jimbo

Mine's not on the way. I didn't order one but it looks nice. Just thought I'd post some white noise to a thread which is mainly white noise. 

Brussels is a city of over 1 million people and for the last 6 years, there wasn't a single modelshop, but this has now changed! A friend of mine, François Laloux has opened his own little modelshop and not only is it a great place to meet fellow modellers, he is also a highly experienced modeller himself, who is a wizard with paint, weathering products, an airbrush and different techniques. He really is a good guy and always takes his time to explain how to build your models in the best possible way. I hope it is okay for me to post some photos of the shop, which is called Track & Wings:
 
He's got some big showcases in which he has displayed some of the models he has built. He's a very talented and most of all quick builder. He often builds in 1/32, and has kits like Italeri's Mirage III and F-35A, Roden's DR1 Triplane, or an IAR-81 from Special Hobby in the showcases. Ow and Wilfried's A-1E Skyraider from Fisher (which is in the RFI here on LSP) is in his showcase too! The photo to the right shows François, proudly behind his newly built desk. He designed the interior of his shop himself!
 

 
He's got loads of material and paints, but he's only starting, so he'll probably expand the range even more.
 

 
He's specialising in models of aircraft, military vehicles, figures and diorama products, but has some books and magazines too! And free coffee !
 

 
He's got some great LSP's for sale! I've bought the 0-2 Skymaster from Roden (quite a bit of flash there) and Revell's Hurricane (François is going to build one himself for the shop too!)
But that 1/32 Liberator, Invader and Crusader are really tempting...
 

 
Again, I hope it is okay to post this here, but I'm so happy we have a modelshop in Brussels again! Track & Wings is open on Wednesday afternoon, Friday and Saturday. 
 
Nic
 
 
 

Lee if 1/35 is close enough, look for Riich.Models “Livestock Set Vol. 3”, kit number RV35021. Don’t let the “Livestock” name fool you, it’s 6 dogs in various poses, including: German Shepherd (x2), Sheep Dog, Bulldog, Labrador (he’s lying down), Dalmatian.
 
https://www.scalemates.com/kits/riichmodels-rv35021-livestock-set--1403491
 
Hope this helps!
 
jimbo
 
 

Not to throw cold water on the TBD, but the business environment doesn't seem particularly conducive to releasing new models. I genuinely hope that this Trumpeter offering is brought to market at some point in the future. However, people are having to make difficult choices about what to spend their $$$ on, food, heat for their homes, and so on. I should also add that just about every credible source of economic forecasting is looking for a REAL recession in the coming year. A new Devastator in 2024, perhaps?

I just finished the HKM Lancaster with a improved flight deck, even with all the clear parts there’s very little to see inside once finished.
My modelling style prohibits the biggest concern of accuracy over an enjoyable build, I build for the fun and don’t really worry about accuracy that is just my preference. We all enjoy different aspects of the hobby as individuals. As for bashing the HKM kit… not me. I enjoyed every step of it…a better modeller could make a work of art from the kit.
others may see issues and fix them or ignore them, others may bypass the kit entirely for the Border model. 
just agreeing with AlanG in my own small way
one man’s opinion, nothing more

But in a roundabout way this is my point that i was (unsuccessfully) trying to make. For some reason on this and other certain forums. The HKM Lancaster always seems to get bashed even when it was the only one available. Once WNW said they were going to do the Lancaster, people dropped everything to do with the HKM one and suddenly it's inferior and full of mistakes. Maybe i'm just fed up of people bitching about something that in the grand scheme of things, you're never going to see again once built. Do i wish i could afford either of them? Yes. Undoubtably. Am i that anal about details. No not in the slightest. Whilst i understand that some people are searching for the most uber, super detailed and obviously therefore the most expensive kit. I am not. But if that is your bag. More power to you. Just tone down the inferior kit bashing a bit eh? Some people don't have endless budgets.

Happy -=B=- Day to jimbo, Kahunaminor, Lancman & Mirek O ..! 
To the Best of Times Folks ... 
 
~Gregg

Yes it is Brian. Really will build up to quite an impressive display.
 
Some more detail photos:
 
Lifeboats:
 

 
Davits:
 

 
Promenade Deck windows; you can see the “stagger” of the windows, a result from the “shear” of the decks:
 

 
The “cockpit” lol:
 

 
jimbo

Greetings all;
 
Finally I've had some free time lately to get back to work on the 'Vestal Virgin'. Still no major paint work yet, just lots of parts cleanup, wing assembly, and interior detailing. Here are a few photos of where I'm at:
 
Wings coming together:
 

 
Just can't resist posing it all together to get a feel for the size of this bird; biggest LSP I've worked on to date :
 

 
Here are a couple of shots showing some detail work; the rear gun mounting is fairly nicely detailed out of the box, but there are connector link rods that relay the motion of the trigger grips to the gun mounts; due to molding restrictions, these are molded as lumps of plastic with no real detail. I've shaved them off and replaced them with styrene rod of an appropriate diameter; I neglected to take a "before" shot, so there's nothing to compare it to, but I think you will get the gist of it:
 

 
And this assembly posed in a fuselage half, showing how this is quite prominent under the tail gunner glazing. I'll likely add some rib and stringer detail here as I did with the forward compartments; you can see my 'notes' to myself what and where:
 

 
Next, a few shots of more interior detailing in the fuselage; I've borrowed a page from the playbook of a few other builds here and added some ribbing and stringer details using Evergeen styrene 'T' shaped stock and square stock. I just love this kind of work, it's actually relaxing for me . You can also see some of the Eduard etch parts in place. I may add some wiring bits and bobs, but we shall see.
 

 
And, one of the pleasures of owning a laser cutter for my business is I get to do this - a quick CAD drawing and I'm cutting some ribs and structure for the interior of the escape hatch:
 

 
And here are some of those parts in place, along with a floor and more rib and stringer detail to "busy" up the waist gunners compartment:
 

 
So that's all I've got for today friends, thanks for checking in. I'm hoping to get to some painting real soon, stay tuned!
 
Jimbo

Greetings all;
 
Finally I've had some free time lately to get back to work on the 'Vestal Virgin'. Still no major paint work yet, just lots of parts cleanup, wing assembly, and interior detailing. Here are a few photos of where I'm at:
 
Wings coming together:
 

 
Just can't resist posing it all together to get a feel for the size of this bird; biggest LSP I've worked on to date :
 

 
Here are a couple of shots showing some detail work; the rear gun mounting is fairly nicely detailed out of the box, but there are connector link rods that relay the motion of the trigger grips to the gun mounts; due to molding restrictions, these are molded as lumps of plastic with no real detail. I've shaved them off and replaced them with styrene rod of an appropriate diameter; I neglected to take a "before" shot, so there's nothing to compare it to, but I think you will get the gist of it:
 

 
And this assembly posed in a fuselage half, showing how this is quite prominent under the tail gunner glazing. I'll likely add some rib and stringer detail here as I did with the forward compartments; you can see my 'notes' to myself what and where:
 

 
Next, a few shots of more interior detailing in the fuselage; I've borrowed a page from the playbook of a few other builds here and added some ribbing and stringer details using Evergeen styrene 'T' shaped stock and square stock. I just love this kind of work, it's actually relaxing for me . You can also see some of the Eduard etch parts in place. I may add some wiring bits and bobs, but we shall see.
 

 
And, one of the pleasures of owning a laser cutter for my business is I get to do this - a quick CAD drawing and I'm cutting some ribs and structure for the interior of the escape hatch:
 

 
And here are some of those parts in place, along with a floor and more rib and stringer detail to "busy" up the waist gunners compartment:
 

 
So that's all I've got for today friends, thanks for checking in. I'm hoping to get to some painting real soon, stay tuned!
 
Jimbo

Greetings all;
 
Finally I've had some free time lately to get back to work on the 'Vestal Virgin'. Still no major paint work yet, just lots of parts cleanup, wing assembly, and interior detailing. Here are a few photos of where I'm at:
 
Wings coming together:
 

 
Just can't resist posing it all together to get a feel for the size of this bird; biggest LSP I've worked on to date :
 

 
Here are a couple of shots showing some detail work; the rear gun mounting is fairly nicely detailed out of the box, but there are connector link rods that relay the motion of the trigger grips to the gun mounts; due to molding restrictions, these are molded as lumps of plastic with no real detail. I've shaved them off and replaced them with styrene rod of an appropriate diameter; I neglected to take a "before" shot, so there's nothing to compare it to, but I think you will get the gist of it:
 

 
And this assembly posed in a fuselage half, showing how this is quite prominent under the tail gunner glazing. I'll likely add some rib and stringer detail here as I did with the forward compartments; you can see my 'notes' to myself what and where:
 

 
Next, a few shots of more interior detailing in the fuselage; I've borrowed a page from the playbook of a few other builds here and added some ribbing and stringer details using Evergeen styrene 'T' shaped stock and square stock. I just love this kind of work, it's actually relaxing for me . You can also see some of the Eduard etch parts in place. I may add some wiring bits and bobs, but we shall see.
 

 
And, one of the pleasures of owning a laser cutter for my business is I get to do this - a quick CAD drawing and I'm cutting some ribs and structure for the interior of the escape hatch:
 

 
And here are some of those parts in place, along with a floor and more rib and stringer detail to "busy" up the waist gunners compartment:
 

 
So that's all I've got for today friends, thanks for checking in. I'm hoping to get to some painting real soon, stay tuned!
 
Jimbo

Slow, incremental progress. Not a lot of personal bench time unfortunately. But I do manage to steal away a bit of time here and there. I’m enjoying everyone else’s builds of course! But here’s a little bit of progress, engines ready for rocker covers and exhausts, cowlings coming together.
 

 
Jimbo

Greetings all;
 
Finally I've had some free time lately to get back to work on the 'Vestal Virgin'. Still no major paint work yet, just lots of parts cleanup, wing assembly, and interior detailing. Here are a few photos of where I'm at:
 
Wings coming together:
 

 
Just can't resist posing it all together to get a feel for the size of this bird; biggest LSP I've worked on to date :
 

 
Here are a couple of shots showing some detail work; the rear gun mounting is fairly nicely detailed out of the box, but there are connector link rods that relay the motion of the trigger grips to the gun mounts; due to molding restrictions, these are molded as lumps of plastic with no real detail. I've shaved them off and replaced them with styrene rod of an appropriate diameter; I neglected to take a "before" shot, so there's nothing to compare it to, but I think you will get the gist of it:
 

 
And this assembly posed in a fuselage half, showing how this is quite prominent under the tail gunner glazing. I'll likely add some rib and stringer detail here as I did with the forward compartments; you can see my 'notes' to myself what and where:
 

 
Next, a few shots of more interior detailing in the fuselage; I've borrowed a page from the playbook of a few other builds here and added some ribbing and stringer details using Evergeen styrene 'T' shaped stock and square stock. I just love this kind of work, it's actually relaxing for me . You can also see some of the Eduard etch parts in place. I may add some wiring bits and bobs, but we shall see.
 

 
And, one of the pleasures of owning a laser cutter for my business is I get to do this - a quick CAD drawing and I'm cutting some ribs and structure for the interior of the escape hatch:
 

 
And here are some of those parts in place, along with a floor and more rib and stringer detail to "busy" up the waist gunners compartment:
 

 
So that's all I've got for today friends, thanks for checking in. I'm hoping to get to some painting real soon, stay tuned!
 
Jimbo

Wow, awesome, thank you Juraj, always good to have more references!
 
I can’t help but get a chuckle - does anyone else see a big slice of pizza plastered to the nose turret?  Can I get a 1/32 pizza decal, might be a new way to fix the turret lol...
 
Jimbo

Well folks it’s here. I figured I’d start a new thread in the non- LSP forum. My box of this kit showed up today. Holy c**p this is absolutely the biggest kit box I’ve ever beheld. Even Finn, at 52 pounds (and growing) doesn’t know what to make if it.
 

 
I figured I’d get the ball rolling and report on this insanely large model. I’m six feet tall and this hull literally reaches my armpit standing up. This is a 6-foot nook in my dining room:
 


This hull is just a massive example of injection molding. I’m pretty well versed in the IM process but, wow, this is intense. A few quick observations, some with photos to explain and some not. It’s difficult to capture some of the subtleties I see with quick snapshots. Not photographed but pretty apparent: each side of the tooling for this hull is composed of what look like 6 sections; whether they are inserts or some other way of sectioning this tooling is something I don’t know, but it may explain how they corrected the stem line/ bow angle without re-cutting an entire tool of such massive size. The porthole detail is NOT a mirror image, there are unique and different patterns for both port and starboard flanks. The sides of the open top of the hull are a bit wavy. This should be easy to pull together during assembly. The decks are pretty robust and the hull averages about 2mm thick. My hull measures out to 53.140”; in scale it should be 52.965”, so it’s roughly 3 scale feet too long. Once built and under glass (as I feel it should be) NO one will ever be able to check!
 
So, one issue I see is exhibited below; along the bottom of the hull, between the 5 large injection port/sprue locations, the hull is a bit “ballooned” or “saggy” between the sprue points (not noticeable at the bow and stern sections really, only the wide portions). The photo below shows one of the sprue points (at the 20-5/8” position) and how the hull dips down. Probably not an issue if you intend to mount it on finials on a base, but if you want to do a “dry dock” type of base with the ship on blocks it won’t sit evenly and flat. Looks like the hull wasn’t completely cool when pulled from the mold, with the waviness and sag. 
 

 
The angle of the bow looks spot on to me:
 

 
The plating and rivet detail is quite nice if you ask me. Playing may be a bit “thick” but doesn’t bother me. The smaller portholes, well even some of the larger ones, feature a bit of flash, that make it look like the hull was pulled from the mold in a hurry. 
 

 
My final photo displays the underside of the counter-stern; there is some plating detail missing here, which I think Trumpeter wisely did not try and fudge; it would not have molded well. There are some portholes that come across as ovals, a typical problem of molding limitations and a steeply sloping surface. 
 


Overall, to me, this is probably the most impressive kit I have ever seen. The parts look gorgeous, photoetch looks great. I have a pretty sizable stash, which includes 3 other Trumpeter 1/200 kits (Missouri, Arizona and Yorktown), but none have me shaking my head in awe like this one. No surprise, my 1/350 Minicraft Titanic looks pathetically small compared to this kit. I can’t say I’m ready to start this build, this is a bench-clearing effort and you will need a LOT of room. Did I mention this thing is HUGE?
 
I’m by no means an expert and provide the above only as simple observations of the kit as it comes. If anyone would like photos of anything in particular let me know. Let the games begin. 
 
jimbo

Well folks it’s here. I figured I’d start a new thread in the non- LSP forum. My box of this kit showed up today. Holy c**p this is absolutely the biggest kit box I’ve ever beheld. Even Finn, at 52 pounds (and growing) doesn’t know what to make if it.
 

 
I figured I’d get the ball rolling and report on this insanely large model. I’m six feet tall and this hull literally reaches my armpit standing up. This is a 6-foot nook in my dining room:
 


This hull is just a massive example of injection molding. I’m pretty well versed in the IM process but, wow, this is intense. A few quick observations, some with photos to explain and some not. It’s difficult to capture some of the subtleties I see with quick snapshots. Not photographed but pretty apparent: each side of the tooling for this hull is composed of what look like 6 sections; whether they are inserts or some other way of sectioning this tooling is something I don’t know, but it may explain how they corrected the stem line/ bow angle without re-cutting an entire tool of such massive size. The porthole detail is NOT a mirror image, there are unique and different patterns for both port and starboard flanks. The sides of the open top of the hull are a bit wavy. This should be easy to pull together during assembly. The decks are pretty robust and the hull averages about 2mm thick. My hull measures out to 53.140”; in scale it should be 52.965”, so it’s roughly 3 scale feet too long. Once built and under glass (as I feel it should be) NO one will ever be able to check!
 
So, one issue I see is exhibited below; along the bottom of the hull, between the 5 large injection port/sprue locations, the hull is a bit “ballooned” or “saggy” between the sprue points (not noticeable at the bow and stern sections really, only the wide portions). The photo below shows one of the sprue points (at the 20-5/8” position) and how the hull dips down. Probably not an issue if you intend to mount it on finials on a base, but if you want to do a “dry dock” type of base with the ship on blocks it won’t sit evenly and flat. Looks like the hull wasn’t completely cool when pulled from the mold, with the waviness and sag. 
 

 
The angle of the bow looks spot on to me:
 

 
The plating and rivet detail is quite nice if you ask me. Playing may be a bit “thick” but doesn’t bother me. The smaller portholes, well even some of the larger ones, feature a bit of flash, that make it look like the hull was pulled from the mold in a hurry. 
 

 
My final photo displays the underside of the counter-stern; there is some plating detail missing here, which I think Trumpeter wisely did not try and fudge; it would not have molded well. There are some portholes that come across as ovals, a typical problem of molding limitations and a steeply sloping surface. 
 


Overall, to me, this is probably the most impressive kit I have ever seen. The parts look gorgeous, photoetch looks great. I have a pretty sizable stash, which includes 3 other Trumpeter 1/200 kits (Missouri, Arizona and Yorktown), but none have me shaking my head in awe like this one. No surprise, my 1/350 Minicraft Titanic looks pathetically small compared to this kit. I can’t say I’m ready to start this build, this is a bench-clearing effort and you will need a LOT of room. Did I mention this thing is HUGE?
 
I’m by no means an expert and provide the above only as simple observations of the kit as it comes. If anyone would like photos of anything in particular let me know. Let the games begin. 
 
jimbo

As the person who wrote the Wingnuts article which has sparked this thread I would just like to note that it was written for the WW1 aircraft models forum and  an LSP member linked it to this site. Reading all the posts it has generated here it seems I have some haters judging by some of the remarks,  which is unfortunate because I'm also a member of LSP and have always held this site in the highest regard. I believed- mistakenly it seems- that we should always try to be supportive of one another. 
I am sorry the article seems to have outraged some people. It concerned me that the closure of Wingnuts seemed to just generate a stampede of hysterical Wingnut kit buyers and the people who created these model kits seemed to have been ignored. 
Also, Wingnuts has enjoyed a loyal customer base for 11 years and generated a fan base that is still mystified as to why the business suddenly closed down.
As a matter of interest NZ's leading online news website Stuff.co has today published an article stating Wingnuts has closed and refers to my article.
To the Moderators frustrated about WNW threads - I have not generated any of them and am only responding now to address the negativity. 
Dave Wilson
Gold Coast
Australia
 

I don't know why, but reading these threads about "PJ" I am getting a mental picture of a lawyer browsing a yacht catalogue.
Radu 

copperstatemodels.com
 
facebook.com/copperstatemodels
 

 

 
Nice!
 
Juraj

Howdy folks,
 
Aaron Scott takes a look at Iconicair's RAF tractor:
 
Iconicair 1/32 David Brown Aircraft Tractor
 

 
Thanks, Aaron!
 
Kev

Brilliant thread - and work!
 
Here's an Aries 'pit for the MiG-23 I did quite a few years back:
 

 

 

 
Blue skies!
 
Iain

F-4D cockpit to an unfinished Tamiya kit:
 

 

 

 

 

Latest print output:
 

 

 

 
Iain

Well the first kit is done...I wont bore you with all the images he sent us, he will probably put them on Facebook anyway