraft so cool.

Good day, friends! I want to show you my new model - revell He-219 A-7. In work I used: BigEd, BigSin, Barracuda, Master 20, 30 mm gun barrels, Profimodeller antennas, CMK seats, HGW belts, SWS crew, and DML Kettenkraftrad. I used Gunze paints and oils.

afternoon ladies thank you so much for the warm welcome on this build I am really excited about it even though it is as far as you can get from the well documented P51C with a full library of every drawing available to look up.. I will just have to domore 'interpretation' than usual! Thanks Roger & Alain - I am already in your debt, for the info you have already sent and am going to need wingmen like you to help me on this one Ah Wackyracer, you were pipped to the post by one, otherwise you would have been my very first Patron! I have really enjoyed making video blogs of the build to compliment WIP posts and think it really does bring another dimension to not only what I do, but sharing it with you good folks another video went up this morning, so do catch that one Hi Miamiangler- stay safe over there and can't wait to see a fellow build of this engimatic aircraft So where were we... breaking up the 21st Century Toys 'toy' into bits... The model is mainly made up from bits that are either screwed together, or have 'nubs' that pass through a hole and are then melted with what looks like a soldering iron, so by breaking out those nubs it came to pieces quite easily & quickly... ..the fuselage and all those bits... ..and the wings and all those bits... ..comparing to plans, the shapes are pretty good - the fuselage is a tad short at the tail, but that's no problem to correct later.. ..and the wings are fine.. ..the model is covered in deep panel lines which will be a problem when it comes to skinning, so the first step was to fill these with P40 filler... ..no this is not some late war camoflage, this is what it looks like after sanding the filler down... ..the recess for the airscoop was also filled.. ..then the fuselage & wings were shot with some high build primer - mainly so I have a unified looking set of parts to work with, but also to help visualisation.. ..have also started to gather what drawings I can find and start translating them into what will become a large photo-etch set, although the etcher's I use PPD have suspended trading due to covid so that will be a while yet ..and even while preparing that top instrument panel part, I learned thanks to forum contributors that this Fw190 would have had ancilliary instruments like this shot of a high altitude test aircraft - this is what I will copy I expect... so, we are on our way.... a million parts to go, but I think it is going to be a blast Don't forget, if you fancy it, video builds and articles are and will continue to be posted on Patreon TTFN Peter

Gloss coat applied (Alclad Aqua Gloss)... Port side decals about 75% done...

Here is my finished project. Tamiya 1:32 P-51D in the markings of Daddy's Girl This was an amazing kit to build and i have to say my best build yet. Hope you all enjoy. Some description of what i used. I replaced the kit instrument panel with a Eduard Look one. Also used HGW fabric seat belts and resin dingy. Painted with K kolors Aluminum, Tamiya mix for the bright green nose and MRP for everything else.

Hi guys! I'm from Poland so it was must have purchase for me. Kit is outstanding, with some minor flaws, like propeller, and some small fit issues. I added Yahu IP and Radio Panel, made few corrections and placed cables. Left - kit, Right my work, not entirely correct but better. Headrest was entirely covered in leather, not only in top part. Rudder and elevator can be easily done as movable, you only need to straighten connection, using for example syringe needles. I made this tube, which was not present in kit unforunately. Ailerons can be easily done movable too! I'm now on this stage. Yahu goddies placed, cables and compass in middle of Instrument Panel added. Engine colored too:

Hello We did also different versions of the same F-18 US Navy pilot : at our usual scales cheers norbert

. A-10A Thunderbolt II from Trumpeter 1:32 scale The model is not the best, made as always straight from the box using a rather poor set of decals. Set: Trumpeter Decals: Trumpeter Paint: Sikkens Autowave II

Her is my representation of the aircraft flown by Lt Robert Hampton Grey VC when he attacked the Amakusa and was killed on 9th August 1945, the last Canadian VC of the war. There is much debate as to the markings and aircraft he used on that sortie, so here is my example. Thanks for looking Andy

Hello, Here is my last kit finished in the last few days. This Panavia Tonado IDS is based on the Revell kit in 1/32nd scale. The Revell kit is old, with recessed panel lines but it is not up to the standard of these days. Many important details are missing, and some areas are not correct in size and shapes. This Tornado IDS was with the Italian Air Force (AMI) between the 1991 and the 1995 in charge of the 36 Stormo based at Gioia del Colle (south-est of Italy). The primary role of this squadron was anti-ship missions, thus the Kormoran missiles under the belly pylons. NATO dark sea grey-dark green with aluminum under-surface was the standard camouflage pattern for the italian’s strike fighters in those days. Some part as pylons and pods were still in Desert Sand temporary color applied for the first Desert Storm war. I hope you like like it… CIAO! Piero

So far, everything went pretty whell this week-end, my flat coat on the pit was done with no problem, first time with Mig product, not bad.à I gave a last shut on the intake and it paid off, the result is acceptable, so now I'll have to get myself a seated pilot from the '60s... So time to close that fuselage and do some patching/ sanding.. Main bay done with base oleo glued in place, found out from my previous built with the D that a little more stiffness will do good when time come to put the wings on... Enough weight in the nose to counteract the tail heavy.... Waiting for the strut to dry stiff, I'll prepare the seat fro the pilot. I'll have to check my references, I heard somewhere that those arm rest should be in down position until the pilot eject...? It's nice to see it on his wheels and weird with no wings, looks like a Go-Cart.... HI-Speeeed.....lol . I should be able to have the paint done this week, hope you like it ahd have fun. Dan.

We are in a 21 day lock-down in South Africa and I am filling and painting and sanding!!!! But not plastic models. The wife decided to put me to work fixing all the small cracks in the house. I did manage to do a little on the F-15. The IP needed a bit of attention as the clear inserts look like lenses. I also painted the wheels. I contemplated the Eduard color IP. Our postage system id completely dysfunctional and only about a third of packages from overseas arrive. I looked at courier cost from Hannants. 38 Pounds. Out currency also went **** up and lost 30% in a few days. So .... no AM products till this thing is over. So out with the glasses and paint brush. Happy modeling during the lock-down everyone Nick

Thanks guys! April 7/20 I hope everyone is keeping well. This virus stuff is very scary, but it also gives us modeling nerds a chance to focus on our hobby. Like many these days I work from home, but work is really cutting into my modeling time! Yes, I know, I’m very lucky to still have a job. (Deep sigh). This model will never be entered into a model contest, because there are too many flaws. The biggest flaw is the canopy, which is too narrow, is not made to be left open and does not fit the kit parts at all. The second flaw is my painting. More on that later. As shown earlier the canopy parts are too narrow for the shelf they sit on and the tabs on the bottom of some of them don’t fit the openings in the fuselage. I say “some”, because most of these tabs are missing, which is identical in both kits that I’m using. Here’s how narrow the parts are. Side by side they look OK. But if you stack them, as they are on the real aircraft, each canopy part lifts the next, so the larger front one on top is much higher than the rear. As documented earlier, I tried to heat and bend the canopy parts wider and crashed and burned with cracks in the clear plastic, so I had to buy another kit to replace them. Looking at the interior of a Harvard, it’s clear that the inside is painted interior green like the rest of the cockpit. So I masked off both the interior and exterior of the canopy parts and painted them accordingly, BUT, as mentioned earlier, the yellow does not cover very well, so it takes many coats of paint to do so. With dark green on the inside, even my white undercoat wasn’t enough to help with coverage, so I had to spray many coats to get them the right shade of yellow. The second problem with the paint is that it’s lacquer. Lacquer paints don’t like to be masked for long periods of time and when you pull off the masking tape, the paint sometimes chips, especially if the paint is thick. Repairs are very difficult, because the lacquer doesn’t dissolve with thinner very well when it has cured and painting with a brush is also difficult, because it dries so quickly. On my last Kitty Hawk build of an F-5E, the canopy came out beautifully, because it only took two coats of black paint and I was able to pull off the masks before it became too hard- and chipped. In any event, here are the canopy parts after painting and the touch ups I could do. This is as close as I’ll show them, due to all the flaws. And of course, I still have the same problem as before when you put them on the cockpit sill. One of the reasons the rear canopy is so narrow, is that Kitty hawk made a shelf at the rear that does not really exist. The rear canopy should be flush- or almost flush- with the sides of the sill and not narrower. Major mistake in my mind and nothing fits anyway. Checking other builds of this kit, most modelers just park the canopy parts on the sill and call it a day The other issue is the big holes along the sill, which are there for the canopy parts that don’t fit. They should be filled. Since nothing is accurate and nothing fits, I can do whatever I want to make the canopy parts fit better. It came to me that some channel styrene might hold everything together and cover the holes at the same time. So I painted the channel yellow on the sides and Alclad Steel within the channel, to replicate a slider, then glued it to the cockpit sill. I wish I had done this earlier before painting… Since the middle canopy is narrow, but also fixed and doesn’t slide, I cut a notch in the channel to glue it to. The middle canopy dry fit. Not bad. But the rear canopy will not clear the roll cage and will lift the other canopy parts if slid underneath. I wish I had known this earlier as well, so that I could have shortened the cage slightly which would be easy. Running out of choices (and patience!), I decided to leave the rear canopy opened slightly so that it didn’t interfere with roll cage. Because it’s so narrow, it fits perfectly between the sliders on each side, and is slightly lower, but is still aligned with the rear glass. I then glued the middle canopy on top, using Gator Grip Hobby Glue so that cleanup was easy with water. Note that I installed the seats first, because you can’t install the rear seat later. I then glued the front canopy to the middle one, making sure most of the canopy framing within was visible for interest, again with Gator Grip glue. Done! While the rear canopy is only partially opened, you can still see much of the cockpit area. This looks much better from the front now. With the canopies stacked on each other, painting flaws are less noticeable, but they still piss me off. I’m on the homestretch now!… Lessons learned for those of you building this kit in the future: I would have added the styrene channel to the sill before painting, for a cleaner and much easier installation and shortened the roll cage, so that the rear canopy didn’t interfere with it. So there you have it. While my canopy painting is barely a 7/10, I think the idea of using a styrene channel along the cockpit sills is a 9/10 for execution. As mentioned, it is not realistic, but not much on this kit is anyway. Cheers- and stay safe, Chuck

Folks, Thank-you so very much for your postings and I apologize for my lack of response buy I can assure you they're all very much appreciated! I've been bouncing around a bit on my build and made an interesting (to me anyways) observation regarding some details. Tamiya's instructions indicate using certain parts for the -1A build but from references I've found I should be using alternate parts supplied in the kit but not mentioned in the instructions. From my research, based on it's build number and photo evidence, my specific Corsair was an early F4U-1A and wasn't set up to use the Brewster bomb rack. Tamiya's instructions and parts call out are given so the rack can be used. When the bomb rack was installed the centre cooling flap on the underside of the fuselage, part R20, was notched out on the trailing edge to clear the rack. I used part B25 instead without the cut out. It also meant that there was no small arming panel on the right side of the IP coaming. The applicable hole needed to be filled. Instead of using parts R24 and R14 below the centre of the main wing spar, which accommodates the rear mounting for the bomb rack I should have used part B18. Unfortunately, I'm a great gluer, (that's a real word Isn't it?) and I'd already used R24 and R14 so corrective surgery was needed. Then there was the bomb rack's forward mounting point. Tamiya, thankfully, supply part B23 to fill the hole! Hopefully the photos below will show what I've been yammering about. Cheers, Wolf

Thanks Kirby! The masks were bits of scrubbing pads and an artist's template for random spots. And yes, the hairspray has been applied under the preshading. After the hairspray on the wing roots has dried, it is time to start painting the RLM 76! I am using AK Real Colors RLM 76 Version 2 thinned with Tamiya Lacquer Thinner at a 2:1 thinner to paint ratio. Since the paint mixture is so thin, the color needs to be built up slowly, leaving only a hint of the preshading underneath. It took a number of refills of my airbrush cup to cover the entire aircraft but it eventually got done. Using this technique, it is important to let the finish dry completely before deciding your finished. While curing, the highly thinned RLM 76 may mix with the preshading below and reveal more of the preshading.

Thanks guys! I'm going to constrain the hairspray chipping to the wing roots only. Assuming that the wing root fairing is made of wood, I've painted the area appropriately. The preshading will occur in two phases. The first is preshading the panel lines in black. Next a random mottle pattern is applied using a combination of different masks.

Thanks Frederick, I'm keeping an eye on your Lightning - we all know the Trumpeter one has many flaws, some of which you're addressing excellently, but it's still an impressive looking kit of an iconic aeroplane. This update is a bit sooner than intended, and perhaps should be called a "downdate". Having congratulated myself earlier about the wing assembly, I suddenly realised this afternoon that I had made a fatal error.........shock horror .....forgot to fit the Echelon white metal seat for the main undercarriage leg. I tried squeezing it in from every angle but it wouldn't fit so I had no alternative other than to cut out a section of the underwing. The patch fitted back in nicely, a bit of filler on it and should be as good as new once sanded. The only good point about this "lesson" is that I discovered it at this point so only had one to do! It's no fun being old and stupid at times!

Hey all- ran a few wire harnesses- with these in place I can start loading up the aft bulkhead. The fine steel line from ANYZ is going to get a workout on this build, as much of the gear is hung from improvised cables running all over the place- having fun- cheers Pete

Good morning all, Here is the renovation of my 9 year old Tamiya Sptifire !! Resumption of painting and weathering with oil paint and watercolor pencils. Cheers X15

Something from France this time. Mirage 2000C from Kitty Hawk 1:32 scale I don't have much good to say about Kitty Hawk models. I chose a rather unusual camouflage, but next time I will do Mirage 2000 in Greek markings. Model made straight from the box.

As promised, final pictures of the Panther under a glorious sun. One of the best kits I ever built. I used the casted brass legs Paul produced two years ago and given the sheer weight of this aircraft, I don't regret the purchase. I encourage anyone who has this kit to build it, it is a serious treat. Cheers, David

Synthetic Ordnance Works now has 5 new landing gear products available for purchase. Grumman TBF-1C/TBM-3 "Avenger" MLGS 1007 $18.95 For Trumpeter Kit Douglas SBD -1/2/3/5 "Dauntless" MLGS 1008 $18.95 For Trumpeter Kit North American Aviation P-51D "Mustang" MLGS 1009 $17.95 For Revell Kit Nakajima Ki-84 "Hayate" MLGS 1010 $17.95 For Hasegawa Kit Above is the complex interior stainless steel tubing and music wire structure needed to add necessary support for the very thin nose gear leg. Kyushu J7W1 "Shinden" MLGS 1011 $22.95 For Zoukei-Mura Kit To place an order pleas PM me with the following information: The item number and the number of each set you would like to order If you do not live in the U.S. please include the country in which you live. The email address you use for Paypal. When this information is provided Paypal will invoice you. Upon receipt of payment your order will be shipped to you via USPS First Class Mail. USPS Priority Mail is available at additional cost - prior approval from customer is required to avoid "sticker shock". If postage is deemed excessive by out of U.S. customers and you wish to cancel the order, please notify us at your earliest convenience. Shipping to U.S. Addresses: 1 to 4 sets $5.00 5 or more sets $6.00 Shipping to non-U.S. address: Shipped at cost. Planned Future Releases: Props PCM Macchi C.205 "Veltro" Trumpeter P-38 "Lightning" Revell Spitfire Mk I/II Hobby Boss B-24 "Liberator" Hasegawa P-40 "Warhawk" Revell Ju 88A-1/4 Revell Heinkel He 219 "Uhu" Jets Revell Me 262 "Schwalbe" Revell He 162 "Volksjaeger" Hasegawa A-4 "Skyhawk" Trumpeter A-4 "Skyhawk Kinetic/Italieri F-86F "Sabre" Academy F-18 "Hornet"(?) Trumpeter Su-27 (?) Tamiya F-15 "Eagle" (?) Trumpeter F-18 "Super Hornet"(?) Revel/Italeri Mirage III.O (?) Please make suggestions on what you would like to see. If you want something from a kit we don't have, perhaps consider donating parts in exchange for our product for your donation. Please Note: Synthetic Ordnance Works is a one-man operation dealing with labor intensive products. Please have patience when an item is out of stock. It will be refilled as quickly as possible. MLGS products 1001-1006 still available. Check here for descriptions: Thanks for stopping by. D.B.Andrus

Hi all, Here is a topic about my 3D job on KH Mirage 2000c, to modify into 2000-5. I started it about one month ago, and it will take a time, as I'm not working anymore, because of diabesis & burnout. In fact , I try to keep my mind by improving skills into 3D softwares. Oh, please, my apologies about my English. Too much time since school... So I began by measuring and copying the KH cockpit, then printed a basic sample on Anycubic Photon printer. This one was printed by a friend on Elegoo Mars, as my Photon was out of service after two months. Chinese people sent a new motherboard to me, I now own a Photon S! As you could see, I was not that bad to fit the kit!

Thanks guys! Correcting the port fuselage cross was job #1 today. Placing the mask on Post-its like I did previously aids in placement but it can also restrict the mask from conforming to a curved surface. This time, the mask was placed first and the Post-its were put on afterwards to protect from overspray. As before the white borders were sprayed first and then the white portions were masked off. The fuselage and upper wing crosses are called out as Grey (RLM 74), not black. Ah... much better! With the crosses and swastika done, I think I can cover the model in gloss in preparation for decals and further weathering.

Hello All! Lock down DOES have benefits... I am doing as much modelling as my wife will allow... Firstly, my Magic Scale Modelling Set arrived, going to fully light her up and have the engines running. My 3D Printed Engines will be designed around the MSM Motors; Got the basic cockpit finished; The flares are 3D printed and the hydraulic hand pump is scratch built; The footplates are etch with recesses for the screwheads. The wood is HPH redwood decals Apologies for the brush hair I just clocked lying on top of the shelf! Thanks to Anthony who sent me photos of the rear bulkhead, it shows this was made up of a hardwood as averse to the ply on the floor. Hence the different brown abrasion colours.. The hydraulic systems are in place for; Gun Access & Bomb Doors Radiator Flap Actuators on the wings Hydraulic Actuators for the Engines I will complete the hydraulics when the fuselage goes together. The Valving is from the engines and spares box. All done in nickel and brass wire - 0.45 & 0.6 The Electrical Boxes and Hydraulic Doors Reservoir Tanks are 3D Printed (missing from the kit) Next? The Nose Guns... Thanks for looking. Cheers Steve

Hi, here are a few snap shots of the mottling in RLM 81 ... Both fuselage sides showed different camoflage patterns probably due to 2 painters finishingeach side of the fuselage independently. I have one photo of the right side of Rote 12 showing dark areas or bands of RLM 81. RLM 81 area ahead of the wind shield probably needs some re-working with RLM 76 ...

Slow going on the modeling front. I would've thought that I'd have time to spend in the modeling room now that our state is under mandatory shelter-in-place orders. But that has not been the case. I've been busy working at home and also my mind continues to dwell on the friends I left in Central Asia. One who is especially dear to me and is going through some unfortunate health issues right now. But I have tomorrow off and with no likely fishing opportunities, I'll probably get to do some more modeling this weekend. In the few hours that I have spent working on this G-6, I've cut some exhaust deflectors from brass sheeting. The Barracuda resin wheels have been painted. Still some weathering work to do on the landing gear but the base painting is done.

Thanks Troy, This is one of the ways to have that model in one's collection that simply isn't available. The F-102 and F-106 are interesting subjects too. At least there's a vac-form solution to that So, the centreline drop tank seems to have been very poorly documented, and I at least have quite a good idea of the dimensions now. Needed materials to make it, but can't get to it. I cut a piece from the broomstick and turned the basic shape of the drop tank . My wife was not impressed... However, it worked well, and vac-form halves will be made from the wooden master to make it lighter. Then the drop tank fins will be made. Cheers, John

When I was waiting for my new Photon motherboard, I began to draw dashboard cover. At first, I made it copying KH measurements. Then some people on french forum Master194 told me that the shape was not that right... So I modified And more... And more... Now, final design is ready to print But I still have problems with the printer! Wait & see, I now draw again the cockpit frame, a loooong job!

Thanks Michael. Compressed air tanks and assosciated pipework next. Again, not 100% accurate, but good enough when looing behind the cockpit. Believe it or not, the two small cylinders mounted on the base are actually heads from 1/35 German hand grenades Otherwise it's .010 lead wire, Evergreen styrene and Meng styrene nuts... The instrument panel saw a change of plan. I did buy one of Eduard's L00k instrument panels, but decided against using it as it appears very 'toy-like' in mu humble opinion... So, I just used the kit parts - only changing a couple of instrument decals for ones supplied by Barracuda. Otherwise painted with acrylics and weathered with enamels and pigments....

Ok so as it stands my MiG 29A build is on hold pending some parts to complete it as I wanted to. So this build will replace it for now. I have 7 days off from work (no not Covid related, this is just my roster pattern, 7 days off every 4 weeks). In the mail currently there’s also the GT Resin seamless intake and some Zotz decals. But I can do a few things before I need those so we shall begin.

What if the Lightning had been a failure? The RAF would have been scrambling around for a Mach 2 interceptor, and NATO had adopted the Zipper as the standard interceptor for the alliance!

Time to apply the markings. I scanned an Eagle Cal's Bf109G-6 decal sheet and used it as a template to make custom masks for the crosses and swastika. With multi-color masks, there are always a few ways you can paint these. I decided to do the white borders first. So I applied the outline mask and sprayed the white. Keeping the outline mask in place, I placed the little "L" masks for white borders and sprayed RLM 74 Gray over that. Same deal with the wing bottom, except I ran into a little paint pull-up. This was fixed using pieces of Post-Its as a corrective mask. One thing that you have to watch out for with vinyl masking material (Oramask 810) is that it can stretch or distort. That happened with the fuselage crosses. The distortion was bad enough to redo the marking altogether. So it's back to square one on the port side. I managed to correct the starboard fuselage cross without having to re-do it.

Evening all, Making the most of self-isolation, I've made a start on the cockpit interior. I absolutely Detest (with a capital D) making cockpits - I find it tedious enough painting kit cockpits so scratch-building them is even worse. I've been putting it off as long as possible with this build, but it's got to the stage where I can't put it off any longer. I thought I'd start with the instrument panel and get that out of the way first. I'll say now that this is far from a perfect replica of a Shackleton MkII instrument panel, but the overall effect is close enough for my liking. The initial job is to make the panel itself and this was done using plastic card. I made some basic rudder pedals beneath from more plastic strip and card. The individual panel sections - in this case the Shackleton seems to have two centre panels (lower one larger and the upper one slightly smaller) and then a panel with the primary flight instruments for each the pilot and co-pilot - were made next and offered up to the main panel for sizing. When the shapes and sizes were correct, I then set about using Airscale's excellent instrument bezel sets to start bringing the whole thing to life: Untitled by Thomas Probert, on Flickr The whole panel then got a spraying of matt black, with a drybrush of dark grey to bring out some of the details: Untitled by Thomas Probert, on Flickr Next was adding instrument decals - again the excellent Airscale sets to the rescue here: Untitled by Thomas Probert, on Flickr A clear gloss varnish was added to the instrument faces to represent the glass, and some light weathering added on the rudder pedals before it was fitted to the forward bulkhead: Untitled by Thomas Probert, on Flickr The macro photography makes it look a lot rougher than it actually is, and I'm quite pleased with the outcome so far. Obviously lots more to do, but as I'm currently in the swing of making instrument panels and the like, I may have a go at the Flight Engineer's panel next. Stay tuned... Tom

So, jumping forward a little, I think I can call the cockpit finished. Adding the hydraulic undercarriage lines was a little tricky, but with some time and patience, managed to get all four in place. Also added control lines using Modelkasten rigging thread and the pilot, Rupert, was pinched from a Wingnut Wings kit. I did, somehow, manage to lose the Barracuda resin oxygen hose, so had to fashion a replacement from lead wire.

Hello modeller friends, Let me say it straight. This build was not meant to be, at least not until much later. When the IBG kit arrived a few weeks ago, I was busy moving into another town. I decided wisely to take a small break after my Gladiator build to devote my time to the move. And then, the confinement law struck Nobody knows how long this sorry state will last. Much of my modelling stuff was already at my new place. I was stuck in my old place with some basic tools, paint brushes, my trusty airbrush but no compressor and... the new PZL. So I'm asking you, compadres, what else to do but rip off the plastic and start the damn kit? So here we are, back to the basics. With no compressor at hand, I'll have to re-organize my build in consequence and delay the use of the airbrush as long as possible. There's no need to introduce the kit as most of you would have known it already with the on-line reviews and the fine WIP thread by DrDave. Parts are cleaned up and assembled as much as possible before painting. Photos do the talking. Engine Cockpit Instrument panel Wing Stabs All the sub-assemblies are given a coat of Mr. Surfacer 1200 then basic colours painted using Tamiya spray cans. That's all folks for today. Comments and questions are welcome as usual. Stay safe Cheers, Quang

Hi Guys Well I know it has been a long time in coming but it is now available to order. https://aerocraftmodels.bigcartel.com/product/p-51-mustang-canopy-set cheers Ali

Almost too embarrassed to post after seeing Steve's awesome 'Cyber Mossie'....so pleased we can work together and help each other out on each others builds! Imperfections filled and surface polished, here is the upper engine cowl I was working on Thanks for looking Anthony

Hi guys, So here is my 2nd build since I've come back to the hobby, my 1st Corona build loll I chose the Raptor because it's my favorite jet and I wanted to have one on my stash And I went with the Hasegawa because of the reviews I saw on the net. Altough it's just my 2nd serious build, I have to say this kit is absolutely unbelievable! The fit is absolutely great and it needed almost no filler at all, I was really impressed by the ingineering, really unbelievable!! The only down side are the decals, they were an absolute pain to apply and some are really not applied to my liking, don't know why because I did the same process that I did with my Revell and it turned out good on it so.. I even tried the Mr.Mark setter and softer but did not change a thing.. Maybe just a lack of experience here.. As for the paint, the camo was already a big challenge for me to do so I did not try to get the ''metallic sheen'' that the Raptors have, just did a matt coat after the paint job. I think it doesn't look that bad actually, I'm ok with it for a 2nd build.. I did all the camo free hand with no masking, I was absolutely terrified to do it that way but in the end I think it turned out not that bad!! It was not really that hard to do just need to be carefull and patient!! I went with the same kind of stand as my F-18, Easy to do and it does the job!! So that's it thanks for looking at it and as always I'm opened to any construtive comments guys!! Thanks!!! P.S. The next one is already on the bench, the GWH F-15 C, and I plan to paint it like the F-15 E because I absolutely love the E color!! I know it is not historicaly accurate but I don't think the Scale Modeling God will be that angry and also I have to put a pilot in it and one is enough of a job at this time in my modeling carreer

So buttoned the old girl up and was pleasantly surprised by the fit so far. I was expecting all sorts of problems but...there weren't any...so far... I started off by gluing the fuselage halves at the tail fin using Revell Contacta glue to seal the seams there then transitioned to Tamiya Extra Thin for the fuselage body to retain the characteristic seams of the 109, which was manufactured by butt jointing the 2 fuselage halves together. Whilst I was filling and sanding the seams on the ventral surface of the nose I noticed a doozie of a sink mark, so that was filled with Tamiya putty and sanded smooth. The underwing radiator fairings had some weird representation of the brace rod so this was sanded to something more acceptable. Radiators were painted flat back and dry brushed aluminium enamel and fitted with the fairings to the lower wings. This old kit's reasonably simple so construction moving along quickly now...

This is the home stretch, I have applied a final varnish coat of Alclad Light Sheen on the airframe and I am getting all the final pieces ready for assembly. bombs have been lightly weathered using the salt technique (hard to see on the pictures) and the band mark has been painted: bang seat and transparencies and bits and bobs: Finals pictures soon. Cheers, David

Sidedewalls As stated above the cockpit sidewalls deserve a post for their own. Long story short: there are no real sidewalls in the kit. I added some detail to the inside of the fuselage but most of it will never be seen again. I spent the rest of the day dry fitting and oh boy - it's bad (at least in some places) The rear cockpit fits snuggly with some trimming. To get aproper fit on the front tub some small alterations (read cutting away 3mm) from the front portion of the rear tub. The rear wall from the front tub is suppoesd to sit right on the side consoles which seem to be too long for the twin seater

Results of the hairspray chipping on the wing roots... After a few touch-ups, the RLM 76 main camo is complete. The yellow beneath the nose is masked off and painted. The model in the lightbox to try and show the effects of the preshading.

So this was my little conundrum, I could not for the life of me understand what I was supposed to do with the leading edge slot (though like most things it seems simple enough when you know!): I consulted Ted Taylor's build: and John Wolstenholme's: neither of which seemed much like Frank Brown's instructions at the top. This is what I'm trying to achieve: The vital thing was I had missed seeing the (faintly) engraved lines but all you do is carefully cut along the upper wing slot lines, shorten by 2mm then bend the "tab" down to meet the gap left in the lower wing once the engraved section was removed there: Simples when you know how.....a picture's worth a thousand words, but they are best when they go together! John Wolstenholme's solution in particular is more sophisticated but protracted, I think the basic approach I've adopted will suffice when complete and cleaned up. Onwards and Upwards!!