FineScale Modeler - March 2018

ADDON PARTS DRESS UP A HURRICANE
FineScale.com p. 26
March 2018
MAKE AN
ABRAMS
POP
USE FILTERS,
OILS, SALT, AND
PHOTOETCH p. 20
Karel Sutt builds a
HOW TO distinctive M1A2 – p. 20
Create sails for plastic ships p. 30

PAINTING FOR
Detail a tired garage-sale triplane p. 45 MAXIMUM
DETAIL! p.16
Fill gaps with super glue p. 52
Apply disc camo to a Jagdpanzer p. 40
+ 7 KIT REVIEWS p. 56
BONUS
ONLINE
CONTENT
CODE
PAGE 3
Vol. 36 • Issue 3
.com
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63
FEATURES KIT REVIEWS

16 Form & Figure
Hand-painting charges a war elephant 56 Takom M3 Lee
OLGA KROPOTOVA
58 Meng F-35A Lightning II
18 Airbrushing & Finishing
Field-camouflage a Zero like a pro
AARON SKINNER 18 59 AFV Club HAWK MIM-23
20 Advance an Abrams 60 IBG Models PZL.23A Karaś

Details and weathering for an M1A2
KAREL SUTT
61 Trumpeter F-106A Delta Dart
26 This Hurricane’s a breeze
Easy alternatives from the aftermarket 62 Sword FJ-3 Fury
ANDERS ISAKKSON
30 Sails for plastic ships 63 AFV Club F-CK-1 Ching-kuo

Shiny styrene is for landlubbers
JOHN HAZARD
34 Show gallery IN EVERY ISSUE

Military Miniature Society of Illinois
5 Editor’s Page
40 Disc camo for a Jagdpanzer
Stencils and weathering are key
KENNETH CHILDRES 7 Scale Talk
39
45 Build an aged Dr.I 10 New Products
A bargain find of a fancy fighter
ERNEST URTIAGA
50 Reader Gallery
52 Builder Basics
Filling gaps with super glue 54 Questions & Answers
AARON SKINNER
55 Reader Tips
66 Final Details
Memories of a Marauder
RON DENNING 40 64 Modelers Mart/Classifieds
FineScale Modeler (ISSN 0277-979X, USPS No. 679-590) is published monthly (except for June & August) by Kalmbach Publishing Co., 21027 Crossroads Circle, P.O. Box 1612, Waukesha, WI 53187.
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4 FineScale Modeler March 2018

EDITOR’S PAGE
By Mark Savage
Modelers need to stick (sorry) together!

Recently I received a nice email from Richard Bong, the highest-scoring
Skip Paetz, co-founder of the Red fighter pilot in World War II and a
Mill Model Club (redmillmodelclub. Medal of Honor recipient. The club
com) in Virginia. This group meets at draws from Southeast Wisconsin and
the awesome Military even the Chicago suburbs.
Aviation Museum just south Not all clubs are so
of Virginia Beach. Like Clubs fuel lucky. Most need new
many clubs today, the group our hobby members and modelers
had been meeting in a and help who will help run meet-
hobby store, until it closed bring new ings, organize events, even A Skyraider at the Military Aviation Museum!
— no surprise there. people do a little recruiting.
Skip says the club con- into it. Clubs fuel our hobby and It just became available and covers
sists of about 20 members help bring new people into every issue from 2008 through 2017.
— again not a big sur- it. That keeps it healthy and That’s recent!
prise, as there are many small clubs encourages kit makers to continue Take a look at it, and our new tool
across North America. Naturally, producing new items for us modelers. selection, at Kalmbach’s Hobby
Skip desperately wants more mem- So I’m urging you to join and par- Store.
bers, especially active ones. As he ticipate in a local club. I’m betting • DVD: kalmbachhobbystore.com/
notes, the members pay no dues, just you’ll learn something — and also FSM10Year
get together to share ideas and tech- make some lifelong friends! • Tools: kalmbachhobbystore.com/
niques with old and new modelers. *** ModelingTools
Skip is not alone in his wish. Now a word from our sponsor: If you’ve
Locally, we’re members of the still got a few dollars crumpled up in
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comes from Wisconsin native FineScale Modeler: 10-year Collection. editor@finescale.com
Off the sprue: Your favorite winter Olympic sport?
Editor Senior Editor Associate Editor Assistant Editor Editorial Associate

Mark Savage Aaron Skinner Mark Hembree Elizabeth Nash Monica Freitag
msavage@Kalmbach.com askinner@FineScale.com mhembree@FineScale.com enash@FineScale.com mfreitag@FineScale.com
Love the downhill skiing, I haven’t watched many You can get hockey All about that fancy, I like two: the luge and
men or women. It’s Winter Games since elsewhere, so I’ll say dizzying figure skating bobsledding. Timed runs
about the speed, the Katarina Witt hung up downhill skiing (amaz- and fear-of-heights- down narrow, twisting,
bravery, the athleticism, her skates, but downhill ing) and the skeleton inducing ski jump. Gosh, banked, iced tracks —
and the beauty of the skiing is a blast. — like luge except you some of the things and steering with your
mountains. Plus I like to lead with your face! people can do … and at calf? What? That’s crazy
see some of the smaller those speeds, too! fast stuff on ice!
European countries get a
shot at a medal!
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SCALE TALK
Your voice in FSM
1 2 3 4
R2-Can-2
After seeing Final Details’ “can-do mod- First, we had a paper model pattern ate that shiny luster he is known for, 3.
eling” story ( July 2017 FSM), I knew I created for the project, which we took to Then we used colored duct tapes to create
had to send in my 1/1 scale R2-D2 made a local printer who enlarged it to 1/1 various panels and details.
from soda cans. scale. Once assembled, he was entered into
He is 100% aluminum, consisting of We then began building the body the IPMS Dragon Lady Event in 2013
more than 1,400 cans and some alumi- with layer upon layer of cans, 1. (If you and won Best of Show, 4.
num roof sheeting. look closely on the inside, you can see This was our fifth IPMS award for
We spent four months building the Shasta root beer cans.) can modeling! Before this, we set the
Star Wars droid and it was definitely a The legs were reinforced with some unofficial record for the largest soda-can
family project. My children, Evelyn, aluminum sheeting, since they would be model ever built with an 8-foot-long
Michael, and Neil (affectionately known supporting Artoo’s weight, 2. We started MD-80 airliner that went on display in
as the “soda-can model elves” for their with Coke cans and paneled over them Yuba City, Calif., several years ago. Our
hard work behind the scenes) all played a with Pepsi products, since those can col- 6-foot SR-71 Blackbird is hanging in the
part in the process, as well as my wife, ors matched what we wanted. ready room for the reconnaissance squad-
Cindy, who put up with hundreds of cans Next, we began work on Artoo’s head ron at Beale Air Force Base.
cluttering up the kitchen each and every with an all-can construction carefully – Roy Greenwood
day. overlaid with aluminum foil tape to cre- North Fork, Calif.
of two years, I struggled to complete a What tools are essential to you?

decent model of Rankin’s Raider, the plane I wanted to add a couple of ideas to the list
flown by the commander of VP-81. To of 35 essential tools you ran in the
weigh down the nose, I packed in 39 pen- November issue.
nies (Sculpey II clay was actually melting 1) The right light bulbs are mandatory
the styrene). I drilled out the wheels and when painting. Always look at the temper-
added wire braces to support the weight. I ature rating in Kelvins (K) on the bulbs
sprayed it with Testors gloss black from a illuminating the model. Light bulbs rated
can, then airbrushed Testors dark gray at 2700 K give off a warm light, making all
enamel, post-shading with lighter exhaust colors appear warm. Contrasting bulbs,
streaks. A Prismacolor silver pencil worked with a 5000 K rating, make colors appear
great for paint chips. Only four decals were cooler with a bluish cast.
A long-awaited build needed — all stars and bars — as these air- Perception is everything: I always go
Your November Scale Talk call for feedback craft lacked most markings. I hand-lettered with the “daylight,” or 5000 K, bulbs. They
on kits readers would not have tried as the name. Once it was complete, I entered are my choice because their light does
youngsters got my attention. it in Dayton’s IPMS contest. influence my color choices.
In my family bookcase, there is a U.S. The model was offered to the Liberty 2) A synthetic bristle brush is what I use
Navy cruise book. For years, it drew my Aviation Museum in Port Clinton, Ohio, to hand-paint water-based paints. It does
attention with stories of men on long over- and they accepted it along with a painting I not absorb the water in the paint and will
water missions. Inspired by this, I wanted did. It was a very rewarding kit, as I build not become limp as a natural bristle brush
to build a true PBY “Black Cat,” a flying so few these days. Not something I’d have would. I save natural bristle brushes for oil-
boat painted for night patrols. likely tackled in my youth! based paints.
A buddy sold me Monogram’s 1/48 – Ralph Weilant – Stephen Hagen
scale PBY-5A kit for $10. Over the course Perrysburg, Ohio St. Louis, Mo.
www.FineScale.com 7
SCALE TALK
Corrections
Between the fashion shows in Milan

Everyone needs a and Bill Gates’ 56th housewarming
little encouragement party, our editor was a tad busy this sea-
I would like to give a shoutout to Dave son. To cope, he outsourced several of
Adamson’s beautiful build of the Japanese his projects to a team of highly trained,
World War II carrier Akagi ( January 2018 mostly continent specialists (above). We
FSM) What a beautiful model it is! would like to correct a few of their
Also, I want to thank Dave for proving errors:
age should not be an excuse for quitting – We misspelled Gus Agustin’s name
this wonderful hobby. Before seeing this in the feature of the Midwestern Model German Candia
story I was going to use the age card (along Ships & Boats Contest and Display Memphis, Tennessee
with eyesight problems) to stop building 2017 found in our special issue, Great Starting in 1992, British troops deployed to
models. Scale Modeling. Bosnia as part of a United Nations peace-
Well, you have shown me that my age – The squadron designation for the keeping operations. German built AFV
should not matter and that I should not T-2C shown in December’s EagleQuest Club’s 1/35 scale FV107 Scimitar as one part
stop. Great job, Dave! Thank you again 2017 Show Gallery should be VF-43. of that operation, painting with Tamiya
from this soon-to-be 69-year-old modeler – We ran the wrong caption under a acrylics and weathering with artist’s oil
for giving me the kick in the butt I needed. photo from EagleQuest in GSM. Here’s washes. To crew the reconnaissance
– Bill Simpson the photo with the correct caption. vehicle, he added Verlinden resin figures.
Tampa, Fla.
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Online Extras New Product Rundown
Download a PDF to see how Jim Wechsler Want to see inside the boxes of the newest Results.
built the UH-1C Huey atop the ATC(H) seen kits on the market? Watch our bimonthly
in February’s Vietnam War issue. Click on the NPRD, where Aaron Skinner and Elizabeth Toll Free 1-800-506-9618
search button and type Huey PDF. Nash have a blast reviewing models.
Today
www.FineScale.com 9
NEW PRODUCTS
Compiled by Monica Freitag & Aaron Skinner
Spotlight
ICM’s big-scale Ishak packs in the detail
P
olikarpov’s diminutive ICM’s 1/32 scale I-16 petite fas-
I-16, nicknamed (No. 32001, $68.99) represents teners. The separate
Donkey (Ishak) by the Type 24 variant with four control surfaces are movable.
Soviet pilots, proved its worth ShKAS machine guns, tail Cockpit detail includes and movable
in the Spanish Civil War and wheel, and two cockpit doors. structural frames, seat, con- intake shutters on
the battle of Khalkhin Gol. The gray plastic parts are trols, and an instrument panel the cowl.
When Germany invaded the marked by delightfully with decal dials. Up front sits Decals provide markings
Soviet Union in 1941, more restrained ribbing on the fab- a pretty well-appointed engine for four aircraft.
than a third of Soviet aircraft ric-covered airframe sections with pushrods, intake mani- More info: www.squadron.
were I-16s. and raised metal panels with fold, exhausts, and mounts, com.
AIRCRAFT KITS 1/48 SCALE
1/32 SCALE
Mikoyan-25RBT Foxbat Russian Air Force

from Hasegawa, No. 7462, $99.99.
Nakajima C6N1-S Night Fighter Saiun

Myrt 302nd Flying Group from Hasegawa,
No. 07458, $64.99.
Sopwith 5F.1 Dolphin from Wingnut Wings,

No. 32073, $79.
1/35 SCALE
Stuka Ju 87B-2/R-2 Picchiatello from Italeri,
No. 2769, $44.99.
1/72 SCALE
North American P-51D from Airfix, No.
AO5131, $26.99. Look for a detailed review in
an upcoming issue of FSM.
AH-6J/MH-6J Little Bird Nightstalkers

from Kitty Hawk, No. KH50003, $56.99. Look for
a detailed review in an upcoming issue of FSM. KA-6D Intruder from Italeri, No. 1405, $23.99.
Avro Shackleton AEW.2 from Revell,
Messerschmitt Bf109 G-6 from Tamiya, No. 04920, $44.95. Look for a detailed review in
No. 61117, $53. Look for a detailed review in an an upcoming issue of FSM.
upcoming issue of FSM.
Welcome new manufacturers

Green Strawberry
www.greenstrawberry.cz Polikarpov I-153 Finnish Air Force from X-29 Shin Kazama Area 88 from Hasegawa,
Hasegawa, No. 7461, $51.99. No. 64753, $39.99. Creator Works.

1/144 SCALE
Scammell Pioneer R100 artillery tractor

PZL.23B Karaś Polish light bomber early from IBG, No. 35030, $74.95.
from IBG, No. 72506, $17.
USAF B-47 306th BW(M) from Academy,
No. 12618, $27.
ARMOR KITS
1/35 SCALE
Messerschmitt Me262A-1A from Airfix, No. KTO Rosomak with OSS-M turret from IBG,
A03088, $16.99. Look for a detailed review in No. 35034, $79.95.
Model T 1917 utility WWII Australian

Army car from ICM, No. 35664, $43.99.
M4A3E8 Sherman Easy Eight Korean War
F-15J Eagle 201SQ Chitose Air Force Base from Tamiya America, No. 35359, $54.
60th Anniversary from Hasegawa, No. 0265,
$47.99.
Mitsubishi G4M2A Type 1 Attack Bomber

from Hasegawa, No. 0263, $51.99. T-72BI Russian main battle tank from
Meng, No. TS-033, $88.99. Tyrannosaurus
Series. M1 Abrams MBT from Panda Models, No.
PH35030, $55.99. Look for a detailed review in
J-15 Chinese Navy 2017 from Hasegawa, No.

0264, $52.99.
LKW 5t mil gl from HobbyBoss, No. 85507, More at www.FineScale.com

$107.99.
Check out our Workbench Reviews, details
of books and decals, New Product Rundown
videos and more.
www.FineScale.com 11
NEW PRODUCTS
Spotlight
Takom tackles late-production Lee
F
ollowing its M3 Lee sharply molded panel lines were removed
Early, Takom has and crisp rivets. There’s nicely on late M3s in
released a 1/35 scale kit rendered cast texture on the favor of an escape hatch
of the medium tank’s late pro- turret, main gun sponson, and in the belly. Also replaced are
duction version (No. 2087, final drive covers. some of the suspension bogie German
$50). New parts include tool parts and the air cleaners. service with large
The kit shares many parts boxes for the engine deck and Decals provide markings for crosses and whitewash
with the previous one includ- stamped road wheels in place three 1st Armored Division camouflage.
ing much of the hull and tur- of the previous kit’s open Lees in England in late 1942, More info: www.
ret. The body panels feature wheels. The large side hatches and a captured tank in takom-world.com.
1/72 SCALE 1/35 SCALE

Russian armed
forces tank crew
from Meng, No.
HS-007, $18.99.
Human Series.
SdKfz 265 Kleine Panzerbefehlswagen

from Italeri, No. 7072, $14.99.
Tye 89 Japanese medium tank Kou from
IBG Models, No. 72040, $19.95.
FIGURE KITS
1/8 SCALE
Wonder Woman
Batman v.
Superman Dawn
of Justice from
Moebius Models,
No. 1015, $150.
Maschinen Fireball SG & SG Prowler (2)

Chevrolet C30A General service steel from Hasegawa, No. 3516, $34.99.
body from IBG Models, No. 72054, $21.95.
1/72 SCALE
1/24 SCALE
Japanese Navy Airmen set from Hasegawa,

No. 3516, $17.99.
44M Zrinyi I - Hungarian 75mm assault

gun from IBG, No. 72050, $22.95.
American mechanics (1910s) from ICM,

No. 24009, $23.99.

SHIP KITS
1/530 SCALE
USS Oriskany — Essex-class Carrier from

Revell, No. 85-0318, $26.95. Sauber Mercedes C9 from Hasegawa,
No. 20306, $49.99. Richard Petty Race Team from AMT,
No. AMT1072/06, $63.95.
SCIFI KITS
1/32 SCALE
GAME MINIATURES
1/56 SCALE
Subaru Legacy GT touring wagon from

Hasegawa, No. 20304, $49.99.
Battlestar Galactica Colonial Raptor from

Moebius Models, No. 962, $69.99.
1/144 SCALE
Char B1 BIS Platoon from Warlord Games,
No. 402015501, $80. WWII Bolt Action. Plastic
by Italeri.
Mitsubishi Galant VR-4 1992 Safari Rally

from Hasegawa, No. 20307, $72.99.
2001: A Space Odyssey — Discovery XD-1 Marder ZUG from Warlord Games,
from Moebius Models, No. 2001-3, $199.99. No. 402012023, $80. WWII Bolt Action.
Look for a detailed review in an upcoming
issue of FSM. Toyota Celica 1600GT 1972 Nippon Grand B
Prix from Hasegawa, No. 21267, $56.99.
AUTO KITS 1/25 SCALE
1/24 SCALE
Battle for Berlin from Warlord Games,

No. 409910020, $320. World War II Wargame
Action.
Gremlin X from AMT, No. AMT1077/12, $28.95.
BMW M6 GT3 2016 Spa 24 Hours Winner

from Platz/NuNu , No. PN24001, $40.
NEW PRODUCTS
1/144 SCALE
Lockheed C-141B Starlifter from Roden, No.

331. Contact your local dealer for price.
Konflikt '47 British Automated Carrier

from Warlord Games, No. 452418606, $32. British Starter Army Waterloo Campaign
ARMOR DETAILS
from Warlord Games, No. 309911005, $135.
28MM SCALE Black Powder Napoleonic Wars 1789-1815. 1/35 SCALE
OTHER SCALE
M270 MLRS FV432 family from

German tracks from Friulmodel, No. ATL-
French starter Army (Waterloo Campaign) Friulmodel, No. ATL- 114, $32. 180 links.
from Warlord Games, No. 309912005, $135. Konflikt '47 Japanese Infantry with com- 110, $32. 190 links,
Black Powder Napoleonic Wars 1789-1815. pression rifles from Warlord Games, No. two sprocket wheels,
452211281, $32. Bolt ActionOther. wire.
SCIFI DETAILS
1/32 SCALE
British Starter Army Peninsular Campaign

from Warlord Games, No. 309911006, $135. Doctor Who First, Doctor Who Fifth,
Black Powder Napoleonic Wars 1789-1815. Fourth & Tenth Eleventh & Twelfth
Doctors from Doctors from
Warlord Games, $32. Warlord Games, $32.
AIRCRAFT DECALS
1/32 SCALE
Colonial Viper Mk.II (for Revell and
Moebius) from Green Strawberry, No. 00815,
$22.39.
1/144 SCALE
French Starter Army Peninsular Campaign Millennium Falcon grilles (for Bandai) from
from Warlord Games, No. 309912006, $135. Green Strawberry, No. 01715, $16.
Black Powder Napoleonic Wars 1789-1815.
Cessna O-2 Skymaster from Roden, No. 630. YT-1300 Millennium Falcon (for Bandai)
Contact your local dealer for price. from Green Strawberry, No. 01616, $24.50.

1/400 SCALE BOOKS
USS Enterprise
NCC-1701-D (for
AMT) from Green
Strawberry,
No. 03717, $35.
Mitchell Konflikt 47
1/2700 SCALE Masterpieces Resurgence, $30,
America's First Panther Tanks - Volume 1 - An illus- soft cover, 100 pages,
Rocket Company: German Army and trated history of all color photos, ISBN:
Reaction Motors Waffen-SS paint jobs on B-25s 978-1-4728-2650-3.
Inc. $39.95, by Frank Normandy in US service, $35, From Warlord Games.
H. Winter, hard cover, Campaign 1944, soft cover, 248 pages,
301 pages, black-and- $22.95, by Dennis color photos, black-
white photos, ISBN: Oliver, soft cover, 64 and-white photos,
978-1-62410-444-1. pages, color and ISBN: 978-90-8616-
From American black-and-white, 236-9. From Lanasta.
Institute of ISBN: 1526710935.
Aeronautics and From Pen & Sword
Astronautics. Books Limited.
Star Destroyer (for Zvezda and Revell)

from Green Strawberry, No. 03517, $25.90. Scale Model Scale Model
Handbook Figure Handbook Figure
Star Destroyer Modeling 19, $18, Modeling 20 - WWI
engine bells (for soft cover, 50 pages, & WWII Special
Zvezda and Revell) all color photos, ISSN: Volume, $18, soft
from Green Dornier Do335 C-130 Hercules - A 2241-1054. From Mr. cover, 50 pages, all
Strawberry, Pfeil/Arrow, $79.95, History, $39.95, by Black Publications. color photos, ISSN:
No. 03417, $47.90. by J. Richard Smith Martin W. Bowman, 2241-1054. From Mr.
Resin detail set with and Eddie J. Creek, hard cover, 320 Black Publications.
photoetch. hard cover, 288 pages, all black-and-
pages, all black-and- white photos, ISBN:
white photos, ISBN: 147386318X. From
978-1-90653-750-0. Pen & Sword Books
From Specialty Press. Limited.
PAINT
The Spitfire - An Churchill Tanks

Icon of the Skies, British Army North-
$44.95, by Philip West Europe 1944-
Kaplan, hard cover, 1945, $22.95, by
231 pages, color and Dennis Oliver, soft
Tornado GR1 An Wartime Standard black-and-white pho- cover, 64 pages, all
Operational Ships, $34, by Nick tos, ISSN: color photos, ISSN:
History, $44.95, by Robins, hard cover, 1473898528. From 1526710889. From
Michael Napier, hard 178 pages, all black- Pen & Sword Books Pen & Sword Books
Wood effect set from True Earth, $30. cover, 246 pages, all and-white photos, Limited. Limited
black-and-white pho- ISBN: 978-1-84832-
tos, ISBN: 376-6. From
1473873029. From Casemate Publishers.
Pen & Sword Books
Limited.
Elephant: Most people think of elephants as
being gray, but their skin is actually pale
brown. I started with a base mix of medium
gray with touches of burnt sienna, ocher, and
Headdress: I went for luminous colors to white. Then I applied dark brown washes, Saddle blanket: For the dominant shade, I
lighten the overall appearance, and used a adding a little black for the deepest recesses. chose dark red to complement gold on the
light beige base to complement the saddle Next, I dry-brushed with a mix of white, a little howdah. Once the figures were in place, I
blanket. I fused elements of various historical ocher, and a touch of burnt sienna. The paint delicately textured the fabric with lighter red
ornaments to create the pattern. should be as thick as possible for this step. highlights and burgundy recesses.

charge a war elephant
Every piece of fabric
and clothing shows
a different pattern
I
enjoy working on figures that combine
ornate clothing with pictures painted
on tapestry, carpets, or blankets. That
led me to build a Siamese war ele-
phant. These beasts usually wore carpets Umbrella: I figured a white or light-colored
covered with landscapes or characters, exot- umbrella would provide more effective
ically decorated textiles, and elegantly sunlight protection. I painted it with light gray
gilded structural components. first, then used ocher for the patterns and
Used extensively in the Burmese- around the edges as trim. Finally, I detailed the
Siamese wars, elephants carried a crew of patterns with light yellow.
three. The man at the front was not the ani-
mal’s driver but the main warrior, armed Meet Olga Kropotova
with a long halberd. The driver actually sat
in the rear, behind the howdah, responding
to directions given by the man in the basket
using peacock feathers.
Working with my mother, who runs
Nevskaya Miniatura in St. Petersburg,
Russia, I drew up the design and had it
sculpted in sections by three different art-
ists. Then it was cast in tin. (It will soon Figures: To harmonize the riders’ clothing with
enter mass production as an exclusive the palette of the elephant, I used dark red and
painted figure, available from Nevskaya yellow as a base. Yellow complements many
Miniatura or myself.) colors, including green, blue, violet, and gray.
I cleaned the metal with acetone to For the driver (in the back), I chose a yellow
remove any oily residue that might interfere shirt to set off the elephant’s skin; the quiet
with paint adhesion. Then I applied Tamiya blue of his pants went well with the yellow. I
metal primer and let it dry for about 12 limited the patterning for the driver’s clothes, “Many people ask me if I’ve studied art,”
hours. as he is of a lower rank than the other two says Olga. “They are surprised when I
To paint, I prefer acrylics from Andrea, riders. For the signaler in the howdah, I chose a tell them I studied some economics but
Vallejo, and Jo Sonja — the last mostly for light palette that matched the elephant’s skin. never received any formal artistic train-
washes, as it blends perfectly without pro- The warrior (in front) wears armor with golden ing.” The St. Petersburg native, who now
ducing obvious gradients. scales, so I added violet to go with the gold. lives in Munich, Germany, says she
Months of research helped me decide on owes her creativity to her mother. “She’s
appropriate colors and patterns for 16th- with the tone; all paints behave differently the most talented painter and sculptor I
century clothing. That was on top of the when blended. know,” Olga says. But it was after many
months dedicated to refining the sculpt, Try to harmonize your colors and tones. years and several jobs that had nothing
and then the actual painting. For example, blue goes well with yellow or to do with art that everything clicked.
Adding black glazes is one of the most orange. Yellow complements green, red, or The final push was taking several paint-
common mistakes in miniature painting. gray. By contrast, cold green is a poor match ing lessons. “Oil painting led me to min-
Shading a color such as yellow, blue, or red for warm orange. iatures, as I found myself toiling at tiny
with black kills the vibrancy with a pale, Pay attention to the brightest shades and details,” she says. Preferring fine brush-
dirty finish. Instead, I use other dark shades. try to limit each figure to a single vibrant work to broad strokes, she turned to
For example, when shading yellow, try tone. the banner on a 90mm knight. “I loved
burnt sienna or red-brown mixed with Major colors should be similarly vibrant; it and soon realized it was my calling,”
ocher. For red, use burgundy or even a bit of too many compete for attention, while none she says. “That was five years ago.”
blue in the darkest shades. Just be careful leave the figure pallid and dull. FSM
AIRBRUSHING & FINISHING
By Aaron Skinner
Field-camouflage
a Zero like a pro
Low pressure, thin paint, and practice make it perfect
I
n early 1943, the Mimicking the way the
Japanese Navy directed full-size aircraft was painted,
that fighters be camou- John base-coated the model
flaged with dark green with gray-brown mixed by
upper surfaces over the pale adding a few drops of buff
gray-green used overall on the (XF-57) to IJN gray green
planes to that point. New air- (XF-76) to match the shade Washes: After a focused
craft were painted at the fac- of early A6Ms identified in application of Mig
tory, but many already in Combat Colours No. 9 — The Productions brown
wash around the engine
service were painted in the Mitsubishi Zero (Guideline, and lower fuselage,
field, often in a haphazard no ISBN). He made a high- John flowed on an
fashion. light shade by adding 25% overall wash of 502
Abteilung dark mud
John Maher built one of white (X-2). Then, rather than (ABT130) mixed with
those field-modified aircraft decals, he painted the national odorless thinner. To seal
when he finished Tamiya’s insignia using masks cut by a the finish, he used a mix
of 7 parts Vallejo clear
1/72 scale Mitsubishi A6M2b friend, Tony Bell. flat and 3 parts Tamiya
Type 21. It represents a Zero He freehanded the green acrylic thinner.
from the carrier Hiyō, camouflage — olive green
detached for land-based oper- (XF-58) — using paper masks
ations in April 1943. to protect the insignia.
“Tamiya’s Zero is state-of- “I used 12 psi for both air-
the-art,” John says. “It literally brush sessions,” John says.
clicked together, although I “The first was with my Badger
used a jig made out of Lego 150; with this I applied the
to make sure everything was gray-brown and its highlight
properly aligned. I completed shade. This brush is a suction
this model in three weeks.” feed, so this is a relatively low
He used Tamiya acrylics pressure. But because the
throughout the project, first paint is so thin, it flows nicely
mixing the flat camouflage for the layering needed to
colors with an equal measure blend in shades of a color. For
of Tamiya clear (X-22) and the application of the field-
then mixing 3 parts of that applied green, I needed the
Primer: John always primes his models with
paint with 7 parts GSI Creos precision of an Iwata Custom GSI Creos Mr. Surfacer 1200 mixed with an
Mr. Color Leveling Thinner. Micron. This brush is a grav- equal measure of hardware-store lacquer
“It flows much better, and it’s thinner. “This step identifies glitches and
ity-feed, so 12 psi is a rela- provides an even surface for the Tamiya
easier to see the color hitting tively high pressure, which acrylics,” he says.
the surface as you’re shading aids in getting nice, fine lines.
or freehanding a camouflage But you must keep the brush
pattern,” he says. “The result- moving or you will get paint
ing semigloss finish also aids splatters.”
in the application of filters He powered the brushes
and washes by being the right with compressors from the
balance of something for the same manufacturers.
filters to grip while still being Finally, he airbrushed the
smooth enough for the tail number through another
washes to flow.” mask from Tony Bell. FSM

THE NEED FOR SPEED
(Maximum speeds for the Zero and its Grumman opponents)
318 mph: F4F-4 Wildcat

332 mph: A6M2 “Zero”
380 mph: F6F-5 Hellcat
– United States Navy Aircraft since 1911 (Naval Institue Press,
ISBN 978-0-87021-968-9) and Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War
(Putnam, ISBN 978-0-370-30251-5)
Decals: The only decals John used on this

model represent the instruments and dials in
the cockpit. He used kit decals for the main
panel, and Airscale decals for side consoles.
Chipping: Between primer and the

camouflage colors, John airbrushed GSI Creos
Mr. Color Silver (No. 8) along the wing roots.
Next, he mixed equal parts Vallejo liquid mask
and water and dabbed it along the walkways
with a sponge. After painting the camouflage,
he removed the masking with a flat toothpick
ground to a sharp edge with a rotary tool.
Filters: John started weathering with filters.

He applied Wilder NitroLine bright ocher filter
for Panzer yellow (AW-NL-11) to the gray-
brown areas. The green spots received Ammo
by Mig Jimenez brown filter for dark green
(AMIG1506).
Meet John Maher

WHEN JOHN STARTED building when the quality of kit engineer- really exciting is using some of the
models in grade school, his inter- ing just got so much better and, at techniques I’ve learned doing
est was divided evenly between the same time, we saw the rise of armor on aircraft,” he says. After
armor and aircraft. “My dad got the aftermarket for photo-etch graduating with a degree in his-
me interested in models and he and resin parts that made really tory and political science from the
had a fairly large HO scale train detailed models possible for those University of Toronto, John started
layout, too, so I was exposed early like me who have limited scratch- a career in the application soft-
on to a variety of modeling sub- building capabilities.” When he ware industry. He now markets
jects,” says John. But high school first got back into modeling, John and sells Enterprise Resource
and university quashed his model- focused on aircraft, but new paint- Planning systems for IndustryBuilt
ing, and he didn’t return to the ing and weathering techniques Software. He lives in Toronto,
hobby until the mid-1990s. “This is got him back into armor. “What’s Ontario, Canada.
Advance
an
Abrams
Details and weathering create a distinctive M1A2 /// BY KAREL SUTT
Construction should have been straightforward

for this well-engineered kit, but I found more
references than expected — and the more
references, the greater the compulsion to improve.
It would be a half year before I finished.
M
any generals have passed through U.S. military history,
but few have been honored with a tank designation. The
last was Gen. Creighton Williams Abrams, who took
his place alongside generals Grant, Lee, Sherman, Pershing,
Patton, and Sheridan.
The namesake tanks of all the aforementioned are represented
in 1/35 scale. I decided to share my workbench with Dragon’s
Abrams M1A2 SEP (No. 3536), and I was well prepared — in
addition to the photo-etch (PE) parts in the kit, I had Eduard’s
PE set (No. 36006) and eight reference books!

1 2 3
The vinyl “rubber band” tracks have nice detail For nonslip surfaces, I sifted fine sand through The arms of the bustle rack got extra work as I
on both sides. I put two holes in each end a close-mesh sieve onto surfaces I painted cut them up to make the hinges look
connector with a heated, blunt needle. with Hercules water-based adhesive. functional.
Before After
Kit part
Detailed
4 5 6
I drilled to deepen and correct the shape of Top: I shaved the tow-cable ends to open the I’m not an Abrams expert, but I would guess
the openings in the smoke-grenade launchers. eyes and allow them to be threaded. Lower: Part U35 is a bullet splash guard. Anyway, I cut
the unmodified kit parts. and detailed it according to photos.
Original
Thinned
7 8 9
I sawed off two molded footholds from the Rather than use PE for lift handles on the To detail the handles, I wrapped .11mm wire
skirts and replaced them with steel wire, using engine deck, I trimmed the plastic molding to around a drill-bit shaft and cut half-rounds …
electrical-wire insulation for ends. shape.
Sprue
10 11 12
… flattened them, then used them for springs A .3mm bit in a pin vise made ventilating holes On the skirt fasteners, I drilled holes and used
on the handles. around the 120mm gun’s bore evacuator. inserted stretched sprue for belaying pins. This
pays off when PE securing chains are hung.
Nuts
Cable
13 14 15
On each of the two brake lights, I added two I made a Counter-Sniper/Anti-Materiel Mount … and added a conduit and reinforcing
nuts and electric cable. (CSAMM) above the main gun from plastic and elements, finally gluing five elements into one
metal scraps … unit.
16 17 18
I used an extra part (right) to carve a xenon For the searchlight’s mount, I scored thin … then cut and folded it to form.
spotlight that goes to the right of the CSAMM. sheet metal …
19 20 21
Fine wire provided the necessary cable and I made two more boxes the same way for the A razor saw refined the metal ammo belt’s
nice detail. bustle rack. connectors.
22 23 24
I deepened ventilator holes in the machine The scrap heap is my best source of materials: I … to make grips for the machine gun.
gun with a .5mm bit in a pin vise. formed brass sheet and carved plastic …

D
C
A B D
B
25 A 26 27
The drawing shows how I made a rotating … and here are the corresponding pieces I thickened wire with Mr. Dissolved Putty to
mount for the 7.62mm M240B machine gun … before applying glue. make a remote-control cable for the loader’s
machine gun.
28 29 30
A coarse emery board and a light wash put Molded grab handles on the turret’s back were I made a spare-wheel mount for a spare road
mileage on the road wheels. replaced with brass wire. wheel using a track’s center guide and
couplers plus metal scraps …
Bolts
31 32 33
… and attached it to the turret’s stowage rack. I found no info on attaching the second spare I added towing chain and bent wire to make
road wheel to the turret top — I just used a eyes for the chain, closing gaps with Mr.
track’s center guide “bolted” with steel wire. Dissolved Putty.
34 35 36
I primed with two light coats of Mr. Surfacer NATO camouflage begins with a lightened NATO brown and NATO black were similarly
1000 heavily thinned with Mr. Color Thinner. shade of NATO green (adding 25 drops of flat lightened and airbrushed freehand. Weather-
Tamiya paints followed. white to 15ml of green). ing will darken and dull these colors.
37 38 39
Four filters were applied using 502 Abteilung More 502 oils produced fading, and oil-dot From my AK Interactive stockpile I randomly
oils mixed with AK Interactive odorless thinner. filters were blended with mineral spirits until applied rainmarks (074), dark streaking grime
Use a large flat or round soft paintbrush to almost removed, the brush traveling top to (024), streaking grime for DAK vehicles (067),
avoid drenching the model. I let each of bottom on vertical panels and circling on and rust streaks (013). I protected each effect
several coats dry before adding another. wheels and horizontal surfaces. with a coat of gloss varnish.
40 41 42
To add paint chips, I dipped a bit of sponge in I diluted AK‘s wash for NATO camo vehicles Periscopes were framed with Tamiya flat black;
artist’s oil, wiped off excess, and lightly dabbed (075) with AK odorless thinner (050); I can optical coating was a mix of Tamiya clear
surfaces. I used a fine brush to add subtle recommend it to anyone who is being nagged colored with a few drops of Tamiya clear red,
scratches, and a makeup applicator for about fumes from modeling. airbrushed from behind so the front stayed
corrections. black.
43 44 45
Silver pencil brought out cast numbers on the Painting tracks off the model is easier. After Avoiding the rubber, I applied filters and a
rear hull. priming, I painted track blocks with Tamiya black-brown wash, highlighting guide horns
rubber black and end connectors and center and screw heads with a metallic mix of silver
guides with a 4:1 mix of Vallejo light rust and and black. Then track pads were tinted with AK
beige red. heavy chipping and airbrushed with lightened
rubber black, most of which I brushed off.

46 47 48
I stained the heat shield with Vallejo flat Sprinkling NATO green with rock salt and dabs More AK rainmarks lent tonal variety to frontal
brown, light rust, gunmetal blue, dark of liquid mask, top-coating with Vallejo desert armor on the turret; excess is easily removed
vermilion, and deck tan, let it dry, coated with sand, then rubbing to remove the salt and with mineral spirits on a large paintbrush.
hairspray, then airbrushed rust shades. Warm masking revealed the base coat and gave
water and a toothbrush produced “corrosion.” add-on skirts proper wear.
Engraved
49 50 51
I dusted the hull’s front and rear plates with Photos of the commander’s cupola showed a Decals from DEF.Model (No. DD35002) labeled
lightened Tamiya rubber black and rubbed rough flange that I depicted by engraving the ammunition boxes.
most of it off for a hazy effect. Dragon’s molding.
Ammo box Nonslip texture

Spare-wheel mount
CSAMM
Engraving
Wheel carrier
Gun grips
Lift handles
Distressed skirts
A final application of Mr. Hobby Flat-Matt Reshaped launchers

Detailed end connectors
Topcoat finished the painting and weathering.
It’s good to revisit a familiar kit and improve it
with your own research and scratchbuilding
skills — it added a lot to this model. FSM
Making a
Hurricane
seem like a breeze
Extra enjoyment with easy alternatives from the aftermarket /// BY ANDERS ISAKKSON
A
relatively new kit, the Airfix 1/48 scale Hawker
Hurricane Mk.I (No. A05127) makes a great model
when finished. However, as easy as modern kits can be
to build and finish, I find the various detail sets and pre-
cut paint masks these days can make life even easier and add com-
plexity to your model.
For my Hurricane, I chose the markings of a machine belonging
to 17 Squadron based at RAF Debden as it looked at the begin-
ning of the Battle of Britain in 1940. Except for an occasional
decal, the markings are painted using masks from Montex.
I decided to improve the already fine details of the kit with
accessory sets from Eduard consisting of photo-etch (PE) for the
cockpit (No. 49726), pre-cut masks for the clear parts (No. EX468),
and resin wheels (No. 648229) and exhaust pipes (No. 648230).
The Airfix injection-molded parts were good, but I found the
Eduard resin offered a little extra detail and realism.
1
After Tamiya gray primer, the cockpit was airbrushed with Tamiya
interior green (XF-71). I sprayed an Eduard seat separately.

2 3
Specific areas were masked and followed by Tamiya silver aluminum Before proceeding with the rest of the airframe, I added the delicate
directly from the spray can (AS-12). Pre-colored PE improved the reflector sight atop the coaming.
instrument panel; PE seat belts lend scale thickness and detail.
4 5
Here’s an easy improvement: Drilling deepened the wing openings for Control surfaces come as separate parts and thus can be posed. I
each machine gun. reinforced the rudder with short segments of piano wire super glued in
tiny holes.
6 7
Eduard’s pre-cut, self-adhesive painting masks are precisely designed I masked the cockpit interior, then airbrushed a layer of interior green to
for the framework on the kit parts. show the framework as seen from the inside.
8 9
Next, a layer of Tamiya light gray primer formed a uniform base for the I begin the classic British camouflage with GSI Creos dark earth (H72);
top coats and showed remaining surface flaws. Bits of sponge are used this will be followed with Tamiya RAF dark green (XF-81). Both shades
to mask the receptacles for landing lights. were mixed with a little lighter color to subtly vary the surfaces.
10 11
Pre-cut paint masks from Eduard are a real timesaver. This particular set With masks in place, I applied the dark green for the topside
was probably designed for the Hasegawa kit, but Eduard has since camouflage.
released a set made for the Airfix kit (No. 473).
12 13
Then I masked topside and sprayed underneath with Tamiya sky (XF-21) Painted markings take more time than decals, but you don’t have to
mixed with a few drops of Tamiya flat white (XF-2). deal with gloss coats and carrier film. Roundels were painted with
Montex masks and Tamiya color mixes that I eyeballed.

14 15
Next came the squadron letters along the fuselage sides, painted light The only regular decals I used were the Popeye cartoon from Montex,
gray. Easy enough: Actually, the paint planning — what to paint and in the yellow fuel-warning patch on the port wing, and red canvas-tape
what order — is what takes most of the time. sections that cover the wing guns before each combat mission.
16 17
After a thin coat of flat clear unifies the decal and paint finishes, artist’s A thin wash of Tamiya NATO black and selective pinwashes with AK
pencils simulate scuffed and chipped paint. In a few areas of heavy Interactive dark streaking grime emphasized rivets and panel lines.
wear, a silver pencil replicated exposed metal.
Eduard cockpit details,

canopy masks
Masks, painted markings
Airbrushed exhaust streak
Decals
Montex camouflage masks
Resin wheels
I painted the propeller, spinner, antenna mast, and other small details separately and installed them last. Exhaust streaks are airbrushed in multiple
thin layers of Tamiya royal gray (XF-80) and Tamiya flat black. The antenna wire — elastic Lycra thread from Uschi van der Rosten — was super glued
in position and brush-painted flat black to finish a fun project. FSM
Revell launched its 1/96 scale USS Constitution in 1965, but the kit’s just a kid next to the real thing — at 220 years, the oldest commissioned
warship afloat in the world. White plastic sails just wouldn’t look right on Old Ironsides. But here’s a way to make them look like they belong.
Photos by Bill Hottinger and Jane Indreika.
Modeling sails
for plastic ships
Shiny styrene has no place on the seven seas /// BY JOHN HAZARD

Yard
Cringle
A B
A cutaway at the top shows thread glued to the top of the core and tied Cutaway at the bottom shows florist wire and light brass wire combined
to the yard. Florist wire is on the side of the sail. to form a cringle.
Footloops
C D
Attaching reef points: In this front view, the starboard edge of the sail is Footropes hanging from the yard: If you are afraid of heights, this is no
shown uncovered. place to be.
L
ike many builders of period ship Constitution.) If the sail is to hang from a twisting a couple of times to form a tiny
models, I found that making real- yard (horizontal spar attached to a mast), loop. Spread the two ends into a V. Super
istic sails was difficult. Cloth sails the top of the core should be cut to match glue the cringles to the lower corners of the
always look wrinkled and limp. the taper of the yard, 1 (illustration, p. 42). core along the inside of the florist wire and
Plastic sails are too flexible and brittle to All the preparation of the sail core is a little past the core’s corner, 4, B.
hold tightly strung rigging. done on the back (concave) side. Super glue Some plastic sails have raised lateral
After much mumbling and muttering, I a strong thread to the back of the core as bands across the front, leaving indentations
hit on a solution that involves two counter- close to the top edge as possible, A. This in the back. Fill these indentations with
intuitive approaches: One is laminating the will keep the core from tearing loose when paper strips so the back of the finished sail
sails by putting cloth on both sides of a core the finished sail is attached to the yard. If will be smooth, 5. The core is now ready.
of either plastic (from a ship model kit) or the yard to which the sail is to be attached
manila folder stock; the other is to use vari- is too fragile or flexible to handle the ten- Building the sail on the core
ous kinds of wire to curve, reinforce, or sion needed for rigging, use 22-gauge piano Prepare some thin, tightly woven white cot-
stiffen the sails. wire here instead of thread, 2. Super glue ton cloth to cover the core. Stain the cloth
This creates sails that retain a rounded lengths of 22-gauge florist wire along the evenly with Minwax wood stain: 1 part
shape and are firm enough to hold taut rig- sides and bottom of the core, leaving ⅛- golden oak (210B) to two parts natural
ging. As a result, they seem to tug at the inch openings at the lower corners of the (209). Cut pieces of cloth to fit both sides
rigging and billow in a stiff imaginary wind. core. This wire stiffens the core yet allows it of the core. Be sure the cloth’s weave is
to hold a curve, 3. square to the shape of the sail; leave an
Preparing the core Make two cringles (the eyes at the lower extra ¾ inch all the way around.
Cut the shape of the sail from the core corners of the sail to which rigging is Before attaching the cloth to the core,
material. (My example shows molded plas- attached) by bending 2 inches of 32-gauge draw “stitching.” This is done with a .7mm
tic supplied by Revell’s 1/96 scale USS brass wire around a good-size needle and mechanical pencil. To get straight, precisely
Yard 1 Back of sail D 12 2
Core
6
A
5
7 Core
B
11 13 Front of sail Yard
4
10
Rigging the staysails

14 F
17 18
15 E
16 Mast

E
Two stages of preparation for the wire used as
stays.
spaced lines, tape the cloth to a self-healing

cutting mat that has a grid. Then draw ver-
tical lines very lightly at ¼-inch intervals.
Pressing harder, draw each stitch along the
vertical lines, about 10 stitches/inch, 6. F
The cloth surfaces can now be attached This stout wire rigging cannot be bent by the weight of the sail.
to the core. Spread a thin film of white glue
on the entire front (convex) side of the core. To prepare the finished sail for attach- glue and trimmed, 13. The completed yard
(Careful: If the glue is too thick it may ment to the yard, drill small holes at ⅜- and sail unit is now ready to be mounted on
bleed through the cloth. Likewise, do not inch intervals across the top, being sure to the mast.
thin the glue with water.) Attach the cloth stay below the thread or wire at the top of
to the core, leaving no air pockets. Do the the core, 11. Attaching the staysails
same to the back of the core, being sure the Staysails hang from a stay (a heavy rope
cloth is glued tightly around the wires and Attaching the sail to the yard placed between two masts to brace them).
thread at the core’s edge. Paint the yard with a flat brown or black. On the model, the staysails are created in
Trim the overhanging cloth to the edges Use 28-gauge black annealed wire to fash- the same way as before. But the stay itself is
of the core. Tack loose edges down with ion and install footropes on the yard, 12, D. modeled with wire instead of thread so the
small dabs of white glue. Also attach any blocks (pulleys) to the yard weight of the sail will not pull it out of
Corner reinforcements can be made by if they will be needed later for rigging. Tie shape. Usually, .032-inch piano wire is suf-
gluing small pieces of cloth to the corners the yard to the sail using coat thread with ficient, although a slightly bigger gauge
on both sides of the sail. When they are in single overhand knots touched with super may be necessary if the sail being hung is
place, pencil the stitches on them, 7. especially large. Before cutting the wire,
Add reef points (short lengths of rope precisely measure the distance between the
on the front of a sail that sailors use to furl
Meet John Hazard points where the ends of the stay will con-
it), C. For each row of reef points, cut a nect to the two masts. Then add an extra ¼
⅛-inch-wide cloth strip a little longer than inch at both ends.
the width of the sail. As before, cut squarely To prepare each end of the wire: Fold ¼
to the weave of the cloth. The reef points inch of the wire back on itself, 14, and
are ⅜-inch-long cotton threads; they are pinch a 4-inch piece of coat thread within
attached to the strip every ¼ inch by dip- the apex of the fold. This thread will serve
ping one end lightly in super glue and lay- to attach the wire to the mast, 15, E. Wind
ing it on the strip with tweezers. Then, with another piece of thread around the folded
white glue, attach each strip to the sail and part of the wire, super glue it, and cut off
trim the edges, 8. Turn the sail over and, on the loose ends. This will hide the fold in the
the back of the sail, draw horizontal stitch wire and simulate the seizing that holds a
lines corresponding to the stitches holding JOHN STARTED BUILDING period ship real stay, 16. Paint the wire flat black. Then
the bands on the front of the sail, 9. models in the early 1950s, making do attach the sail to the wire with coat thread,
The sail’s rough edges can now be fin- with balsa, dowels, and the toxic glue of 17, and tie the ends of the wire to the two
ished. Cut a ¼-inch strip for each of the that era. Since then, being busy with masts, 18, F.
four edges, allowing a little extra for each. many other things, he has built only a
Fold each strip along its length, wrap it few models, all of them sailing ships kit- The rigging is up to you
around the edge of the sail, and attach it bashed from plastic kits. He spent four Most sailing ships include detailed rigging
with white glue. Trim excess from the years building Revell’s 1/96 scale USS plans. A sail is not complete until it is con-
strips, mitering them at the four corners of Constitution and its 30 sails, working nected to all the lines sailors need to con-
the sail. Be sure to keep the cringles clear, sporadically and often batting away trol it from below. In fact, rigging may be
10. Add stitch marks on all four edges on Yoyo, the cat that wanted to help with the most interesting aspect of a ship model
both sides of the sail. The entire sail can the rigging. He tells us his wife, Colette, for the builder as well as the viewer.
now be aged with a light wash of Testors is a lovely and patient woman. I’ve given you better-looking sails. Now
flat-black enamel. it’s up to you to hoist them! FSM
SHOW GALLERY
MMSI 2017
Artistry and creativity
were on full display at
the Military Miniature
Society of Illinois 43rd
annual Chicago Show in
Schaumburg, Ill., in
October. Hundreds of
figures, as well as air-
craft, armor, and diora-
mas, filled the tables.
When it came to taking
photos, FSM’s Aaron
Skinner had plenty of
choices.
▶ DANIEL STERN
MENOMONEE FALLS,
WISCONSIN
Probably the smallest scale figure
on the tables was Daniel’s 1/1000
scale Godzilla; he’s not sure who
made it, but it marks the 60th
anniversary of the giant lizard’s
first movie. Daniel painted the
monster with acrylics and weath-
ered with pigment washes.

▼ SUSAN WACHOWSKI
HUNTLEY, ILLINOIS
After posing a Reaper Miniatures
28mm Star Mouse with a garage-
kit stargate on a scratchbuilt base,
Susan painted light and shadows
to show an explorer emerging
from a gate in a dark room. All of
the colors used were Reaper's
Masters series acrylics.
▲ JEFF BURNS
WINNIPEG, MANITOBA,
CANADA
After resculpting the back of
Young Miniatures’ 1/9 scale
Daimyo warlord to support a new
banner, Jeff finished it with artist’s
oils and acrylics. The patterns on
the cloak, lapels, and banner are
all hand-painted.
◀ MICHAEL BEDARD
COTTAGE GROVE,
MINNESOTA
Michael painted Nuts Planet’s
1/10 scale Queen of the North
with Winsor & Newton artist’s oils
using a method favored by the
Flemish masters. He applied
monochromatic base coats, then
brushed the colors on as thin
glazes to build their density.
SHOW GALLERY
KRESTON PECKHAM
MENASHA, WISCONSIN
For 303 days in 1916, French
and German armies battled for
control of the land along the
Meuse River near the town of
Verdun. In the end, the French
regained all of the ground lost
to early German advances, but
at a huge cost to both sides;
estimates of total casualties
exceed 700,000 for the battle,
with more than 300,000 killed.
Kreston modeled the horror of
that battle with 54mm figures
from Warriors painted with
Winsor & Newton artist’s oils.
▲ ROSS SINGLETARY
COLLEYVILLE, TEXAS
Ross painted JMD Miniatures’ 1/10 scale
welder with Jo Sonja artist’s acrylics. He
marked the pattern of the plaid with a pencil
before painting the stripes and squares.
▶ JIM ROBINSON
WINNIPEG, MANITOBA, CANADA
This brightly colored warrior is a Celestial
Vindicator from Games Workshop’s Age of
Sigmar series. Jim made a banner from wine-
bottle foil, then painted the 28mm figure with
acrylics.

WENDY RAFALSKI
DORR, MICHIGAN
Wendy painted Infinity
Shape’s 54mm Hawkeye
with Vallejo, Andrea,
and Reaper acrylics
using a wet palette, lay-
ering, and wet blending
for flesh and buckskin.
Bondo and plasticine
give the Last of the
Mohicans a base with a
view.
▲ CHIP REMBERT
BRIGHTON, MICHIGAN
Chip’s Confederate cavalryman is a 54mm figure
from Michael Roberts, with a faithful canine com-
panion from Andrea Miniatures. After spraying them
with Tamiya fine surface primer, he hand-painted
Vallejo acrylics. The groundwork is Vallejo earth
putty with a resin stone wall on an oak pedestal.
▲ PHIL KIRCHMEIER
WEST ALLIS, WISCONSIN
“U.S. sailor, 1953 — same era and ship my father
served on as a bluejacket,” says Phil of his 54mm
vignette. Using a Hecker & Goros figure, Phil
replaced the head with one from Hornet, sculpted
▲ LARRY PETERS a new hat from 2-part epoxy, then painted with
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN acrylics. Working from plans of the USS Missouri, he
To finish Pegaso’s 1/9 scale bust of a kamikaze pilot, Larry hand-brushed Winsor & scratchbuilt a base with styrene for the bulkhead
Newton artist’s oils, and inks. and balsa for the deck.
SHOW GALLERY
GARY RASMUSSEN
CLAWSON, MICHIGAN
A 1/35 scale vignette drawn from the work of Otto Dix
built by Jason Whitman inspired Gary to model a World
War I scene in 1/16 scale. He scratchbuilt most of the
groundwork and figures, and added accessories from Jon
Smith Modellbau. Dix, a WWI veteran, painter, and print-
maker, produced many harsh depictions of the war,
including the triptych Trench Warfare, which has many of
the elements in Gary’s vignette.
▲ FRANK BEHRENS
AURORA, ILLINOIS
“My father likes B.B. King, so I painted it as a
gift for him,” Frank says of Kings Figurines’
54mm figure. He painted the blues legend
with Golden and Reaper acrylics and ran a
wire to Lucille, King’s guitar.
▶ MIKE BLANK
STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN
On July 4, 1187, Saladin’s armies defeated a
Crusader army, including several hundred
Knights Templar, at the Battle of Hattin. Mike
modeled the knights’ last stand with scratch-
built figures painted with several brands of
acrylics.

▼ GEOFF WALLER
TINLEY PARK, ILLINOIS
Geoff painted Michael Roberts’ 100mm
figure of a British soldier in Afghanistan
in 1879 with Vallejo acrylics.
▲ BOB BETHEA
AUSTIN, TEXAS
Ready for class, a girl leaves a
school bus robotic suit in Bob’s
1/20 scale vignette. He’s not sure
of the source of either the student
or the Maschinen Krieger suit, but
he painted the girl with Reaper
and Vallejo acrylics and air-
brushed the suit with Tamiya
acrylics. He designed and printed
the school bus livery on a com-
puter.
◀ JOE FURIOSO
DEARBORN, MICHIGAN
Joe calls his vignette of a German
sergeant in France “A Nightmare
on Elm Rue.” He painted the
Andrea Miniatures 90mm figure
with Andrea and Vallejo acrylics
over Humbrol enamel base coats.
Disc camo
for a Jagdpanzer
Stencils make it easy, weathering makes it real /// BY KENNETH CHILDRES
T
he SdKfz 162, more commonly known to modelers as the ing the Ardennes offensive in late 1944
Jagdpanzer IV, was designed as a replacement for the through 1945. It was most commonly seen
on Jagdpanzer IVs and Panthers.
Sturmgeschütz (StuG) III/IV assault gun. Within a matter of hours, I had the bulk
Moving away from the intended role of infantry support, the of the kit built. I removed the hinged
new design was purely a tank hunter — and seen as redundant by fender sections and thinned down the
remaining sections to replicate damage. I
some, since the StuG was quite capable of doing both. also removed one front fender up to the
Nevertheless, the Jagdpanzer IV fulfilled its role effectively. fighting compartment.
Wanting to do something quick for an upcoming show, I The Friulmodel tracks were put together
according to instructions. I spent a little
selected the 1/35 scale Tamiya kit (No. 35340). time cleaning them up and drilling out the
To keep the project manageable, I added replace the kit’s rubber-band tracks. pin holes to accept Armor Farm Track Wire
only a few simple upgrades. First was a set Second came a set of Uschi van der (no longer available).
of Friulmodel late-model Panzer III/IV Rosten stencils for the distinctive disc With that, I was ready to spruce up the
tracks with 230 links (No. ATL-28) to camo. This design made an appearance dur- exterior.

1 2
Before painting, I rolled out a foul-weather cover made of Aves Apoxie I used Tamiya paints (except where noted), mixing a good amount of
Sculpt on a piece of glass. A rubber paintbrush coaxed the sheet into clear (X-22) into each color. The yellow base was mixed from buff, dark
place. Once it was dry, I added lead foil and thin wire tie-downs. yellow, and white, then diluted with lacquer thinner.
3 4
This green camo is a combination of NATO green, cockpit green, and This red brown color is made from NATO brown and a shot of the yellow
yellow green. This hue covers a third of the tank. I prefer not to follow a base mixture. Like the first green color, the red brown is applied to a
specific ratio when mixing paints, lest all of my models look the same. third of the model.
5 6
Applying the intricate disc camo was a breeze with the masks from After stenciling the entire vehicle with dark yellow, I carefully repainted
Uschi van der Rosten. Starting on the sides, I airbrushed thin layers of the exposed patches within the yellow camo to restore contrast.
dark yellow. Then I cut the masks in half to use on smaller areas.
7 8
I replaced the kit’s decals with dry transfers from Archer. Applying them The key to realistic weathering is to keep chips and scratches in scale. I
was a simple task because the only markings on the tank are the used a sponge and tiny paintbrush to add pale tan abrasions. These
Balkenkreuz. A light coat of Vallejo semigloss clear sealed them. superficial scratches go down only to the base paint.
9 10
Next, heavier scratches were added with Vallejo camo black brown, Wanting to apply mud in a realistic pattern, I sprayed Vallejo hemp on
depicting the metal beneath. It’s easy to go overboard, but further the running gear, taking note where the paint fell and built up. After
weathering will help tone down the chips and blend everything. cutting it back with acrylic thinner, I had a light map to follow.
11 12
Weathering began with oils. I use a piece of cardboard as a pallet Wilder Deep Shadow Wash accentuated details. I don’t use this as an
because it wicks the excess oil out of the paint, making it dry faster with overall wash, which would overly darken the surface; instead, I apply it
a flat finish. as a pinwash for accents, which is much more sightly.

13 14
So far, so good. Methinks more dirt and mud is needed if this is For my mud concoction, I mixed AK Interactive pigments with plaster
supposed to be a well-used tank. and AK mud enamel. This mixture was splattered onto the model with a
short, stiff-bristled brush.
15 16
To show dry, damp, and wet mud, I mix progressively darker shades and AK dark mud was mixed with enamel gloss and airbrushed onto the
layer them on and around the running gear. wettest parts of the lower hull. A thinner version of this mud mixture
was lightly flicked onto the sides of the upper structure.
17 18
The Friulmodel tracks, including the spares, are given a quick soak in A blunt pencil rubbed on the inside face of the tracks imitates steel
blackening solution. Once everything is dry, a 600-grit sanding stick is worn from contact with the road wheels.
gently rubbed across the cleats of the track to make them shine.
19 20
I painted the exhaust in rust tones with Vallejo acrylics. The muddying of My tarp was cast in resin as an aftermarket item by Tiger Model Designs.
the rear end extended the tank’s dirty appearance all the way around. I painted it with Vallejo gray-green over black primer. Oils and pigments
added shadows. Muddy boot stamps from Caliber 35 finished the look.
21 22
The most boring part of the process was painting the road wheels. After I weathered the tools in place with Vallejo acrylics and Humbrol
that, I gingerly wrapped the tracks around the running gear. A few dots Metalcote for steel. The barrel was painted dark gray to show the heat-
of bright orange on the spare links represent fresh rust. resistant primer sometimes seen on replacement barrels.
23 24
I think a missing fender would certainly allow clods of mud to be flung Organic trash and dirt on the glacis plate includes crushed leaves, twigs,
up onto the lower part of the barrel as the tank traveled at speed. dirt, and pigments carefully placed and secured with Mig Productions
pigment fixer. A few washes completed my Jagdpanzer IV. FSM

Detail and paint a
Fokker Dr.I
A bargain find produces a fancy triplane fighter /// BY ERNEST URTIAGA
W
hen it comes to garage sales, a little sifting through the clutter can
turn up true gems. One Saturday I was hunting around various
yard sales — finding a lot of nothing — when toward the end of
the day I spotted a distinctive Revell box next to some stacked junk. Closer
inspection revealed it to be a 1/28 scale Dr.I kit.
The box had seen better days. The fuselage was partially built but appeared
to be complete. A quick inventory revealed that the rudder had long ago gone
AWOL.
Just behind the Dr.I was another Revell box, a 1/28 scale Sopwith Camel.
The box looked brand-new with all parts present and in mint condition. Also
in the box was an IPMS/USA Scale-Master decal sheet for the Dr.I, the
Camel, and a Spad XIII.
The asking price was $2 for each kit. After pointing out the Dr.I’s missing
part and partially built fuselage, the price was negotiated to $2 for both kits
and the decals — score!
With a little photo-etch (PE) and a lot of TLC, a good representation of
World War I German ace Hasso von Wedel’s Fokker Dr.I was possible.
1 2 3
I would have to correct the asymmetrical A small piece of styrene was cut to shape with I traced the kit’s rudder decal, which is the
ailerons found on the early production aircraft a No. 11 blade and super glued. To show a faint same size as the missing rudder, and
to model a Dr.I with a standard aileron rib outline, some sprue was stretched over a transferred the shape to a plastic card the
configuration. To reshape the inboard trailing candle and secured with Ambroid ProWeld same thickness as the vertical stabilizer. Then
edge of the right aileron, I placed the left thin glue. the rudder was carefully cut out and sanded to
upper wing face down on a sheet of paper to shape.
trace the inboard section of the aileron.
4 5
Just as with the aileron, I added stretched Dry-fitting the bottom and middle wing revealed some misalignment along the leading edge.
sprue for rib outlines. Once the glue had dried, This was fixed by carefully removing a thin piece of the wing’s back edge where it sits on the
I lightly sanded the ribs. fuselage. By removing this piece, I could now properly align the wings so both leading edges
looked correct.
6 7 8
The prior builder did a good job assembling The plastic was sanded away, exposing the Bracing was added to the interior sides with
and painting the fuselage, but I’d rather do my forward interior of the aircraft. The cockpit in stretched sprue. I built the ammo box from
own painting and detailing. I drilled through these early planes was pretty basic. plastic card and painted it Humbrol steel.
the firewall with a pointed sanding stone on a Ammunition boxes for the Spandau machine In my paint stash I found a light green
motor tool. guns and the interior bracing you see here reminiscent of the color applied by the Fokker
were never offered by the Revell kit. factory to several interior and exterior parts.
Oil washes of raw sienna brought out molded
side details. The compass and instrument faces
were dry-brushed.

9 10 11
I used acrylic paints from here on out, except The engine was painted Humbrol polished A sharpened toothpick applied super glue to
as noted. The seat and cushion were painted steel and lightly buffed with a cotton swab. I attach the wires. The plugs were painted with
leather. Several oil-paint washes gave the plundered my stock of wires salvaged from Polly Scale dirty white, and the exhaust pipes
leather a used look. The belts were made from electrical cords, computers, radios, and with Testors copper enamel. A wash of Tamiya
wine-bottle foil and painted tan. monitors, for spark-plug wires. smoke thinned with rubbing alcohol brought
out the engine details.
12 13 14
This aircraft had laminated propellers made Once that dried, I brushed burnt umber in the Burnt umber artist’s oils mixed with thinner
from carefully selected wooden boards glued direction of the grain to show the darker made a dark wash. About 15 washes were
together like a big sandwich. When dry, they lamination. brushed on, building up the wood tone layer
were shaped, sanded, balanced, and sealed after translucent layer until it looked rich and
with varnish. To represent this lamination, I first dark.
painted the prop with Model Master wood.
15 16 17
Pledge FloorCare Multi-Surface Finish (PFM) The boss was painted with Humbrol polished According to my research, the landing gear
was brushed on the blades to prepare them steel. When that dried, I polished it with a cover was made from plywood and didn’t have
for decal application. The Axial propeller decals cotton swab. Again, a wash of Tamiya smoke rib details. I carefully sanded off the kit’s raised
were applied with Solvaset setting solution. thinned with rubbing alcohol brought out the lines and added small squares of plastic sheet
(Note: the A should be pointing to the boss, details. to represent the jack pads used when
not away.) Another coat of PFM sealed and changing wheels.
added sheen.
18 19 20
I fixed some simple issues on the cowling by A thin strip of metal foil with rivet detail made The underside of the fuselage is missing an
first removing the locator pins. The center with a ponce wheel was added to the molded inspection cover. I rectified this with a strip of
(propeller) hole was too big, so I covered it lip to represent the wire that tightened the foil from a wine bottle. Pressing a thin brass
with a styrene disc and punched a smaller hole cowling around the fuselage. tube into the metal simulated screw heads.
for the prop shaft.
21 22 23
The bottom fuselage is missing the laces … and scribed this lace pattern into the plastic The inspection window on the top wing over
running from behind the landing gear, along with a sharp pin, using the tape as a guide. the main spar is made of .010-inch styrene
the bottom center of the fuselage, and back to sheet, sanded thin. Later, a data decal was
the tail. To replicate this, I laid two strips of applied, followed by a layer of PFM. It shows its
tape on either side of where the lacing should inspection date and acceptance by the Zentral
be … Abnahme Kommission, or ZAK.
24 25 26
The kit’s machine guns are very simple with I kept the kit’s plastic machine-gun receivers I had two 8mm ammo belts in my stash. I
little molded detail. I cut off the molded and added styrene sheet and brass detail to trimmed the belts to size and painted them
cooling jackets and replaced them with PE them. Both muzzles were cleaned up, drilled with Humbrol brass, then super glued them to
from a detail set by Tom’s Modelworks. Two out, carefully removed with a razor saw, and the Spandau guns.
barrels fabricated from stretched sprue were added to the cooling jacket front.
glued inside the cooling jackets as
subassemblies.

27 28 29
The Dr.I’s underside was painted light blue, The dark green is a mix of Humbrol black The designation I needed was DRI 183/17, not
the top and sides a natural linen, and a dark green with a couple of drops of dark earth. the FI 102/17 supplied. Using a No. 11 blade, I
green was applied diagonally with big Using a wide brush wiped almost dry on a carefully removed the unwanted parts from
brushes, leaving a green-streaked pattern. paper towel, I brushed the color on at an the decal, applied it with PFM, and let it cure.
angle. Then I painted on the missing letters and
numbers with an 18/0 brush.
30 31 32
The other decals settled in with several Burnt umber oils showed castor-oil stains and The Dr.I’s only rigging is located on the axle
applications of Solvaset. A word of caution: streaks around the engine area. cover and the area in front of the cockpit,
This solution is strong and will melt the decals making it a simple detail task. The rigging is
to the surface to make them look painted on. clear nylon thread secured with a small drop of
Make sure you have the decal where you want thin super glue and painted Humbrol silver.
it — once the solution is applied there is no
turning back! The decal will fall apart if you try
to move it.
This was my first WWI aircraft build, and I must confess that I have been bitten by the EAB (Early Aviation Bug). With some scratchbuilding and
missing details added, this old kit gets a new lease on life — and a spot on my shelf! FSM
READER GALLERY
▲ BEN GRAY ▼ SCOTT HARVIEUX

FREDERICK, MARYLAND ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA
Ben writes, “My father served in the Pacific on a Liberty ship from 1943 “Few have dominated their sport as Valentino Rossi has in Moto GP
through 1946 as a gunner’s mate. After my sister found a picture from racing,” writes Scott, who built Italeri’s 1/6 scale 2003 Honda RC211V
1944 with his gun battery, my brother-in-law sent me a Trumpeter as Rossi’s ride at Valencia in his last world championship with Honda.
1/350 scale kit to build my dad’s ship, P. H. Burnett.” Ben used Gold He stripped chrome from the frame and its molded features and
Medal Models photo-etch, rigged with EZ Line, and scratchbuilt pul- repainted with Testors Model Master aluminum. Same for the pre-
leys, blocks, and other features from styrene stock. He painted with painted fuel tank and rear fender, which are refinished with a mix of
Testors Model Master colors he says are a near-perfect match to spec. Testors Boyd aluma pearl and medium green.

▼ DARRELL MENZER
SHEBOYGAN, WISCONSIN
“Between Missions” is what Darrell calls his 1/48 scale vignette featuring a Hasegawa
P-51D, Bandai Willys jeep, Tamiya 2½-ton 6 x 6 fuel truck, and Verlinden USAAF fighter
pilots. He cited six FineScale Modeler articles for advice on modeling the Mustang, and
Kalmbach Publishing’s Model Railroader magazine as his guide to static grass for the base.
▲ MIKE WALSTON
BRADENTON, FLORIDA
A year ago, Mike’s model won FSM’s Imperial March Madness with 55% of the
vote. He writes: “I modified Revell’s 1/2,256 scale Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith
Republic Star Destroyer, adding a flight deck to the top that would appear later
in The Clone Wars. I cut open the fuselage top and made doors from 1⁄16-inch
plastic. Cutting 36 slots for hangar bays, I backlit them with blue and white
LEDs.” Mike designed details for the landing strip and hangar floor in
CorelDraw and installed similar details and LEDs in other parts of the ship.
◀ DONG PHUONG
DA NANG, VIETNAM
A figure from MasterClub is entrenched in Dong’s 1/35 scale scene from the
Battle of Verdun. “I wanted to show a scene of daily life,” says Dong, “gloomy and
swampy.” He built the base and finished with airbrushed enamels and hand-
brushed acrylics, and artist’s oils for washes and weathering.
BUILDER BASICS
By Aaron Skinner
FILLING GAPS
with
super
glue
The powerful adhesive
is also great for
eliminating voids
BY AARON SKINNER
S

uper glue (known formally as cyanoacrylate, or CA, glue) is a multipurpose mod- Super glue is available in three basic
eling adhesive essential for joining nonplastic materials, such as resin and photo- viscosities — thin, medium, and thick —
etch, where solvent glues won’t work. Some builders even use super glue in place that take progressively longer to set. Thin
of conventional model glue for assembly. glue dries within a few seconds, whereas the
But super glue also is a terrific and versatile filler that can quickly eliminate thick stuff can take up to a minute.
most seams. Unlike old-school modeling putties which can take hours to cure, super
glue sets within minutes — or instantly, with the help of accelerator. Plus, super glue
dries at least as hard as plastic, so it can be scribed; putty has a tendency to chip at the
edge of a scribed line. That hardness also means it accepts paint like plastic, so filled
areas completely disappear.
Here are a few tips and tricks for using super glue as a filler.
1 2
For most filling, I use medium-viscosity super glue. Squeeze a little onto A round toothpick works perfectly to apply the glue. After breaking off a
a disposable palette like a coffee lid and replace the cap immediately. tip, I split the shaft about 1⁄16 inch with a hobby knife.

3 4
For fine gaps that should remain panel lines, like the wing root on Large gaps and those in areas that should be solid, such as the joins
Hasegawa’s 1/72 scale Beaufighter, I touch the applicator to the seam under the Beaufighter that cross the flaps, require more glue. I let it flow
and let glue flow into it. Done right, it may not need sanding. across a little of the surface on either side of the join for easier blending.
5 6
To speed setting, I use accelerator. Dip a micro brush in the thin liquid After blotting away accelerator, I immediately sand the filler. It sands
and touch it to the surface above the join so it runs into the glue. If you easily now; but if you wait too long, the glue becomes extremely hard
touch it directly to the glue, it will set in the brush. and difficult to remove without damaging the surrounding plastic.
7 8
The joint is blended when the glue and plastic appear uniformly dull; Super glue is perfect for filling pinholes in resin, like these on the road
unsanded glue is shiny. To restore the recessed edge of the flap that was wheel of an APC kit. The glue flows into the holes and naturally levels
partially filled, I draw a razor saw or scriber along the line. off. Larger voids may need a second application.
9 10
For larger gaps, sprinkle baking soda or Deluxe Materials Rocket Powder Super glue is clear, so it can be difficult to see not only where you are
into the gap before or after glue is applied. In addition to speeding applying it but where you’ve sanded. One solution is to add a little
drying, these additives add bulk to the cement. powdered graphite to color the adhesive. FSM
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
By Mark Hembree
Masking tape unmasked

Q “Masking made easy,” by Pat Villarreal
(Dec. 2017 FSM) looked like a cool article
and could actually prove useful for a project
or two. However, what the heck kind of
tape is it? It’s thin and dispensed from some
kind of holder with a pull/cutter edge.
Otherwise there is no clue to generic type,
brand, or source. Please advise.
– Jeff Hartman
Kansas City, Mo.
A Not stated in the article, but obvious in the

pictures, the yellow tape is Tamiya’s thin tape,
generically known as kabuki tape. Tamiya is
not the only brand, but it is probably the
most popular for its pliability.
Thanks for asking. We’ll keep trying to get
it right (or explain it again in the next issue if
we don’t).
Stash for cash?

Q What is the best way to sell model kits?
– John Pabst
Broadway, Va.
A We make no business recommendations.

Once you’ve chosen a kit, you won’t need much to start building it: styrene cement, white However, if there’s a better way to sell your
glue, super glue (with debonder, of course), parts clipper, sanding sticks and paper, hobby models than eBay — other than opening a
knife, and a tweezers. A purpose-bent coat hanger serves as a paint stand. hobby shop that attracts a lot of people — I
am not aware of it. Several venues are availa-
What is a good way to start? ble for this, mostly online, but we don’t have
Q What is the best subject to choose for a first model? A tank? An air- clear advice to offer on that.
plane? (Biplanes look difficult.) What would you recommend? I can tell you that when people ask the
best way to deal with a large heirloom
– Lindsey Woodworth
collection (usually after the modeler is set to
Carbondale, Ill. move out of his home or has passed away)
we suggest they contact a local modeling
A This is a dangerous one to answer. As vehicles don’t require a showroom shine. club. I have seen a few collections like this
soon as I say one is easier than another, And they are frequently one color. A 1/35 move through our local club by auction. It
people who build that one will let me scale Sherman or a Stuart (Tamiya makes takes a lot of time and effort, and, believe it
know I am not taking their models seri- easy-to-build kits of both) with one-piece or not, the stuff doesn’t move that fast or for
ously. But here goes … vinyl tracks might be a good place to very much.
First off, build what you like. You’re start. Sorry I don’t have happier news. On the
probably more familiar with it, and Still, armor, airplanes, ships, and many other hand, this may confirm what I suspect
knowing what it’s supposed to look like car kits may have a daunting number of you already know — that your model
when it’s done is a great advantage. parts and complexity that will make you collection is more valuable to you than
For that reason, and perhaps for parts wish you had chosen a biplane. anyone else. FSM
count, a simple car kit might be a good Some manufacturers will indicate a
bet. If you can put a one-piece body on a system of skill levels on the box, and a few
GOT A MODELING PROBLEM?
chassis and mount all four wheels, even have a beginner’s series of kits, such
Our Questions & Answers column is here
aligned, without getting glue all over as Revell’s EasyKit and HobbyBoss’ “Easy
to help. E-mail questions@finescale.com, or
everything, it will look pretty good. What Assembly” series. These can be an easy
visit FineScale.com and click on “Contact Us.”
makes expert car modelers experts is how entry into the hobby. We are not able to conduct lengthy research,
they can elevate basic components to Visit FineScale.com for articles to get such as answering questions on markings
excellence. you going: “Start — or restart — your and unit histories. Mail volume and space
But painting an auto can be tricky. modeling” provides an overview of what limitations prevent us from printing every
Some may prefer to start with armor you’ll need, and our FSM Basics series will question. Please include your name, town,
because, unlike cars, armored fighting fill you in on modeling fundamentals. state, and a daytime phone number.

READER TIPS
By Elizabeth Nash
A flexible brace
for sandpaper
Monitor as photo backdrop One problem with this method is that a While browsing through my
I use a 27.5-inch by 15.5-inch flat screen moire pattern is sometimes visible (a series local auto-parts store, I came
computer monitor as a photo backdrop for of curved lines which appear in a digital
my models. This simple six-step process
across a useful tool for wet-
photograph on a monitor). Moving the
makes it easy: camera back and zooming in helps get rid sanding my models: a semihard
of this pattern. rubber rectangle that is used for
1. Take a photograph or find an existing – Timothy Canney
photograph that would look convincing as a Savannah, Ga. spreading auto body putty and
background for the model. For example, I resin.
took a picture of the Ogeechee River to Recycle e-juice bottles
serve as the background for a model steam- Hold onto the bottles that once held
In the photo above, I have
boat. Or I’ll use cloudscapes for aircraft e-vapor/juice/liquid for electronic cigarettes placed two pieces of this rubber
models. Keep in mind that if you use and use them for mixing and storing paint on their sides to show that one
images from the internet in a published for airbrushes. I repurpose all my bottles
photo, you may have copyright problems. and they have always worked well. edge of the rectangle is already
– Jack Jones beveled.
2. Display the image on the monitor using Williamsburg, Ohio
the full-screen function.
First, I cut the rubber piece
Masking with foam into different widths. Next, I cut
3. Position the model or diorama in front of For those oddly shaped openings that need my sandpaper to match the rub-
the monitor. to be masked, try using foam from the fab-
ric section of your local craft store. ber’s width and long enough to
4. Put the camera on a tripod about 5.5 feet I find that it cuts easily with a sharp wrap around the piece 1.5 times
from the screen. knife. You can then use a knife point or
other pointed tool to stuff the foam into
— the extra bit of length helps
5. Zoom in until the subject almost fills the the opening. me hold the sandpaper in place.
view finder. To reduce blur, set the timer on The foam is easy to remove, too. The rubber is just flexible
the camera shutter and stand back. – Jim James
Winter Garten, Fla. enough to allow the sandpaper
6. Take lots of pictures! to do its job without harming
Detail painting with a Sharpie
As a new modeler of aircraft, I have found the plastic.
HAVE A TIP OR TECHNIQUE TO SHARE?
Send a brief description along with a photo
the most difficult part of the build is paint- Now I am able to get into
to tips@finescale.com or visit FineScale. ing the trim on the canopy. tight spaces that were impossi-
com and click on “Contact Us.” Tips are paid Recently, I discovered a unique and eas-
for upon publication; if you live in the U.S., ier way to accomplish this task: A fine- ble to reach before and sand to
we’ll need your Social Security number to point Sharpie black permanent marker my heart’s content.
pay you. FSM obtains all publication rights easily details the small trim. All of my can-
(including electronic rights) to the text and opies look great, thanks to this pen. – Terry Davis
images upon payment. – Larry E. Linley, USAF MSGT Ret. Bremerton, Wash.
Springville, Ala.
WORKBENCH REVIEWS
FSM experts build and evaluate new kits
Takom M3 Lee
A
s war heated up in Europe, Takom has taken up the challenge and pro- I started with the lower hull. The sus-
Africa, and Asia, the U.S. mili- duced a decent M3 Lee. pension assemblies are tricky but with care
tary realized it needed better While the lower hull is conventionally they are operable, though not sprung like
weapons to meet the threats. The molded as a one-piece tub with front and the real ones. I left off the running gear
M3 medium tank was developed from the back plates, the complex upper hull com- until after basic painting.
M2 light tank design but carried a 75mm prises several panels that take great care in Rather than follow the instructions, I
gun. Because the U.S. did not have a turret assembly. There is a good representation of took Chris Mrosko’s advice from an FSM
capable of holding the gun, it was mounted the cast-metal surface and casting marks New Product Rundown video and built the
in a sponson on the right side of the hull. A where appropriate. The suspension is accu- upper hull assembly as a separate unit in
smaller turret carried a 37mm gun, some- rate and features link-and-length plastic one sitting, using glue that set fast but
times with a .30-caliber coaxial machine tracks. A small photo-etch (PE) fret allowed time for fitting (I used Weld-On
gun (as on this model). includes the engine grille and delicate 3). I left off details until the upper hull was
Although the M3 was fast becoming guards for the headlights. Decals are for together. Everything fit well, with only two
obsolete, it still proved an effective weapon four Lees: three in U.S. markings and one tiny gaps at the rear plate that were easily
against the Germans in North Africa. Lend-Lease Soviet vehicle. filled with a bit of putty.
Named Lee in U.S. service, the M3 with The small instruction booklet has good The main gun has a linkage that I think
British modifications was dubbed Grant. diagrams and a full-color guide for painting is supposed to move the gunsight (atop the
For decades, modelers have desired a and markings. But my 65-year-old eyes hull) as the gun is traversed; my gun and
better model of the M3 tank — and now wish the instruction booklet was larger. sight both move, but they do so indepen-

dently. The PE fits well, and there’s even a angle end connectors and are used for the
form for bending the headlight guards. sag in the upper run. The rest (L4) have
The turret is a quick build. While all of connectors angled for the bends in the
the hatches on the vehicle may be posed tracks (nice touch). The tracks fit well,
open and have detail on their undersides, but the movable suspension complicates
there is no interior. their installation.
Ever since seeing the short-lived reverse Aided by good fits and the one-color
national markings in a photo from 1930s paint scheme, I spent only 18 hours on
war games, I’ve wanted to do a vehicle in my M3 Lee. The finished model matched
that scheme. The decals are a little thick; I published dimensions. Kit: No. 2085 Scale: 1/35
had to use Micro Sol, Solvaset, and a hair While it’s not a difficult build, beginners Mfg.: Takom, www.takom-world.com
dryer to make a decal conform to the turret might have problems with the upper hull. Price: $50.99 Comments: Injection-
top. If you look closely, you’ll notice the Still, thanks to Takom, modelers finally molded, 331 parts (28 PE), decals
edges of the blue serial-number decals. have a worthy M3 Lee. Takom has already Pros: Link-and-length tracks; clear head-
I installed the running gear, then announced several M3 variants, including a light lenses; mandrel for forming PE
attached the tracks. A jig is provided to Grant, an M31 recovery vehicle, and a late headlight guards Cons: Tricky multipart
produce the slight sag behind the drive Lee. I suspect I’ll add them all to my col- upper hull; decals a little thick, small
sprockets. Not all of the single track links lection. placement diagrams
are the same: 12 of them (L3) have right- – John Plzak
WORKBENCH REVIEWS
Meng F-35A Lightning II
T
here is a plethora of F-35s avail- Hats off to Meng, since this can be a chore Separate closed doors also are available for
able to modelers in various scales. on other models. A large stiffener is pro- the nose gear, but not for the main gear.
I’ve built two so far, the wonder- vided to keep the intakes aligned for a I cemented all the external bits, such as
ful Academy 1/72 scale kit and seamless fit into the lower fuselage. pitot tubes and other sensitive items, before
now the equally beautiful 1/48 scale Meng After gluing the cockpit into the upper painting. Painting is straightforward but
kit of the A variant. fuselage, I cemented top and bottom. Open tedious — 16 hours — because of masking.
Upon opening the box you are treated to and closed refueling doors are provided. Color callouts seem accurate, but they are
several blue-gray sprues, an instruction Next is assembly of the wings and the for AK Interactive and GSI Creos Acrysion
booklet, a beautiful decal sheet by vertical and horizontal stabilizers. The only paints. I used Testors Model Master gun-
Cartograf for two aircraft, a separate color option here is the horizontal stabilizer, ship gray and dark gull gray.
guide, and a small fret of photo-etch (PE). which can be posed at 0 degrees or 10 I wanted an F-35 in 1/48 scale, and this
Weapon pylons for the wings are provided, degrees down. One complaint with the kit is it. The model has wonderful fits and great
but no weapons for them. Only test aircraft is that the vertical stabilizers have a 50% details. It’s the first Meng kit I’ve built, and
had these, which rendered the aircraft’s insert that gets glued in. This incorporated I would gladly build another. It looks great
RCS (radar cross section) more visible. I’ve some of the details, and I had to remove the in a collection.
read complaints that the tape to seal the RCS tape to remove the seam. I looked at – Caleb Horn
panel gaps is too thick, but less depth photos to see where the RCS tape would be
would make masking difficult. Since it took and painted it back on.
me 16 hours to mask and paint this kit, I’m The only other complaint involved the
glad the tape is a bit thick. two PE parts that are supposed to re-cre-
The cockpit is the first order of business. ate what’s inside the exhaust nozzle.
There isn’t much there — just like the real The exhaust tube is a single-piece
one. Seat belts are PE, and the 20 x 8-inch affair, with great-looking turbine
PCD (Panoramic Cockpit Display) is a blades and nothing else. The PE fits
fully lighted decal. Separate throttle, side just aft of the exhaust tube and looks to
stick, rudder pedals, and multipart ejection cover any detail inside. I understand
seat are detailed and fit well. this: Not many people know what the
Wheel wells and landing gear are simple exhaust really looks like. Meng was trying
and well represented. Instructions say to to do its best. But I would have left it out, Kit: No. LS-007 Scale: 1/48
attach the landing gear and wheels (which just because it looks better. Mfg.: Meng, www.meng-model.com
are not bulged) before joining the fuselage The weapon bays are well detailed, with Price: $69.99 Comments: Injection-
top and bottom, but I deviated from that. separate parts that enhance the overall molded, 233 parts (3 PE), decals
The wells fit great in the lower fuselage. detail, and beautifully reproduced options Pros: Great details, fits, and decals; full
Intake tunnels to the compressor blades of either GBU-35s or AIM-120Cs. But intakes; clear instructions Cons: Fitting
are designed so well that when you glue the since I like a “clean” look, and the fit of the vertical stabilizer inserts removes detail
halves together there is no visible seam. doors was so good, I decided to close them.

AFV Club HAWK MIM-23
S
ince aircraft first appeared over the the floor of the trailer and the upper part of
battlefield, ground forces have the one-piece trailer. Caution is needed
sought protection. The U.S. Army around the outriggers, which stick out
put the Homing All-The-Way Killer from the trailer.
(HAWK) system in service in 1959; the Removing delicate parts from
U.S. Marine Corps followed suit in 1960. the trees is troublesome, especially
Missiles were designated MIM-23A, the parts E21 and the hand brakes C26
launcher M192. and C27. I broke C27 and replaced
AFV Club now has released the first part of it with wire. Oddly, many of the
1/35 scale plastic kit of the HAWK system, parts for the transport mode are on one of Kit: No. 35283 Scale: 1/35
with injection-molded parts in dark green, the three A sprues, thus leaving many parts Mfg.: AFV Club, www.afvclub.com.tw
vinyl tires, a small photo-etch (PE) sheet, in the box. Price: $67 Comments: Injection-
two polycaps, and a vinyl hose. Crisply The lack of air-brake cables is curious: molded, 278 parts (7 PE, 5 vinyl), decals
molded, the parts show no flash; all knock- They are shown in the artwork and in the Pros: Easy assembly; excellent detail
out marks are well hidden. There are several detail picture in Step 19, but not in the Cons: Many small parts; balky decals
mold seams to clean up, but make sure you assembly. I used left-over vinyl tubing for
don’t remove any of the fine detail. these. If you show the model deployed, the
There are many microscopic parts, and remote launcher box is included. But you marking choice B, while A15 is for the
AFV Club has included extras for some of will have to supply the cable to attach it to other three sets of markings. I did leave the
them in case they disappear. Paint callouts the trailer. wings off for painting; they snapped into
are for GSI Creos, Humbrol, Revell, and The launcher unit is straightforward. place afterward.
LifeColor colors. Four marking choices are But in Step 17, instead of gluing the end The four marking choices are: USMC
shown in color profiles, with five side views connecter (E24) to the vinyl tube I glued it during Desert Storm; U.S. Army during the
of the trailer and four side views of the mis- to the launcher; I glued the vinyl tubes after Cuban Missile Crisis; Republic of China
sile. Two photos show placement of cables painting. (Taiwan) air force; and Israeli air force. I
that are represented by the vinyl tubing. A Assembly of the missiles is where the chose the U.S. Army markings.
color sheet of the box art also is included. engineering of this model really shines. The The decals were in good register, and
Before starting on the trailer, you will rockets are molded in halves, and the mold even some of the smallest stencils were leg-
have to decide on showing it deployed or in seam is covered by molding strip. The nose ible. I did have some silvering; multiple set-
transport mode; I chose the deployed ver- cones fit so well I left them off to paint sep- ting solutions got those decals to settle.
sion. Assembly started with the outrigger arately. Control fins remain movable by This model was the perfect change of
arms, which were then sandwiched between sandwiching them between the body of the pace, with a relatively low parts count and
missile and the tail cone. Two different easy assembly. I spent 29 hours on it,
wings are included in the kit, but the direc- mostly for painting and decals. If AFV
tions do not specify which ones go with Club will release some of the support vehi-
which markings. After studying the cles, we’ll have a complete battery.
painting diagrams, I deduced – Mike Scharf
that A14 is for
WORKBENCH REVIEWS
IBG Models PZL.23A Karaś
A
n all-new tool from IBG mount inside the canopy, make sure the The model matches published dimen-
Models of Poland represents the open end of the box is down. I didn’t, and sions and is easy enough for a beginner who
PZL.23A Karaś, primary recon- now you can see the open end through the has built a few kits.
naissance and light bomber of canopy. The completed cockpit is well Part of what I like most about doing
the Polish air force at the onset of World detailed right out of the box. reviews is that I am introduced to subjects
War II. Molded in light tan plastic, the Construction of the wings is normal, and manufacturers that I probably would
parts feature fine recessed panel lines and with a full lower section and upper halves; have overlooked. I must admit this one isn’t
excellent surface detail. Clear parts are thin fit is near perfect and trailing edges are nice something I would have given a second look
with crisply molded framing that should and thin. The instructions would next have — but that would have been a shame, because
aid in masking. A small fret of photo- you attach the completed cockpit to the it’s really a gem of a kit. The fact that it’s
etched (PE) parts complement the plastic center section of the lower wing, then add probably not something you’ll see at many
details; a decal sheet with two marking the fuselage halves one side at a time. I shows is pretty cool, too! I’m impressed with
options completes the inventory. chose the more conventional method of the quality and detail, and I really enjoyed the
Instructions are excellent, with CAD ren- gluing the fuselage together, then inserting entire process. I know IBG has a PZL.37
derings of the individual parts and assem- the cockpit, and had no trouble. There was a medium bomber in the works, and I defi-
blies clearly showing each of the 13 steps. slight gap along the top of the wing-to- nitely will have to check it out!
Painting guidance is minimal, so try to find root join, but it was easily remedied by sup- – Mike Klessig
some good references. (I didn’t have much porting the wingtips on some blocks and
luck in that respect.) balancing a small weight on top of the
Work starts with the interior parts, fuselage, then flowing Tamiya thin
beginning with the rear gunner’s mount. cement into the joint.
The individual parts are all well done, but There are a couple of options
some are quite small and have no real posi- for the landing gear — com-
tive locating points. I drilled a small hole in pletely faired or open — but no
the top of the machine gun to locate the information is given for the
tiny PE sight. The main floor comprises open version, although that’s
three pieces which took a little jigging to what is shown in the box art. I did
keep them aligned while the glue set. Most need just a touch of filler on the seam after
of the interior was painted khaki as attaching the belly-gunner cupola. A small
instructed, with details picked out as I PE support for the tail skid and optional Kit: No. 72505 Scale: 1/72
thought appropriate. There is a decal for the bombs complete the model. Mfg.: IBG Models, www.ibgmodels.com
instrument panel and two other panels, but Using Testors enamels, I painted aircraft Price: $21.95 Comments: Injection-
no mention in the instructions as to place- gray underneath and Afrika khaki topside. molded, 86 parts (15 PE), decals
ment. One appears to be for the box which Decals went on well but were rather unre- Pros: Excellent surface detail, fit
mounts inside the canopy, and the other for sponsive to setting solutions and didn’t suck Cons: Some very tiny bits; minimal paint
the box mounted under Part B16. Make into the details as well as I would have instruction
note! When assembling the box (radio?) to liked.

Trumpeter F-106A Delta Dart
T
rumpeter’s F-106A features intake didn’t fit well, but the right one was
recessed panel lines and options perfect. The three-part wing’s lower center
that include a choice of open or section fit poorly around the lower
closed canopy and weapons bay. intakes and exhibited a mismatch with
The inner surfaces of the speed-brake petals the outer wing surfaces. Other fit
have molded-in detail but aren’t separate issues were smaller, such as a few
parts, and no operating mechanism is locating pins that didn’t fit their
included in the kit. An armament package receiving holes in size or spacing and had
of AIR-2A Genies, IR-guided AIM-5F to be sanded or trimmed to fit. The upper
Falcons, and radar-guided AIM-5G wings fit the area-rule fuselage contours Kit: No. 01682 Scale: 1/72
Falcons is given, plus the trapeze-like perfectly. The multipart landing gear is Mfg.: Trumpeter,
launch rails to display the Falcons in the nicely detailed and looks terrific when built www.trumpeter-china.com Price: $47.95
extended load-or-launch positions. The up, and there’s nice detail on the wheel well Comments: Injection-molded, 121 parts,
launch rails aren’t designed to be posed doors, though the inner main gear doors decals Pros: Nice decals, cockpit; multi-
retracted. lack actuating rod mechanisms. The lower part gear and missiles Cons: Fit issues
The cockpit builds up into a nice little rotating beacon is absent. with the lower-wing center section and
module, though the seat could use lap belts Trumpeter has taken the welcome step some of the locating pins
and more detail. Decals and raised detail of listing five paint equivalents for each
for panels and consoles are excellent. The color in the painting and markings guide
area behind the cockpit is a shelf with no — a nice touch which helps eliminate just fine. Stenciling was provided.
detail except the canopy actuator, but once guesswork. I used Tamiya acrylics and The windshield on my sample wouldn’t
the canopy’s in place it’s not very visible chose the Michigan Air Guard scheme fit well until I removed the radar sight and
anyway. from the kit’s three decal options. recorder from the glare shield and sanded
There’s nice detail in the wheel wells and I deemed the blue of the first insignia I down its base a little.
the missile bay. The nose gear strut has to applied too light, so I substituted aftermar- Accurate in outline and appearance,
be built into the well box, so it is extended ket insignia for the remaining three. The Trumpeter’s Dart scales out well. Not a
for the rest of the build, which potentially decals worked great, though the black ones complicated kit — the fit issues I had just
gets in the way of handling. The cockpit with their single ink color were thin and feed the old argument of “modeling” versus
and nose wheel well are tight fits and have tended to fold back on themselves. The “assembling.” This one took me a little lon-
to be sandwiched together into the fuselage overstrike decals with multiple layers of ink ger to complete (22 hours) than others its
halves. (like the yellow) were hardier and easy to size and qualifies as a modeling project.
My sample kit had fit issues: The left apply. All settled into the recessed detail – Walt Fink
Sword FJ-3 Fury
F
or decades I’ve been pining (some- The fuselage halves line up pretty well, the wingtip navigation lights but no
times loudly) for an injection- but the intake trunk is too round in cross notches for them on the wing. The notches
molded FJ-3 Fury. Finally, Sword section to fit properly into the lips of the are on the FJ-2 kit’s wing, though. I just
has come to the rescue with its new rectangular intake of the fuselage. Work on painted my lights.
Fury family of kits. Released simultaneously improving the fit of the intake trunk before The main gear struts and doors are OK,
with the similarly missile-armed FJ-3M closing the fuselage, and don’t worry about but the nose-gear strut is molded with the
and the slightly different FJ-2, Sword’s the trunk reaching the rear bulkhead oleo cylinder completely compressed. To
Furies fill a significant gap in U.S. Navy jet underneath the cockpit. The instructions make up for that shortfall, the section
fighter model collections don’t mention it, but I added a little weight above the oleo is way too long. I had to cut
Sword’s Fury, like many limited-run to the nose. off about 4mm from the top to make the
plastic kits, is not a precision-fit kit. Nearly I am impressed that Sword reflects the model sit right. Also, the instructions show
every part needs work to attain an accept- different intake and wing shapes in its Fury the placement of the separate oleo scissors
able fit. kits. The FJ-2 kit comes with the smaller on the left side of the strut and the damper
The cockpit interior is adequate and fea- intake and early narrow-chord, slatted wing spring on the right; they are opposite. But
tures a two-piece resin ejection seat with no (although the aerodynamic slats are molded it’s an easy fix, as there are no designated
harness. There is a noticeable lack of detail shut), while the FJ-3 and FJ-3M kits come holes or pins for them.
behind the seat, though. with the taller intake and wing with the Fitting the canopy is a problem. The
“6-3” chord, fixed, and cambered leading part that covers the pit behind the seat has
edge featured on late -3 Furies. This kit’s a shallow-peaked ridge along its length that
wing also has finely molded barrier prevents the sliding canopy from fitting,
catchers molded to the leading edges either opened or closed. I shaved off the
(although there should be an additional ridge. The front edge of the windscreen fits
one near each wingtip). They are really poorly to the top of the nose and requires
tiny and thin, and you’ll have difficulty careful filing.
preserving them through all the gluing and The last hurdle was the decals.
seam-sanding. Beautifully printed, Sword’s decals are thin
Kit: No. 12550 Also on this wing are mid-span leading- but too supple — moving them into posi-
Scale: 1/72 Mfg.: Sword, swordmodels.cz edge fences, little horseshoe-shaped items tion made them warp, tear, and fold over on
Price: $29.99 Comments: Injection- separately molded on the sprues. All of the themselves.
molded, 79 parts (2 resin), decals fences in my two -3 Furies arrived broken. Despite the problems, it sure is an
Pros: Fine recessed panel line details; Just as well — their openings were too nar- attractive model! Now that I know the
good interior; proper wing for this type; row to fit around the leading edges of the problem areas, I’ll do better next time. I
good shapes; colorful markings wing. There were no indicating lines or slots clocked 28 hours on my first Fury. It’s
Cons: Subpar fit overall; poor intake trunk in the wing to determine where the fences about a scale foot too long, and photos
and nose-gear strut; missing notches on should go; after further study, I found I had show the kit’s cannon ports are molded a
wingtips for navigation lights; wriggly glued mine on about ¼ inch outboard of couple of millimeters too far back on the
decals the proper locations. nose. So, for my second Fury model …
Interestingly, there are clear lenses for – Paul Boyer

AFV Club F-CK-1 Ching-kuo
D
esigned and manufactured in in a few areas where sprue attach-
Taiwan, the “Ching-kuo” ment points marred the finish.
Indigenous Defense Fighter If you want the canopy
came into existence due to a closed, the inner canopy rails
U.S. arms agreement with China. However, (Part D11) will prevent it; omit
the inspiration and influence of the F-16 the rails and the fit is fine.
design is obvious. Interestingly, there are no align-
Taiwan is the only operator of this air- ment pins for the missiles on their rails. A
craft; both single- and two-seat versions diagram shows where the end of the missile Kit: No. 48108 Scale: 1/48
have been produced and have seen service. should be, but there is no other indicator. Mfg.: AFV Club, www.afvclub.com.tw
AFV Club presents a new tool of this The missile rails have nice detail on their Price: $60 Comments: Injection-
interesting little aircraft in 1/48 scale; pre- faces (though it is hidden by the missiles molded, 222 parts (9 PE, 4 resin), decals
viously, the only one was a basic representa- themselves). Somehow, the slots that are Pros: Mostly easy construction
tion from Zhengdefu. supposed to accept the separate forward Cons: Rough exterior surfaces, poorly
Opening the box reveals a lot of parts fins on the AIM-9P4 Sidewinder and cast instrument panels
for such a small aircraft! Some are tiny and TC-1 Sky Sword are not long enough for
require extra care to ensure they do not fly the fins. The centerline-mounted TC-2 Sky
into oblivion. The gear-door actuating arms Sword II missiles are mounted on trapezes decals to both sides for the appropriate
are particularly small, and I must confess that can be either retracted or extended. script.
the miniscule throttle is MIA. Air-to-ground munitions will have to be The kit’s decals worked quite well and
Closer inspection reveals several exterior obtained from other sources. responded favorably to GSI Creos Mr.
surfaces have a general roughness that Detail in the wheel wells/undercarriage Mark Softer and Mr. Mark Setter. There
demands sanding if you want a smooth sur- is well done. The mount of all parts is solid are four sets of markings provided, all of
face to paint. and secure, and can wait until after paint- which are for the -C (or MLU) version of
A big letdown of this kit are the resin ing. Air brakes can be shown deployed or the aircraft.
instrument panel and side panel — almost closed. This is a terrific little kit that occupied
as though the master were some porous The air brake on the F-CK-1 (and approximately 30 hours of enjoyable bench
foam, with soft detail and rough texture. F-16) has a small “eyelid” cover in front of time. There are no real pitfalls to watch out
There is beautifully molded plastic for these the brake panel on the underside. This is for during construction, since everything
parts, but they are for the F-CK-1A, not the only kit that I am aware of that cor- fits pretty well.
the F-CK-1C called out on the decal sheet. rectly depicts this cover as a separate piece, I’ve wanted to add this aircraft to my
Otherwise, cockpit detail is sharp, accu- allowing it to be correctly set in the open collection for years. AFV Club has brought
rate, and receives paints well. Photo-etched position. us a kit that is easy to build and reflects the
or fabric seat belts would be the only thing AFV Club has a novel idea of supplying design and look of the aircraft very well. I
worth adding. a sheet of red vinyl to make Remove Before will more than likely build a two-seat
Construction was a breeze: Everything Flight tags. You cut the material into thin F-CK-1D as well!
fit well with just the smallest smear of filler strips, punch a hole in one end, and apply – Matthew Walker
ySS
y
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www.TotalNavy.com “Since 1969”
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BUFFCON 35 SCALE MODELING SHOW COLPAR’S HobbyTown USA

PLANES • ARMOR • CARS • SHIPS • SCI-FI
Sunday, April 8, 2018 We carry a huge inventory of plastic model kits from
Sponsored by IPMS Niagara Frontier around the world! Full Line of Detailing Accessories.
Airline models, Decals, Books, Promos, Die Cast Col-
“The BuffCon Boys” lectibles, Historical & RPG Games & Miniatures,
Airbrushes & parts. Large Paint and Tool inventory.
Justin & Columbus Hall Full line R/C department. We ship worldwide.
2735 Union Rd. at William St.
Cheektowaga (Buffalo), NY www.colpar.com
COLPAR’S HobbyTown USA To order call: 1-800-876-0414
www.ipmsniagarafrontier.com for details 1915 S. Havana St. For information: 303-341-0414
For more information, call 716-934-2161 evenings Aurora, Co 80014
email: schulenberg.richard@yahoo.com
WI, MADISON: Mad City Modelers 23rd Annual Model Show, SHIP AND AIRCRAFT MODELS. Built for display. For ad-
Classified Marketplace Madison Labor Temple, 1602 S. Park Street. Saturday, March ditional information contact, Ray Guinta, PO Box 74, Leonia, NJ
This section is open to anyone who wants to sell or buy 3, 2018. 9am-4pm. Theme Award - The 60’s. 57 Categories; 07605. www.modelshipsbyrayguinta.com
scale modeling merchandise. FSM reserves the right to edit 13 Best Awards; Huge General Raffle + Grand Prize Raffle.
undesirable copy or refuse listing. For FSM’s private records, Food on site, vendors, and slideshow awards presentation. Info: THOUSANDS OF MODEL KITS for sale. All types
please furnish: a telephone number and a street address. Bill Wedeward (920) 478-8214; williamwedeward@yahoo.com or from Old Aurora to new releases. Send a $.70 SASE to: Dean
Coming Events Rate: $35 per issue (55 word maximum). madcitymodelers.clubhosting.org Sills, 116 N. Washington, Owosso, MI 48867. Specify Mili-
Word Ad Rates: 1 insertion - $1.13 per word, 5 insertions - tary List. Phone: 989-720-2137. Fax: 989-720-0937. E-mail:
$1.08 per word, 10 insertions - 99¢ per word. $20 minimum CANADA, BRAMPTON, ONTARIO: Torcan 2018 Model dean@deanshobbystop.com
per issue. Count all initials, single numbers, street number Contest. Century Gardens Recreation Centre, 340 Vodden St.
or name, city, state, zip, phone numbers each as one word. E. Saturday, May 26, 2018, 9:00am-5:00pm. General Admission
Payment must accompany the ad. To receive the discount $5.00, children 12 & under free. Contestant Admission: Adult WANTED
you must order and prepay for all ads at one time. We accept $15.00 includes 3 models, $2.00 each additional entry. Junior A BIG BUYER OF AIRCRAFT, Armor, Sci-Fi, Resin, Hybrid
Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover. $7.00 includes 3 models, $1.00 each additional entry. Hosted or Plastic kits. We buy collections whether they are small or
Send Your Ads To: FineScale Modeler – Classified by Peel Scale Modelers. Visit www.TorcanModelShow.com or large- Worldwide as well. Call Don Black toll free 1-866-462-
Marketplace, 21027 Crossroads Circle, P.O. Box info@peelscalemodelers.com
7277. Don Black, 119 Bernhurst Road, New Bern, NC 28560.
1612, Waukesha, WI 53187-1612. Phone toll-free: E-mail don@donblack.com
1-888-558-1544, Ext. 815, or fax: 262-796-0126.
E-mail: onlineclassads@kalmbach.com FOR SALE AIRCRAFT, ARMOR, SCI-FI, FIGURES, AUTO, ETC.
ATLANTIS MAIL ORDER HOBBY SUPPLY Deep Buying kit collections, large or small, worldwide. Top prices
Closing Date: April 2018 closes January 15, Discounts on Thousands of New kits, Discontinued and Close- paid. Call Jim Banko 610-814-2784 or mail list to 122 Indepen-
out items. Send $2.95 to 9 Connor Lane Unit-G Deer Park, NY dence Ct., Bethlehem, PA 18020, fax 610-439-4141. E-mail:
May closes March 15, July closes April 19, 11729 OR CALL 631-499-6733 M-F 11-4PM est. You can also cth1@prodigy.net
September closes June 18. visit www.atlantis-models.com to order the Catalog.
I WANT TO BUY YOUR UNBUILT MODEL KITS.
ATTENTION KIT BUILDERS: If you are missing something Any size collection. Dean Sills, 116 N. Washington St. Owos-
COMING EVENTS in your collection check this out! Here’s over 500, (some hard so, MI 48867. 989-720-2137. Fax: 989-720-0937. E-mail:
to find) models, 1/72 and 1/48 scale, plus over 100 decal sets dean@deanshobbystop.com
FL, VENICE: 23rd Annual Show and Contest, IPMS/Wings,
available to be sold individually at fair prices. For a complete list
Wheels & Keels Model Club, at Woodmere Park Center. (Just off MODEL CAR AND TRUCK KITS. Unbuilt or built. Any
categorized by scale send a SASE for $1.61 to: Bob Twistol,
Jacaranda Blvd.,Exit 193 off I-750) Saturday, March 24, 2018, size collection. Good prices paid. Please contact: Fred Sterns,
5005 Briar Oaks Circle, Orlando, Florida 32808. Questions?
9:00am-3:00pm. Outstanding Raffle! $10.00 entrance fee for 48 Standish, Buffalo, NY 14216. Phone: 716-838-6797. Fax:
Call 407-491-1586 or E-mail jetpilotf105@yahoo.com
unlimited models. Free Admission. For information contact 716-836-6057. E-mail: fsterns@aol.com
Randy 941-456-5062. For vendor information contact John AVIATION ART STORE Famous American, Allied and Axis
941-807-0003 or email: boston4550@yahoo.com Aviator limited edition prints. Rare signatures of French, Italian,
and Japanese aviators. Aviationartstore.com MISCELLANEOUS
NV, LAS VEGAS: IPMS “Best of the West, Prelude to Phoe-
1ST AND ABSOLUTELY THE BEST MUSEUM-QUAL-
nix Nationals”. Eastside Cannery, 5255 Boulder Hwy. Saturday CANOPY MASKING AND MORE! WWW.EZMASKS.COM ITY MODELS. IPMS Nationals winner building aircraft and ar-
May 5, 2018, 9:00am-4:30pm. $10.00 for 3 entries, $2.00 each List $3.00. Chris Loney, 75 Golf Club Rd., Smiths Falls, ON, mor to your specification, including conversions and scratchbuilt.
additional, free unlimited display. On-site model review booth. Canada K7A 4S5. 613-283-5206, ezmasks@gmail.com Call BC Models for quote and information at 913-385-9594 or
Get your models tunded-up for the Nationals. Facebook “IPMS
visit www.bcmmodels.com
Las Vegas”. Vendors, more info; ipmslv.org or 702-296-9976 NEW! WOODEN SHIP MODEL KITS BlueJacket Ship-
crafters, America’s oldest maker of wooden ship model kits FINESCALE MODELER AUTHOR and IPMS medalist will
OH, WRIGHT-PATTERSON AFB: April 7, 2018. Hope Hotel has launched several new kits including the Pauline sardine car- build your favorite aircraft, specializing in metal finishes. Contact
and Conference Center. Scale Model Show hosted by Wright rier, USS Cairo ironclad civil war gunboat, the Revenue Cutter John Adelmann at 563-556-7641 or jjadelmann@yahoo.com
Field Scale Modelers. Raffle, Special Awards, Huge Vendor of 1815, the J/24, and coming soon, the Perry! Visit us at
Area, Seminars, and more, just minutes from the National Muse- www.bluejacketinc.com to see these and our more than 75 other
um of the US Air Force. Full details at www.wrightcon.com. Con-
tact: Brian Duddy, 937-331-8135, or contact@ipmsdayton.com
ship model kits for everyone from beginner to master craftsman.
Experience Wooden Ship Modeling! Visit FineScale.com today!
Local Hobby COLORADO • Aurora
Large inventory of models from the
MICHIGAN • Traverse City
Let your imagination run wild!
OREGON • Beaverton
world over! Detailing accessories, research Complete full line hobby shop.
Shop Directory publications, games, trains, R/C, tools, and
supplies. Easy access from D.I.A.
Aircraft, ships, cars, armor, special orders,
diecast cars, model railroading Z to G
and more...
Z, N, HO, O, Lionel, and LGB.
Open Mon - Fri 10-8, Sat 10-5, Sun 12-5.
http://www.colpar.com
Local Hobby Shop Directory listings are available COLPAR HOBBIES TRAINS & THINGS HOBBIES TAMMIES HOBBIES
for the next ten issues for $275 (payable in advance) 1915 S. Havana St. 800-876-0414 210 East Front St. 231-947-1353 12024 SW Canyon Rd. 503-644-4535
or at $37 per issue (billed to established accounts
for a minimum of ten insertions). Ads will be set CONNECTICUT • Cos Cob MICHIGAN • Ypsilanti-Metro Detroit OREGON • Hillsboro
in standard listing typography. All insertions must Planes, tanks, cars, ships, rockets, plastic and Your single stop model building shop. Full service hobby shop.
be consecutive and may be invoiced if you have wood kits. Trains. Authorized Lionel dealer & Michigan’s largest selection of new and vin-tage Over 6,000 recently acquired models.
credit established with us. No mention of mail repair. Die-cast, RC, slot cars, structural and kits in all genres plus everything needed to build All the supplies you need to build your model.
diorama supplier. Special orders welcome. them. Wed - Sat 11-8, Sun 12-5 www.hillsborohobby.com
order business permitted. For information call Visit us on Facebook. www.modelcave.com
1-888-558-1544, ext. 815. Closing dates listed in ANN’S HOBBY CENTER MODELCAVE HILLSBORO HOBBY SHOP
Classifieds section. 405 E. Putnam Avenue 203-869-0969 103 W. Michigan Avenue 734-316-2281 345 E. Main St. 503-648-3788
ALASKA • Anchorage CONNECTICUT • Manchester NEVADA • Las Vegas PENNSYLVANIA • Landisville (Lancaster)
www.anchoragehouseofhobbies.com Largest hobby shop in NE. Military, cars, trucks, While in Las Vegas, come see our wide Large Selection New & Used Kits
Alaska’s best hobby supplier since 1964. plastic models, diecast cars, trucks. Planes, RC selection of models and detail accessories. Military books, tools, paint, airbrushes
Two stories, 6,300sf, 1st floor all R/C, planes, cars, trucks, slot cars, rockets, Breyer, Less than 5 miles off the Las Vegas strip Full line hobby shop open Tue - Thur 10-6,
2nd floor general hobbies, plastics, trains, Detailing supplies, games! Hours Mon-Fri 10-7, Sat 10-6, Sun noon-5. Fri 10-7, Sat 10-4 www.CoolTrains.com
slot cars, telescopes & more! Mon-Wed 10-6 Th-Fri 10-9 Sat-Sun 10-6
ANCHORAGE HOUSE OF HOBBIES TIME MACHINE HOBBY HOBBYTOWN USA COOLTRAINS TOYS & HOBBIES
2803 Spenard Rd. 907-277-7778 71 Hilliard St. 860-646-0610 4590 W Sahara Ave Ste 103 702-889-9554 106 W. Main Street 717-898-7119
ARKANSAS • Jacksonville CONNECTICUT • Milford NEW HAMPSHIRE • Dover TEXAS • Houston
Headquarters for scale hobbies. Models; Extensive selection of armor kits & Verlinden Best plastic, resin & balsa kits from around the HO & N, Lionel trains.
N-HO-O trains; gaming; tools; paints, etc. accessories. Military, auto & aircraft plastic world. Scratch building & diorama supplies, Complete line of plastic kits, military
Discounts & special orders. models. Photo-etched parts. O gauge train reference books, large paint selection including and architecture supplies.
Open 10-6, closed Sundays and Wednesdays sets. Open Tues - Sat 11-6, Sun 12-5. Humbrol, Citadel & Testors Open 11am-6pm M-F, Sat. 10am-5pm
www.railandspruehobbies.com www.HQHobbies.com www.gandgmodelshop.com
RAIL & SPRUE HOBBIES HQ HOBBIES ELITE HOBBIES G & G MODEL SHOP
1200 John Harden Dr. 501-982-6836 394 New Haven Ave., Unit 1 203-882-1979 #334 90 Washington St. 603-749-0800 2029 Southwest FWY 713-529-7752
CALIFORNIA • Burbank FLORIDA • Ft. Myers NEW JERSEY • Kenvil TEXAS • Irving (Dallas Area)
Large selection of plastic kits, paints, and Plastic modeling kits. Full service hobbies, a full line of Imported & Domestic Aviation Books &
supplies. Special orders no problem Paint, tools, scenery, accessories, HO, N, 3-Rail, military, cars, boats, Plastic Kits. Paint, Decals, HO, N trains, R/C,
Visit us in person or online & scale model railroads. planes, dollhouses, scratchbuilding U/C airplanes.
www.houseofhobbies.com Mon - Sat 10:00am-6:00pm; Closed Sun supplies, plus details-details-details! Mon 1-6, Tue-Wed 12-6, Thur-Fri 10:30-7.
Secure online ordering www.metrotrainsandhobbies.com Sat 10:30-6. www.malhobby.com
BURBANK’S HOUSE OF HOBBIES METRO TRAINS & HOBBIES KENVIL HOBBIES M-A-L HOBBY SHOP
911 S. Victory Blvd. 818-848-3674 12951 Metro Parkway 239-332-0422 590 Rt. 46 973-584-1188 108 S. Lee Street 972-438-9233
CALIFORNIA • Canoga Park HAWAII • Kailua, Oahu NEW JERSEY • Magnolia (Camden) TEXAS • San Antonio
Kits, plastic & wood, Slot cars & toys. Wide selection of plastic model kits, paint, Huge foreign & domestic model selection Scale modeling from beginner to expert.
Rockets, paint, glue and tools. Model trains. books, magazines and tools. all scales. Automobiles, aircraft ship, books, A wide selection of aircraft, armor, autos,
Mon 10-5; Tue - Sat 10-6 Located on the beautiful windward side, a wargames, scenery, diorama figures, ships, & sci-fi. Lots of reference
Closed Sun & Major Holidays. scenic 20 minute drive from Honolulu. supplies, parts, tools. Open 7 days material, detail parts, decals, tools, & eight
www.scalemodelstuff.com Mon - Fri 10-6, Sat 10-5, Sun 11-2 lines of paint. Open Tues-Sat 10am-6pm.
SCALE MODEL STUFF WELLER’S HOBBYCRAFT AAA HOBBIES & CRAFTS DIBBLE’S HOBBIES
7259 Canoga Avenue 818-716-7847 767 Kailua Road 808-262-0211 706 N. White Horse Pike 856-435-7645 1029 Donaldson Ave. 210-735-7721
CALIFORNIA • Garden Grove MASSACHUSETTS • Malden (Boston) NEW YORK • Middle Island WASHINGTON • Seattle
Rewards program for 10% back on purchases. Largest store in area, easy access via I-93, Excellent selection of lead miniatures- Plastic Model Specialists. Large selection of
Plastic aircraft, armor, ships, cars, decals, Rt. 1, and the T. Complete line of historical and fantasy. Plastic models, rare & out-of-production models.
books, paints, tools, miniatures war-games. model kits & supplies, plus toy soldiers, wargames & modeling supplies. Large selection of detail parts. Largest
Mon-Thur 11-8, Fri 11-midnight, Sat 10-mid- figure kits, games, etc. Shipping available. Info: Books and magazines. selection of plastic models in South Seattle!
night, Sun 11-7 www.brookhursthobbies.com hobbybunker.com www.skywaymodel.com
BROOKHURST HOBBIES HOBBY BUNKER, INC. MEN AT ARMS HOBBIES, INC. SKYWAY MODEL SHOP
12188 Brookhurst St. 714-636-3580 33 Exchange St. 781-321-8855 134 Middle Country Rd. 631-924-0583 12615 Renton Ave. South 206-772-1211
CALIFORNIA • Hollister MASSACHUSETTS • Norton NEW YORK • Upr Eastside GR Manhattan CANADA–ON • Ottawa (Vanier)
Model planes, car, ships & figures. Model train 6,000 model kits, old and new: Autos, armor, One of Canada’s leading model shops.
scales: Z, N, HO, O & G. Paints, tools. R/C & planes & sci-fi. Reference books & supplies. Visit our in-house Aircraft Model Museum. Complete line of military & aircraft kits,
parts, incl. service. Craft & educational kits, Open T-Th 11-7, F 11-8, Sa 10-5. Rt. 495 to Rt. Foreign and domestic plastic and wood kits. decals, paints and accessories.
supplies, products. Clinics available. Tu-Sat 11- 123E, behind Dunkin’ Donuts. www.mymummy. Open 7 days. Free parking. On Parle Francais.
6; Sun 12-4. www.debbiebartunek@mac.com com E: mummy@mymummy.com
B.C.T. HOBBY & CRAFTS HARRY’S HOBBIES & COLLECTABLES JAN’S HOBBY SHOP, INC. HOBBY HOUSE, LTD
201-C McCray St. 831-635-0537 250 E. Main St., Rt 123 508-285-8080 1435 Lexington Ave. 212-987-4765 80 Montreal Rd. 613-749-5245
CALIFORNIA • Orange MICHIGAN • Owosso NORTH CAROLINA • ARDEN CANADA–ON • Toronto
New Products, Old Kits & Great Service! Thousands of model kits from old Aurora to new Not just trains. Academy Models, AFV Club, Large selection of new & out-of-production kits.
Everything you need to build plastic models releases. Mon 4pm-7pm, Bandai, Hobby Engine, Morgan Cycle, Accessories & finishing products. Servicing the
Armor, Aircraft, Ships, Cars, SciFi and more. Tues - Fri 11:30am-5pm. Sat 11:30am-4:00pm Revell Monogram, Tamiya & More! www. hobbies since 1986. We buy kit collections.
M-F 10:30-6pm, Sat 10:30-5pm, Sun 12-5pm E-mail: dean@deanshobbystop.com FactoryDirectTrains.com www.wheelswingshobbies.com
www.militaryhobbiesonline.com
MILITARY HOBBIES DEAN’S HOBBY STOP FACTORY DIRECT TRAINS WHEELS AND WINGS
830 E. Lincoln Ave. 714-637-1211 116 N. Washington Street 989-720-2137 7 GLENN BRIDGE RD STE B 800-990-3381 1880 Danforth Ave. 416-752-0071
CALIFORNIA • San Mateo MICHIGAN • Royal Oak (Metro Detroit) OKLAHOMA • Owasso Run your Retail Directory ad in the
Your source for plastic models, diecast and all New & Old Toy Soldiers, Historical Miniatures, Oklahoma’s largest plastic kit, paint & after-
Models and Figure Kits from Around the market inventory. Planes, cars, trucks, armor,
supplies needed to finish your latest model.
Open 7 Days - Call for Hours World. Our famous selection of hobby supplies ships, trains & sci-fi. Special orders welcome! next issue of FineScale Modeler!
www.talbotstoyland.com includes scenics, paints, reference and more. Tue - Fri 10-5:30, Sat 10-5, Sun 1-4:30
www.michtoy.com Web site: www.topshelfmodelsllc.com Call 888-558-1544, ext. 815
TALBOT’S HOBBIES MICHIGAN TOY SOLDIER & FIGURE CO. TOP SHELF MODELS
445 South “B” Street 650-342-0126 1400 E. 11 Mile Rd. 248-586-1022 119 S. Main St. 918-274-0433 for more information.
Ad Index Alpha Precision Abrasives, Inc._ 9 Glenn Hoover Models ______ 64 ParaGrafix Modeling Systems _ 4
We believe that our readers are as
important as our advertisers. If you
do not receive your merchandise or a ARA Press_________________ 4 Hobbylink Japan ____________ 9 Proxxon, Inc. _______________ 6
reply from an advertiser within a rea-
sonable period, please contact us. Pro- Aves Studio ________________ 6 Hornby America ____________ 4 Roll Models_____________ 6, 64
vide details about what you ordered
and the amount you paid. If no action
is obtained after we forward your
Colpar’s Hobbytown USA ___ 64 IPMS Niagara Frontier Chapter 64 Squadron Mail Order ________ 2
complaint to the advertiser, we will
not accept further advertising from Dean’s Hobby Stop _________ 64 MegaHobby.com___________ 64 Tamiya America, Inc. _______ 68
them. FineScale Modeler magazine,
21027 Crossroads Circle, Waukesha, Evergreen Scale Models ______ 4 Michigan Toy Soldier Co.____ 64 TotalNavy.com ____________ 64
WI 53187. The Advertiser Index is
provided as a service to FineScale
Modeler magazine readers. The
Fantastic Plastic Models _____ 64 Micro-Mark Tools __________ 4 Xuron Corporation __________ 4
magazine is not responsible for
omissions or for typographical errors FineScale Modeler Books __ 8, 67 Oldmodelkits.com _________ 64
in names or page numbers.
FINAL DETAILS
By Ron Denning
Memories of a Marauder
“Dear Carolyn and Robert,

Ronnie wants to thank you for the model airplane you gave him for Christmas …”
T
hat’s what my mom wrote to my we were there). So my dad removed the with the decals, and there it sat on my
cousins after Christmas 1954. pieces from the sprue, trimmed them up, dresser … but, being 6, I didn’t leave it
(Incidentally, don’t ever call me and gave me the kit. I was not a great there for long. I had to play with it. Over
Ronnie.) I had received what I reader in kindergarten, but the plans were the next few days it was in the maintenance
was sure was the biggest model airplane in easy to follow — no words, just the illustra- hangar several times. Eventually, the
the world — a box scale (1/46) Aurora tions. Marauder became gearless, gunless, and
plastic kit of the Martin B-26 Marauder. After a bad experience with glue on the propellerless (if that’s a word).
The box was almost as long as my arm. kitchenette table (boy, that stuff really I don’t really remember the ultimate
I couldn’t wait to get at it. Being only 6, melted that plastic tabletop!), I was demise of my Marauder. Like most real
I was forbidden a knife of any kind (except assigned to a newspaper-covered plate- Marauders after the war, it probably went
at my grandparents’ house; when my glass-topped desk in the spare bedroom. to the scrap heap.
brother and I would visit, Grandpa would Bad choice: I was well underway when my About 50 years later, I discovered
give each of us a pocketknife to use while bottle of liquid glue toppled over and the oldmodelkits.com and found an Aurora
entire contents went cascading under the B-26 at an extraordinary price. I had to
More at www.FineScale.com newspaper, over the edge of the desk, and have it. The decals were unusable, so I
Ron, from Kansas City, Mo., is a longtime wicked under the plate glass onto the desk- hand-painted the markings.
FSM contributor and an expert modeler top. (Boy, that stuff really melts a wood fin- The old B-26 Marauder sits again on
whose hobby has not damaged fine ish!) I tried to hide the mess as long as I my dresser, and I still want to pick it up and
furniture in years. You can see more of his could. But my brother snitched on me. So I play with it. Instead, I look at it, remember
models in Reader Gallery at FineScale.com. was banned to the basement workbench. my childhood, and tell my kids the stories.
I finished up the B-26, my dad helped That’s what old guys do. FSM

Out of This World Modeling
Adventures in
OTHER
WORLDS 16 FUN
PROJ
ECTS!
In the all-new book, Out of This World Modeling,

FineScale Modeler’s Aaron Skinner and other
modeling experts explore the popular genres Out of This World
MODELING
of science fiction and fantasy. The book
features detailed how-to instructions for
building iconic figures, ships, and
vehicles from pop culture, including
“Batman,” “Star Wars,” Star Trek,”
anime (Gundam), and more!
You’ll learn techniques for
painting and weathering,
airbrushing, scratchbuilding,
lighting, and other effects.
Whether you’re new to scale

modeling, an experienced
16
exciting projects from
the worlds of science
modeler, or somewhere fiction and fantasy
comics, film, and TV
in between, there are a
variety of projects for Edited by Aaron Skinner
every skill level.

#12807 • $24.99
Buy now from your
local hobby shop!
Shop at
KalmbachHobbyStore.com
P31296

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What topics are covered in the magazine?

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What modeling techniques are discussed?

ADDON PARTS DRESS UP A HURRICANE

Create sails for plastic ships p. 30

When shopping at Squadron, know that you are

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Modelers need to stick (sorry) together!

Off the sprue: Your favorite winter Olympic sport?

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of two years, I struggled to complete a What tools are essential to you?

Between the fashion shows in Milan

Essential Scale Modeling

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#12470 • $19.95 #12476 • $21.99 #12805 • $24.99

8 FineScale Modeler March 2018

It’s Hobby Season! Stock up NOW

Abrasive Files &

ICM’s big-scale Ishak packs in the detail

AIRCRAFT KITS 1/48 SCALE

Mikoyan-25RBT Foxbat Russian Air Force

Nakajima C6N1-S Night Fighter Saiun

Sopwith 5F.1 Dolphin from Wingnut Wings,

AH-6J/MH-6J Little Bird Nightstalkers

Welcome new manufacturers

10 FineScale Modeler March 2018

Scammell Pioneer R100 artillery tractor

Model T 1917 utility WWII Australian

Mitsubishi G4M2A Type 1 Attack Bomber

J-15 Chinese Navy 2017 from Hasegawa, No.

LKW 5t mil gl from HobbyBoss, No. 85507, More at www.FineScale.com

Takom tackles late-production Lee

1/72 SCALE 1/35 SCALE

SdKfz 265 Kleine Panzerbefehlswagen

Maschinen Fireball SG & SG Prowler (2)

Japanese Navy Airmen set from Hasegawa,

44M Zrinyi I - Hungarian 75mm assault

American mechanics (1910s) from ICM,

12 FineScale Modeler March 2018

USS Oriskany — Essex-class Carrier from

Subaru Legacy GT touring wagon from

Battlestar Galactica Colonial Raptor from

Mitsubishi Galant VR-4 1992 Safari Rally

AUTO KITS 1/25 SCALE

Battle for Berlin from Warlord Games,

Gremlin X from AMT, No. AMT1077/12, $28.95.

BMW M6 GT3 2016 Spa 24 Hours Winner

Lockheed C-141B Starlifter from Roden, No.

Konflikt '47 British Automated Carrier