BradG

Updated with next years group builds and dates.

Still lots of time left to join in mate.

Chrish is up next, with a large scale F-16 all bombed up. Really nice work mate. Link to build thread;

Super job as always mate, I will add you to the gallery.

From what I've read, Iranian pilots really liked the Phantom. It's speed, weapons and durability were put to good use against Iraq especially, conducting bombing, fighter sweep and reconnaissance duties, However when equipped with the Maverick air to ground missile, the Phantom found a new and deadly role; tank killing. Nearly 50 machines are still in service with the IRIAF today. The 1/72 Hasegawa Phantoms are pretty decent kits, although do watch out for the fit of the forward fuselage to the body and the fit of the air intakes, it can be tricky to get right and the better you get the fit the less sanding you will have to do. The instructions give you three machines, but I was not happy with the colour call outs, so I went with matching colours to the box top that I believe look better. I did use their suggested Gunze 44 flesh for the sand colour, but picked RLM 71 over their suggested Gunze 303 for green which I think was too light and I went with Revell SM381 brown. Gunze 311 grey was used for the under surface and RLM 70 for the drop tanks as the green here looks darker than the air frame colour. You will have to source weapons as only three drop tanks are included, but Hasegawa has put the inner pylons along with sidewinder launch rails in the kit. The Mavericks and launch rails come from the Hasegawa weapons set.

Just wait for the next swap meet, he'll be there almost guaranteed.

Denders is next up with another civilian subject, the Revell LS8 Sail Plane. Nice job on a stylish looking glider. Link to build thread;

Nice job mate.

I could just pretend you didn't say anything and that is from the Revell box. ;-)

Up next is me, with my Revell Heinkel 162. I do fancy a little bit of French now and again. Link to build thread;

Finished off last night and took some pics this morning. Decals from the spares box with some weathering done by pigments.

Wheels and gear doors on, I also painted the jet pipe and end titanium, it's close enough to metallic. Almost ready for a gloss and decals.

I went with Gunze 42 Bluegray which is the look I was going for.

Painting the rudder is always a bit of a pain, but decals just never work for something like this. 1mm masking tape is very useful here. Starting to look French.

Nice work mate, I will wait for your glamour pics before adding to the gallery.

As for Apache kits I tried to build the Academy offering and that ended up smashed into the concrete.

Ah Aires, because there is air between their resin and where they are meant to fit.

I did put some paint on yesterday Maru, I will get some pics up soon. I'm thinking I'll do a French machine so I'm still debating which blue I should use.

Stripes is a good idea. Vac and resin might be a bit limited in 1/32, both model and cost wise, same with engines, I don't think there is enough and people don't usually build them. Closed companies is close, but most 1/32 manufacturers are still around thankfully!

Last call for suggestions before I put up a poll.

Nevermind, we all hit blocks at times, you might come back to it.

Engine fits on without issue. The engine cowlings are made so that you can have then open or closed, closed in this case means leaving out the hinged parts and just carefully closing them up with some thin glue. The fit is good as you will see.I also fitted the gear legs and the tail. Wings, instrument panel and some more work on the tail and before I knew it, well it's pretty much together! I did add a touch more weight to the nose behind the instrument panel, the whole nose is full too. Fit is great, making a nice easy build which sometimes you need.

That's a really nice little base, I'll chuck a couple more pics in teh gallery for you.

Fuselage is together and I hope I have put enough weight in the nose to keep her down. Engine and wheel wells are together and the fit is again pretty nice. Detail is adequate, I don't plan on displaying the engine but you do need to pit it in the aircraft.

Cockpit comes up nice under some paint. Detail is adequate, the seat and seatbelts could be better, I believe there is a replacement on the market should you wish to buy it, but for me this was fine. As mentioned there isn't a whole lot in the cockpit anyway and once together much of it is difficult to see.