What do you consider to be your finest model, and why?

[dutik]

My finest kit - "My finest kit of my life so far", to quote modelling expert Homer Simpson -, is my Skoda heavy mortar at Isonzo front diorama so far. One day a visitor looked at this one and told me: I am from the Alps, and you hit the nail with the look. These is the Alps!  I guess that is what we are modelling for.

 

(Heck I even added single pine needles to the ground for the right look. So it was worth the time and effort.)

 

Regards

- dutik

[Christa]

Begun twenty years ago, my finest model is a scratch built 1:18 waterline diorama of Motor Fishing Vessel (MFV) Radiance, registered PL 12, made fast alongside in Peel harbour, Isle of Man, circa 2001. Radiance was owned and operated by Scotsman  Reuben Reid (1950 - 2005) until he was terminally ill. The model was created between 2005 & 2007 to assist a youth through very difficult days. The model was made by eye, without plans, dependable drawings or accurate measurements.  Photographs and two encounters with the boat itself helped, plus the knowledge shared by Reuben's stepson gathered over several years experience on board. Many conversations, persistence, a great deal of trial and error, much checking and rechecking and luck produced the Radiance model. It is usually displayed upstairs in the Leece Museum, Peel. Today it is on my bench for minor refurbishment.

 

I had no idea how faithful that model would be to the real Radiance when it was started. Reuben saw the model almost complete and he was delighted. Ship modellers know that the final stages of making and fixing smaller fittings can be a disproportionately elongated task. It was with Radiance.

 

I have some images of the Radiance model on my phone and will post a photograph of her if ever I figure out how to do it.

 

Chris

[mozart]

Email the pic to me Chris and I’ll post it. And here it is:

 

 

A very fine study indeed. 

Edited April 20 by mozart

[Phartycr0c]

All of the amazing builds on here just go to show what a talented bunch of folk we really are and as a result I'm really going to cheat on this thread. 

So many of my builds have been really enjoyable for many different reasons so to that end Im going to post up three of my favourite builds.

1. Jetmads Viggen, cos its a Viggen! 

 

 

 

Excuse the Photography and background.

 

HK Lancasters x2, well x3 actually . Im particularly proud that these builds, completed in conjunction with Sully of Sully's scale models (vehicles), and Pete Crowther of the Cosford Museum (figures) the diorama was initially on display at the RAF museum Cosford before moving to its new permanent home with the Boscombe Down collection at Old Sarum. 

The B1/111 was the first test shot from HK built in 5 weeks without instructions or markings, she carries the serials of a 97 Squadron aircraft in which my very close friends father was a Merlin mechanic and fitter. I built her back in 2018 just in time for Telford As Neil wanted a built and painted example and I was the lucky recipient for which I'm always grateful. Shes since been replaced in the Diorama by a B1 special complete with Grand Slam. The Dambuster and Grand Slam Lancs were both tested at Boscombe Down. 

 

 

 

 

My most recent completion has been the superb HPH C47 modelled as a British Dakota. She's marked up as KG 314 which towed the Horsa "Churchills Revenge" (also my build in the background) into Battle on D-Day (I dont just throw these together you know! ) 

 

 

 

The C 47 wasn't quite finished but is shown on the LSP /32 nd SIG table at Telford  A challenge of a build, there are mistakes but i'm not going to show you where ! 

 

Keep up the great work everyone. 

Edited April 20 by Phartycr0c

[Iain]

Some absolutely beautiful models in this thread...

 

My 'finest' models are always the one's in my head that I haven't built/finished yet - and my expectations always exceed my abilities!

 

If pushed I probably have two favourites - based on the satisfaction I felt when I'd finished them.

 

In no particular order, other than one was finished before the other:

 

Supermarine Spitfire TR Mk.IX 'Grace type' two-seater, converted from the Tamiya 1:32 Mk.IXc kit, in fictitious markings for a client:

 

 

 

 

And the scratch-built 1:32 Dart Kitten I finished last year, using traditional sheet styrene and balsa techniques, combined with CAD design and 3D printing for the details:

 

 

 

 

Off to think about the next 'finest' model - in my head, anyway...

 

Model on dudes!  😎

 

Iain

[RadBaron]

1 hour ago, Iain said:

 And the scratch-built 1:32 Dart Kitten I finished last year, using traditional sheet styrene and balsa techniques, combined with CAD design and 3D printing for the details:

 

 

 

 

 THAT is sublime 

[Sabre F-86]

Long time ago I took a Revell Type VIIC U-boat model and modified it to a Type VII-C/41 with the extended winter garden raised deck, with the two dual 20mm guns and the single 37mm gun. I built it as a replica of the boat my dad served in as 3rd watch officer in the Med. That would be U-969. He was very pleased with it. I also built him a model of Prinz Eugen, the ship he served on as a radio operator during the "Channel Dash". He passed away in 2005, but both of them are still here. 

[dennismcc]

This is a hard one to answer, but the one that really pleased me the most was my MDC Typhoon, despite the challenges it brought I was very pleased with the end result, though for some reason my Hasegawa Raiden always takes my eye.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

[Hubert Boillot]

23 hours ago, Iain said:

Some absolutely beautiful models in this thread...

 

My 'finest' models are always the one's in my head that I haven't built/finished yet - and my expectations always exceed my abilities!

 

If pushed I probably have two favourites - based on the satisfaction I felt when I'd finished them.

 

In no particular order, other than one was finished before the other:

 

Supermarine Spitfire TR Mk.IX 'Grace type' two-seater, converted from the Tamiya 1:32 Mk.IXc kit, in fictitious markings for a client:

 

 

 

 

And the scratch-built 1:32 Dart Kitten I finished last year, using traditional sheet styrene and balsa techniques, combined with CAD design and 3D printing for the details:

 

 

 

 

Off to think about the next 'finest' model - in my head, anyway...

 

Model on dudes!  😎

 

Iain

Your Kitten is absolutely gorgeous, Iain, and your build thread was a treat to follow 

 

Hubert

[Iain]

Thank you Hubert - far too kind...

 

It's one of the few models I've completed where the final result pretty well matches what I had in my mind's eye when I started!

 

It also forced me to learn new techniques - always a good thing.  🙂

 

Iain

[Javlin1]

I have to say my 1/72 "Schnellboote" from Revell did some mods and scratch like the mines on the back,stanchions were all individually made,added a Flakvierling out back, added chain @72 links per inch along with Eduard PE set.The model took first place at the Northshore IPMS  with about 8 entries in that group.

 

 

The mines are 100% fabricated by me.

 

Edited April 23 by Javlin1