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Gday all, I've decided I definitely need a 1/24 Hellcat in my life, but want something a bit more interesting than the standard schemes. Which leads us to the drones. Perfect. Nice and colourful. Plenty of chance to whether the thing, and minimal work to convert. Or so I thought. Check out the wing tips on these airframes. Neat little wing tip tanks. Reasonably easy to make, but does anyone know of any plan views or drawings of these? Plenty of interesting pics scattered randomly throughout Google. Here is a good starting point too: http://www.gmodelart.com/2017/09/f6f-5k-hellcat-vu-1-ua15-drone-oahu.html?m=1 If you wanted to really stand out, there are always these style tanks too. Do any of the F6F books give good ideas? Thanks guys Denzil

Hi Guys, I'm supposed to be building six FW-190D models but I got myself into a bit of a challenge with other modellers who are building the Jerry Rutman P-51B resin kit. Now I've already built the Revell D and rebuilt the Trumpeter B (as a C) and fancied another build but can't find the JR resin for love nor money and certainly didn't feel like another Trumpeter kit. So I decided to do a conversion of two Revell kits, the newer D with the spine of the old (read: ancient!) B. Here's how the fuselages line up. Not bad. Here's my proposed changes to the wings, new panel lines and shorter ammo boxes. Not exact yet, just fibre penned to guestimate what I need to do to it. Where to cut the old B fuselage. The B fuselage parts cut out and the marked up chop on the D Well, can't stop now else that's two kits ruined! All taped up to cement the spines to the fuselage halves. And what I've got at the moment. As you can see, it's a start but there is lots and lots of graft and elbow grease needed still. Regards, Bruce Crosby

Update 8/2/18 - work has begun! Normally I’d wait until I actually start working to write an in progress thread but I’m too excited to wait with this one. Fisher has not started shipping the AD-5W Guppy conversions just yet; decals haven’t arrived to them yet from Cartograf. Nevertheless Paul was kind enough to send the resin of the Guppy conversion my way so that I could get started. Initial dry fitting of major parts and the Trumpeter inner wings show near perfect fit. The massive Guppy radome is cast in two pieces to save weight and has “walls” fitting into the oil cooler recess of the trumpy lower wing to aid alignment. I trimmed the back end of these with sprue cutters to get perfect fit. The AD-5 will go in the fluorescent red scheme from Fisher’s decal sheet, but I will be fully arming it with two Tiny Tim rockets and a bunch of HVARs on the outer pylons. Maybe not technically accurate for the trainer scheme but there are photos of operational aircraft with that loadout and it looks too cool to pass on. Undecided on which Guppy scheme yet... This is going to be a fun project!!!

Hi Boys and Girls, I have some awesome news for all of us itching to do a Seafire Mk XV or Mk XVII. I sent an email to Tim Skelton at Grey Matter Figures earlier this week asking if there was any chance there may be a Seafire Mk XVII conversion from his company and he said that he was currently working on one for a Seafire Mk XV/XVII conversion in 1/32 scale!! As of now it isn't going to have folding wings like I personally had hoped but it will have everything else we need. Tim told me that folded wings may come as a different conversion later on, but we are going to get a Seafire Mk XVII conversion set sometime soon from Grey Matter Figures!!!! I'm excited to see what comes of it. Tim didn't say what base kit he was focusing the conversion around as of now, but I did get his permission to tell you all this information first. Cheers, Brady

Hey everyone! I thought you'd like to see what I'm working on at the moment, a 1:24 Harrier T.4. This is a conversion that I've wanted to complete for over 30 years and so now I've decided to have a go. In essence it's an almost complete reworking of the 40 year old Airfix Harrier GR.1 into the two seat T.4 and so I have to build a new nose, scratchbuild the cockpits and then build an entirely new tail section - as well as a complete redetail of the remaining airframe and features. I've given myself around 5 months to complete this model, so here's hoping I can! Though I'd love to detail it all on here, there's just too much information and too many pictures, so if you'd like to keep up with what's likely to be a very involved conversion, please follow the link and you'll find plenty more information! I'll also keep dropping some teasers onto here as well.. https://thekitbox.wordpress.com/2016/06/28/harrier-t-4-conversion-part-2/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfQeFAMdUVY

I've always loved the looks of the F-16, even more so when it wears Israel's colors and markings. When the opportunity arose to trade for a 1/32 Tamiya F-16CJ with Isradecals, additional resin, and Isracast conversion parts, I took it (A big THANK YOU to Petrov27 here on LSP). When the very large box arrived last week, I began to explore my options. (That's actually his picture) My first inclination was to build it as a Barak (Hebrew for Lightning) of 101 Squadron (First Fighter Squadron) with its distinctive large winged skull emblem. But after looking over the decals and my book on the Barak, the tail art of 117 Squadron, The First Jet Squadron, really took my fancy. But the problem was 117 Squadron flew block 30 F-16's, and they were small mouth (NSI intake) block 30's. To build this I'd have to cross pollenate the intake from a 1/32 Tamiya F-16 Thunderbirds kit to build a plane from this squadron. Then I exchanged emails with Ra'anan Weiss of Isradecals. He said plane 360, is one of the few IAF block 30 F-16's with the large mouth, or MCID, intake. Problem solved. He's even sending me one of the squadron's 60th anniversary decals for the tail base. The first thing I've done, is problem solve how to fit some of the aftermarket bits for this plane. The Aires exhaust pipe fits spot on. And the detail is awesome. I must be careful aligning the inner and outer parts. They're slightly off in that picture, but they will look killer painted. Speaking of paints, I picked these up to lend a hand with the camouflage on this bird: I'll have some pictures of work being done soon. The first thing I'm going to tackle is the Aires gear bays. They fit well enough, but it's going to take a little work to make it just right.

Hi all, Just to let people know I have started on the Ju 388 conversion. Engines being turned by a friend whilst I start on the structure. As you will know I have a number of parts already in stock thanks to the Ju 188 conversion I did a few years back but there is lots to do. 1. Can anyone provide me with photos of the seats? I have seen the excellent ones in the 1/48 scale kit but would like to see for myself if poss. 2. The cooling fan and thus engine cooling ring look a greater diameter than that on the Fw 190/ Ju 88, I would love to be wrong but any observations welcome. Here is the start of the Bodenwanne in Balsa wood. Need to varnish it and gradually make the grain disappear before filling and detailing ready for a vac form mould.

Hello ! At the moment i try to finish the most old builds possible. This one has not been started a very longtime ago (last spring), but now it's done, too. It the nice Revell G-6 kit, with the Alleycat resin G-12 conversion, the G-6 correcting and detailing set (with propeller, exhausts, ailerons...) and a G-4 set (to get the G-4 engine cowling and early wheels). In fact i dont really know if the aircraft i'm depicting was really based on a G-4, but too bad. Anyway, there is only one picture available as far as know. The build was very fun and without any major difficulties. Fitting the canopies was not very easy, but doable. The fuselage conversion needed a few adjustments but with some patience and some putty, it worked like a charm. The front cockpit is OOB and the rear one is what is inside the Alleycat conversion without any major modification, as it seemed acurate to me (at least with the very few pictures available). The only modification i did were the rear front office (i reshaped the upper instrument box) and the rear bulkhead as this part was not acurate in my opinion, though. Otherwise, i just added two RB seat belts sets, and an Aires gunsight. For the canopies i added some brass sheet rectangle to make the hinges and scratch built the small rods. Regarding the paintjob, the RLM76 was painted with AK paint. It was the first time i used them, and i was a bit surprised, and not really happy with it. I was absolutely unable to spray small details (for the motling) as i can do without any problem with the gunze paints i'm used to. I must be me as many of LSP members here use the AK paint and are very happy with it. For the RLM74 and 75, i used my usual Gunze paints, as the colors seemed better to me, and at least i could control the spray. Every marking were painted with custom masks. The markings for this specific aircraft were included in the Alleycat set, but the 512 was supplied in yellow and black or white and red. The final process was the weathering. I used various AK and Mig washes and filters, and added some black pigments around the exhaust staining and some dust on the belly and wheels. I know my choice for the red lower engine cowling may be a bit surprising and appear weird as it's very unusual in the Luftwaffe schemes. But this profile doesn't seem so incoherent when one changes it in B&W and compares it with the period picture. It may be fictionnal, it may be not. Nobody knows. And it was a training unit, so everything is possible. Anyway, i think these colors are a nice change in the usual LW schemes. To sum up, it was a funny build, sometimes a bit longer (longer than a usual Bf109 build), but very interesting. I really love the look of the 109 with that long greenhouse lookalike canopy. A very nice addition in a Bf109 collection. Here is the link to the WIP thread : http://forum.largescaleplanes.com/index.php?showtopic=61745 Hope you like it ! The final process was the weathering. I used various AK and Mig washes and filters, and added some black pigments around the exhaust staining and some dust on the belly and wheels.

FW190C-V18/U1 will be built using Planet Models conversion and Hasegawa's FW190D as donor kit. FW190 Vol 1 Smith/Creek identifies this plane has a NMF and supports with really nice clear photos. This will be all about Alclad. Parts washed and will start along with my other A8. Planet's conversion parts. Hasegawa's FW190D will be used as donor.

Well HEY Everybody.......LONG TIME NO HEAR!!! I just gonna say that 2015 can GET GONE from my life. I was able to purchase or trade for a few conversion sets this past year. I wanted to finish a couple of projects before diving into this load of resin (Yuck!) Move over on the SoD cause they ain;t done! Fresh start for New Year and still getting paid to talk airplanes (Love It). Also those that know me, know I don't like resin. I'm using GT Resins F-4B Conversion Set, Seamless Intakes and Zotz's MiG Killer F-4B set special made for this set,plus F-4 Data Sheet. This is defiantly the most ambitious model project I've started in 10 years, and will probably need help passing the finish line in a few months. Can't have Too Many PHANTOM's I've been surprised that no-one has WIP on this conversion, I see Mark 31 is knocking a GT Resin F-4C Wild Weasel set ​ "Outt'a the PARK" I'm gonna see how the pictures load on Windows Edge....Had a few issues the other day, but that was first attempt.

After a wonderful response for the albatros plans, i decided to make a thread for my question as well. For another future planned long-long term project im thinking of a german F-4F. Since the Revell has one in 1/32 scale, but it is not really a clean build, also it has lots of cosmetical errors im thinking of converting the tamiya's kit. After brief review of all kits in their range I determined that the most accurate variant is F-4EJ. The only modifications required to turn it into german phantom would be: Slatted wings (resin), and elevators without the slats (will try to source one from the C/D kit - that is if someone would have them). Are this all the major modifications, or am i missing other bits and pieces as well? Or would it be wiser to get the revell kit afterall? Also, if i would like to make slattless elevator, is it enough if i cut (or fill) the slots on the original tamiya parts from the EJ kit? Marko

1/18 scale Lockheed Martin F-16CJ Fighting Falcon HAF BBI - Elite Force conversion / scratchbuilt The following article is to describe step by step the 1/18 scale Lockheed Martin F-16CJ Fighting Falcon Block 52, currently flying with Hellenic Air Force, conversion using the BBI - Elite Force toy model kit, bought from the States a couple of years before for less than $60 USD. Despite my enthusiasm when I finally got this 1/18 model in my hands, as soon as I opened the box which exceeds in length the 3 feet (!!!), I realized that I would face hard time and massive scratch building and I'd need to spend hundreds hours on my hobby bench to make it look descent. In the substance, it is not even a model to assembly but a game for children which could be ready in less than 2 minutes. The detail convinces only if you look the model from a distance while points such as landing gear system, engine nozzle, panel lines etc are real dramatic. Luckily, the model is accurate on dimensions and could possibly be used as a F-16 exhibit model that do not interest on conformity of colors, special details etc. So, I decide to begin the building from the zero and give life in this 82cm long monster with no detail (comparing to scale models by Hasegawa, Tamiya etc) but however this 1/18 F-16 toy has almost unlimited possibilities of becoming a high detailed scale model. It should be noticed that the model's airframe comes straight from the box already sealed and I had to open it and work it from inside. That's a hard work to do, because the fuselage remains stuck with internal reinforcing possessors and metal supports & screws that I should locate and carefully remove without causing any damage on plastic material. Following pics show the 82cm long beast, immediately after opening of packing box. I am already start thinking about finding the proper window to place this Falcon. By selecting heavy metal on my CD player (in order to become aggressive and get the “Friday 13th” feeling) and using a saw and a Dremel tool, I opened the fuselage, the basic airframe pieces were cut and useless parts such as landing gear, engine nozzle, a part of the air intake etc were removed and led to the garbage.