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For the "In the Navy" group build I pulled a very old kit from the loft: Hasegawa TA-4J Skyhawk in 1/32 This kit was one of the first 1/32 Hasegawa kits (after their F-104) that was released around 1981 along with their single seat A-4E Skyhawk. I am sure many of folks here know or even have made this kit, but the last decades I have only seen a few made. It is still the only TA-4 trainer in this scale. As it is so long ago, I thought it would be nice to first show the contents of kit #S024: The sprues are in white plastic with some common sprues with the single seat A-4. Most notably is the longer fuselage. You get a few less "stores" in the TA-4 kit with only the wing fuel tanks. The few panel lines are raised and very tiny raised rivets are seen as well. That was the technology those days and it does not look bad at all. The decals in this kit are for a single US NAVY VF-126 "bicentennial" bird in 1976. The decals have "yellowed" over the years. I will stick them on a sunny window for a few weeks to brighten them up again with sun light. Or will make another scheme with different decals. This kit has a good outline and although the cockpit interior is basic (with optional 2 very crude pilots), it does have instruments and side panels with raised details. Very nice. But I will use an AVIONIX (probably ex- Black Box) resin cockpit set #32040 that I found in the loft as well. The resin parts are seen here and look good but the bottom mould block at the floors is rather thick. The consoles have very fine raised detail for the instruments. These are very tiny and a paint challenge. The ESCAPAC seats seem to be of type 1G-3. ============= For this Group Build model I will follow some suggestions during constructions as nicely explained by Mike for a TA-4G seen here at LSP (2014 article): https://www.largescaleplanes.com/articles/article.php?aid=2072 Some of these are: - inscribe panel lines - remove the "step" at wing nose with drooped slats - open main air intakes - improve cockpit interior - add detail on landing gear and in bays Other nice improvements would be: - to droop the trailing edge flaps - lengthen exhaust pipe - add detail inside the canopy I have plenty of reference books at home. But will also look at the many walk around photos that my modelling friend of WWW.IPMS.NL Cees made seen here: https://www.ipms.nl/walkarounds/walkaround-jets/561-walkaround-a4-skyhawk Many details on the single seat A-4 and TA-4 are similar. ================ Still I do not know what NAVY scheme to make the model in for this Group Build.... I have a few aftermarket US NAVY decals sets but also decals also to make an Australian Navy TA-4G. But first I have to sort out a few unknowns and may ask some questions here at LSP. Cheers, Meindert

Hi, Follows pictures of my J2M3 Raiden. The model was mounted out-of-box except for the Eduard seat belt set. I hope you enjoy.

This is a Hasegawa 1/32 Bf-109 G-10 and it proved a very easy build, no major fit issues at all (a nice change). I have painted it using MrColour paints to represent an aircraft from 2./JG300 Feldwebel Ederhard Gzik based in Germany, October 1944. I added some photo etch seat belt from Eduard to set the cockpit off, I hope you like 'Rita', I am quite happy with the results.

This is my next model. With the A6M5 practically ready, I've been painting the missing parts (wheels) and I want to finish it at the most in two, it's time to start a new model. This is the Fw 190 D9 from Hasegawa 1/32 that I have been pursuing for some time. It will be an OOB model only with the addition of seat belts. The chosen scheme. I already have some pieces prepared and glued but I still have no photos. Regards ajcmac

hi guys, The FW-190 in this topic was ready, that was at least my idea when I took it to my modeling club last Friday night. But after some good discussions I was clear that more could be done, so this is what I am doing to take the weathering a step further. So this untypical topic will be about the extra weathering. If any suggestions, please fire away I will when time seal it all with a varnish. thanks Jan

Hello fellow modellers, its been a while since i last got a build up on here as i have been quite busy with college aiming to get into real world aviation. Thankfully study is over for a year and i have had time to get on with a kit, first chice has been to do the Hasegawa P-47D and im glad to say, it was a great and easy kit to put together. Only after market are the decals as i faniced doing something a bit different to the bare metal P-47, so i picked up the 'Oh Johnnie' set from EagalCals which are great and set nice and easy. A bit about the Pilot: Raymond Knight enlisted in the Army Air Corps on Oct 12, 1942. His flight training took place in his home state of Texas and upon completion, he was commissioned as a 2nd Lt. in May 1944. He served at various duty stations within the U.S. before being shipped overseas and assigned to the 350th FG/346th FS operating in Italy around November of 1944. During his assignment with the 346th FS he flew 82 combat missions where he earned various air medals including the DFC. Unfortunately, now 1st Lt. Raymond lost his life in April 25, 1945 while returning from a series of missions he personally led over a two-day period. Such a shame since the end of the war was only a couple of weeks away. For his actions and selflessness, Lt. Knight was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor (CMH) posthumously. Rather than try to explain how Lt. Knight earned his CMH, I'll let the citation describe his feats: “He piloted a fighter-bomber aircraft in a series of low-level strafing missions, destroying 14 grounded enemy aircraft and leading attacks which wrecked 10 others during a critical period of the Allied drive in northern Italy. On the morning of 24 April, he volunteered to lead 2 other aircraft against the strongly defended enemy airdrome at Ghedi. Ordering his fellow pilots to remain aloft, he skimmed the ground through a deadly curtain of antiaircraft fire to reconnoiter the field, locating 8 German aircraft hidden beneath heavy camouflage. He rejoined his flight, briefed them by radio, and then led them with consummate skill through the hail of enemy fire in a low-level attack, destroying 5 aircraft, while his flight accounted for 2 others. Returning to his base, he volunteered to lead 3 other aircraft in reconnaissance of Bergamo airfield, an enemy base near Ghedi and known to be equally well defended. Again ordering his flight to remain out of range of antiaircraft fire, 1st Lt. Knight flew through an exceptionally intense barrage, which heavily damaged his Thunderbolt, to observe the field at minimum altitude. He discovered a squadron of enemy aircraft under heavy camouflage and led his flight to the assault. Returning alone after this strafing, he made 10 deliberate passes against the field despite being hit by antiaircraft fire twice more, destroying 6 fully loaded enemy twin-engine aircraft and 2 fighters. His skillfully led attack enabled his flight to destroy 4 other twin-engine aircraft and a fighter plane. He then returned to his base in his seriously damaged plane. Early the next morning, when he again attacked Bergamo, he sighted an enemy plane on the runway. Again he led 3 other American pilots in a blistering low-level sweep through vicious antiaircraft fire that damaged his plane so severely that it was virtually nonflyable. Three of the few remaining enemy twin-engine aircraft at that base were destroyed. Realizing the critical need for aircraft in his unit, he declined to parachute to safety over friendly territory and unhesitatingly attempted to return his shattered plane to his home field. With great skill and strength, he flew homeward until caught by treacherous air conditions in the Appennines Mountains, where he crashed and was killed. The gallant action of 1st Lt. Knight eliminated the German aircraft which were poised to wreak havoc on Allied forces pressing to establish the first firm bridgehead across the Po River; his fearless daring and voluntary self-sacrifice averted possible heavy casualties among ground forces and the resultant slowing on the German drive culminated in the collapse of enemy resistance in Italy.†So here is my version and I hope I do Lt. Knight some credit......

hi guys, here a FW 190 D9, that has been sitting on the shelf of doom from my friend JP for years. He is the large jet builder in the club. Since the building was almost done no pictures of that. I just did the painting job. These kit are marvelous. Jan

Hi everybody!! This my new Bf109!!! Despite some errors, the final result was satisfactory.