dutik

Nice progress, Brian! Will watch this closely with the same kit fresh on my pile, but with another japanese subject at the workbench now (Pit roads IJA 28cm siege howitzer). Got the resin wheels too. Have to check the shape of my tailwheel. BTW, I am not sure if the Yahoo dashboard is the correct one for this subtype. ZMs instructions show both subtypes (with and without the circular instrument at the lower centre) depending on the aircraft you are building (marking option A vs. option B ). But for tonight I have had my share of Pinot noir (from the Black Forest, "Cool morning", indeed, yummie!), so i am not able to make it down into the basement to my workbench to check this one - or at least not to make it back to my pc Happy modelling! - dutik

It is a museum model. Here at the HPH homepage. One of it's kind. More images: You see, they know their stuff. The 1/32 IM kit should become a nice one. Regards - dutik

Porco rosso by HPH. (It's their 1/18th resin kit, iirc) Duck and cover - dutik

Good choice! I've build this kit (Armee de l'Air Version) some years ago. Build blog here. The front bulkhead of the cockpit was a bit tricky. Also faced a large gap at on wingroot. Placement of the UC flaps caused some headache (IIRC they overlap somewhat, but the instructions are not very helpful here). Everthing else went smooth. The Montex masks are highly recommended. There is or was a replacement prop/spinner/front end set from Poland (didn't use it, was hard to get so I skipped the idea). Nice idea to build a Finnish one! Have fun! - dutik

Err, Mirage 2000 this is. Something French, somehow Regards - dutik

LEM kits is still busy pumping out LSP kits of aircraft never made as LSP kits before. Not one or two, but a fistful every year. I wish Tan Models would release it's Su-33, but I guess things in Turkeys economy are going sideways nowadays. ZM is busy. They offer new LSP kits before the last had hit the shelves in Europa. That's fast! HPHs injection molding line is looming at the horizon. Let's se what Nurenberg toy fair will bring. We've got brand new kits of both the F-5 and the Rafale. Today there are even both a Mig-23BN and a Mig-27 available. Great times for jet modellers! With 55 unbuild LSP kits in the stash (counted them at years end) my true wish for this or next year is just a re-release of Revells Ju-88A-4, without all that expensive tech gimmicks. Would be a shame not to build up these nice AIMS conversions I have at hand... Regards - dutik

Yepp, it's great. Don't wait, grab your copy while available! Regards - dutik

Finally the Ki-45 Ko/Hei has arrived in Germany. Just a week prior Xmas. Grabbed my copy immediatly: Also got a truly massive russian Bereg SPG from a sale and some nice resin wheels too (on top of the box). The book is a gift from Santa. This one is really amazing - telling the story of the german armor in the Endkampf for Berlin. Inside is a vast collection of photos from wrecks and abandoned vehicles shortly after the fighting as well as from boneyards and also scrapping right in the streets of Berlin. A map of Berlin showing the location of many of the wrecks in the streets - and there are QR codes connected to Google Streets showing you the locations today! Some eyewitness reports and the stories of different attempted outbreaks too. One unit made it from Berlin to Wittenberg at river Elbe... There are photos of the well known big german cats as well as some really odds and ands: A Mark V Hermaphrodite(!), polish 7TPs and FT-17s, a Panzer I with 7,5cm StuG gun, a Kugelblitz, Pz IV turret strongpoints and at least one Panther F that took part in the fightings (well, with a A/G turret, not the Schmalturm, but nevertheless). Really rare and weird stuff, indeed. I am happy, man! Very happy! Regards - dutik

Thank you very much. There is a reasonable offer from a German hobbyshop that fits my wallet, without the need for oversea shipping. Just waiting now for Friday to come. Regards - dutik

Thank you! With upcoming Black Friday sales I am looking for prey... Regards - dutik

Well, just to get it right with the F-5Es delivered from the US to Ethiopia: Which kind of nose cone, pointed or platypus? Which size of LERXes, short or long? Any advice about RWR, flare dispensers, antennas and other small details to get it right? Regards - dutik

Is it possible to build a Peruavian 2000P? And were to get proper decals? Or are there any plans by KH to add more variants? Rgards - dutik

Good day, there are two material variants of gaspatch turnbuckles - resin and metal. Any advices about the pros and cons of these? Which one is better to use? Thank you in advance! - dutik

You over there are lucky. The kit still is not available in Europe, also not at HLJ. Patience. Patience, little grashopper... Regards - dutik

BTW, any news when the new short-nose Ki-45 "Nick" kit will hit the shelves? Regards - dutik