AIR Modeller - Issue 70 (2017 02-03)

AIR 70 cover.
qxp_Layout 1 13/01/2017 11:29 Page 1
70
FEB/MARCH 2017 • £6.50 UK $15.99
www.mengafvmodeller.com
FEBRUARY / MARCH 2017
MENG AIR MODELLER
Pony X-Press MENG’S NEW 1:48

P-51D MUSTANG
AIR 70 Feb-Mar 2017.qxp_AFV/26 Jan/Feb 06 13/01/2017 11:57 Page 222
CONTENTS
2 P-51D Mustang Pony X-Press
The Editor builds Meng’s brand new Mustang.
12 Short Sterling Part 7

Megas Tsonos continues to scratchbuild the heavy bomber in 1:48.
20 Mighty Mossi
Franck Oudin shows us why everyone loves Tamiya’s 1:32 Mosquito.
28 Tan-tastic
Aurelio Reale builds the debut Thunderflash kit from Tanmodel.
36 P-47 D-25 Thunderbolt Part 2

Andrea Vignocchi shares his painting and diorama techniques.
48 Air Borne
New releases.
56 Whipping-up a Storm
Olivier Soulleys’ big scale Tempest Mk.V.
Meng AIR Modeller is published Bimonthly by

AFV Modeller ltd
We are now on Facebook, ‘Like’ us to
Old Stables
follow what we are doing and follow our
East Moor
build projects.
Stannington
Northumberland
NE61 6ES
Tel: 01670 823648
Fax: 01670 820274
Meng AIR Modeller welcomes contributions from interested parties, but cannot accept any
email: david@mengafvmodeller.com
responsibility for unsolicited material.
Editor and Designer: David Parker
The contents of this publication including all articles, drawings and photographs originated by AFV
Deputy Editor: Mark Neville
Sales Director: Keith Smith Modeller ltd become the publishers copyright under copyright law. Reproduction in any form
requires the written consent of the publisher. Whilst every care is taken to avoid mistakes AFV
ISSN 2059-5964 Modeller ltd. cannot be liable in any way for errors or ommissions.
1
P-51D
Intriguing
Pony X-Press
That is probably the best word to describe the new Meng Models Mustang kit which has all the usual moulding finesse of the rest of the
Meng range but this is the first kit to feature what is described as a fast cement-free assembly design. Usually this kind of press together
assembly is sneered at by the serious modeller as it means simplification and an almost inevitable loss of detail. When you examine the
sprues for this new Mustang there appears to be no shortage of detail in key areas like the cockpit and the exterior surface detail is
excellent. By the way the kit has been designed with optional propellers, a choice of exhaust, and separate fuselage spine all point to
other possible future Mustang releases? The kit offers a choice of two droptank styles or 100lb bombs for the underwing racks and a
choice of open or closed main wheel doors. The tailwheel however is only in the open position so this will need to be adapted for an in-
flight configuration. It is a kit that promises much combining fast assembly without apparently compromising on detail but will it persuade
me to put my trusty bottle of Mr Cement S aside?
2
MENG MODELS NEW 1:48 NORTH AMERICAN P-51D MUSTANG

MODELLED BY DAVID PARKER
3
The kit offers a remarkably detailed cockpit apparent and especially in the cockpit fuselage with a refreshing certainty leaving
for the scale such that there is no need to where the parts can easily be broken down you in no doubt that it is correctly located
even consider looking at any aftermarket for painting before being pushed back and the huge pins on the fuselage sides
parts except that there are no seat belts together! Its a system that has a lot of promise a similar result when the fuselage
provided. The instrument panel is really advantages but also the occasional parts are brought together. To paint the
well moulded but I was less impressed disadvantage. In fitting the small parts on interior I chose to use MRP Interior Green
with the decal that is provided for the dials the back of the seat headrest I managed over a base of Mr Hobby black Mr Surfacer
so I substituted MDC individual instrument the cause a split in the headrest but it was Primer 1500. The MRP paint always sprays
dial decals. Almost immediately the easily fixed with a touch of liquid glue. The superbly and I will be using MRP colours
benefits of the glueless design are whole cockpit assembly plugs into the throughout the build.
The speed with which this kit comes together is also

remarkable as it is possible to assemble the various sub
assemblies quickly, the odd touch of glue is required here
and there and I was still using Mr Cement S to seal any
panel gaps as I would on a conventional kit. The wings
feature separate control surfaces which are locked in
between the wing halves and the flaps are only provided in
the fully dropped position.
The radiator assembly is set up with the trailing shutter

open as shown here but the optional closed version is
provided which I chose to use instead.
Simple but well detailed, the undercarriage is designed to

4 be built into the kit so it needs some adaptation if you
prefer to add it at the end of your build.
P-51D
The base colours applied to the cockpit and other internal parts over a black
primer.
I adapted some spare parts from an HGW seatbelt set to make belts for the Above The fuselage side walls are remarkably well detailed for this scale and
P-51 simply need to be painted.
Small areas of wear on the cockpit floor and chipped paint on the
Pilot’s seat all add to the used look of the cockpit although once
the coving and gunsight are fitted much of this detail is in shadow.
Closing the fuselage is a real treat as the fixings are so positive and it
was only reall necessary to apply a little glue to the spine of the tail fin to
Looking under the cockpit floor you can see the huge friction pins
ensure a prefect joint. that secure the parts as well as the snug fit of the cockpit and the
big tabs where it locates. 5
The wheel well locates perfectly onto a couple of friction pins and the flaps Turning over the partly completed wing you can see the big pegs used to join
are seen here clipped into the wing. the wing halves. In retrospect I would suggest adapting the flaps so that the
can be fitted after painting because they make reaching certain areas of the
fuselage more difficult in this position.
The radiator assembly then plugs into the fuselage for an impressively good fit. Happily there were absolutely no gaps along the wing root joints as the fit is
perfect.
With big sections of the kit quickly clipping together the assembly
comes together very very quickly which is another advantage of
this type of kit design. I chose to deviate from the kit instructions
by not fitting the propeller, exhausts or undercarriage at this
stage. Take care to fit the nose cowling part B31 before the longer
upper cowling B30 as they will not locate if you fit B30 first as I
discovered. The windscreen moulding is beautifully moulded but I
found it was just fractionally too long to sit into the slots each side
of the fuselage. I used a scalpel to shave a sliver of plastic from
the small rearmost vertical edge of the slots, allowing the
windscreen to slide into position. The sliding section of the canopy
has a central mould seam which needs to be cleaned up and if
opened the thickness of the plastic prevents the canopy from
sitting correctly on the fuselage. I was able to improve this
considerably by thinning down the inner edge of the canopy
The underside of the nose is test fitted and you can see how it also provides frame.
the underside of the wing. The visible gap closes up when the parts are fully
pushed together and glue is run along the seams.
Above The inner edges of the canopy frame were

thinned down to allow the canopy to sit correctly.
There are inevitably differences in the panel lines

between the moulded and separate sections so I
used MRP liquid filler to unify these areas - I brushed
the filler on and wiped away the excess quickly. With
this done I polished up the airframe using different
grades of foam sanding sticks and a soft cloth to get
a polished plastic finish in preparation for the natural
6
metal finish.
All the exterior parts were sprayed using MRP White Aluminium directly onto To enhance the natural metal finish I worked over the White Aluminium with
the polished plastic. The MRP paint requires no thinning and dries extremely AK True Metal Aluminium paste. This is applied in small areas with a brush
quickly for a very pleasing and durable finish. and buffed up with a finger tip or cotton bud.
I repeated the process on a section of the radiator and the cowling strip around the exhausts. I used White Spirits to carefully clean away the True metal from
these sections before using AK True Metal Dark Aluminium, with masks to protect the rest of the finish.
Using MRP Olive Drab I began to apply the camouflage to the fuselage and Before starting on the wings I used Wilder masking fluid applied with a piece
this is where the MRP paint works so well. Sprayed through my Iwata Custom of sponge to prepare for the scuffed wing roots.
Micron it will continuously spray ultra fine lines making it ideal to add the
freehand camo without the nee for masks.
I applied a thin partial coat of the Olive Drab over the wing root area before applying The masking was removed and the effect was quite harsh so I lightly
another layer of masking and then the final full density of the Olive Drab. worked over selected areas with more Olive Drab and gently rubbed 7
down with some Micro Mesh to create this effect.
With the camouflage complete I moved on to adding the wing stripes with The decals were unified with the rest of the paint finish by spraying a coat of
MRP White and Black for the underside along with the black nose ring. MRP Super Clear Semimatt varnish over the decaled areas.
The exhaust stubs were picked out using Mission Models Burnt Iron acrylic The completed exhausts are simply pushed into position and this is where the
with two coats brush painted onto the sprayed metallic finish of the exhaust push fit design really pays off!
shrouds.
The kit offers a choice of two schemes on the decal the nose. The decals also had a very high gloss finish
sheet but I decided to select a scheme of my own, in so I had the problem of varnishing them without killing
this case the Kits-World decals for “Happy Jack’s Go the natural metal finish. To do this I used the MRP
Buggy”. The decals whilst well printed appeared to Super Clear Satin which performed brilliantly. It was
be quick thick and consequently I had problems thin enough to spray through my Iwata Custom
getting them to conform to the model and if I had Micron so that I could apply varnish just on the decals
more time I would have preferred to paint the bars on without having to overspray the entire model.
8
You cannot weather the True Metal finish with anything solvent based so I The same technique was used on the underside too.
used an acrylic alternative mixing Lifecolor paint with Lifecolor Tenscrom
transparent colours to paint in panel lines and to add the dirt and oil stains.
Exhaust stains were airbrushed on using Lifecolor Liquid Pigments Soot. This Final details like undercarriage, drop tanks and antenna are fitted to complete
can be selectively removed using a damp brush just like the stains can be the model. The drop tanks are just plugged in place without the risk of glue
wiped off the fuselage by ground crew rubbing against them. marring the paint finish.
After completing the weathering of the model it only press fit design has considerable merit and the assembly
remained to add the smaller details that had been was remarkable fast which I liked. The slight downside is
painted and finished separately and with most of them that separating parts should you need to make any
pushing into place it was not hard to see the attraction of adjustments to fit is not as easy as with a conventional kit
the press fit design. Did I manage a glue free build? No I but nor is it that difficult either. The proof of course is how
have to admit that I would apply a little glue to even the the finished model looks and we think it looks very
most securely fitted parts on the model out of a sense of impressive. It will be intriguing to see how Meng choose
the ingrained innate wrongness of not doing so! The to develop this press fit design in the future.
9
SHORT STIRLING
Part seven sees the completion of the complicated shapes of the
nacelles and the equally complexed shapes of the flaps. With the
major assemby of the bomb bay and doors complete I could then
revisit some of the finer details and feel the end of this
monumental project was in sight...
I started the inner nacelles in much the same way as the outer ones... ...but instead of them being left solid, they were made hollow so as to accept the
interior detailing that was to follow.
12
part seven
MEGAS TSONOS SCRATCHBUILDS THE HEAVY BOMBER IN 1:48
To get a result as close as possible to the nacelle

Thin plasticard was used for the nacelles interior structure. interior, I consulted the invaluable J.H. Clark
cutaway plus contemporary photos.
The interior was painted in scale black. I drybrushed white artist’s oil to bring ... and modelled the components located in the area; oil tanks, fuel filters,
out the details... Graviner fire extinguishers and the hot air supply hoses to the Gallay radiators
(located in the bomb cells).
I glued the inner nacelles in place, and

along with the outer ones I used the
Archer Fine Transfers fasteners to
detail the already scribed areas.
The next step was to make the rest of the inner nacelles. I modelled the
two longitudinal beams on either side of the main undercarriage units
(Indicated by the arrows)... 13
...and finally the tail fairing (circled) which came from the Sanger kit. I painted The model was levelled in preparation for the installation of the four complete
the tail fairing inner sides in Alclad ALC-101 Aluminum as it was not painted engine assemblies. Again the work commenced with the outer engines, and
in the production line. finished with the inner ones.
Pictured at a later stage in the

construction, the finished starboard outer
engine (minus propeller) reveals the frontal
area additions in the shape of the
exhausts, propeller governor and the
Seen from below, the grid lines helped in obtaining exhaust ring support rods. The intake lip
the correct positioning of the model in relation to the ice guards already fitted were found to be
vertical axis as well as to the horizontal (when seen wrongly shaped and were soon replaced
Additionally, a vertical panel was put behind the
from directly above). by the correct parallelogram ones.
outer nacelle to act as a guide.
The metallic greyish-looking

exhaust ring intake lip was a glow
shield which prevented the red-hot
exhaust from being seen in the
distance during night operations; it
was bolted onto the ring itself. A
feature of mostly an early Stirling, it
could also be seen on only one or
only two engines on a given
aircraft. The exhaust ring and
outlet were painted in different
Alclad metallic shades such as
ALC113 Jet exhaust and ALC121
Burnt iron. I proceeded with a
subtle wash with black artist’s oil;
then I used the Tamiya Weathering
Master Set ‘D’, and applied bluish
and oil stain tints. One has to
patient with this as the results are
not immediate. I found myself
repeating the procedure as I was
not getting what I had in mind or
had seen in the period colour
Judging from the photo of N6004, I jumped to conclusion that the
photos.
carburettor intake lips and their corresponding ice guards could be
oval. A more focused look at the sources revealed I was wrong
and that the vast majority of the items in question were
parallelogram (the norm for the Stirling Mk.I). As I already had
installed the oval ice guards, I replaced them with parallelogram
ones. In both instances however, custom made photo-etched
parts were used. Sometimes advancing backwards is inevitable...
The oil cooler intakes, as well as the smaller one between them, which ducted cold
air to the Gallay heaters and to the cockpit, were scooped out in the modelling
board that formed the leading edges. The intake lips, which stood proud of the
leading edge, were formed with Milliput over a length of thin soldering wire glued
around the duct edges.
14
THE FLAPS
The Gouge flaps, named after their designer, Mr. A. Gouge of Short
Bros., covered a good 48% of the Stirling’s wing chord length. They
were electrically operated and slid outwards (when lowered) leaving
a well-respected gap between them and the fuselage. As they
operated on rails, their only point of contact with the wings was
through five rollers and their actuating jackscrew eye-ends. Their
combined span including the fuselage width was only 1’ 6’’ less
than the wingspan of the Mosquito!
In model terms, the intricate part following the decision to put the
flaps in the lowered position was that they should be made entirely
suspended under the wings WITHOUT touching the fuselage. To
eliminate the possibility of a flap fracture, it became evident that
A piece of .080” plasticard was cut at the preliminary shape of the flaps.
the wings should be made strong enough at their most vulnerable
The undersurfaces are flat as are the rest of the wing undersurfaces. I
edge, the trailing edge. Metal was the obvious solution; the brass thinned down the plasticard at the leading and trailing edges, in
sheet which was cut at the shape of the wings uppersurfaces, was preparation for the cementing of the upper surface plasicard. At the
extended rearwards to meet the flap topsides. By cementing the point where the flaps were at their maximum thickness (that is at 50% of
flap chord) I cemented a ‘spar’ and I curved a piece of plasticard over,
finished flaps directly on the brass surface, and using the flap
so as to make the flap uppersurfaces. I used Milliput to shape the
tracks as an additional means of producing an even stronger leading and refine the trailing edges.
contact, the flaps were secured against all kinds of damage.
Using tweezers and a suitable piece of resin block I held the flaps whilst spraying them
with the finishing coats of Mr. Hobby Mr. Surfacer #500, and successively #1000. The
flaps are now ready for installing on the wings.
I cleaned the contact surfaces from any putty, and exposed the
brass surface of the wings and the bare styrene of the flaps. I glued
the flaps on the wings with 5 minute epoxy glue. I ensured there
were no issues of symmetry between the two flaps by checking from
the front of the model, and from directly above it; I measured the
flap-to-fuselage gap to be the same. I also checked for correct
extension i.e. the flap outer (aileron side) ends, to be equally
extended, as well as the inner sides (fuselage side). A fellow
modeller with a keen eye for accuracy has helped a lot in this as I
was fine-trimming the flaps within the confines of the epoxy setting
time. It needed two pairs of eyes to set the flaps correctly and the
result justified the effort.
I went ahead with the filling of the gaps (Milliput) between the flaps
upper surface and the wing trailing edges. I left NO gap at all, as the
Gouge flaps were actually sliding outwards immediately under the
trailing edge. I must point out that the Gouge flaps were NOT
The flaps were scribed; the flap track grooves (green arrows) as well as the flap ‘Fowler’ or ‘Fowler-type’ as is often incorrectly quoted in some
actuator grooves (red circle) were now modelled in relation to the wing surface sources of information. They were designed within a totally different
detailing in the area. I sprayed a coat of Mr. Surfacer #1200, to give the flaps a uniform aerodynamic principle than the Fowler flaps and this is reflected in
appearance with the rest of the model in preparation for painting. their mode of operation.
15
The gap formed between the extended flaps and the fuselage is seen to advantage in this photo.
The nacelle tailpiece (which is part of the flaps) is moved off the nacelle centre line, when the flaps are
extended.
I went on with the interior detailing of the bomb bay. Remember, we left
the bomb bay to get on with the principal tasks, as any possible failure
to any one of them would probably halt the construction. So there was
no meaning to employ such a lot of work in the bays without been
absolutely sure that the Stirling model was bound for painting. In the
bomb bay there were 21 bomb beams on which the bomb carriers were
secured. I fixed small styrene tabs over the stringers to create a base on
which these components would be glued.
I painted the interior in a black-grey colour, and did some preliminary
weathering. I kept a low profile in doing so, as the overall black painting of
the undersides had yet to be applied, so the balance between the black
shades was pending. The linkage which operated the bomb doors was
modelled at this point; .030” dia. styrene rod was used. The rather
complicated mechanism is clearly described in A.P.1660 A&B, Vol. 1, Section
7, Chapter 1, Fig. 2 ‘Fuselage Bomb Cell Doors’.
The finished parts were
painted, weathered and
then glued on their
respective places in the
bomb bay.
The 21 bomb beams were equipped with a set of crutches which

secured the Type A 500lb. bomb carriers or other loads. Eight nickel-
silver photo-etched parts were used to model each bomb beam.
16
Additionally, some more detail can be seen in the form of wiring along the The flat inner doors and 548 stiffeners (!) are included in the fret shown, ready
longitudinal beams upper starboard side. This was made from lengths of to be used to advantage; a really tedious task as you can tell by looking at it.
stretched sprue twisted to look like electrical wire bundles.
The four inner (flat) doors were designed for simplicity as well as strength in The outer doors were formed around their own stiffeners as any attempt to
such a way as to be folded in pairs and make one set of two adjacent doors roll brass would lead to failure. A soft metal foil was used which was first
under each longitudinal beam. The result is shown here, as each one rolled around a cylindrical pencil. Then it was positioned against a heavy
assembly is actually two doors folded along their hinge lines. backing and the first stiffeners were glued in place; a brass rod inserted
through their respective holes held them in a straight line.
I used the flat doors as a gauge to the spacing of

the stiffeners. During the process I checked with
the brass rod the alignment of the stiffeners, by
ensuring it was sliding effortlessly between them. The outer (curved) doors were reinforced with a thin styrene outer ‘skin’, glued with CA, which was
sanded smooth; now all doors were given a coat of Mr. Surfacer 1000, and installed on the already
painted model. Thus, I painted them without having to touch them at all.
Due to their length, careful cementing had to be performed;

especially the outer doors which should be fixed at the same
opening angle. Moreover they should be parallel to the inner doors
and should allow for the same gap to exist between them and the
extended flaps.
17
THE SMALLER DETAILS
As is the norm with large models, or

models of large aeroplanes such as
the four engine bombers, some small
details can be easily overlooked
when compiling an article. In this
chapter I tried to include most of
these elusive facets of the
construction. Being dispersed within
a large amount of photos taken, and
in some instances not photographed
at all, the small details are
nevertheless an integral part to a
complete account of any scratchbuilt
subject.
The 29 fuselage windows are located immediately below

the fuselage longerons. First I located the position of the
longerons and then I marked the approximate position of
the window openings. Next I marked the fuselage
formers and opened the rows of the oval windows
between them. All oval windows were equally spaced,
with the sole exception of the first window in front of
each row which was spaced nearer the second one.
The front windows are located like the rest, but the fuselage frames I used a brass jig to finalize the shape of the windows. The oval shape format of the
were not equally spaced and moreover they corresponded exactly to window in the jig was also used in a laser cutting/engraving machine to cut the oval
the canopy vertical frames. So the position of the frames was windows in 1/32” sheet plexiglass, thereby ensuring that the oval windows would be
meticulously calculated, and then the dimensions of the windows identical. I did the same for the rectangular windows of the front section, which are
were figured out, not only in relation to the aforementioned frames but also laser-cut.
the fuselage stringers as well.
Having identical windows at hand made things

easier as the fuselage window openings could be
brought to the exact window shape, instead of
trying to bring the windows to match their
openings. The brass jig helped, not only in the
correct opening and shaping of the windows, but
their symmetrical appearance on both sides of the
fuselage.
All windows were equipped with blackout curtains

which I installed prior to the transparencies. These
were made of thin lead foil, were painted in ivory
and washed with artist’s oils.
All windows were masked for the painting of the
model with masking fluid. The masks were gently
peeled off with an airbrush needle well after the
weathering of the model.
18
It is ‘riveted’ with the Archer Fine Transfers rivet decals and is painted in Alclad ALC-101
Aluminium. Its outer edge was trimmed to fit the irregularities of the fibreglass interior.
When installed, none of these would be visible as everything was filled with Milliput, and
sanded to conform to the emergency exit hatch opening.
I modelled the extreme tail section just ahead of the tail turret
shortly before painting. The bulkhead seen here is thin styrene The port sidewall which was visible was modelled next. Thin styrene here as well; the
sheet and includes the draught door and the floor which is the inevitable Evergreen stringers, and the rivets and ALC-101 aluminium, the well-known
passageway over the horizontal stabilizer structure. procedure being thankfully repeated for the last time in the Stirling model.
Several dry fits were carried out before the painting of the sidewall, which
is pictured in position. Note the bulkhead which was reworked with
Milliput to conform to the fuselage at the point of the hatch sill. It was
locally repainted; the rivets were reapplied to meet the exterior scribing
for a more authentic look.
THE PROJECT CONTINUES IN THE NEXT ISSUE 19

TA M I YA’ S B E A U T I F U L B I G S C A L E
DE HAVILLAND
20
modelled and
described by
FRANCK OUDIN
The Mosquito was a formidable aircraft, nearly entirely made of
wood it was very light and being powered by two Rolls-Royce
Merlin engines it was also consequently very fast! It was used for
many roles by the RAF including Fighter-Bomber, Bomber and
Night Fighter creating havoc upon it’s targets
This is the latest 1:32 release from Tamiya and is really impressive,
so well engineered and so well detailed for an out of the box build.
The kit contains 678 parts, so be ready to spend most of your
hobby time for a while savouring this kit, all the parts fit so well
just follow the instructions carefully as there is a lot of small
operations to do, like choosing the flaps on the up or
down positions, drilling holes here and there... things
can get complicated so have a close look at
your building guide before gluing anything
together!
Let me show you how I worked

through my build of this
‘Wonder-kit’.
21
TAMIYA AT THEIR BEST

As with most kits we start with the interior, The front gun bay is next, when I told you stage, so is the tail wheel support and
all the details are included in the kit, even to be careful and study the instructions this cockpit inserted inside the fuselage which
the photoetched harness, but I decided to is an example; I managed to glue the guns is now ready to close-up and attach the
use the HGW set which looked better to in the wrong position and I had to remove ailerons, again you can fix them in up or
me. The complete interior is painted Gunze them by drilling the underside, so again, downward positions… the choice is yours.
H-312 which is a good match for the British stay alert!! The front and top cover of the gun bay is
interior green, the seats are painted in The gun barrels have been replaced with temporarily put in place and held on the
black-green, the battery and radio are brass barrels from Master of Poland, they model with masking tape.
assembled and painted black. To be look just superb, but as they protrude from The tail wheel will be put in place at the
honest, just follow the instructions and they the nose be careful when your working final stage of the build. The rudder can be
will guide you through without problems. A around the model. All the cockpit details built and fixed in position at this stage also.
light wash is applied ito give some depth to are then brush painted with Vallejo.
the finished assembly. The rear end the bomb bay is built at this
22
Work now started on the main spar; the avoid any mishaps. The fuel tanks are place, make sure they sit all the way down
fuel bay is painted white and the engine installed next after being fully painted and into the small lock in the wings, then glue
bay in interior green, details are masked completed with decals them and let them set for a while.
and painted in black. Both radiators are The radio components are installed and
painted silver and fixed in place as are two The wheels are just such a clever idea. again, with a clever system, the wings are
small magnets to allow removal of the Tamiya have moulded them in forteen screwed to the fuselage. The fit is just
panels later. A light wash is applied again different parts to avoid any seams. The perfect and with a tiny amount of liquid
to give depth to the whole assembly. landing gears are also very well detailed, glue the joint can be perfect…. now you
Top and bottom wings can now be glued be careful to choose the right ones for the have what looks like a Mosquito on your
and screwed together, screws and version you are building. workbench!
screwdriver are supplied in the kit. With the I added them at the final stages of
wing tips, I decided to put the navigation assembly as most of us tend to do.
light in just before the external painting to Both engine nacelles are now fixed in
Both engines are include in the kit and very well reproduced, they just need to
be wired and smaller details added if you wish. Knowing I’d be closing the
cowlings my Merlins were built straight from the box but still painted them fully,
Obviously you can leave the cowling open and show the engines off…again your
choice!
Both engine nacelles are painted aluminium inside, to avoid confusion Tamiya
recommend to mark the right engine covers in case you mix the parts.
The oil radiators are painted and weathered at this stage, once the
engines are complete they are put aside until the next stage.
23
A real highlight of the kit are the 20mm to see all theses great details. damage resulting.
cannons, ammunition boxes and guns, I decided to replace the bombs of the kit Forget the instructions for fixing the doors
again be careful with all the parts, with resin parts from MDC (Model Design at this stage, it will be done later.
confusion can easily set in quite quickly. Construction), they need a little prep-work Now it’s time to prepare the flaps, again
Tamiya do pull another trick with a very but the result is worth the effort. your choice of up or down positions I
handy photoetched alighnment jig to aid If you do decide to open the bomb bay you choose the down position to give a bit of
the positioning of the cannons. will have to cut the door part in two, very life to my Mosquito.This is a straightforward
The choice is offered in the kit to have the easily achieved with a new blade and a operation as all the parts fit so well.
complete bomb bay open or semi open, if little sanding.The bomb bay door
you take the time to paint the 20mm mechanisms are complecated and the
cannon set it’s worth leaving the bay open model is now tricky to handle without
For the cowlings, you can choose to leave them open or closed. I choose to
close them to avoid a break of slick lines of the Mosquito, all the cowlings fit
really well. You can paint them separately as there’s no need for sanding,
you also have another set in transparent styrene if you want to see the
engine inside the cowling and keep some of the aircraft’s shape.
As there are three versions in the kit make sure to use the right cowling
parts for your chosen subject.
24
Before painting anything a lot of areas have to be masked and some of

these areas need special care such as the bomb and wheel bays and
the canopy area. The Mosquito I’ve depicted is FBVI HR147 flown by
Canadian pilot Russell Bannock from the 418Th Squadron of the RCAF
1944. Following the instructions, and using only Gunze Sanyo products, I
started with the Medium sea grey H-335 all over the model in few
sessions, this is a large area to paint in one visit to the bench!
H-73 is used to free-hand apply the green

camo over another few sessions, and flowing
the pictures of the real plane another type of
grey is used to touch up on the nose and on
the gun cover. Once the surfaces are fully dry
they receive light polishing with a soft cloth, and
Gunze H-20 Gloss varnish is applied prior to
placing the decals. The decals are from Aviaeology in Canada, they are
really well researched and with a lot of indications about the time-frame
you want to model your Mossie, the decals are really thin so be careful
to use plenty water to position them.
Once in place the decals are sealed again with another layer of gloss
varnish.
The model is now ready for the weathering. Don’t forget the Mosquito
was largely made of wood, so no metallic scratches all over! A light
wash is worked around details and then matt varnish is applied. With
my airbrush, I took two different tones of grey and green heavily diluted
and worked some subtle tones to add shading and fading, these
Mosquitos where based in the UK so not too discoloured by the sun!
Some stains and marks are added around the engines, the nose, the
engine nacelles and some pigment is used on the wheels to simulate
mud. Oil and fuel stains are done with different washes from Gunze.
Again...no real recipe it’s really up to your taste, but there is plenty
room to play on these big models.
25
26
HAPPY
MODELLING
Another flawless kit from Tamiya, so well
thought out, detailed and engineered, the
precision fit of the kit is amazing even
though the main airframe is joined in sub
assemblies, the complete model gives you
an amazing replica of the very famous RAF
fighter bomber. Be prepared to spend a lot
of time on this kit as there are so many
parts, but it’s worth every penny and every
minute spent on it. A classic kit for sure.
Aftermarket Extras:
HGW seat belts set 132568
HGW Canopy masks 132809
MDC CV32050 MC500lb Tail 28 MK2 Bombs
Master AM32-083 Pitot tube and armament set
Aviaeology decals AOD32005m
Gunze Colours
H-312 FS34227, H-1 White, H-2 Black
H-335 Medium Sea grey, H-73 Dark green
H-77 Tyre black, H-53 Neutral grey
27
28
Republic RF-84F
Aurelio Reale
models the high-tech kit
from newcomers Tanmodel
detail (although no seat belts are provided),
T
he Republic RF-84F Thunderflash airport of Verona. Towards the end of 1954
was a single-engine jet produced by the department took on the designation of poseable ailerons, rudders flaps and air-
the U.S. Republic Aviation the 3rd Reconnaissance Wing. brakes with open ducting to the turbine
Corporation in the mid-fifties. The Until now to build a photographic face- all very nicely done. Landing gear
Thunderflash was a development of the F- reconnaissance version of the famous F- and wheel-wells continue the quality with
84F Thunderstreak, designed specifically 84, it was necessary to work on the kit the tyres unusually provided as separate
for photo-recon missions. Outwardly the from Heller; but now, thanks to the new parts. Being a photo-recon aircraft,
new aircraft was distinguished clearly from Turkish company Tanmodel, you can have underwing stores are limited to a choice of
the predecessor as the nose cone a kit using the latest production methods, rather large fuel tanks.
contained the photographic equipment designed by 3D scanning the real aircraft
resulting in a re-design of the air intake at and detailed using the latest technologies
the root of the wings leading edge. The in the field of CAD modelling. With around
Thunderflash came to Italy to equip the three hundred parts this kit offers lots of
units of the 3rd Wing (initially called 3rd options for open panels revealing avionics
Fighter Wing) from March 1954 and was and photographic equipment, a nicely
transferred from Bari to the base at the detailed cockpit with raised instrument
29
Tan-tastic?
As always I started the construction of the kit
by running a test fitting of the main parts of
the aircraft; I didn’t encounter any problems, it
shows a very good job done in the design
phase, especially if you are referring to the
wing-fuselage match. Happy with this I
started with the assembly of the cockpit. The
level of detail is very high and does not
require major improvement work. I
focused instead on the seat. missing
the belts I decided to reproduce
them through adhesive
aluminim foil and suitably
shaped photoetched
buckles.
With plasticard I reproduced one of the have been retouched with black and the
two foot-rests as it appeared ‘filled’ dials enhanced with a fine brush and
instead of recessed. For oxygen tubes white. As in my reference, the seat has
and the antigravity suit I used the two- been painted with the same colour as
component putty "green stuff" the cockpit, the head and armrests
appropriately modelled. With the same picked out in red-brown. The cushion
putty I also reproduced the seat and belts were coloured following the
cushion. The tubular reinforcements reference pictures and a slight aging
have been redone using Albion Alloy was done using drybrush, pigments and
tubes. Finished with the improvement washes. Before closing the fuselage, I
work, I sprayed a black primer on painted the exhaust and it’s duct
everything using Gunze Mr. Surfacer starting with Yellow Zinc Chromate by
1500; this product has the advantage of Tamiya aged with Mig’s wash "Brown
adhering to all materials, thus ensuring Green" trying to create the patina of dirt
an excellent base for subsequent left by the combustion of fuel.
painting work. The interior was then Consulting the instruction sheet we can
coated with Gunze H 307, using the see how putting all the photographic
marbling technique so as to have a non equipment in place will prevent the need
uniform and more realistic finish, for a weight to prevent the model sitting
excellent also for the next stage of on it’s tail. Having decided to build the
aging. The side consoles were left black, model without opening the photographic
detail emphasized with a drybrush in compartments, I limited work to painting
medium grey and some controls around the compartment in black with a
coloured with red and yellow. The same light drybrush in grey and a light grey for
treatment was applied to the instrument the bodies of the cameras; once closed
panel; the edges of the instruments of course, nothing can be seen!
30
With the fuselage halves closed I was conscious

that aircraft with a natural metal finish show every
little fault. After sanding a first time to remove any
excess adhesive I checked, using a marker, all the
seams concerned, and where necessary, I filled
using super glue in order to have less problems
during the step of re-engraving any of the panel
lines lost. Before proceeding with the colour, I
sanded all surfaces with fine wet abrasive paper in
order to have a smooth surface ready for
Test your metal

subsequent work with the metal effect.
On this model I wanted to try the was applied to the whole model.
products of a brand-new paint Thanks to the quick drying times it was
company, Kcolor. As well as having a possible to complete painting in single
wide range of FS codes they also airbrushing session.
produce a metallized line of tones Having in mind the idea of creating an
which out of curiosity, I wanted to test. ‘operating’ finish to the aircraft, I did
First I sprayed a gloss black coat as a not labour too much on the uniformity
base for the metallic colour. This of the painting, leaving a few areas
paint and base coat dries very less covered, then tinted further with a
quickly and their different shade of metallic.
Chrome 15
aluminim
After spraying an coat of clear

Tamiya X100, I started masking to
recreate the walkways, the anti-glare
panel and all other coloured parts
according to the scheme chosen.
31
I used the K Color Matt Black as a basis for was sealed with a clear gloss as a base for print out of register, but once cropped from
both the walkways and the anti-glare the decals. the excess film and treated with liquid
panel, the latter was then painted with softeners, these are perfectly suited to the
green FS 34079 and aged with a slightly Before proceeding with the weathering, I detail on the surface, leading to greater
lighter shade of colour to simulate fading. applied the decals. As these are present realism. All the work was sealed again with
The subsequent phases concerned the on the actual aircraft since its first flight, a X100 gloss coat.
painting of the red parts, the tail top, the they receive the same aging treatment as
exhaust zone, the inner part of the the paintwork. At first glance the decal
airbrakes and the wheels bays. All the work sheet seems to lack in quality, with some
Oxidation observation
Before proceeding with weathering, I patina effect, in my case I created three proceed by dabbing the various surfaces,
thoroughly studied photos of this aircraft different shades of grey. Using different previously treated with oil colours, to obtain
and, in general, aircraft with natural metal sponges, suitably discharged of excess a very thin coat on the entire surface that
finish looking for a way to obtain, in a paint on a napkin, dab the various parts of still shows the metallic finish below giving a
realistic way, the characteristic patina of the model, thus creating spots of different subtle patina. Using this technique on the
oxidation that forms on all surfaces colour. During these steps it is important to entire model and all other parts required a
because of weathering. After many tests I keep things random, without loading too lot of hours of work, but the end result has
came to the conclusion that for me, the much paint in the sponges. The final phase repaid the effort made. Furthermore, this
best way to re-create this effect is to ‘dab’ of this technique is to blend the previous technique is well suited to create other
the model surfaces with a sponge soaked work by the use of a sponge soaked in weathering effects such as accumulation of
in oil colour. The technique is simple; you thinner. Also here it is important the thinner dirt near the wheels or the dirt from foot
must start by creating different shades of has been duly wiped, not completely wet, traffic of the mechanics during
colour that will be used to re-create the but just slightly damp. You can then maintenance across the airframe.
32
After sealing this all again with a clear the wing blades. Similarly, the two auxiliary anti-reflective panel due to the opening of
gloss coat, I used a brown and black oil tanks were weathered with similar the acess panels and the photo
colour as a base for the various oil and dirt techniques working to reference photos. To compartment. To seal all the work done so
leaks from all moving parts, and for the conclude this stage, I run a wash to far and to give a pleasing final surface
APU exhaust stain. With pure oil colour highlight panels and rivets with a mix of the finish, an overall coat of satin clear was
‘pulled’ with a soft bristle brush soaked grey and dark grey series Panel Line Wash airbrushed.
with thinner, I created the oil leaks on the of the Ammo range, and recreated the
moving parts and dirt accumulations near scratches on the walkways and on the
33
34
Tanmodel became part of the modelling

scene only recently, but with this RF-84F
they have already made it clear they have
serious intentions to stay there. This kit
builds very well and has a high level of
detail that modellers expect from new
toolings. We can easily achieve a good
reproduction of the American scout which
also served under other flags around the
World. Plans to re-release the kit with a
new decal sheet offering more options are
very welcome, an excellent debut kit from
Tanmodel.
35
ANDREA VIGNOCCHI continues the

story of his super-detailed small-scale
scene
part two
36
37
Even if all the reference sources state that Zinc Chromate, Interior Green, grey etc... intricate plumbing.
the P-47’s interior parts were painted in With this consideration in mind, I painted The same painting processes were used
Zinc Chromate Yellow, a close examination the engine firewall with Tamiya TS-17, then, for the other components, pictures of a
of original pictures led me to think that the detailed with many Vallejo shades and an disassembled and not yet restored P-47
bulkheads behind the engine were left in oil paint wash, I highlighted the details were used as excellent reference. The final
natural metal and the other parts were further with Vallejo acrylics and then I result is quite spectacular and I’m pleased
painted in various other colours like added some placards and details on the it replicates the complexity of the real
Thunderbolt very well..
The complexity of
the finished radial, a
challenge in 1:72!
Tamiya’s XF-4 replicates

the zinc primer, a sepia
oil colour wash enhances
the detail.
A decent face mask

is essential when
spraying laquers.
Decanting from the aerosol

for use in an airbrush
allows greater control.
38
Even if Schilling’s P-47 is a famous aircraft and one

can find many pictures around, even in colour, some
details remain controversial: some sources say the The Tamiya aluminium
gives a tough base for
lower surfaces were painted Medium Sea Grey, weathering.
other say they were Natural Metal, while some
others say the airplane had one wing painted in
Natural Metal and the other painted Medium Sea
Grey…a real mess!
After I’d spent many hours browsing obtaining a fast-drying, smooth and tough surfaces were done, I started the
through my books and on the internet, I base. Some panels were then painted with execution of the complex upper
decided to represent the aircraft just Alclad in different shades to add realism. camouflage. Since the base colour is quite
before the 1944 crash that caused the dark, I airbrushed a white layer where the
replacement of the left wing. The parts that were staying in Natural roundels will be laid. I started with a black
Many clues led me to choose this paint Metal were masked to paint the invasion preshading that was followed by a light
scheme: lower surfaces in Natural Metal stripes. After a preshading, I airbrushed the layer of Ocean Grey, trying to let the
and upper surfaces in RAF Ocean Grey white and the black. Since in many preshading show through just a little. The
and Dark Green, the same scheme other pictures the invasion stripes appear not to colours were made with a mixture of
airplanes of the group wore. The aluminium be perfectly parallel, I decided to Gunze paints diluted with Tamiya Lacquer
base on the lower surfaces were painted reproduce this feature, without Thinner; this combination works in a
with Tamiya TS17, I sprayed the paint into exaggerating too much. The rudder was remarkable way I find.
a container, diluted with Tamiya Lacquer painted yellow, the 62nd Squadron
Thinner and decanted it into my airbrush, identification colour. After the lower 39
After hours drying time, I sprayed the the time when I can see if the final effect bay doors, with my airbrush loaded with
model with some Clear Gloss (Tamiya X- is what I wanted,the detail work is Flat Black I made the gun smoke
22), diluted with Lacquer Thinner. Decals emphasized and at the same time it streaks, trying to be very delicate since
were laid with the help of Microscale blends with the camouflage, a satisfying on the P-47 they were not very
Setting Solution and covered with result. pronounced.
another layer of Tamiya X-22. Since the
decals looked too bright, I decided to The model is now painted and lightly The Thunderbolts often wore two
tone them down with a light grey oil weathered with the oil washes that roundels under the wings, most
wash, removed with a soft cloth after a highlight the panel lines. In the next probably to be easily recognizable
few minutes. steps I wanted to achieve a look more during low level attacks. One peculiarity
similar to an operative P-47. I started by of Schilling’s P-47, shown in at least two
Oil washes were made with three depositing some Cassel Earth oil colour pictures, is the difference in diameter
different colours: dark green and dark on the wing roots, where the continuous between the two underwing roundels.
grey for the camouflaged surfaces and passage of pilots and crew-chiefs Lower surfaces received the same
sepia for the movable surfaces and deposits a layer of mud and dirt. With a weathering process; the engine exhaust
inspection panel contours in order to mixture of Humbrol 127 Light Grey and stains were made with a highly diluted
make them stand out on the 56 Aluminium I made some scratches brown-black acrylic, with a light grey
camouflage. The model was then on the walking areas and around streak in the middle that simulates the
covered with a layer of Aeromaster maintenance panels; I overlapped trace left by the burnt oil. I made some
Clear Flat, diluted with Tamiya X20, scratches and layers of Earth oil colour, fume traces around spent shell ejection
since it does not mix with the Lacquer trying to replicate the wear the fighter ports with more staining concentrated
Thinner. Next is something I really love went through during its operational use. on the invasion stripes and around the
to do; take away the masks and see With the same technique I made some movable surface’s hinges.
how the coloured model looks. This is oil strains and I highlighted the weapon
40
The idea for the diorama came from an Italeri set . The terrain and PSP were but instead took on a grayish hue, once
some pictures that showed a few painted XF57 Buff, while the concrete again, the close examination of a
Thunderbolt on Boxted airfield, home- was painted light grey, trying to colour picture proved to be essential in
base of the legendary 56th Group. I first enhance the joints with a darker colour, achieving a realistic finish.
checked the position of the many items a raw umber oil wash highlighted the The terrain and the gravel were treated
on the base, in order to achieve a well terrain’s texture and the holes of the with some drybrushing made with oil
balanced diorama; the general idea PSP. After a clear coat that sealed the colours progressively lighter, this
was to have the P-47 parked on the work done on the base, I drybrushed technique allows me to blend the
field, undergoing engine maintenance. many colours on the PSP, overlapping colours together, without blotches even
The terrain was made with clay the layers with the lower colours still if I use very light tints. The grass came
sprinkled with dust and pebbles, while wet in order to blend them together from the Noch range, while the flocks
the concrete slabs were made with and to achieve an irregular finish. came from the Mininatur 1:72 range,
2mm thick plastic card, engraved with Looking at colour WWII pictures, I they were highlighted with a yellow
the Tamiya scriber. The PSP came from noticed that the PSP did not look rusty, drybrushing.
Even though the space on the base is limited, I tried to reproduce the
chaos one can see on maintenance images. I used many resin crates
and oil drums, while the toolbox and the tools are Extratech items.
The flat underwing tank came from the Tamiya kit, while the fire
extinguisher and the wooden worktop are scratchbuilt. All the items
were accurately painted and the ubiquitous oil and fuel stains were
made with oil colours.
The Willys Jeep is an ubiquitous vehicle in the American airbases. I
used the excellent Dragon kit that was improved by thinning the
sidewalls and the mudguard’s internals. The front seat cushions were
remade with two-part epoxy putty.
41
The last elements that help me obtain a and hands were modified in order to let the Even if the Milicast figures are 1:76 they
realistic setting are the figures, but the figure hold the panel that shows ‘Hairless are usually compatible with 1:72 figures
more experienced I become, the more Joe’, a famous cartoon character of the and their sculpting is always first class, this
difficult is to find suitable figures that will fit period. This figure is very important figure in particular is quite funny, with a
in the diorama I have in mind. The officer is because it shows the nose art of the plane chunky look that contrasts with the slender
a resin clone of an old metal figure, while that otherwise would disappear between officer…
the crew chief is composed by the body of the other items laid on the ground. The last My little slice of history was complete.
a Revell RAF specialist and a head that figure is an American soldier and comes
comes from the Milicast range. The arms from the Milicast range with a CMK head.
42
43
new releases
Revell 1:32 Me262 B-1/U-1 Nightfighter
This is a brand new release of a brand new tooling from Revell the first sub assemblies, both multi-part designs rich in detail (and
and with such a popular subject it deserves to be a winner. The thankfully no moulded-on seatbelts) only the gun bay is
box is packed to the gills with no less than thirteen sprues (rating sandwiched between the fuselage halves, the whole cockpit 'tub'
as a level 5 on Revell's 'skill counter' so I best leave this to the attaches from the underside which will be a great help when
Editor to build!) and those all important first impressions are very painting. The belly of the fuselage and wings are assembled as
good indeed. Some tiny areas of flash here and there are quickly one with excellent wheel-well detail and separate control surfaces,
overlooked when you see the finesse of the surface detail and we look to have some very positive joints for the larger sections to
some very crisp moulding; when Revell go for it they can really get assure correct angles. The multi-part engines are nicely detailed
it right. At the time of us going to press this kit really is just should you wish to leave off any of the cowls and the wheels and
available so we've not heard any reports of how it assembles, landing gears certainly look up to scratch also. Clear mouldings
obviously the best reflection of a kit's quality but as it's reported are well done and Revell have even gone to great lengths to get
the highly regarded Radu Brinzan is the designer we should an excellent delicate appearance to the nose antennae which
expect an enjoyable build. One very welcome step in the right may be a challenge to remove from the spues. Two markings are
direction from Revell are the instructions, in the past some of their provided, both of 10./NJG 11 with schemes that suit the organic,
more complexed kit instructions have had the effect of a boxing flowing lines of the 262 a treat; decal quality is up to the standard
44 glove on a big spring as you open them, these are a much more of the rest of the kit. We think you'd be very hard pushed to find a
relaxed affair and in full colour. The cockpit and nose cannons are better value 1:32 aircraft kit than this, pick one up while you can!
322021
HGW Models
Even the best kits out there can benefit from a little HGW magic, and 132583 is a set of 4-point ‘Sutton’ harnesses for Jak-3 (Yak 3).
their products really are superb. HGW’s ‘Wet Transfer’ system The wet transfer process developed by HGW lends itself
basically does away with any of the dreaded ‘silvering’ associated beautifully to their superb riveting sets (cast your mind back to the
with decal film; after allowing the waterslide image to dry the Editor’s Revell Fw190 and to how impressed we were with this
backing and carrier film are simply peeled away leaving only the system). Set 322021 is generic to any 1:32 subject with a set of
printed image. 248029 is a set for 1:48 balkancruz and stencils for oblong photoetched templates and coresponding multiple rivet
Bf 109s, 232016 are stencils for the Special Hobby 1:32 Tempest decals. If you have the Hasegawa 1:32 A6M5c Zero this bumper
and 248027 is for 1:48 Sabres. Another set for the Special Hobby set 321021 will certainly take the project to the next level with a
Mk.V Tempest is 132823 providing a set of HGW’s legendary full riveting set, stencil wet transfers, canopy masks and seatbelts.
seatbelts and canopy masks. More of those seatbelts in 1:48 with Simply some of the best aftermarket detail available-
45
a set (148546) for Ju88s and in 1:32 132578 is for Hurricane MkIIs www.hgwmodels.cz
RF-4E and F-4E, Phantom x

under the skin Volume 2
The guys from Greece, Eagle Aviation, are producing some of the best photo reference on
Ioannis Lekkas & Ilias Gkonis the market and another look at the Phantom focusses on the recce versions. Although the
subjects photographed are Hellenic Airforce F-4s the reference transfers to most
Published by Eagle Aviation
Phantoms with superb walk-around images of all of the features you may want to detail.
Softback format, 96 pages The high quality of the photography captures some great weathering and finishing
ISBN 978618 8137677 reference close-up and a selection of large format full views of aircraft give a great overall
www.eagleaviation.gr feel of the colours and markings. The photography is certainly the main focus but the
authors demonstrate their knowledge with informative captions and tables of data plus a
bonus fold-out A2 poster of colour profiles is a welcome treat! Highly recommended.
Revell 1:72 Spitfire Mk.IIa
This is a brand new kit from Revell, whilst I'm sure many of us will and rear bulkheads.Where this kit really shines is the finesse of
have cut their modelling teeth many years ago on a small-scale the surface detail, Revell have made a superb job of the ultra-fine
Spitfire we can assure you the kit won't have been as nice as this. panel lines, something that the Airfix kit has been criticised for.
Presented as an 'entry level' standard of kit the assembly is very Moulding and detail is excellent throughout including the three-
simple with less than forty parts and although we don't have the part canopy with the option of the armoured version. To keep the
recent Airfix Mk.IIa to hand (Airfix don't supply samples to the cost low there is only one marking option offered of an aircaft
media anymore…) the design looks pretty similar with the based at Duxford (code 'AFV'!) with Revell's usual high quality
46 fuselage lower section and wings as one. Wing tips are separate decal standards. Cracking little Spit'. For further information visit
and the cockpit sidewalls have good detail and separate front www.revell.de/en
Great Wall Hobby 1:48 T-33A 'Shooting Star'
Now we're not claiming this is a 'new' release but it's been a long intake trunking and exhaust to avoid a hollow look to the finished
while since we had a look at anything Great Wall Hobby have model. Control surfaces can all be posed as you wish and are
been up to. Thanks to the guys at Hobby Link Japan we're complete with inner detail, gear doors and air-brakes require a
assured of the good reports we've heard about recent GWH's cut to separate the parts and again, excellent internal detail
kits, this Lockheed Shooting Star looks beautifully done. Rather straight from the box. The canopy is superb and thoughtfully
than opening a box bursting with sprues we have a sensible comes in it's own cling-wrap to avoid any marks. With a simple
number of parts (less than 150) which makes for a very inviting but highly detailed build this is one to flex your painting muscles
build. Moulding is first rate with superb surface detail and delicate on! Three great schemes are offered (USAF, Luftwaffe and Italian)
finesse throughout. Starting with the cockpit tub we've seven with bare metal and bright colours a-plenty. Decals are nicely
parts to each seat and a 'sandwich' style assembly to the printed. An excellent out-of-the-box build where most modellers
instrument panels, all of the instruments have fine raised detail. will be content just to add some seat belts.
Assembly of the airframe has a standard approach with separate
K-Color
A new brand of paint from Italy impressed us
with a demonstation recently and we have some
samples to use on future projects. Along with
their range of custom airbrushing colours and
effects for automotive artists there’s a new range
of ‘Army Colours’ with suitable primers and
varnishes, all ready to spray. Quality is excellent,
particularly the metal effect tones which dry
amazingly quickly (especially considering they’re
water based with minimal odour). The chrome
really does look like chrome. www.kcolor.com is
in Italian but gives a good idea of the range
available and has secure shopping.
47
new releases
Model Design Construction

The master-casters at MDC are always at work testing and CV32068 provides a single ammo belt and CV32074 the belt with
trialing the latest technology and moulding methods to bring us tray. For the Mosquito in 1:32 is a set of Rocket stubs which have
the best quality detail upgrades. We can vouch for the suitability lovely finesse cast in resin which will be a nice touch if you’re
of flexible resin (as we produce our own 1:16 ammunition belts arming your Mossie to the teeth. MDC also include Mosquito
among our range of AFV Modeller resin upgrades) which captures bombs in their large range as seen on Franck Oudin’s feature in
the detail as resin can but with the benefit of being as flexible as this issue. www.modeldesignconstuction is the place for more
rubber. All for ‘50 Cal’ Brownings are CV72001 in 1:72 providing details and shopping their range of accesories and finishing
four ammo trays with belts and CV48056 providing two in 1:48. materials.
CV48051 provides two belts in 1:48 without the feed tray. In 1:32
DEF Model
DEF. Model from the Republic of Korea are held in the highest regard by armour modellers
with their upgrade and conversion sets being some of the very best on the market. Well
known for their resin wheels they’ve produced a couple of sets to tempt aircraft modellers
building any F-14 in 1:48. DS48009 provides early pattern versions and DS48010 the mid
production. Detail is superb with a realistic weighted look to the tyre. www.defmodel.com has
more details and stockists Worldwide.
Flying the Icon:Spitfire

In the year of the 80th anniversary of the flight of prototype K5054 this new book takes a
Jarrod Cotter different approach to documenting the history of the icon with first hand accounts of flying
Published by Fighting High the evolution of variants from the prototypes to post-war F.18/22/24 versions. With original
wartime pilot's notes, historic and modern flight reference cards and reports we get a
Hardback format, 160 pages feeling for how the Spitfire really was (and is) for those behind the controls. In addition
ISBN 9780993 212987 there's plenty of technical data and some nice images, both period black and white and
www.casematepublishers.co.uk modern colour all very nicely presented. A must for Spitfire fans, a great compilation of
48 information with a different perspective from the usual historical format and with beautiful
contemporary photography as a bonus.
672 132
32396
49796
648286
648280 6320898
648169
672126
648279 32395
Eduard
It’s our pleasure to be back in touch with the guys at Eduard, one lovely GWH T-33A we’ve looked at in this issue and more superb
of the most prolific manufacturers in the market of high quality seatbelts in 1:32 with 32896 for the F-4, 32895 for MiG-21 and
upgrades and kits. You simply can’t better Eduard’s printed 32889 for WWI French aircraft. Some ultra-detailed weapons sets
photoetch and their ‘Brassin’ range of resin and photoetch is now with a pair of 1:48 GBU-8/Bs (648169) and 648280 AGM-114
superb.We’ve a selection here of some of their recent releases Hellfires in 1:48 and in 1:32 some superb rocket launchers for the
and good news if you fancy the new Revell Me 262 with 32893 an P-47. A couple of very impressive ‘Brassin’ sets to end on with
interior set, 32894 is seatbelts and 33163 is cockpit facias and 648279, a stunning full cockpit in 1:48 for Eduard’s own Me 109F
detail. 32395 is external detail and JX196 is a set of pre-cut paint including canopy detail and the most impressive 1:72 Spitfire
masks. 32396 is a large fret to detail Eduard’s P-47D kit, 33162 is Mk.IX engine set including delicate resin cowlings, 672126 is the
more pre-coloured photoetch for Special Hobby’s Yak-3, 48286 is product reference. This is just a selection of some of their latest
a superb seat set for 1:48 the F-104 and 672132 a full sell of releases, get over to www.eduard.com for more details of their
detailed 1:72 guns for Airfix’s recent B-17 (Eduard have a great massive range and keep up to date with news of what’s coming.
selection of detail sets for this kit). 49796 is a detail set for the 49
new releases
ICM 1:72 FW 189A-1

Another manufacturer we don't often get opportunity to look at is demanding build especially in 1:72 but ICM look to have made
ICM who, as with other Eastern European kit manufacturers, have good efforts with the kit's design to ensure good, positive mating
really upped their game in recent years. Lifting the lid on the stout surfaces. The clear glazing makes up the majority of the fuselage
corrugated box does give that feel of no-nonsense presentation and is well moulded, aftermarket masks will make things a whole
with two grey sprues, a clear sprue and decals; the only nod to lot easier here. Decals aren't the best, a little thick and crude in
luxury being a colour instruction booklet. But what really matters is detail but provide three marking options including a white-washed
the quality of the moulding, this is pretty impressive with fine and version in Finland. A very nice kit with a lot of finesse but not one
crisp detail throughout, restrained panel lines and excellent thin for inexperienced modellers. Our thanks again to Hobby Link
and fine edges. The design of the FW 189 is going to make for a Japan for the sample.
Wingspan 2
Published by Canfora
Softback format, 127 pages
ISBN 9789198 232547
www.canfora.se
Being fans of 1:32 aircraft it's good to see the trend for the large scale is
alive and well, demonstrated by a second release in the 'Wingspan' series.
As with Volume 1 the presentation is high quality with a definite 'gallery'
format rather than step-by-step (although some progress images are
included of the projects). The subjects are very varied from a Felixstowe to a
Phantom and include a Zero, Stuka and Hurricane. High quality modelling
50 and presentation, very much worth a look, and volume 3 already planned.
Our thanks to Toni Canfora for the sample copy.
Revell 1:48 Spitfire Mk.Vc

No surprise to see that this new release is a re-box that has done being a kit for more experienced modellers with some trimming
the rounds from Classic Airframes, Special Hobby, Italeri and and filling required, Revell look to have made efforts in their
Eduard; not a bad thing though as this has been a very popular excellent new-style instructions to highlight areas requiring
and accurate kit of this version of the Spitfire. Revell have boxed a attention. Two options of finish are offered on the decal sheet, 92
budget version without any of the photoetch or resin of the Squadron in Egypt and 603 in Malta; decals appear very thin with a
previous Eduard specials but we're still treated to some beautiful pleasing matt finish. Still a very nice kit and fantastic value from
surface detail, nice cockpit and wheel-wells and posable control Revell. Revell model kits are available from all good toy and model
surfaces. Moulding overall is excellent and the clear parts show no retailers. For further information visit www.revell.de/en
signs of the well used tooling deteriorating. Noted in the past as
Revell 1:72 P-70 Nighthawk

Revell have this re-boxed MPM kit down as a 'Lockheed' P-70, clear sprue. Revell's new instructions are again a welcome
surely this should read 'Douglas'? Anyway, another re-box offered improvement but a cursory glance doesn't show any mention of
at a great price for what's regarded as a pretty decent kit with adding any weight which we're sure will be necessary with the
some finely moulded parts and good detail offering nice interiors tricycle landing gear to avoid a tail sitter. Decals for two schemes
and optional noses (even the glazed nose aircraft is overpainted are very nicely done, whether the colours are dense enough to
to hide the radar equipment, great if you hate masking!) Both prevent any show-through of the black remains to be seen. Revell
marking options are for overall black finished aircraft and the model kits are available from all good toy and model retailers. For
sprues are moulded in black, a good help at the painting stage further information visit www.revell.de/en 51
but not great for assembly, moulding is all clean including the
Wilder
A range well-known to armour modellers is Wilder (from the
renowned modeller Adam Wilder, the author of our very own
‘Adam’s Armour’ modelling guides) with all manor of
weathering and finishing products on offer. Some of the
latest releases are four different coloured ‘liquid’ masking
fluids, the idea of the bright colours being to aid in the
removal. These appear to be latex based and easily applied
with quick drying times.
The full range is available in the
UK from The Airbrush Company
www.airbrushes.co.uk
Lifecolor
Lifecolor acrylics have never let us down either through the
airbrush or brushed the consistancy is excellent and colours
accurate. A new set of six RAF Battle of Britain era colours are
now available ( with the box featuring a Spitfire by some guy
called David Parker...) and the finish dries with a very pleasing silk
/ satin sheen. Our Lifecolor samples are kindly sent by The
Airbrush Company who stock a huge range of colours, thinners,
cleaners and weathering products; www.airbrushes.co.uk
72132 72133 72134
48317 48318
48319 32112
48316
Scale Aircraft Conversions

SAC’s ever expanding catalogue of upgraded white
metal landing gears shows no sign of slowing down,
here’s another new batch starting with 1:72. 72132 is
for Eduard’s Fw 190, 72133 for Trumpeter’s Su-33
Flanker D and 72134 is for Zvezda’s MiG-29. Up to
1:48 with 48316 for Bronco’s P-40C, 48317 for the
Kitty Hawk F2H-2 Banshee, 48318 is bang up to date
for the recent Tamiya F-14 release and 48319 for the
Hobby Boss IAR-80. Finally in 1:32 for the wonderful
Wingnut Wings kits are 32111 for the Sopwith Pup
and 32112 for the Pfalz D.XII. Get over to
www.scaleaircraftconversions.com for all the details. 32111
52
Baracuda
More top-notch quality upgrades from the guys Stateside at (even clear parts where appropriate). BR72214 is a pair of ‘H.S.
Baracuda. If our Mossi article in this issue has made your mind up Redtops’ and BR72215 a couple of ‘D.H.Firestreak’. Still with 1:72
that you have to build one these ‘Expanded’ airframe stencils are is a superb cockpit set for the lovely Airfix Lightning F.6, with some
well worth a look especially for 1:32 with highly detailed markings very delicate detail this will paint a treat and comes with
for all around the exterior and also instument facias. Available in comprehensive instuctions and instrument decals. Baracuda’s
1:72, 1:48 and 1:32 the Cartograf printed water-slides are website has their full range on show and further details,
excellent. Some accurate Air-to-Air missiles now for your 1:72 www.barracudacals.com
Lightning, Sea Vixen or Javelin project beautifuly cast in resin
RB Productions
We’ve already mentioned Radu Brinzan who has worked with racks for the ‘262 finely cast in resin and an upgrade many
Revell on their latest big release, the Me 262 B-1 / U-1. RB modellers default to is the main gear wheels and tyres; RB-
Productions is Radu’s own company who already have an C32006 gives you just that with highly detailed front and rear hub
excellent range of high quality upgrades and accessories and now inserts and finely moulded resin accurate tyres with sharp tread
some brand new upgrades for the new Revell kit. One of the main and sidewall detail. RB-P320061 is a laser-cut and photoetched
details which is very much in your face is the antennas, Revell set of seatbelts which will enhance not only the ‘262 cockpit but
have made a commendable effort in moulding these but this set most other Luftwaffe WWII subjects. Finally (not pictured) is RB-
of ultra-fine turned brass parts (and one in resin) is undoubtably M32007, a set of pre-cut canopy masks for the ‘262. Head on
an improvement and should look superb in place. RB-C32005 is over to www.radubstore.com for more details and secure 53
the product number. RB-C32007 is a pair of super-detailed bomb shopping.
Olivier Soulleys
W H I P S U P A S T O R M W I T H T H E L AT E S T
SPECIAL HOBBY KIT
56
buckles. The final touch is a self-adhesive Ocean Grey and Dark Green.
W hen I saw the news that Special
Hobby were to release a brand new
kit of the Tempest I saw the opportunity to
masking template for the canopy and
landing lights. Throughout the assembly I
I choose to represent SN222 (not included
in the markings I may add), the only
pay tribute to Pierre Clostermann, the didn’t find any of the problems with the fit aircraft Pierre Clostermann flew in the last
highly decorated French WWII ace. of the parts as I’d read about on some of month of WWII with a red nose and "Le
the on-line modelling forums; have I just Grand Charles" painted in white under the
The huge box contains state of the art been lucky? or extra careful? who knows... right cockpit access.
plastic parts finely moulded and presented The beautiful coloured instruction sheet
on nine sprues including transparent parts. consists of 46 steps and is easy to read This great kit of the Tempest is a must
There are also almost thirty resin parts with very useful call-outs for painting. have for any R.A.F lovers, it will have a
(different options for wheels and gun Decals offer options for five aircraft in R.A.F menacing look next to any aircraft in your
fairings) and an amazing harness set service all of them wearing the typical showcase!
produced by HGW with photoetched three tone scheme of Medium Sea Grey,
HAWKER
Tempest
Mk.V
1:32 57
Here are the interior components included

in the "Hi-Tech" box. A mix of pre painted
photoectch produced by Eduard and
some very fine resin parts which all go to
produce a very highly detailed rendition of
the interior to which I added some extra
details of my own.
58
Before rubbing the cockpit details with SnJ foot steps just front of the aluminium connections that were ultimately mostly
aluminium powder to get the metallic rudder pedals. I also added some small hidden behind the instrument panel.
effect, I sprayed R.A.F. interior green and details on control column working from my I created a small light grey box with wiring
flat black according to my reference reference images. located after the pedals, just before the
material and the instruction sheet. After a few enjoyable hours of extra front bulkhead panel and the emergency
A complete seat harness from HGW is also detailing, the right side looked accurate. sanitary hose (guitar string) was located
included, the shoulder straps are not fixed Special Hobby have been kind enough to near the left foot pedal.
because I planed to show them hanging offer control placards on the decal sheet For large scale aircraft modelling, the
out of the cockpit. which I supplemented with some from Eduard pre-painted instrument panels are
I took care painting the seat with similar Airscale. really stunning, I readily admit being totally
techniques to shading a figure with acrylics As always, I tried many dry-fits to avoid unable to reach such results even with the
and oil paints for graduated tones, anything hindering of the assembly of the best paintbrush ever!
especially on the padded backrest. fuselage halves. The left side received the
The lower parts are heavily chipped on the same treatment with more electrical
Special Hobby supply etched parts to bend for Navigation lights on the wing I reduced the diameter of the
the canopy rails but I found them too large, I tips were sanded and aperture for the gun barrels
favoured a "U" shape brass (1mm wide) section polished with Micro Mesh to with plastic tube and sanded
glued in position with cyanoacrylate. a crystal finish. the profile of the leading
edge.
The kit has some very fine surface detail which

comes to life at the painting stage. Unlike some
reports I’ve read, I had no major fitting issues
throughout my build.
The kit canopy was polished with grades of

Micro Mesh until it was perfectly clear and free
of distortion. The spinner was fitted with a brass
tube to help with support thus avoiding a
drooping nose and uneven gaps appearing.
59
I started my painting by spraying white first and edge is achieved. Another reason for the gloss coat is to help the
then yellow on the wings leading edges, when dry To give me the best possible surface to apply a flow of a dark oil paint wash. The wash shades all
the shapes were masked with Tamiya tape. A dark gloss coat to the surfaces were polished with of the surface details and the model really starts
brown pre-shading to outline the panels was Micromesh cloth. Gunze H-30 undiluted gloss is to come to life. Dark brown and black oil colour
applied only on the under-sides followed by my choice for a good surface to apply decals to. was used in various tones to tint the thinners and
diluted coats of XF-83. Diluting the mixture more Decals always appear better when applied to a to suit the greys and green. To give the impression
than normal allows better control in allowing the gloss surface, I also trim off as much of the of the distressed skin of the airframe I also used
pre-shading to show. On the upper surfaces excess carrier film and use a setting solution. With oil colours applied as random ‘smudges’ and
Tamiya XF-82 was applied first followed by the XF- more than 28 victories, Clostermann was the most blended into the base colours with a clean, soft
81 camo working with the airbrush tight to the titled French ace of WWII, each of his victories is brush.
surface and set at low pressure the (almost) hard marked with a balkencruz ‘kill’ marking.
Pure black oil colour was

used as a wash around
the engine access panels.
60
I was happy to receive a sample of

Special Hobby’s resin exhaust
upgrades. These are a lovely touch
of extra detail and were painted
As I was working onto the grey plastic of with the colours above working
the kit, white was airbrushed first to allow closely to reference images.
the brightness of the yellow to show. This
applied also to the spinner so a nice clean
red shows.
Special Hobby have made

a great job of replicating
the shapes and curves of Some wiring and plumbing were
the Tempest, my only simple additions to the wheel wells
observation being the adding an extra level of realism.
shape of the spinner Some pigment matching the dirty
looked slightly off but tyres is another subtle touch.
easily rectified with careful
sanding.
The kit fuel tanks are very nice, especially with the typical transparent rack.
I have many period images with tanks stored on the ground, that's why the undersides of them are weathered with pigment.
The weighted tyres on the resin main landing gear

wheels are stunning! The "S" shaped brake line on
landing struts is made with soft wire. The inner side
of landing doors is also interior grey green and
received some heavy weathering with oil colours and
pigment powder. The yellow bands would show the
ground crew if the tyre was slipping on the rim.
The outer Hispano 20mm gun

barrel protrudes from the
wing more than the internal
one. I made mine with the
excellent micro brass tubes
from Albion Alloys.
61
Tempest
The tail wheel is oriented

to the left and elevators
are down. Rear navigation
white lights are
streamlined in the
stabilizers roots. The
emblem of No 3 Sqn is
located on top rudder.
The harness was left hanging out of the cockpit on both

sides. Serial SN222 is one of the many Tempests
Clostermann flew but also the only one to have a red
propeller hub.
The top of the backside of the propeller blades has a

polished metal effect. The ventral nose radiator is open
with it’s flap down.
62
Note the worn away paint on the wing root

and the weathered walkway.
In tribute to Charles De Gaulle, Pierre

Clostermann painted in white letters "Le Grand
Charles" just beneath the cockpit access. This
inscription only appeared on SN222.
63
More ways to Subscribe Today

also available to download to your digital device
Subscribe to the digital
version with the
Meng AIR Modeller App
In-App Purchases
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/air-modeller/id424223340?mt=8
https://play.google.com/store
-
back
s also
issue
ble
availa r
ou
from
shop
web-
Recieve
Meng AIR Modeller
direct to your doorstep
SUBSCRIBE FOR ONE YEAR OR MORE AND SAVE!
For subscriptions to the printed version go to
www.mengafvmodeller.com then click onto shop and
register/login and then go to magazine subscriptions.
Please reture to: AFV Modeller, Old Stables, East Moor, Stannington, Morpeth, Northumberland, NE61 6ES, UK
Printed Subscription to Meng AIR Modeller Your details BLOCK CAPITALS PLEASE
UK 6 Months £20.00 1 Year £36.00 2 Year £64.80 3 Year £91.80 Name................................................................................

ROW 6 Months £26.00 1 Year £48.30 2 Year £91.20 3 Year £128.70
Address ............................................................................
..........................................................................................
Cheques (UK only) send to to the address above.
All cheques made payable to AFV Modeller Ltd. ..........................................................................................
Visa Mastercard Visa Debit Maestro ..........................................................................................
..........................................................................................
Cardholder’s name
Post/Zip Code...................................................................
Card No. Country.............................................................................
Expiry date Security Number Phone ...............................................................................
E-mail ...............................................................................
E-mail: keith@mengafvmodeller.com www.mengafvmodeller.com Tel: +44 (0)1670 823648


AIR Modeller - Issue 70 (2017 02-03)

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

AIR Modeller - Issue 70 (2017 02-03)

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

AIR Modeller - Issue 70 (2017 02-03)

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

AIR 70 cover.

qxp_Layout 1 13/01/2017 11:29 Page 1

Pony X-Press MENG’S NEW 1:48

12 Short Sterling Part 7

36 P-47 D-25 Thunderbolt Part 2

Meng AIR Modeller is published Bimonthly by

MENG MODELS NEW 1:48 NORTH AMERICAN P-51D MUSTANG

The speed with which this kit comes together is also

The radiator assembly is set up with the trailing shutter

Simple but well detailed, the undercarriage is designed to

Above The inner edges of the canopy frame were

There are inevitably differences in the panel lines

To get a result as close as possible to the nacelle

I glued the inner nacelles in place, and

Pictured at a later stage in the

The metallic greyish-looking

The 21 bomb beams were equipped with a set of crutches which

I used the flat doors as a gauge to the spacing of

Due to their length, careful cementing had to be performed;

THE SMALLER DETAILS

As is the norm with large models, or

The 29 fuselage windows are located immediately below

Having identical windows at hand made things

All windows were equipped with blackout curtains

THE PROJECT CONTINUES IN THE NEXT ISSUE 19

Let me show you how I worked

TAMIYA AT THEIR BEST

Before painting anything a lot of areas have to be masked and some of

H-73 is used to free-hand apply the green

detail (although no seat belts are provided),

With the fuselage halves closed I was conscious

Test your metal

After spraying an coat of clear

Tanmodel became part of the modelling

ANDREA VIGNOCCHI continues the

Tamiya’s XF-4 replicates

A decent face mask

Decanting from the aerosol

Even if Schilling’s P-47 is a famous aircraft and one

Revell 1:32 Me262 B-1/U-1 Nightfighter

RF-4E and F-4E, Phantom x

Revell 1:72 Spitfire Mk.IIa

Great Wall Hobby 1:48 T-33A 'Shooting Star'

Model Design Construction

Flying the Icon:Spitfire

ICM 1:72 FW 189A-1

Revell 1:48 Spitfire Mk.Vc

Revell 1:72 P-70 Nighthawk

72132 72133 72134

Scale Aircraft Conversions

Here are the interior components included

The kit has some very fine surface detail which

The kit canopy was polished with grades of

Pure black oil colour was

I was happy to receive a sample of

Special Hobby have made

The weighted tyres on the resin main landing gear

The outer Hispano 20mm gun

The tail wheel is oriented