12 - Finescale Modeler December 2018

1/48

FOLLOW US @ TAMIYAUSA

Grumman F-14D Tomcat Following on from our successful 1/48 model of the F-14A in 2016, Tamiya is delighted to announce a new Tomcat in the 1/48 Aircrat Series: the F-14D, an updated version of the aircrat that served until the Tomcat was withdrawn from Navy service in 2006. It featured an improved engine in the shape of the General Electric F110, and the aircrat’s transition from the earlier carrier-based fighter models to the F-14D multi-role aircrat was facilitated by digital updates to radar and fire control systems. Some F-14Ds were newly-constructed, while conversions from F-14As also existed. Take this chance to add a multi-role legend to your collection of 1/48 scale aircrat models!

The refueling probe on the right side of the nose can select the deployed state and the stored state.

A reconnaissance camera pod that reproduces internal camera parts.

A parallel type chin pad is equipped on the underside of the nose. The Vulcan cannon on the left side lue gas slit also reproduces the diferences with the A type.

AIM-9L/M Sidewinder, AIM -7F Sparrow, AIM 54C Phoenix Air-to-Air Missile and GBU - 12 laser induced bomb, GBU - 16 laser induced bomb.

The nozzle of the engine is reproduced with one part. Total length 398mm width 408mm (main wing forward)

We also prepared mask seals for canopy painting separately.

In addition to the D type exclusive injection seat, the current US Navy pilot specification without a visor case is also highlighted. The canopy reproducing the bubble type cross section can be opened and closed after completion.

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CONTENTS

ONLINE CONTENT CODE: FSM1812

December 2018 /// Vol 36 /// No 10 Enter this code at www.FineScale.com/code to gain access to web-exclusive content

58

FEATURES

KIT REVIEWS

16 Airbrushing & Finishing

58 G.W.H. Su-35S “Flanker-E”

Painting nose art, a step-by-step SCOTT LORDS

60 Tamiya Type 16 maneuver 18 Builder Basics: Setting up your workbench What to buy and where to put it ELIZABETH NASH

combat vehicle

22

PT-109

22 Accurize your Abrams Easy detail and inishing tips JOHN BACKENSTROSS

62 AFV Club Vought F4U Corsair

27 Master big-scale resin figures

63 Takom Bandvagn Bv 206S

Paint techniques for a superhero AARON SKINNER

34 Show Gallery WonderFest USA 2018

61 Revell Patrol Torpedo Boat

27

IN EVERY ISSUE 5 Editor’s Page

40 Have fun with Gundam Fighting suits provide canvass for sci-i creativity ALEX MANUEL

7 Scale Talk 10 New Products

42 Form & Figure Paint an impressive Hulk JOE HUDSON

56 Reader Gallery

44 64 Hobby Shop Directory

44 How to build a killer Kiowa Easy tricks, ixes to improve a ’copter MICHAL SWINIARSKI

65 Classified Marketplace

48 Bare-Metal Foil for a big B-29

65 Advertiser Index

Revell's Superfortress gets dolled up JOHN KOWALSKI

66 Final Details 52 “Atomic Annie” a blast to build Improve the aim of an atomic cannon MIKE FLECKENSTEIN

48

Cover: Background is copyright Larryrains-Dreamstime.com

FineScale Modeler (ISSN 0277-979X, USPS No. 679-590) is published monthly (except for June & August) by Kalmbach Media Co., 21027 Crossroads Circle, P.O. Box 1612, Waukesha, WI 53187. Periodicals Postage is paid at Waukesha, WI and additional oices. Postmaster: Send address changes to FineScale Modeler, PO Box 62320, Tampa, FL 33662-2320. Canada Post Publication Mail Agreement #40010760.

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FineScale Modeler

December 2018

EDITOR’S PAGE By Mark Savage

Let us help you figure out resin, etc.

S

ome consider working with resin as easy as styrene, while others ind resin somewhat more diicult. We want modelers to feel comfortable working with any material, so this issue we go with a big resin igure as the focus of our cover story. FSM’s Aaron Skinner shows just how gorgeous a igure you can create from resin with Moebius’ Wonder Woman. his is the Gal Gadot-based igure, the most recent movie version of the comics character, and Aaron takes you through the painting techniques that lead to a spectacular fantasy igure, or any other resin igure you may desire. We also include a Form & Figure column on painting the Hulk (spoiler alert, you’ll need a lot of green paint). Plus there’s a quick look at Bandai’s snappy Gundam warriors and how to paint them for maximum impact. While we have a collection of ine military modeling stories (as usual)

— a Kiowa copter, metal foil B-29, a snazzy Abrams tank, and “Atomic Annie,” an atomic cannon — FSM’s Digital Editor Elizabeth Nash dishes up a fun read on how to create a near perfect modeling work space. (Can it ever be perfect?) here’s something for everyone here, and she uses readers’ ideas and examples of what they’ve done in their homes to bolster their workbench, etc. We hope these will help you improve your work area. You do spend a lot of time there, right? *** Now a word from our sponsor. Well, OK, just me still. Last month I plugged our annual special issue, Great War Scale Modeling, that focuses on World War I. But I want to remind you it has just gone on sale, so buy a copy. In addition to WWI models we ill the tail end of the issue with great photos from this year’s big shows.

And now for something completely diferent ... We know you’ll also want to pick up an issue of our new premium title, Damaged, Weathered and Worn Models. his is published in Europe by AKInteractive and now we are publishing it for North American readers. Damaged is a larger format magazine on high-quality paper with excellent photos and stories from the world’s top modelers. It focuses on tips and techniques for building models and dioramas from all realms. he fall issue is the premier issue, with three more exciting issues planned for release in 2019. Buy early and often, before they’re gone!

[email protected]

Off the sprue: What’s your favorite family tradition? Ha, the editor went over the (one favorite) limit this time. But then it’s his prerogative and who’s gonna correct him?

Editor Mark Savage [email protected]

Senior Editor Aaron Skinner [email protected]

Digital Editor Elizabeth Nash [email protected]

Editorial Associate Monica Freitag [email protected]

In fall it’s visiting a local apple orchard for cider, apples, and pears. At Christmas it’s the tasty stollen my wife bakes and our Christmas Eve party for the “orphan” families at church. And in summer, it’s visiting the Wisconsin State Fair.

I love Halloween! Our neighborhood has designated trick-ortreat hours, so my wife and I like to sit outside with something to drink — hot chocolate if it’s cold, something stronger if it’s warm — and hand out candy. It’s fun to see which costumes are the most popular from one year to the next.

January 1st. High Noon. Lakeside. It’s time for the annual Polar Bear Plunge! We use sledgehammers to bust through the ice and jump in. There are only two rules: no wetsuits and you must submerge completely. You can stay in as long as you want, which, for most people, is approximately 2.8 seconds!

It’s the sharing of oplatek, a small rectangular wafer usually embossed with the Nativity scene. Everyone receives one and shares it with each family member by breaking off a small piece and wishing them good wishes and love. This is a Polish tradition usually done right before Christmas Eve dinner. Even the dog gets a piece! www.FineScale.com

5

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KALMBACH MEDIA Chief Executive Officer Dan Hickey Senior Vice President, Finance Christine Metcalf Vice President, Content Stephen C. George Vice President, Consumer Marketing Nicole McGuire Vice President, Operations Brian J. Schmidt Vice President, Human Resources Sarah A. Horner

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Senior Director, Advertising Sales and Events David T. Sherman Advertising Sales Director Scott Redmond Circulation Director Liz Runyon Art and Production Manager Michael Soliday New Business Manager Cathy Daniels Retention Manager Kathy Steele Single Copy Specialist Kim Redmond

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RETAIL, TRADE ORDERS, AND INQUIRIES Selling FineScale Modeler magazine or products in your store: Phone 800-558-1544 Outside U.S. & Canada 262-796-8776, Ext. 818 Fax 262-798-6592 E-mail [email protected] Website www.Retailers.Kalmbach.com

CUSTOMER SALES AND SERVICE Phone 877-246-4847 Outside the U.S. and Canada 813-910-3616 Customer Service [email protected] Digital [email protected] Back Issues [email protected]

SPECIAL EMAIL & WEB ADDRESSES Ad Sales [email protected] Letters to the Editor [email protected] New Products [email protected] Reader Gallery Contribute.Kalmbach.com Reader Questions [email protected] Reader Tips [email protected]

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FineScale Modeler

December 2018

©2018, Kalmbach Media Co., all rights reserved. This publication may not be reproduced in any form without permission. Printed in the U.S.A. Allow 6 to 8 weeks for new subscriptions and address changes. Subscription rate: single copy $6.99; U.S. 1 year (10 issues), $39.95; 2 years (20 issues), $74.95; 3 years (30 issues), $94.95. Canadian: Add $8.00 postage per year. Canadian price includes GST, payable in U.S. funds. All other international subscriptions: Add $12 postage per year, payable in U.S. funds, drawn on a U.S. bank. BN 12271 3209 RT. Not responsible for unsolicited materials.

SCALE TALK Your voice in FSM Ideas for setting up a workshop In September’s Scale Talk, Dan Varner asked for suggestions of how to best set up his blank canvas of a workshop. Here are some reader thoughts: • Where you have clear access to the walls, choose a spot for the exhaust hose from your paint booth. A moisture trap and pressure regulator will help with humidity, even with the HVAC. Use a bathroom exhaust fan for that booth as they have a nonsparking motor. If you keep a lot of books and reference material in bookcases, you might want to put doors or curtains on them to protect them from dust and lying paint.

Reader tips 3. Two tips for organizing your work area

Self-adhesive wheel weights are primo for giving model aircraft enough nose weight to avoid being a tail-sitter.

1. Finding cheap nose weights

• It’s a lucky modeler indeed that confronts the opportunity Dan has. I was faced with a similar question when we built our new home four years ago. I wanted a shop that would accommodate all of my hobby interests, and would provide the space for group-build sessions. It had to be functional, with a building bench, a clean bench (for decaling and inal assembly), and a metal working bench. It also needed a separate paint shop for year-round painting. Our basement is a little like Dan’s — a walk out with a lot of natural lighting. Perfect for hobby work!

I recently read an article where the author used self-adhesive weights to overcome the dreaded tail-sitting syndrome of most airplanes. A source was given but I didn’t write it down and don’t remember the issue where I saw the article. This morning I stopped by the shop I use for routine maintenance on my car and asked if I could buy some self-adhesive wheel weights. Being a regular customer, the manager gave them to me at no cost. Lesson: If you use a particular shop for car maintenance, ask for weights. You might save a few bucks on weights for your aircraft models. – Nick Mertes, Grove City, Ohio

– John Brohm Mars, Pa.

2. Carpet tape to the rescue

– Gordon Smith Eastport, Maine

• Just look through FSM! he reader-submitted workshop photos found in Scale Talk over the last year have been very helpful. hey give me a lot of ideas. – John Ewald Elk Grove Village, Ill.

Ed.: And check out Builder Basics (p. 18) for even more great ideas!

Brushing up with Skinner’s DVD Aaron Skinner’s DVD on airbrushing is just superb. Aaron is a irst rate instructor and the techniques were virtually all new to me even though I have had an airbrush for 30 years. he tips on using primer and even how to quickly clean a sanding stick were worth the price alone. Also, the production, choice of a range of subject matter, and editorial choices for “chapter” sections of the DVD were great. Please keep more coming! – Allen Black, Allison Park, Pa.

I was having difficulty figuring out how to make my 1/48 aircraft missiles and bombs stand on their tails so that I could spray paint them with a paint bomb. Then I cut some pieces of carpet tape and stuck the pieces to the bottom of an upside-down, foam food tray. Carpet tape is sticky on both sides and holds the pieces well. It also comes off easily when removed slowly and with care. All that remains is to touch up the back end of the fins by hand. - Mike Ballantyne, Central Saanich British Columbia, Canada

We’re directionally challenged! In the “Warhawk on a forgotten front” story that appeared in the October 2018 edition, the author refers to Amchitka Island as being 1,350 miles east of

Frequent flyer Ned Barnett offers two related tips. First, I have a lot of tools on my workshop table (also my computer table): paintbrushes, pipettes, needle files, and the ubiquitous sanding sticks. All take up less room if stored vertically. To make this happen, I’ve taken (for larger items) 20-oz. soda bottles with the upper third cut off, or (for smaller items) washed-out prescription bottles with labels removed. I weigh these new storage containers down with pennies (which may be the least expensive, readily-available metal weights), crushed fishing weights, or BBs (doesn’t really matter). To strengthen the soda bottles, I wrap them with duct tape (yes, I use Duck Brand — hey, I’m a purist). The tape keeps the bottles in shape, the weight keeps them vertical, and I stack my tools in them as needed, out of the way yet readily available. Second, I take empty model kit boxes that come in two parts (upper and lower), stack the bottoms inside the tops (to double the strength), then wrap them with duct tape. Some boxes are sturdier than others. The less sturdy boxes hold my sandpaper bits, tubes of putty, and other small, lightweight items. The sturdier boxes allow me to sort my same-brand acrylic paints by color (greens in one box, blues in another, black/white/ gray in yet another). Basically, for the cost of a seemingly infinite role of heavy-duty duct tape, I’ve got all the storage boxes I need — and if you build a lot of kits from the same company, the boxes become stackable. FYI, I find the camouflaged duct tape is heavier-duty and sturdier (therefore usually better) than the sleek-and-slim aluminum tape. – Ned Barnett, Las Vegas, Nev. Anchorage. Isn’t it actually west of Anchorage? – Stephen Neupert, Kingston, Wash.

Ed.: Yes! Now which way is the bathroom? www.FineScale.com

7

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Available Again! The rocket hobby lost a valuable resource when ([WUHPH5RFNHWU\ magazine ceased publication. Over eight years, they had built up a sizable library of how-to articles on all phases of the hobby. The most generally helpful articles were published in a series of booklets. To keep this important resource available for hobbyists, ARA Press has revived publication of the ([WUHPH5RFNHWU\ booklets.

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FineScale Modeler

December 2018

A gorgeous Russian aircraft Go online to download a wallpaper of Matthew Walker’s build of GWH’s new 1/48 scale Su-35S, and flip to p. 58 to read his review of the kit in our Workbench Reviews section. Desktop wallpapers We have dozens of other computer backgrounds of your favorite military and sci-fi subjects. Download them for free. Go ahead, treat your monitor to a makeover.

New Product Rundown Want to know about a new kit? Aaron Skinner and Elizabeth Nash host a twicemonthly video review of the newest models and show you what’s inside the boxes.

Modeling poetry

A feel for paper

his lament comes from rhyming reader, John Hofman of Frederick, Maryland:

Regarding your editorial (Oct. 2018) about the desirability of reading hard copy literature — I agree. Plus, I’d like to add, hardcopy is collectible, FSM in particular — I have every single issue from my subscription back to September 1990 carefully stored in collector bags and boxes. Hope to collect many more years. Keep publishing hardcopy!

Hindsight Oh! I have smudged the squishy bonds of parts, And oversprayed unmasked bare-metalsilvered wings, Backwards I glued, and skimmed o’er labeled charts And numbered steps, and botched a hundred things You have not dreamed of dropped and spilled and cracked down in the basement silence. Kneeling there On monstrous carpet prayed in vain, then smacked My cussing head on hobby workbench chairs Up, up and down the aisles of kit and tool I’ve searched the nerd-swept store for saving grace But ne’er was model made ’twas proof against this fool — And, while inished build had pics posted abroad Soon references revealed complete disgrace, Put face in my hands, and said again “Oh, God.”

– William Jacon, Dayton, Ohio

… and again! First may I point out the absurdity that I am choosing an electronic medium to reach you (ironic may not be correct, my English comp classes were long ago). his is in response to the editor’s page in addition to a letter (from Christian Stock in France) in the Questions & Answers section in the October 2018 FSM. Tactile comfort is the reason you, Christian, myself, and countless others want to hold onto our paper copy of FineScale Modeler or its sister publication, Scale Auto. Some of us can think back to a time when some book at a local library with the slight musty scent of time and readers

before enveloped us as some story transported our imaginations. here’s a simple satisfaction you can enjoy over and over from every page without having to glance at what remaining battery power you have. As noted already, the convenience of opening an issue to a how-to article right there at your work area is another prime reason. I’ve subscribed for ive years. Prior to that, and still, I’ve gathered kits. … After studying, yes studying, many articles I’m starting my irst kit. A funny car (yup the article on superdetailing engines is on the table). I hope to have fun with this and to live long enough to make a dent in my pile. Here is to what has come before, what is now, and a future of us all enjoying holding onto our current issue of FineScale Modeler. Mine are dog-eared and well loved. – Thomas Young, Dover, N.H. Ed.: Paper or digital? Tell us what you think in an email or, if you really want to make the point, send us a letter.

Q&A Waterlining a full-hull ship

Q 

I have a couple of 1/350 ship models and would like to make them waterline types to put in a diorama, but do not know how, or what tools to use to do so. Can anyone help out with this. Second, I am also using IPP lacquer paints, which are hard to ind, except on Freetime Models’ website. But, if I want to use this type of paint in an airbrush would that work and how hard would the cleanup be? I have a Testors airbrush “startup” kit, but have been afraid of using it. he airbrush is the type that uses bottles for the paints and an aerosol can for propellant. – Michael Megee, Surprise, Arizona

A 

Waterlining a full-hull model takes a little work, but it’s not that hard

with a few tools. You’ll need plastic label tape to use as a guide, a scriber to draw along the line and thin the plastic, and a razor saw to inish the job. You can see how FSM author Ted Bunn does it here: http://www.inescale.com/online-extras/ extra-articles/2018/08/waterline-hull. Ted’s original article was published in September 2013. I haven’t used IPP paints, but they look similar to Mr. Color. So any lacquer thinner should work to thin them for airbrushing and cleaning. he only caution I would ofer is that lacquer thinner, especially harsh hardware store kinds, can attack airbrush parts. I don’t know how much of the Testors brush that you are using is plastic, but be sure if you use lacquer thinner that you get all of it out of the brush after cleaning. And don’t let any of the components soak in it. – Aaron Skinner

www.FineScale.com

9

NEW PRODUCTS Compiled by Monica Freitag & Aaron Skinner

Spotlight

Revell is back! Word inally is out that Revell USA is back in business with oices and a warehouse in Northlake, Ill. (suburban Chicago). Plus it announced one all new kit, a 1968 Chevy Chevelle SS 396. Lou Aguilera, Revell USA’s president, told FineScale Modeler, that new kit shipments are arriving now and shipments of Revell kits to distributors is underway. He said additional kits from Revell Germany, which owns Revell USA, will be arriving about the time you read this. It’s likely some of

the early kits will be in hobby shops and other model retailers' stores now too. Aguilera said Revell is excited to be back in the U.S. market and especially happy to have 10 kits, including the all-new Chevelle, to relaunch the brand this fall. Revell Inc.’s oices were closed in April after Hobbico, which owned Revell, declared bankruptcy and sold Revell’s assets to a German investment group that consolidated the business under Revell Germany, where all engineering and product development

will now occur. Aguilera said sales and marketing for the US market will take place in the Illinois oice. He said the US distribution channel will be much as it was before the ownership change and before Hobbico’s closure. Included will be Horizon Hobby in Champaign, Ill., which bought much of Hobbico’s facilities and its

radio-control product lines. Aguilera also added that Revell Germany products are arriving at the US warehouse to expand the US product line. A lot of new items are in the development pipeline too, he said, estimating about 60 products in production, including the restock of existing items and production of new releases. – Mark Savage

AIRCRAFT KITS 1/32 SCALE

L-190-1 Bird Dog from Roden, No. 409, $49.99. L-39 Albatros Evolution from Eduard, No. 11121, $64.95.

1/72 SCALE

Reims FTB337G Lynx "Bush War" Rhodesian Air Force light attack aircraft, from Roden, No. 628, $62.99.

1/48 SCALE Bella P-39 in Soviet service from Eduard, No. 11118, $64.95.

Renard R-31 from Azur Frrom, No. FR0039, $28.80.

Bf 109G-10 Mtt Regensburg from Eduard, No. 82119, $26.95. ProiPack.

Work Bench Review Look for a detailed review (WBR) in an upcoming issue of FineScale Modeler.

10 FineScale Modeler December 2018

RF-101C & C/H VooDoo from Kitty Hawk, No. 80116, $79.99.

PZL 37A Łoś Polish medium bomber from IBG Models, No. 72511, $34.95.

PZL 37B Łoś Polish medium bomber from IBG Models, No. 72514, $34.95.

SdKfz. 184 Elefant 2 n'1 from Dragon Models, No. DRA6871, $69.99. WBR

M19A1 Twin 40mm gun motor carriage Korean War from Bronco Models, No. CB35148, $47.99. WBR

1/144 SCALE

Chevrolet C 60L general service from IBG Models, No. 35042, $49.95.

M3A1 Lee from Takom, No. 2114, $59.95.

Chevrolet ield artillery tractor (FAT-4)

M3A1 Lee CDL from Takom, No. 2115, $59.95.

A-50 Mainstay Russian airborne early warning and control AEW aircraft from Zvezda, No. 7024, $49.99.

ARMOR KITS 1/24 SCALE

from IBG Models, No. 35044, $49.95.

Rommel's Rod - The Desert Fox's Crazy Command Car from Revell USA, No. 85-4484, Cy-100 Soviet tank destroyer Su-100 from

M60A1 with explosive reactive armor (US Marine battle tank) from Takom, No. 2113,

1/35 SCALE

Zvezda, No. 3688, $46.99. WBR

$64.95. WBR

M48 AVLB (armored vehicle launched bridge) from Dragon Models, No. DRA3606,

German Panzerkampfwagen II (Flamm) Ausf.E SdKfz.122 from Bronco Models,

$49.99. WBR

$79.99.

No. CB35124, $34.95. WBR

$TBA. WBR

M43 Ambulance from Roden, No. 811,

www.FineScale.com

11

NEW PRODUCTS 1/72 SCALE

SHIP KITS 1/18 SCALE

M1 IP Abrams MBT from Panda Models, No. PH-35038, $58.

917t Japanese truck (Yokohama cab) 1938 from IBG Models, No. 72060, $23.95. Figure included.

Hydro-Vee boat with detailed outboard engine from MPC, No. MPC883/12, $30.95.

SdKfz.166 Stu.Pz.IV Brummbar MidProduction 2 n' 1 from Dragon, No. DRA6892, $69.99.

FIGURE KITS Type 89 Japanese medium tank Kou gasoline hybrid from IBG Models, No. 72039,

1/16 SCALE

$21.95.

King of the Night from ICM, No. 16201, $44.99. WBR

PzKpfw.III Ausf.K from Dragon, No. DRA6903, Smart Kit, $69.99.

917t German truck from IBG Models, No. 72061, $23.95.

AIRCRAFT DECALS 1/32 SCALE Messerschmitt Me-262B-1a from Hannants/Xtradecal, No. X32068, $10.45.

IDF M113 Armored Personnel Carrier Yom Kippur War 1973 from Dragon, No.

Sherman M4A3 (105mm) VVSS from

DRA3608, $59.99.

Dragon, No. DRA7569, $17.99.

1/48 SCALE Winnie the Poo Too from Fündekals, $TBA.

Tankietka TKS z CKM Hotchkiss wz.25

M4A1Sherman from Dragon, No. DRA7568,

from IBG Models, No. 35045, $39.99.

$17.99.

12 FineScale Modeler December 2018

1/72 SCALE Royal Canadian Navy TF 999 RCN Sea Furries

Messerschmitt Me-262B-1a from

Bf 109-G engine (for Tamiya) from

from Fündekals, $15.

Hannants/Xtradecal, No. X72304, $10.75.

Eduard, No. 648406, $44.95.

BGU-32 Thermally Protected from Hawker Hunter Mk.6 Part 2 from Hannants/

Eduard, No. 648396, $19.95.

RAF XV Squadron History from Hannants/

Xtradecal, No. X48191, $11.75.

Xtradecal, No. X72305, $10.75.

Bf 109G-10 cockpit from Eduard, No. 648422, $39.95.

Hawker Hunter Mk.6 Part 3 from Hannants/ Xtradecal, No. X48192, $11.75.

AIRCRAFT MASKS

1/72 SCALE

1/48 SCALE

Wheels for EC-121 Warning Star from

Bf 109G-10 TFace (for Eduard) from Eduard,

Plus Model, No. 7027, $10.70

No. EX609, $9.95.

Bf 109G-10 (for Eduard) from Eduard, No. EX608, $9.95.

Messerschmitt Me-262B-1a from Hannants/Xtradecal, No. X48193, $10.75.

AIRCRAFT DETAILS

A-3A/A-3B/KA-3B/ EKA-3B Skywarrio intakes from

1/48 SCALE

Obscureco Aircraft, No. 4203, $6.

F-15C/E Eagle wheel set (3 pieces) from Squadron Products, No. TDP48214, $9.99.

Panavia Tornado F.3 Part 1 from Hannants/Xtradecal,

SHIP DETAILS

No. X48194, $10.75.

1/700 SCALE F/A-18B (for Kinetic) from Eduard, No. FE915, $19.95.

EA-18G Pew Pew Growlers from Twobobs Aviation Graphics, No. 48-263, $15. Also available in 1/72 scale 72-108.

International Marine signal flags (steel) B 109G-10 Mtt Regensburg (for Eduard) from Eduard,

from Eduard, No. 53222, $16.95.

No. 48961, $19.95.

Welcome new manufacturers Obscureco Aircraft www.obscureco.com All Diorama www.alldiorama.com

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13

NEW PRODUCTS SCIFI DETAILS

1/48 SCALE US Motor Grader from

1/537 SCALE

Plus Model, No. 4031, $92.10. 159 resin parts, photoetch and decals.

Reit Enterprise engine grills from ParaGraix, No. PGX215, $19.95.

Arches in ruins (section) from All Diorama, No. ADC006, $75.

WWII Japanese aircraft carrier base from All Diorama, No. ADA005, $95.

MISCELLANEOUS 1/35 SCALE Gas bottles from Plus Model, No. 518, $25.50.

Snow covered road (section) from All

Church corner in ruins, Central Europe

Diorama, No. ADV008, $138.

from All Diorama, No. ADC002, $83.

FAV EDITOR ORIT ES!

Attention Scale Modelers —

from FineScale Modeler

P31598

Great Gift Ideas

tools can Using the best modeling hen you’re make all the difference w your model assembling and finishing we asked aircraft, ship, or armor. So Modeler to the editors of FineScale tions. share their recommenda

nishing tools, you’ll From sanding sticks to fi tools when you shop find dozens of essential obby Store. Best of online at the Kalmbach H and approved! all, they’re editor tested

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14 FineScale Modeler December 2018

Sales tax where applicable.

BOOKS & MEDIA The Second World War, Sikorsky HR2S-1/CH-37C Deuce H-37A CH-37B Mojave Heavy Lift Helicopter, $44.95, by Gunther Winkle, soft cover, 137 pages, 138 color photos, 145 B/W photos and 48 drawings, ISBN: 978-0-9993884-1-9. From Specialty Press.

Boeing B-47 Stratojet (Strategic Air Command's Transitional Bomber), $44.95, by C. Mike Habermehl/Robert S. Hopkins, hard cover, 320 pages, 400 photos, drawings, ISBN: 978-1-91080908-2. From Specialty Press.

The Battleship Bismark - Anatomy of the Ship, $60, by Stefan Draminski, hard cover, 256 pages, B/W photos, illustrations, ISBN: 978-1-4728-2888-0. From Osprey Pub.

$35, forward by Sir Max Hastings, hard cover, 368 pages, all B/W photos, ISBN: 978-1-4728-3393-8. From Osprey Publishing.

T-34-85 After WW2 Camouflage & Markings 1946-2016, $53, by Przemyslaw Skulski, Piotr Kowalski, soft cover, 112 pages, 150 illustrations, all B/W photos, ISBN: 978-83652-8165-4. From Casemate Publishers.

The Type XXI U-boat,

Junkers Ju 87 B, $24.95,

$22.95, by Waldemar Goralski, Dmitry Moronov, Daniel Pastwa, soft cover, 54 pages, 160 3D color graphics, ISBN: 978-8-36287864-2. From Casemate Publishers.

by Maciej Noszczak, soft cover, 20 pages, 10 color proiles, scale drawings, B/W photos, ISBN: 978-83654-3791-4. From Casemate Publishers.

Russian Battleship Marat, $36.95, by Oleg

The Solomons 1943-44 The Struggle for New Georgia and Bougainville, $24, by

Pomoshnikov and Jan Radziemski, soft cover, 80 pages, 152 3D color graphics, ISBN: 978-8-3654-37822. From Casemate Publishers.

Mark Stille, illustrated by Peter Dennis, soft cover, 96 pages, all B/W photos, ISBN: 978-14728-2447-9. From Osprey Publishing.

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15

AIRBRUSHING & FINISHING By Scott Lords

Painting nose art A step-by-step process nets unique results

Known as the Panzer Dusters, the 395th F.S. carried out ground attack missions across France, Belgium, and Germany from March 1944 to May 1945.

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hen I built Tamiya’s 1/48 scale P-47D, I wanted to build a plane from the 395th Fighter Squadron named Miss Second Front. I didn’t have decals, which isn’t a problem for stripes — easy to paint — and insignia — kit decals to the rescue. But the hunderbolt bore extensive nose art. Instead of trying to print it, I did it the way it was done on the original plane: I painted the nose art. Savvy readers will notice that although the girl on the real plane is topless, she is clothed on my model. I display many of my models in my classroom, along with some World War II homefront collectibles and I worried that nudity in my classroom, even on this small a scale, could cause me headaches with parents and administrators. So, I opted to put a top on her. 16 FineScale Modeler December 2018

Meet Scott Lords Scott, a high school history and government teacher from Idaho Falls, Idaho, has been building models since he was a kid. While his primary interest is World War II aircraft, he likes to mix in a WW I biplane or Cold War-era jet and even has a few armor kits in his “to-build” stack. He and his wife, Carrie, collect WWII homefront memorabilia and have transformed their basement into a minimuseum. “It’s been wonderful to have a wife that not only puts up with my modeling, but shares my passion for the history behind it,” he says.

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I found a good photo of the nose art and scaled it to 1/48 scale on a photocopier. Then I trimmed the girl from the copy. The photo was short at the bottom, so I cut a little past the edge to preserve the heel.

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After spraying the area with a flesh color mixed by adding a little Testors Model Master leather to white, I stuck the paper cutout to the model. It’s important to do this while the Micro Mask is tacky.

I coated the back of the cutout with Microscale Micro Mask and let it dry a little.

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I sprayed blue for the background and masked the area before airbrushing the camouflage (see sidebar).

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Removing all of the masks revealed the outline of the basic nose art.

Using a 2/0 brush, I hand-painted the details. Mixing different ratios of leather and white shaded the skin. I used Testors rubber for the deepest shadows and facial features.

Camouflaging the Thunderbolt I began by airbrushing white for the identification bands, invasion stripes, and nose markings and masking those areas. Testors Model Masters neutral gray served as a guide for mixing Floquil railroad enamels — wish they still made them! — for the underside color. Then, I added thinner and a drop or two of black and burnt umber to the mix. I sprayed this along the roots of the wing, and around the engine as well as a few light streaks airbrushed from front to back on the wings. Mixing more Floquil colors produced the upper-surface olive drab, which I shaded with a darker color. I continued weathering with pastels, which are fun but tricky to use. Lighter shades effectively disappear under a clear

coat, but dark brown, gray, and black remain. Depending on the base color, I have used blue, green, and orange pastels to wonderful effect — I guess this is where modeling becomes a work of art. I removed the masks and applied several coats of Model Master Wet-Look gloss lacquer in preparation for decals. Going a little heavier over the nose art helped hide brush strokes. The kit’s insignia and stencil decals settled perfectly over it with help from Microscale Micro Set and Micro Sol. I flowed a thin mix of ivory black and burnt umber artist’s oil into panel lines and brushed it back from cowl panels and flaps, oil cooler doors, and fuel filler caps to represent fluid leaks. Using a small filbert brush, I lightly stroked this mix where stringers and

ribs would be on the wings. The effect was subtle enough that afterward, I could hardly see it. But that’s exactly what I wanted. To seal the finish, I airbrushed the model with a mix of flat and semigloss clear. FSM

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17

BUILDER BASICS By Elizabeth Nash

Setting up your

workbench

“I purchased the house my family is in now under one condition: that one of the three bedrooms could be my workspace and the place where I display all my models. I love this space and try to keep it organized.” – Jose Luiz Dalmiglio, Guarujá, São Paulo, Brazil

What to buy and where to put it

C

lose your eyes and picture your perfect workspace. What do you see? Paint racks up to the ceiling? Light streaming over the bench from high-powered desk lamps? Clean, white tile loors? Perhaps 18 FineScale Modeler December 2018

there’s a Jacuzzi and Sno-cone machine in your peripherals as well — it’s your perfect workspace. While the FSM staf can’t make hot tub recommendations, we can help get your cur-

rent space closer to that perfect one you’re imagining. Whether you have a lot of money budgeted or want to work with what you have, follow these tips and you’ll have a workbench to be proud of.

Things to purchase Inexpensive upgrades Let’s start from the top, down. • Fan — A small fan can both keep you comfortable when it’s warmer and blow unpleasant and bad-for-you fumes far away. • Cutting mat — Keep sharp, stabby items away from countertops. Look for a selfhealing mat with measurements printed on. Check out Dave’s handy mat (right). • Drawer organizers — Take a walk down any home improvement aisle and you’ll see quite the selection. Measure your space (drawer inserts do not necessarily have to sit in a drawer) and ind small organizers that it. Look for ones made of clear plastic, which are easy to clean and keep small bits organized inside the compartments. In these you can store hobby knives, extra blades, iles, sanding sticks and paper, screwdrivers, pencils, etc. Bonus: Tackle boxes also work for storing small bits. • Contact paper — While organizers can corral smaller items, the bigger pieces will still slide around each time you open and

close a drawer. Cushioned contact paper is a tacky material that can be cut to it any cabinet, drawer, or counter and helps keep things in place. It also quiets the act of picking things up and putting them down — win-win! • Recycle bin — Empty paint bottles, kit packaging, scratch paper — all of this and more can be recycled. Instead of putting it in the waste bin, only to rummage through and sort it later, just purchase another basket or can to hold all the recycling. Toss plastic, paper, and more inside and be done with it. • Power strip — If you never seem to have enough outlets, a power strip or two can make all the diference. he best ones come with rotating outlets, making the placement of large and oddly shaped plugs easy. Remember to purchase only those with surge protectors. • Floor mat — Haven’t you heard?

“My workbench is very basic, but, so far, it works for me. With each model, I learn something new and hope to keep gradually improving.” – Dave Sorensen, Irvine, California

Standing is good for you! It’s healthy for the body and can increase your energy, if perhaps at the expense of your feet. Help those puppies out by standing on a thick cushion with a lot of give and bounce. Of course you can buy a specialty mat, or you can make one for less by placing a rug over carpet padding. Viola! No more barking dogs.

Pricer picks Middling purchases that make a diference. • Paint racks — You’re going to collect a lot of ’em so it’s best to have speciic shelving meant for storing small bottles. If you’re short on wall space, look at Doc O’Brien’s Paint Tower, a vertical storage tower that can hold 56 bottles of paint. • Tool organizers — HobbyZone USA is where it’s at when it come to modelingspeciic organizers. hey have brush holders, model stands, pallets, part holders, storage drawers, and as many module setups that you could ever want. But no matter

what brand you buy, look for ones that are easy to clean. • Chair — Haven’t you heard? Sitting some of the time is really appreciated. Don’t sabotage your relaxation with an uncomfortable chair. hrow money at something with support and cushion, and preferably with a seat that can be raised, lowered, and swivels. You’ll notice George (right) uses a rolling chair to get around his space (just don’t roll over the dog!)

“With this space I am able to work on three kits at a time. Currently, I’m building a Tamiya Hawker Hurricane, ICM Hs 126A, and Hasegawa P-38.” – George Hamlin, via email

Big purchases Livin’ the dream (and paying for it). • Secretary desk — A beautiful, sturdy desk can last a lifetime. Purchase one with a retractable lid and keep your models safe in-between build sessions. Take a look at Warren’s beautiful (and protective) work station (right). • Spray booth — Airbrushes and spray cans push out a lot of paint and not all of it makes it to the target model. Overspray on walls and your workbench might be OK, especially if you aren’t fussy about the decor. But the one place you don’t want stray paint particles going is your lungs. Or the pilot

light on the water heater. OK, so there are two places you don’t want paint fumes. Invest in a good spray booth to avoid any problems. he typical size of the models you work on will govern the booth size. hat, in turn, will govern the power of the fan — this is one tool you’ll be happy to say really sucks! Make sure the fan draws the paint fumes through a ilter and out of the workshop to the great outdoors. If you prefer to build your own booth, ind inspiration on the FSM forums by typing in “build spray booth.”

“When it comes to workbenches, my personal preference is the classic secretary’s desk. This allows me to protect everything when I am not working. It has served me well for more than 40 years.” – Warren Graser, Elkton, Maryland www.FineScale.com

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Arrange your space Working with what you have No need to spend money, simply rearrange to make the most of the space at hand. • Put like with like — Store similar things together. Organize by pulling everything from one category out into an open space. Don’t leave out a single item in a category. his way you can see exactly how much you own and judge how much storage the collection will take up. hen move onto the next step … • Designate a spot for everything — here most deinitely is a place for all the items in your workshop. Some are obvious: paints on a rack, pencils in a cup. Other objects don’t have a well-deined storage area, but it’s easy to make one using solutions from around your home. Put round bottles on a lazy Susan; collect sandpaper in shoeboxes;

loose miscellanies corralled in cups and bowls. Magnetic tool holders, such as the ones sold by Micro-Mark keep small metal tools up and out of the way while making them visible and easy to grab. • Keep things close — While the dream may be to have an expansive workbench with tons of counter real estate, the truth is that you want to keep supplies close at hand. When sitting/standing in your main spot, the items you use most often should never be out of reach. Stretch your arms to the left and right, make note of this space, and place storage containers, paints, brushes, and tools here. Richard keeps his tools very close at all times (right).

“My father worked with machines and after he passed away I took his machinist’s tool box and converted it to a modeling tool kit. Paints, files, brushes, tools, putties, extra decals … it stores them all nicely, keeping everything safe and convenient. Best of all, it’s portable; if I go on vacation, I close it up and bring it along!” – Richard Zolla, Monson, Massachusetts

Bigger changes So you’re ready to do some installation … • Plenty of lighting — Good lighting is crucial when working with small pieces. Surrounding lamps can help, but also get a desk lamp. Look for one that swivels so you can focus the light where needed. And don’t leave what goes in the lamps to chance … • Light bulbs — Is that olive green or olive drab? Put it under good lighting and you won’t have to ask. A bright workspace is essential, but it’s also important to have the right color temperature measured in kelvin (K). Look for bulbs labeled as “daylight” (5,000K to 6,500K). hese cast a bright bluish-white light. his hue provides amazing contrast and shows true colors when compared to warmer “soft white” (2,700K – 3,000K) bulbs. Newer LED bulbs are

pricey, but can last for decades. • Pegboard — If you’ve run out of surface space, go vertical and hang a pegboard. Look at John’s organized setup (right). • Shelving — Spend as much, or as little, money as you want. A simple slab of rectangular wood and brackets will do you ine; sanding and staining are optional. • U-desk — Last month you were inishing up painting a Corvette car and now you’re building the hull of a corvette ship. First of, good for you, keep it up! Second, install a U-desk, a table with a partly collapsible surface. Expand your counter space when you need it and hide it when you don’t. • Bookshelf — Why, where else will you keep back issues of FSM?

“I wanted a shop that would accommodate all of my hobby interests, and would provide the space for occasional group-build sessions. Our basement is a walk-out with a lot of natural lighting, perfect for hobby work!” – John Brohm, Mars, Pennsylvania

Tear up and rebuild Start over and make it perfect. • Outlets — If you can install several more outlets along the baseboards, great — you know you’ll use all of them. If you can have them raised up several feet, even better — no more crawling around on the loor (except to chase down stray parts). • Sink — When reading through the workbench wish lists on the FSM forum, a sink is one of the most sought after items. Wash your troubles (and paint water) down the drain of a large utility sink close to your bench. If you can stomach the plumbing costs, this addition might be the greatest modeling asset since needle-nose pliers. 20 FineScale Modeler December 2018

Get one with a large bowl and spray nozzle. • Flooring — Carpeting is a monster that eats photo-etch. Slay it by installing hardwood or tile. Get a light color that won’t act as camoulage. Bonus: Spills are easier to clean and your chair will roll better. It’s easy to get around Mark’s work room (right). • Cabinets — If you like the idea of shelving but prefer a cleaner look, then install cabinetry. You’ll love it, and so will others in your household who don’t enjoy clutter. • Vents and ducts — Make your paint booth permanent and tuck the vent pipe into the wall. FSM

“My wife and I moved often so my spaces were generally dark basements and garages. When I retired we agreed on a bigger house that could accommodate a first-class studio. There’s an outside vented paint booth with its own air conditioner.” – Mark Mahal, Naples, Florida

Inspiration

“My wife and I moved to a smaller house with a large walk-in closet in a bedroom. I purchased storage cubes for my paints and spray booth. I model on an old office desk.” – Phil Cavender, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

“I built this cabinet twenty years ago. After surviving all this time and even a fire, it’s still temporary. When done working, I can close it and the wife is happy.” – Chester Mohn, New Cumberland, Pennsylvania

“My workshop is 4-feet, 6-inches wide by 9-feet long and is located under the basement steps. It may be jam-packed, but since I do mostly military miniatures it works just fine.” – Dan Pocek, Walton Hills, Ohio

“In addition to the normal plastic, I also build large wooden ships. I’ve found that containers with several drawers work great for holding spare parts and extra tools.” – Steve Steransak, Kinnelon, New Jersey

“My corner of the basement is almost overflowing! The workbench is a discard from a laboratory I once worked at — perfect for storing longer tools and those with cords.” – Charles Spencer, Mundelein, Illinois

“These lighted cases make for easy viewing while protecting the planes from people and dust. My goal is to have one example of every aircraft type from WWII in the collection.” – Rick Troutman, Lynchburg, Virginia www.FineScale.com

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ain battle tank of the U.S. Marine Corps and Army, the M1 Abrams entered service in 1980. Successive upgrades — M1A1, M1A2, and, currently, M1A2 SEPv3 — have kept it in front-line service. World War II’s intrepid tankers never could have dreamed of a 68-ton turbine-powered tank combining the speed, armor, and irepower of an Abrams. When I acquired Tamiya’s 1/35 scale M1A1 with mine plow (kit No. 35158), I wanted to show it in action in the 1991 Gulf War.

1 A modeler’s initial decision: Shop the aftermarket or not? I did, purchasing Eduard’s photo-etch (PE) details (No. 35333).

3 I used a .125-inch roto-reamer to bore out the barrel on the main gun.

2 Drilling out the cooling-jacket perforations on the .50-caliber machine gun with a microbit in a pin vise improved that detail.

4 I noticed a broken tow cable, so made new ones with .040-inch copper wire. I salvaged the eyes by cutting them off, drilling a .027-inch pilot hole, then drilling with a .040-inch bit.

5 After several hours of cutting, bending, and gluing PE details, I was eager to move on.

7 When the primer was well-dried, I airbrushed Testors Model Master Acryl U.S. Gulf armor sand (4812).

9 I pre-shaded the road wheels with thin (3:1) Tamiya flat black.

24 FineScale Modeler December 2018

6 I cleaned the primary components with 91% rubbing alcohol, then applied Tamiya gray primer.

8 Jumping around in the instructions, I turned to the running gear. The drive-sprockets needed parts needed these lightening holes, drilled with a .153-inch bit that I angled to make the holes oval.

10 Pre-shading allowed me to vary the colors of the road wheels using armor sand, Tamiya metallic gray (XF-56), and Vallejo black gray (70.862).

11 To vary the sand color of the hull and turret, I post-shaded panel centers with a 3:1 mix of the base color and Testors Model Master Acryl flat white.

13 Before attaching side skirts, I weathered the suspension/tracks with a slurry of Vallejo desert dust pigments. I used distilled water with a drop of dish detergent to break the water’s surface tension for better flow.

15 The start of “dot filtering” — dots of Winsor & Newton yellow ochre, raw umber, and soft mixing white artist’s oils are applied …

12 After priming the kit’s vinyl tracks with Tamiya gray primer, I airbrushed them Tamiya metallic gray. Then I hand-brushed the pads with Vallejo black gray and followed with a black wash using Winsor & Newton artist’s oil thinned with mineral spirits.

14 I applied a coat of Pledge Floor Gloss to improve decal adhesion and to let washes flow, such as this raw umber artist’s oil flowing into panel lines and recesses around fuel caps, exhaust ports, and hinges.

16 … then dragged vertically with a ¼-inch brush damp with clean thinner until they blend in. This varies a monochromatic finish. www.FineScale.com

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Later in the build I decided to add smoke cartridges made from .061-inch styrene rod and brush-painted with Tamiya cockpit green (XF-71).

The kit’s crew members also received Vallejo acrylic paints. The radio antennas are .015-inch guitar string. When my wife and I visited Rhode Island a couple of years ago, I told her I should bring some sand home. Why, she asked. To display my Abrams, of course. FSM

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After decals I applied a layer of Testors Dullcote to deaden the finish, then applied Vallejo desert dust pigments with a ¼-inch brush.

I primed and brush-painted items from Verlinden’s Iraq War Stowage set (No. 1968) with Vallejo acrylics.

Guitar-string antenna

Detailed machine gun

Rhode Island sand

Dark wash Bored barrel

Verlinden stowage

Varied wheel colors

Dot filtering

Dust pigments

26 FineScale Modeler December 2018

Master big-scale resin figures Airbrushed base coats take some of the sting out of shading the Amazing Amazon BY AARON SKINNER

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ig-scale igures come in a variety of materials including plastic and vinyl, but cast resin remains one of the most popular mediums. Large parts with good detail are easily produced and characters can be assembled quickly so modelers can focus on painting. Mainstream manufacturers that use injectionmolded plastic for most of their kits have turned to resin for some igures. Moebius produced a trio of resin 1/8 scale kits from the 2016 ilm Batman v Superman — Dawn of Justice: the two titular characters and, arguably the best part of the movie, Wonder Woman as portrayed by Gal Gadot. Packed in foam in a sturdy box, Moebius’ Wonder Woman comprises just nine parts including the stand. Keen to add Diana Prince to my collection of sci-i igures, I irst washed the parts in Westley’s Bleche-Wite tire cleaner to remove any mold-release agent that might interfere with paint adhesion.

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1 Resin is not immune to molding mishaps. I used a knife to remove raised lines and carve excess resin from grooves (left). The edge of a fine file smoothed the recesses (right).

4 Primer not only provides a good foundation for paint, it also reveals unseen problems such as a pinhole in one of the thighs that I filled with super glue.

7 I used AK-Interactive’s Flesh and Skin Colors set starting with a base coat mix of equal parts base flesh (AK3011) and light flesh (AK3012) warmed with a drop of Vallejo light brown.

10 To brighten upward facing areas of arms and legs, I mixed progressively more light flesh into the base color and sprayed it in layers. The final layer had a little highlight flesh added. 28 FineScale Modeler December 2018

2 Fine sandpaper eliminated rough spots left after mold seams were removed and ensured a smooth complexion on our heroine.

5 The chin looked too wide compared to photos of Gadot. So, I performed a little plastic, er, resin surgery (left). Keeping the sides even was easy by watching how much primer I removed.

8 Following Joe Hudson’s advice for painting female figures, I kept the shadows light. The first layers under the chin, arms, and legs were the base color mixed with more base flesh.

11 I masked the flesh with Silly Putty to airbrush the uniform. The putty sticks well enough to mask but won’t damage the paint. It can be prodded into position with a toothpick.

3 To fill a fine scratch in one of the pteruges strips, I flowed a little medium viscosity super glue into it. After setting it with accelerator, I sanded it flush.

6 I wanted the flesh to appear lively, so I airbrushed the face, arms, and legs with Tamiya flat white acrylic (XF-2). Keeping the parts separate made painting easier.

9 To accentuate muscles, I sprayed the shadow mix into recesses on the arms, legs, and neck. AK-Interactive thinner and a retarder helped the paint flow smoothly from the nozzle.

12 Wonder Woman’s outfit has a metallic sheen that I reproduced with Tamiya clear colors over Testors enamels. The first step was chrome silver (No. 2690) on the pteruges and shorts.

13 Then, I pre-shaded the silver by spraying a mix of chrome silver and schwarzgrau into folds and under edges. A piece of paper kept the shading tight between the strips.

16 Backing the brush away from the surface, I widened the spray pattern to paint clear blue over the entire skirt area. Working slowly in light layers, I was able to regulate the density.

19 To pre-shade folds and undercuts, I mixed a little military brown (No. 1701) into the gold base color.

14 While the silver was in the airbrush, I painted Wonder Woman’s gauntlets and pre-shaded the undersides and folds.

17 After removing the masking, I hand-brushed thin clear blue into recesses at the edges of the pteruges’ strips and along the belt line to accentuate the contrast.

20 I masked the gold belt and trim at the upper edge of the top with Tamiya tape. Cutting points and placing overlapping sections at the corners and tips kept the masks crisp.

15 Working close to the surface, I sprayed Tamiya clear blue (X-23) over the pre-shaded areas gradually building the density of the color with repeated passes.

18 I applied more Silly Putty masks and sprayed the torso armor with Testors Model Master gold (No.1744) as a base coat for Tamiya clear red (X-27).

21 Tamiya tape for curves, a flexible, thin vinyl tape that can be stretched like electrical tape proved ideal to mask the long sweeping sections at the sides of the torso. www.FineScale.com

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22 Silly Putty can creep when left for extended periods. I used a toothpick to gently scrape it off the greaves and back into the gaps between the plates.

25 On the greaves, I first sprayed clear red on the undersides that would be in shadow. Keeping the density lighter on upward facing surfaces mimicked the play of light on the armor plates.

28 Using a fine brush, I touched up the edges of the shoes and knee pads to cover red overspray.

30 FineScale Modeler December 2018

23 Just as I did with the clear blue, I started painting the torso armor by airbrushing the shadow areas and around the belt. Multiple passes produced dark metallic red deposits.

26 I flowed a wash of clear red and a few drops of Tamiya flat brown (XF-10) cut with Tamiya acrylic thinner into the gaps between the strips of the torso armor.

29 To contrast the belt clips on Diana’s hips with the gold trim of her outfit, I painted them with Testors brass (No.1144TT).

24 Then, I lifted the brush farther from the surface and sprayed thin layers of clear red over the entire torso.

27 Silly Putty prevented paint from reaching all of the armor. With a fine brush, I edged the outfit. A steady hand, magnifying eyewear, and a little thinner in the brush helps the paint flow.

30 I base-coated the belt and shoulder harness with a mix of equal parts Vallejo Model Color leather brown (No. 70.871) and black (No. 70.950). A little water helps the paint flow.

31 I brushed a glaze of water and leather brown along upward facing areas and edges. Saddle brown (No.70.940) mixed with mahogany brown (No. 70.846) dry-brushed over the grain gave the leather a used appearance.

33 I mixed a glaze of light flesh, then brushed thin layers onto the nose, chin, cheekbones, eyebrows, and collarbones and neck tendons. A little highlight flesh in the mix added bright highlights to the face.

35 To paint the lips, I mixed red with base flesh. To get the shape even, I started near the center and painted a little on one side and matched it on the other.

37 Eyes make or break a figure. If they don’t match, it will look cross- or wall-eyed. I started each iris by placing a dot of leather brown at the same spot to mark the center, then slowly circled out for the final shape.

32 Refining the airbrush shading, I mixed a glaze of base flesh and shadow flesh to brush under the eyebrows, under the nose, and under the lips. I added a little dark shadow to further darken the corners of the eyes.

34 I painted the eyes with a mix of white and a little light flesh; pure white is too stark and looks unnatural. A 5/0 brush, good support for the model, and a steady hand are key to getting this right the first time.

36 Molded eyebrows made painting them easy. I brushed on leather brown with a little highlight flesh mixed in to help blend them into the face.

38 The leather straps on the greaves and shoes started with a base coat of saddle brown. I mixed in a little mahogany brown to form a glaze that I brushed along the edges. www.FineScale.com

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39 I airbrushed the base with Tamiya German gray (XF-63), then picked out rocks with a mix of Tamiya desert yellow (XF-59) and light gray (XF-66). Adjusting the amount of gray in the mix differentiated a few rocks.

41 A wash of Tamiya enamel brown panel liner darkened cracks and recesses. After the wash dried, I wiped the surfaces with a little clean enamel thinner on a paper towel to restore highlights.

43 To anchor the pins, I drilled holes in the mounting lugs with a bit in a pin vise slightly larger in diameter than the wire. The metal pins were glued into the holes with 5-minute epoxy.

45 I filled the large holes with 5-minute epoxy; the same adhesive was applied to mating surfaces. The glue will harden around the wire as it dries and produce a solid join. 32 FineScale Modeler December 2018

40 I painted the dirt between the rocks with a mix of flat brown and desert yellow. Diana’s masked leg with its attached rock was placed so it matched the rest of the base.

42 All of the figure’s weight will be borne on two joins, so I reinforced them with metal pins. Steel paperclips are a useful source of short, strong pieces of straight wire.

44 Lining up corresponding holes can be a problem, so I made it easier by drilling larger holes in the mating surfaces.

46 To fill a small gap that resulted when the leg was glued to the base, I squeezed Vallejo plastic putty into the space. A water-damp cotton swab removed excess and smoothed the still-wet putty.

47 I brushed a thin mix of dark shadow and base flesh where skin and clothing met. This adds a little shadow there and helps cover minor flubs. Glazes of my original flesh mix blended these shadows.

49 After attaching the hair, I brushed on dark shadow glazes where the face was mostly covered. Lighter shadow glazes blended those areas into the face.

51 Images show the grooves in the greaves are gold, so I flowed thin gold enamel into the recesses.

53 I wanted the lasso to appear to glow. So, after painting it gold and applying a brown wash, I brushed on Tamiya clear orange.

48 I base-coated the hair with a mix of Tamiya flat brown and black. More brown in the mix shaded the crown, ridges, and curls. A black wash deepened recesses; dry-brushed Tamiya red-brown gave highlights.

50 Over a base-coat mix of Tamiya dark iron (XF-84) and dark copper (XF-28), I hand-painted Vallejo gunmetal gray (No. 70.863) on the ring. Dry-brushed Testors brass highlighted detail around the edge.

52 To pop the detail of the gold trim, I applied a wash of thin Tamiya flat brown acrylic. Enamel thinners would have attacked the underlying paint.

54 As a final step, I brushed Pledge Floor Gloss over the eyes and lips. This shine contrasts with the flat flesh and adds life to our heroine as she heads forth to fight evil. FSM www.FineScale.com

33

SHOW GALLERY

WonderFest USA 2018 For modelers of sci-fi, fantasy, horror, and comic subjects, it doesn’t get much better than WonderFest USA. Held annually the first weekend in June in Louisville, Kentucky, the show features an eyepopping vendor room, cosplayers, and full-size robots along with the Amazing Model Contest that showcases the best figure, spaceship, and vehicle builds in the world. FSM editors Mark Savage and Aaron Skinner ventured into the Bluegrass State to photograph many of those creations. Next year’s show is June 1-2. More info: www.wonderfest.com. ▶ ARCANGELO SORVILLO

PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND Ramping up the terror of Narin Studio’s 1/6 scale Double-Axe Predator, Arcangelo chained the handles to the wristbands, dripped blood from the blades, and added quills to the shoulders. Working with Tamiya and Vallejo acrylics, he painted base coats over primer, then built up the skin patterns with translucent layers.

34 FineScale Modeler December 2018

◀ ROB SCHMITT

COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO “It’s not what you start with, it’s what you do with it,” says Rob of building Revell’s SnapTite 1/44 scale Resistance A-wing. After filling holes for the landing gear, battery compartment, and speaker, and replacing the kit guns with 3-D printed parts, he painted a custom scheme on The Last Jedi fighter with Model Master acrylics over black preshading.

▲ ABBY GRACE BLACK

CLARKSVILLE, TENNESSEE To model Batman at his parents’ grave, 11-year-old Abby combined Jimmy Flinstone’s caped crusader with a base built by her father, Doug. After base-coating the superhero with a spray can, she dry-brushed highlights with craft store acrylics. ▲ MATT KAY

GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA As if King Kong isn’t terrifying enough, Matt sculpted longer canine teeth for the Killer Kits bust with Aves Apoxie Sculpt. To do something different, he airbrushed the monster with purple acrylics from Badger and Com-Art over Rust-Oleum automotive primer. Citadel washes and Rembrandt pastels shaded the fur and flesh. ◀ ANNYA SHETININA

FRIDLEY, MINNESOTA Based on a painting, Grace and the Frog is a 1/6 scale resin figure from Cardinal by Clubhouse sculpted by Roberto Von Behr. Annya replaced the solid water with a clear model railroad product and painted the figure with acrylics and pastels. “I am very proud of her eyelashes,” she says. www.FineScale.com

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SHOW GALLERY

▲ RICHARD LOBINSKE

CRAWFORDSVILLE, FLORIDA In June 1983, Challenger lifted off on the seventh space shuttle mission with Sally Ride, the first American female astronaut, aboard. Richard built Monogram’s 1/72 scale shuttle with Real Space resin engine bells, scratchbuilt payload pallets, decals from Lake County Spaceport for the thermal tiles, and medical tape to replicate advanced flexible reusable insulation.

▶ YANCY MAILES

DAYTON, OHIO With carefully applied acrylic paints and delicate pastel shading, Yancy has Scott Wells’ 1/4 scale bust of Ghostbuster Ray Stantz looking like he’s seen, well, a ghost. 36 FineScale Modeler December 2018

▲ JAN HARRISON

BROOMALL, PENNSYLVANIA Nervously pausing to check for predators, Jan’s 1/35 scale stegosaurus grazes a prehistoric field. Jan painted the Dan’s Dinosaurs resin kit with Com-Art transparent acrylics over an almond base coat; dark glazes accentuated skin texture. ◀ STEVE STURGIS

LYNNWOOD, WASHINGTON

▲ SCOTT WASHINGTON

FAIRBURN, GEORGIA A master scratchbuilder, Scott created this 1/144 scale pirate spaceship using styrene and brass. It’s finished with Tamiya acrylics.

Steve’s aim was on target with his finish on Resin Realities 1/6 scale figure, The Squeeze, of Adrienne Barbeau as Maggie in Escape from New York. After airbrushing Floquil lacquers over Tamiya white primer, Steve shaded the clothing and flesh with chalk pastels. www.FineScale.com

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SHOW GALLERY

▲ KENNETH LEISHMAN

LUTZ, FLORIDA Sabine Wren, Phoenix Squadron’s Mandalorian warrior from Star Wars Rebels, has a colorful sense of style as exhibited by her Y-wing. Kenneth painted Bandai’s 1/72 scale kit with Tamiya acrylics using paper masks and modified the kit’s astromech droid to model Chopper.

◀ DOUGLAS SCOTT

FOUNTAIN INN, SOUTH CAROLINA E2046’s 1/6 scale Lady Deadpool steps into the light thanks to Douglas and a beautifully applied finish of Vallejo acrylics and Alclad II lacquers.

▶ KENNY HAVERLY JR.

BARDSTOWN, KENTUCKY

Want to see more? If you can’t get enough of WonderFest’s amazing models, find an online gallery from the show at www.FineScale. com. While you’re there, check out a pair of video reports that include interviews with several builders. 38 FineScale Modeler December 2018

Taking a cue from modifications made to later construction blocks of F-16s, Kenny trimmed the wings of Bandai’s 1/100 scale Black Tiger to make them less whimsical. Other changes include: scratchbuilt sensors, ordnance and pylons for the wings, and cannons in the shoulders with hypodermic needle barrels, added RCS thruster details, and scribed new panel lines. Eschewing the fighter’s Space Battleship Yamato origins, he painted it in a futuristic U.S. Navy camouflage with Vallejo, Testors Model Master, and Apple Barrel acrylics.

▲ PAUL RATHBUN

▲ MATTHEW HELMICK

BOTHELL, WASHINGTON

WEIRTON, WEST VIRGINIA

Denizens of the post-apocalyptic wastelands, beware! Paul’s scratchbuilt scout wheel features a working suspension to smooth the ride over a cracked cork road. He painted the model with Vallejo acrylics and weathered with hairspray chipping, filters, pastels, and washes.

Using epoxy putty, Matthew sculpted extra hair on Good Fellas’ 1/4 scale bust of Eric Draven from The Crow. Masking with Silly Putty, he finished the vengeful spirit using acrylics, pastels, and artist’s oils.

Have fun with Gundam Big fighting suits provide canvas for sci-fi creativity /// BY ALEX MANUEL

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andai’s kits based on the anime series Mobile Suit Gundam come in a variety of scales and complexities, but share three things. he parts push together so the models can be assembled without glue. Many of the suit’s joints are articulated so the igures are posable. Finally, and most importantly for us, the kits can be augmented for a unique inish. I built Bandai’s 1/144 scale Kimaris Trooper from Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans. All of the techniques I used can be applied to any Gundam kit. I used Testors paints and tools throughout.

1 Using sprue cutters (No. 8940T), I cut parts from the frames including the short sections that hold the parts. This makes it easy to avoid cutting the part you may have missed and prevents stress marks or other damage.

4 Before adding the top coats, I pre-shaded panel lines on the exterior body parts with Model Master acrylic aircraft interior black (No. 4767). For the endoskeleton, I airbrushed Model Master Metalizer titanium (No. 1404) followed by Sealer for Metalizer (No. 1459).

7 I protected parts of the axe and sword with masking tape, then airbrushed the blades with Model Master chrome silver trim (No. 2738). The metal section of the axe handle was painted with flat steel.

9 Then I flowed CreateFX enamel black stain into recessed panel lines and details. Don’t worry about splotches outside the lines; they are easy to clean up once the stain dries.

2 After removing the attached frames with the sprue cutters, I shaved off the remaining nubs with a hobby knife (No. 8830A) holding the blade parallel to the surface.

5 Although the skeletal frame is barely seen, I picked out the cord (left) with Testors gloss red (No. 1103TT) and flat white (No. 1168TT); the pistons and other details gold (No. 1144TT) and steel (No. 1180TT). Fine 3/0 and 10/0 brushes kept the work inside the lines.

3 To cover the disparate plastic colors and prepare the surface for painting, I base-coated the subassemblies with Model Master enamel gray primer (No. 2737) applied with an Aztek airbrush (No. A407L).

6 I painted the previously white areas with hellblau (No. 4778) then picked out small panels with hand-painted medium gray (No. 4778). The purple areas were airbrushed grape pearl and detailed with hand-painted enamel metal flake purple (No. 1153TT).

8 Now the model was ready for assembly, which was a simple matter of pushing it together. To protect the finish from weathering applications, I airbrushed a sealing layer of acrylic clear gloss (No. 4638).

10 Dip a cotton swab in enamel thinner and blot away the excess on a paper towel. Then, gently wipe the stain from around the lines. Wipe across rather than along the lines.

Finally, I sealed the work with a coat of acrylic clear flat. A few changes to the colors and I had a unique fighting suit for my Gundam collection. FSM www.FineScale.com

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FORM & FIGURE By Joe Hudson

Bust out a Hulk Shadows, highlights, and more shadows for Bruce Banner’s alter ego BY JOE HUDSON

Easy layering of a lot of different greens brings out the muscular powerhouse. Find more of sculptor Troy McDevitt’s work online at www.TheMcDevittStudio.com.

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ainting he Hulk was pure fun! his awesome bust was sculpted and produced by Troy McDevitt. It is resin and stands about 3-½ inches tall. To evenly blend the many layers of shadows and highlights, I used both an airbrush and a paintbrush. I painted with mostly Vallejo colors, using the Game Air line unless otherwise noted. 42 FineScale Modeler December 2018

In the next issue Paint & Play returns as Sue Wachowski dresses up the enchantress from the game Freeblades.

1 After priming with Tamiya sky gray, I sprayed a base coat of Model Air gunship green, building it up with several thin layers. A hair dryer sped up drying time between layers.

4 To blend the colors evenly, I switched to a paintbrush and applied more dark green watered down with airbrush thinner to the shadowed areas.

7 Darker shadows are a varying mix of dark green and Model Air black. The deeper I went, the more black was added. This went in the muscle creases, around the eyes, and along the hairline.

10 The hair was base-coated with sick green. A light dabbing of escorpena green was applied next.

2 For the first layer of shadows, I added dark green to the gunship green. This was sprayed into the creases of the large muscles, eye sockets, cheek hollows, and under the chin.

5 Highlights on the shoulders, chest, and cheeks are a mix of dark green and sick green applied with a fine point on the airbrush. More sick green was added to the highest points.

8 I brought out the veins with a combination of sick green and bone white. This bright color was hand-brushed on.

11 To darken the hair, I spread a thinned wash of Model Air black across the strands. The thinner allowed the paint to flow into all the recesses.

3 I made a second pass with pure dark green, adjusting my needle to a fine point to get in nice and close. I’m pointing at the painted areas with a sharpened stick.

6 Another brighter highlight was added to the highest point on the already lighter areas. It’s a mixture of sick green and escorpena green.

9 The brightest highlights are pure escorpena green, watered down with airbrush thinner. I brushed this under the eyes, on the tops of the cheeks, nostrils, nose tip, and ears.

12 To finish, I painted the underside of the bust with Vallejo flat back. Now the Hulk is ready to smash! FSM www.FineScale.com

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How to build a

killer

Easy tricks and fixes to improve Italeri’s 1/48 scale OH-58D BY MICHAL SWINIARSKI

Italeri’s OH-58A needs a few nips, tucks, and additions to make it right, but nothing impossible. It just takes time.

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ell Helicopter’s initial proposal for the U.S. Army’s LOH (Light Observation Helicopter) program of the early 1960s lost out to the Hughes OH-6A Cayuse. However, when Hughes couldn’t meet production demands in 1967, the competition was reopened. his time, Bell won: he result was designated OH-58A Kiowa and deployed to Vietnam in 1969. I have a soft spot for U.S. Army helicopters of the Vietnam War, so Italeri’s 1/48 scale OH-58A (kit No. 2624) was an inevitable choice, and a relatively easy one, judging by the size of the model — or so I thought. However, when I studied the parts and compared them to photos I realized it would be a long journey. 44 FineScale Modeler December 2018

1 The kit’s interior replicates Bell’s JetRanger — a civilian design. I rebuilt the instrument panel and glare shield using .4mm, .6mm, and .8mm styrene sheet.

2 My stash of spares supplied decals to depict instruments for the panel.

Kiowa Native American tribe migrated from western Montana through Colorado and the Great Plains, placed in reservation in Oklahoma in 1867.

Meet Michal Swiniarski Lens cleaner

Sculpted quilt

3 I framed the front seats with Plastruct oval profiles. The seat cushion is lens-cleaning paper soaked in white glue diluted with water. Seat backs are Magic Sculp 2-part epoxy putty.

4 The same putty was used for insulation on the central column. I quilted it with a blunt, straight scalpel. Let the putty cure a bit, and lubricate your tools (or the part) with water.

Michal began modeling years ago when his granddad bought him a 1/72 scale Tu-154. After a long break from the hobby, he returned in 2015 and focused on 1/48 scale helicopters. Living in Brentwood, Essex, England, he is an automotive engineer working for Ford Motor Co. He splits his free time between modeling, kayaking, and cycling. He and his wife, Edyta, have traveled most of Europe, Morocco and Peru.

www.FineScale.com

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5

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Leftover seat belts: in front, from Eduard’s UH-1D photo-etch (PE) set; in back, from Gallery Models’ H-34. I stuck fishing weights under the seats to keep this bird off its tail.

7 The early Kiowa had no cowling for the tailrotor shaft. The kit’s shaft didn’t look right, so I used .6mm rod from Albion Alloys and shaftbearing housings made from Plastruct profiles bent to shape.

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Fitting the main windscreen was a puzzler, with a gap and a step in the roof area. I added styrene shims, sanded them to shape, and after three hours of dry-fitting I could add Humbrol ClearFix and glue the parts together.

10 Last step before spraying Vallejo gray primer was to remove overdone riveting above the second-row door frame. I let the primer dry for 48 hours.

12 This step is also a good one for paint chipping. I used AK’s chipping medium over olive drab on the nose, over-coated with black, and chipped with a toothpick after it had dried. 46 FineScale Modeler December 2018

Interior paint: Vallejo gray primer and LifeColor light ghost gray; Vallejo olive drab seats, filtered with Abteilung white oil over a clear gloss; and AK-Interactive interior wash thinned with mineral spirits.

Roof windows were airbrushed with Tamiya clear green, but fit was poor. So I glued the clear parts at the rear and dyed Deluxe Materials Perfect Plastic Putty with Vallejo black to fill at the front, looking like a gasket.

11 I pre-shaded panel lines and recesses with black, waited two days, then airbrushed an olive drab base coat (Mr. Hobby H304). I varied the density of the layers and faded some panels with lightened shades.

13 I first painted the skids Vallejo steel, applied chipping medium, then painted olive drab over it. Let it dry a couple of hours (depending on paint thickness), moisten with water, wait a minute, and start chipping.

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15 On the other hand, TallyHo! got the cavalry sabres used on the nose right, and the “Hunter-Killer” script is more delicate and in the proper font. Microscale Micro Set and Micro Sol settled them.

The tailplane was painted with a 2:3 mix of Vallejo light orange and red. I applied a clear gloss, waited a day, then applied TallyHo! and Print Scale decals for a Kiowa of C Company, 3/17 Cav. I used two sets because Print Scale came with stencils and a triangular unit emblem used in Vietnam from 1971 forward.

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I used Abteilung oil washes to filter the dark olive drab: snow white, buff, and faded dark yellow, randomly applied on selected panels, with more added where I wanted fading. Then came AK streaking grime, dark speckles of oil, etc. A Prismacolor pencil added chipping.

Metal prop shaft

A mix of Vietnam earth pigments from CMK and Ammo by Mig Jimenez dirtied the cabin floor and skids. Nothing complicated: Just load up a hard brush and tap until you’re happy. Finally, I added scratchbuilt armor plates, one open, one closed. FSM

Dark washes

Fading Filler-putty “gasket”

Scratchbuilt console TallyHo! decals

Print Scale decal

A light coat of semigloss clear — a 1:3 mix of Mr. Hobby clear matt and clear gloss — was the finish. This build was lengthy but rewarding, as I learned new skills.

Lens-cleaner seat cushion Sculpted seat backs Chipping

www.FineScale.com

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It took a lot of foil to cover Revell’s massive B-29. But the end result is a stunner.

Bare-Metal Foil for a big

B-29 Revell’s 1/48 scale Superfortress gets all dolled up BY JOHN KOWALSKI

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hroughout my model building years, I tried to simulate natural-metal inishes using either Testors or Alclad II metallics, but I was never satisied with the inal appearance. Don’t get me wrong, other modelers get great results, but my models never looked right. A couple of years ago I tried Bare-Metal Foil (BMF) with marvelous success. BMF is a thin metal foil with an adhesive preapplied to its underside. After inishing four planes in BMF, I was looking for a challenge, so I picked up Revell’s 1/48 scale B-29. his was a bigger challenge than I ever expected! 48 FineScale Modeler December 2018

1 I brushed Tamiya’s cockpit green on the floor and walls and dry-brushed the floor flat black and aluminum. Then Il created wear on the edges of the instruments with a pencil.

4 The Wright R-3350 Duplex-Cyclone engines on B-29s had two rows of cylinders. The kit’s engines only have one, but the engines are barely visible in the nacelle, so it isn’t an issue.

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2 I also replaced the kit landing gear with resin wheels and tires from Eduard. After painting, a black wash was used to highlight the cast details of the wheels.

5 This 1⁄8-inch nacelle gap desperately needed attention. Based upon prior experience, the joint at the nacelle is typically an issue with Revell’s 1/48 scale bombers.

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3 Next I built up the engines little by little, giving them a more realistic appearance with fresh coats of various paint colors and added copper-wire fuel lines.

6 Ta da! Gap be gone. The kit omitted locating pins at the nacelles. Careful alignment of the wing halves is required to produce a smooth joint.

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The wings in my kit were visibly warped so I corrected them by using an architect’s scale, rubber bands, and a clamp.

The kit’s single engine exhaust is incorrect. Full-size B-29 nacelles had two exhausts, one for the engine, the other for the supercharger.

I drilled two holes in the nacelle for the scratchbuilt exhaust pipes and filled the recesses with body putty.

Big old bird

Cockpit detailing

Engines and wings

his kit has a copyright of 2004, but its ancestry dates back to the Monogram days. Still, I was pleasantly surprised by a nicely detailed model with minimal lash. Panel lines are raised, but I didn’t remove them because they look ine. I added rivets with an embossing tool. here are a number of engineering issues: warped main wings, ill-itting canopy greenhouse, poor attachment of the engines to the nacelles, large joint between the nacelle halves, and incorrect engine exhausts. I corrected all of those, and painted using Testors colors unless otherwise noted.

he forward light deck (where the pilot, co-pilot, and bombardier sit) is separated by a bulkhead from the rear light deck (home of the engineer and navigator). I installed the seats and instrument clusters in the forward light deck only. he kit includes raised gauges and white decals. Instead, I used photo-etched gauges from Eduard to detail the instrument panels and the console between the seats, 1. I sprayed the landing gear with aluminum plate Metalizer from a can. hin copper wire simulated brake lines with strips of BMF as clamps. I highlighted the hinge pins with brass, 2.

he engines were painted aluminum; cylinder ins and pushrod covers highlighted black; the crankcase cover painted dove gray. Copper wire created fuel lines, 3. I painted the noses of the cowlings with aluminum plate Metalizer, which was polished and then protected with Metalizer sealer. Pieces of BMF were applied to the cowlings last. A light brushing of 0000 steel wool over the foil simulated the grain of aluminum sheets. hen, I added rivets, 4. he nacelles molded on the wings didn’t meet properly, 5. To ix the resulting 1/8inch gap, I sanded the uneven bits, aligned the wing halves, and then applied putty and www.FineScale.com

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10 With the many rivets, foil additions, and multiple exhaust pipes, this 1/48 scale B-29 is starting to look like its full-size counterpart.

13 Prior to applying the BMF, portions of the fuselage and wings were masked with tape and painted aluminum plate Metalizer.

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11 While this space is normally occupied by the engineer and navigator, the rear flight deck had to hold added weight.

14 Here strips of BMF are beginning to cover the fuselage. You can see the long wing spars used to securely attach the main wings.

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12 As extra insurance against a tail-sitting plane, I epoxied pinewood derby weights under the flight deck.

15 After burnishing the sheets of foil, wiping them with steel wool, and adding rivets, here is the end result.

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BMF is not smooth and silvering decals is a problem. To fight this, I cut out the individual characters, seen with this USAF decal (not used).

Thanks to careful trimming and a soak in slightly soapy water, the decals settled nicely.

I glued strips of styrene into blocks to support the engines.

tight clamps. hat work all but eliminated the seam, 6. I straightened the warped wings using a number of tools on my bench, 7.

Next, the nacelles were covered with BMF and rivets were added, 10. Most of the kit’s weight is located behind the main wings, making the model a tail-sitter out of the box. he kit’s solution is a clear plastic peg to support the tail. I did not like this, so, instead, I illed the rear light deck with weights — a ½ pound to be precise. I poured lead balls into a small plastic bag, then illed it with white glue. I secured the bag to the cabin loor with copper wire, 11. More weight under the loor ensured the nose wheel stayed down, 12.

masked and painted these spots prior to applying BMF, because tape will lift the thin foil, 13. Now I could apply the foil panel by panel. Eight sheets were required to cover the wings and fuselage, 14. Each piece was applied, trimmed, and burnished with a paper stump. I lightly brushed the foil once with 0000 steel wool to simulate the metal’s natural grain. After the foiling was complete, the missing rivets were illed in, 15. Silvering of the decal’s carrier ilm is a problem with a foil inish since the foil is not perfectly smooth. To reduce the possibility of silvering, I cut the decals into individual letters and numbers and eliminated the thick clear ilm between them, 16. Soaking the decals in a solution of tap

Engine exhaust he exhausts on B-29 engines comprise a large pipe for the engine paired with a smaller pipe for the supercharger. he kit only provides the larger pipes which it poorly, 8. To correct the exhausts, I cut short pieces of aluminum tube of two diferent diameters and painted them with a combination of lat black and rust. After illing the recess for the kit part with putty, I drilled two holes to match the aluminum tubes. hen, I attached the new, corrected exhausts with epoxy, 9. 50 FineScale Modeler December 2018

Applying BMF and decals Portions of the wings and fuselage on B-29s were constructed using a special aluminum alloy prone to corrosion. So, a special paint was a applied to protect it. I

19 The styrene blocks helped support the large engines and cowlings, along with the painted propellers.

21 The greenhouse is the most distinguishing feature of the B-29 and Revell did a great job of re-creating the look.

20 Since there were no locating pins to aid in installing the greenhouse, I needed to change the shape of the greenhouse via heat.

22 The extra effort involved in detailing the cockpit early on paid off since it is visible through the greenhouse.

If this isn’t an impressive size for a model, then I don’t know what is.

Shiny! The finished model weighs in at an impressive two pounds. This build was worth the handful of necessary corrections

water with a few drops of dish soap allowed the decals to easily slide on the metal foil. Result: no visible carrier ilm, 17.

Final Assembly he kit does not provide locating pins or a secure means of attaching the engines or cowlings to the nacelles. I glued styrene strips into blocks which were glued to the face of the nacelles, 18. his provided

secure attachment points for the engines and cowlings, 19. I applied Eduard precut masks to the greenhouse prior to painting the framing. After painting I discovered that the shape of the greenhouse does not match the shape of the fuselage, 20. I heated the greenhouse with a hair dryer and gently reshaped it to comform to the fuselage. Don’t overheat the plastic or it could melt.

he Superfortress’ distinctive greenhouse was then glued in place with Gator’s Grip acrylic hobby glue, 21. I ind that this adhesive provides a strong bond, dries clear, and, unlike super glue, it does not fog clear plastic, 22. Revell’s B-29 is one big bird — the wingspan is 35 inches and the length is 25 inches. Two hands are required to safely pick it up! FSM www.FineScale.com

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Have a blast with

“Atomic Annie” Improving the aim of Dragon’s 1/72 scale M65 atomic cannon BY MIKE FLECKENSTEIN

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s the threat of atomic warfare proliferated in the Cold War, all three branches of the U.S. military sought nuclear weapons for their arsenals. For the U.S. Army, that meant atomic artillery: the M65 280mm Motorized Heavy Gun, also known as the Atomic Cannon. In May 1950, the Watervliet Arsenal began designing the 280mm Gun T131. his heavy, but mobile, long-range gun was developed to ire the W-9 15-kiloton atomic 280mm projectile T124. By spring 1951, the irst T131 was mounted on the T72 gun carriage, and in October 1952, three T131 guns were demonstrated at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland. he gun could be set up for iring in about 12 minutes, and returned to the traveling mode in approximately 15 minutes. Range was 20 miles, within 20 yards or less of a target. In 1950, Kenworth began building the M249 4 x 4 Heavy GunLifting Front Truck and the M250 4x4 Heavy Gun-Lifting Rear Truck to transport the T131. Each truck was powered by a Continental six-cylinder engine generating 375 horsepower and a

To display the M65, I cut a ¼-inch oak plank and edged it. The groundwork is DAS air-drying clay embossed with a sand texture using 60-grit sandpaper. I scattered stones before painting Tamiya buff. A 1950s soldier comprising various Preiser figure parts lends scale to this behemoth.

52 FineScale Modeler December 2018

top speed of 45 mph. he entire assembly of two trucks and one gun was designated the M65, although its popular name was “Atomic Annie.” She weighed in at 86.4 tons. Twenty M65s were deployed, primarily in West Germany, with other units in Okinawa. hey were operational from 1953-1963. A few have been preserved as museum pieces, such as at Ft. Sill in Oklahoma. Dragon’s 1/72 scale Atomic Annie (kit No. 7484) represents vast improvements over the eforts of yesteryear by Life-Like, Renwal, Revell, and Aurora.

1 I wanted to convert the gun from travel to firing position, so I replaced a section of the tube that slides through the carriage with aluminum tubing. Paint on the plastic would have worn off.

2 Major subassemblies: top row, raising/lowering tractor forks; middle, front tractor with interior on left; bottom, front and rear cabs, suspension components, and spare wheel.

3 The subassemblies for the gun carriage: The inside of the elevation cylinders need reaming so the pistons would slide freely without scraping paint. To provide friction to hold elevation, a skim of super glue was applied inside holes where the gun tube plugs into the chassis.

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5 The tube in the travel position, out of battery …

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Initial positioning shows the kit conforms very well to 1/72 scale plans.

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… and in battery, in the extended position, and, finally …

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… in the elevated, firing position. The real gun could elevate to 55 degrees.

Superdetailing has begun on the front tractor with various lengths and thicknesses of styrene strip and rod.

Big Bang Theory, 1953 On May 25, 1953, at Frenchman Flat on the Nevada Test Site, the first and last cannon-delivered nuclear shell was fired in Operation Upshot-Knothole. The “Grable” test featured a 15-kiloton charge (about the same force of the Hiroshima bomb) that detonated 524 feet above ground a little more than 6 miles away while hundreds of military brass and members of Congress looked on. The test was

deemed successful, and 20 of the cannons were produced and deployed around the world. Though mobile nuclear missiles would quickly surpass the M65, the big gun remained a status symbol until its retirement in 1963.

9 There’s even more on the rear tractor because of all the plumbing for hydraulic lines. I had to move the attachment points for the lifting jacks so they hung straight down and didn’t hit the rear bumper. U.S. National Archives

54 FineScale Modeler December 2018

10 The T131 gun is the star of this show and deserves superdetailing, too. Anchor brackets for traveling. It was then primed with Tamiya gray.

12 The completed forward tractor: It was painted the same olive drab; the tires are Tamiya NATO black (XF-69) dry-brushed with Tamiya buff (XF-57).

11 Next came Tamiya olive drab (XF-62) dry-brushed with a lighter shade of drab. A light wash of black artist’s oils deepened details.

13 The same paint and weathering completed the rear tractor.

Meet Mike Fleckenstein

14 I scratchbuilt a transport cart and made a projectile from the nose of a 1/72 scale aircraft missile for a little finishing touch. FSM

Mike built models from age 5 until joining the Army in 1968. Ten years after returning to civilian life, he joined the Washington, D.C. chapter of IPMS and got serious about modeling. He was president of that group for four years and wrote its newsletter, which was named the IPMS/USA Newsletter of the Year in 1999. He also serves the Northern Virginia IPMS as vice president and manages its annual contest. Retired from a career in software development, he lives in Fredericksburg, Virginia, with his wife of 41 years, Carol. Mike is a perennial at the IPMS/USA Nationals as a senior national judge, and every other year he attends the IPMS/UK show at Telford, Shropshire, England. Additional hobbies include audio, music, and photography.

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55

READER GALLERY

▲

SIMON NEWELL SIDMOUTH, DEVON, ENGLAND Simon souped up Tamiya’s 1/12 scale Ducati Panigale 1199 S with a Hobby Design resin and photoetch detail set and a Tamiya turned-brass front fork. He says, “I put in a few scratchbuilt details myself, like the magnetic damper cables and the start/stop button.”

▶ DAVIS GANDEES

LUTZ, FLORIDA Tamiya Italian red from a spray can brings Fujimi’s 1/25 scale Ferrari 330 P4 to life. Davis painted the chassis and interior with Testors Model Master enamels. “I think it is one of the most beautiful automobiles ever built,” he says.

56 FineScale Modeler December 2018

◀ ROSS WHITAKER

BELFAST, MAINE Kitbashing like crazy, Ross built a 1/48 scale Sea Fury FB.11 with Trumpeter tail and wings, a Falcon vacuum-formed fuselage, and “lots of aftermarket stuff, mainly Cooper Details and Cutting Edge,” he says. “The Trumpeter fuselage looked wrong to me — too slab-sided — but the Falcon shape looked right, so I blended the two.” ▶ JAKE HOLSHUH

LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA Jake says he dressed an ESCI/Ertl 1/35 scale T-55A Soviet tank for a Libyan battalion in 1981. “I applied photo-etch from an Eduard set that had more pieces than the plastic,” he says. He painted the tank with Tamiya dark yellow (XF-60) and applied a Van Dyke brown wash.

◀ JAMES FULLINGIM

KILLEEN, TEXAS Taking control of Eduard’s 1/4 scale Bf 110 instrument panel, James wired it for LEDs on four circuits powered by CR 2032 lithium batteries. He detailed instrument faces with colored paper and installed a working clock. He painted the panel RLM 02 gray for contrast.

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57

WORKBENCH REVIEWS FSM experts build and evaluate new kits

GWH Su-35S amazes with engineering

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t is a great time to be a modeler of Russian aircraft! Kits of these subjects were, for a long time, kind of sparse and of dubious quality. Now they are coming thick and fast; it seems like every other week there is a new kit of something Russian, sometimes from more than one manufacturer! Such is the case with the Sukhoi Su-35. GWH has produced a superb kit of this powerhouse ighter. It comprises 286 wellmolded plastic parts, including 48 clear parts divided into two identical sprues, differing only in the color — one comes with a gold tint. A fret of photo-etched brass and two sheets of decals complete the kit. he instructions are printed on seven separate sheets, four for assembly, two for markings and decal placement, and one as an addendum to the others. Maybe I’m being picky, but this presented a small degree of frustration. Why didn’t GWH make the instructions a book that you could leaf through as you progress, instead of having to juggle numerous pages searching for the step you need? Stunning describes the surface detail, which features various depths for recess to depict diferent types of surface details. For example, if a panel is removable, the engraved outline is deeper than that of two adjoining panels that are not removable. Accuracy is also spot on and the attention to detail by the kit designers is abundantly obvious throughout. he engineering of the parts is well thought out and the quality of molding matches that level of perfection. Many parts can be left of and attached at the end of the build making painting easy. I attached the vertical and horizontal tails and rear fuselage strakes after painting, decaling, and weathering were completed. hat made painting metallic areas on the rear fuselage a snap. he accurate, easy-to-build

ejection seat includes a separate piece for the cushion with belts that attaches to the main seat cushion. It can be added after the seat and belts have been painted and weathered and produces a well-detailed miniature with little efort. he nose radar assembly is provided and there isn’t a lot of extra detail that would need to be

added to make it completely accurate. Again, I applaud the research and attention to detail of the kit’s designers. I omitted the radar from my model. he nose cone its well without glue, which makes installing and displaying the radar easy. he wheel-well detail blows every other kit I’ve seen out of the water. All of the pipes and hoses on the full-size aircraft are given as separate pieces to be installed in a particular sequence. Well done GWH! he Su-35 features thrust-vectoring nozzles. Once assembled, the kit nozzles can be swiveled into any position appropriate for your desired display. he same applies to the elevons, but these are held in place with barbs and may be damaged with repeated moves. I painted the camoulage with AKAN lacquers for Flankers. he decals performed lawlessly over a coat of clear gloss settling into recessed details perfectly.

he job of reviewing models is interesting; it is my job to point out both the positive and negative aspects of a particular kit, and also ofer suggestions to make building that model easier. In this case, there really is nothing I can fault. GWH has really done a fantastic job with the Su-35 and it is easily on par with the best kits on the market; it may even set the bar for future releases. Comparisons with the recently released Kitty Hawk Flanker-E — reviewed it in the October 2018 FSM — are inevita-

ble. he GWH kit is simply stunning in terms of detail, accuracy, and buildability. he Kitty Hawk kit also is generally well detailed, but takes more efort to build and is not as cleverly engineered; it looks great once completed, but the road to get there is rougher. On the other hand, Kitty Hawk provides a large array of weapons, both airto-air and air-to-surface, whereas GWH gives only a limited range of air-to-air missiles. Cost is the other consideration. Shopping around you can buy two Kitty Hawk Su-35 for the price of one from GWH. It is up to the modeler to decide: A lessexpensive kit that ends up looking great but takes more efort to get there, or one that looks as good and builds easier but costs twice as much.

Kit: No. L4820 Scale: 1/48 Mfg.: GWH, www.lionroarmodel.cn Price: $119.95 Comments: Injectionmolded, 326 parts (40 PE), decals Pros: Beautiful surface detail; terrific engineering and molding; posable thrust-vectoring nozzles; outstanding wheel-wells Cons: Separate instruction sheets; limited ordnance selection

I really enjoyed building GWH’s Flanker from start to inish. I would happily build another either in the so-called eggplant camoulage or backdated to a preproduction jet in a splinter scheme. I’m going to have to budget for it though. – Matthew Walker www.FineScale.com

59

WORKBENCH REVIEWS

Tamiya Type 16 maneuver combat vehicle

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amiya has a history of producing vehicles from the Japanese Ground Self Defense Force ( JGSDF) and follows up its Type 10 Main Battle Tank with the release of this Type 16 maneuver combat vehicle. he Type 16 MCV was designed to have the irepower of a tank, yet be able to be airlifted. Tamiya’s Type 16 features 255 parts molded in olive green plastic with vision blocks and lights molded in clear styrene. Eight vinyl tires and 28 polycaps also are included. Detail is crisp with a subtle antislip texture molded on the hull and turret. he vinyl tires have good tread and ine sidewall detail with no lash. Unlike most tanks, assembly on this one started by painting the back side of the lights. his must be done irst because the lights are installed in the front and rear hull panels from the inside. Hull assembly starts with itting spacers to the upper hull, then attaching the lower hull. Make sure the spacers are positioned properly to prevent alignment issues later. Front, rear, and side panels complete the hull. I left of all of the crew steps (parts A24, C48, and C49) until the hull was assembled to prevent them from being broken. he vehicle’s four front wheels have linked working steering using polycaps. I painted the suspension subassemblies and the lower hull separately with black green. his ensures all of the undercuts are painted and gave

60 FineScale Modeler December 2018

the model a shadow coat. Assembly of the rest of the hull was straightforward. Add the vision blocks to the turret before assembly. he join between the upper and lower turret halves around the main gun needed illing, although the mantlet hides much of the seam. A onepiece gun barrel is supplied to which the muzzle, fume extractor, and dust cover are added. he unique muzzle brake features lines of holes corkscrewing around the barrel. hey can be represented with a decal. Or, using Tamiya’s self-adhesive mask printed with the holes, you can drill the holes with a .5mm bit. Opting for the latter, I had the bit move a little on the curved surface so not all of the holes are properly aligned. Still, I think this looks better than the decal. Several aftermarket companies already ofer replacement muzzle brakes for the gun. he bustle basket features ejector-pin marks, but cleaning them up seemed to do more damage to the parts so I left most in place. he join between the basket’s lower and rear panels was not great, but the only option would be replacing it with brass wire. Two partial igures are supplied to it the turret’s hatches. heir details are good with particularly striking faces. Painting choices are limited because the camo pattern is the same on all Type 16s. Tamiya provides masks for head and taillights as well as vision blocks to simplify

Kit: No. 35361 Scale: 1/35 Mfg.: Tamiya, www.tamiya.com Price: $67 Comments: Injected-molded, 255 parts (8 rubber, 28 vinyl), decals, masks Pros: Working steering; ease of assembly; first-rate detail; sharp nonskid texture Cons: Simple machine gun

painting. I used a punch-and-die set to make circle masks for the side marker lights. he decals didn’t want to stick, moving with even the slightest jostling. Once I had them positioned, I added Tamiya Mark Fit decal solution and left them alone. hey settled with no problems. Decal 20 is a mesh that its atop Part C49. Make sure to trim the excess ilm from the decal’s sides for it. his model was a joy to build. With its modest parts count and well-engineered assembly, the Type 16 is a great change of pace model after doing several complex builds. It took 33 hours to complete, but much of that was spent masking the camoulage and weathering. he only changes I would make are replacing some of the solid-molded grab handles and tiedowns, and enhancing the simpliied .50-caliber machine gun. – Mike Scharf

Revell PT-109 patrol torpedo boat

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irst deployed to the South Paciic in August 1942, PT-109 was already war-weary by the time Lt. j.g. John F. Kennedy took command. he saga of the boat’s collision and sinking and the subsequent rescue is well worth researching. PT-109 was irst kitted by Revell in 1963. And while there are a few similarities between that classic and this one, this 1/72 scale kit is all new. And, while this one ofers some construction challenges, it goes together quickly and is true-to-scale. he excellent 20-page, 52-step instruction booklet ofers two build options: as a 1942 newly built boat in Navy gray or as the dark green scavenged boat at the time of its sinking on August 2, 1943, with a 37mm antitank gun mounted on the forward deck. I chose the latter with red oxide below the waterline tempered with a bit of light weathering. Inspecting the sprues, I was hit by a wave of nostalgia — the attachment points are as robust as those in the 1963 kit. While little lash marred the parts, I cleaned up seam lines throughout. he styrene is forgiving and not brittle so cleanup is easy. he overall quality is fairly good and, with a few modiications, the inished

model is a decent replica of an early Elco 80-foot PT boat. After joining the hull halves, center bulkhead, and transom, I inserted the prominent bow chin plate. Unfortunately, the right-hand alignment tab was thicker and ofset the part to port. I sanded it for it. Steps 5-7 involve the interior spaces for the chartroom and day cabin. Be sure to drill holes in the deck for the appropriate version. If you are building the 1943 version, the instructions show the depth charges mounted near the edge of the foredeck. However, on the full-size boat, these weapons were mounted more inboard so the forward torpedoes could be ired without striking them. You may wish to modify their position in Step 40. he Mk.18 torpedo tubes required signiicant cleanup of the seam between parts I63 and I64. Be careful when cleaning the sprue attachments from the supports (Part I66) because they it snug to the lower half of the tubes. he balance of the armament builds well, but be careful as the its are tight. he barrels of the .50-caliber machine guns are straight and lack the prominent lash suppressors seen in period photos. he instructions show how to lash the

37mm gun to the front deck, but no thread is included to do that. Overall, this kit is a nice extended weekend, out-of-the-box built. Its dimensions are true-to-scale. A modeler prone to scratchbuilding could easily enhance the look with aftermarket details. But, sometimes it’s fun to just build a model and this is one kit that provides the perfect opportunity! – Mark Karolus

Kit: No. 05147 Scale: 1/72 Mfg.: Revell, www.revell.de Price: $29.95 Comments: Injectionmolded, 167 parts, decals Pros: Accurate to current information; some interior detail; nicely detailed 37mm antitank gun Cons: Oversize sprue attachments; odd seams; no thread provided to lash gun

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61

WORKBENCH REVIEWS

Takom Bandvagn Bv 206S

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akom has again gone of the grid by releasing a model that no one thought would ever be seen in plastic. his articulated Swedish transport is used by numerous nations. he “S” after 206 indicates the armored personnel variant capable of carrying 12 troops — four in the front unit and eight in the rear. he kit includes a fairly complete interior, with detailed doors and hatches, but no engine. he four tracks and power cables connecting the units are supplied as vinyl that can be attached with plastic cement. Overall it was good and the only iller I used was to correct some overly aggressive parts cleanup on my part. here are a few ejector-pin marks to be eliminated, otherwise, they will be visible through the windows and hatches. Out of the box, you’re given a choice to replicate one of two Spanish or an Italian vehicle. he two Spanish vehicles are armed with a machine gun in the roof of the front unit and use a diferent roof part. he Spanish units also have extra loodlights up front. hese build choices are shown at the end of the directions, so make your decision early in the construction process. he directions have you build the suspension for both units, connecting them to their respective loor pans, and joining the two units together. his causes excessive tension on the articulation unit when inishing each unit’s upper section. Instead, assemble each unit separately, leaving the articulation unit as a separate subassembly, all to be connected once the vehicle is painted and weathered. Single road wheels are mounted on thin

62 FineScale Modeler December 2018

suspension arms (part B17) which have little support. his is especially true for the rear road wheels that also act as return rollers. When adding the stif, vinyl tracks, there’s a lot of pressure on these suspension arms. hey gave way on mine, so I super glued them back together as best as I could. If I build this model again, I will install styrene rod between the rear suspension arms, adding strength but remaining largely invisible. hese tracks were left of for painting. he articulation unit is a work of art that actually moves in multiple directions with the use of pistons (as long as you are careful with the glue). However, it is delicate and I could have used an extra set of hands during assembly. he troop seats are designed to be shown only in the stowed position. Decal gauges all but disappear on the black dashboard. he headlights and their ittings are molded in clear styrene; I painted the backs then masked the lenses before painting the vehicle. he side mirrors are also clear, so I painted the back with chrome, then painted the assemblies with the camoulage color. he resulting mirrors are quite convincing. To match the khaki green on Spanish vehicles, I mixed equal parts Tamiya khaki drab, olive green, and green with a little buf for highlights. he decals silvered a little, probably because the surface was not as glossy as it should have been.

Kit: No. 2083 Scale: 1/35 Mfg.: Takom, www.takom-world.com Price: $53.99 Comments: Injectionmolded, 339 parts (8 vinyl), decals Pros: Fairly complete interior; working articulation between units; gauge decals; build options Cons: Tracks are stiff, almost too stiff

he complexity and fragility of the suspension units pushed assembly of my Bandvagn to 33 hours. he rest of the model was trouble-free and the aftermarket is already ofering optional road wheels and weapon stations. It would be nice to see liveries for civilian operators, especially ireighting vehicles! – Mike Scharf

AFV Club Vought F4U Corsair

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here’s a new Corsair kit on the market that includes the option of folded wings and dropped laps. Yawn … nothing new here, you say. Except this is in 1/144 scale and the idelity and detail are outstanding. And if that’s not enough, there are two kits in the box. AFV Club, better known for armor kits, has released several aircraft in 1/144 scale, including this double kit of the famous bent-wing Vought. Options are plentiful. In addition to posable wings and laps, the kit allows for any of four versions to be built: an F4U-1 “birdcage” as well as the F4U-1A, -1C, and -1D. AFV doesn’t skimp on decals either, providing eight marking options. You’ll need to decide which version to build early, but the instructions carefully

Kit: No. AR 14408 Scale: 1/144 Mfg.: AFV Club, www.hobbyfan.com.tw Price: $26 Comments: Injected-molded, 124 parts, decals Pros: Two complete kits; well-engineered; fine detail; numerous options Cons: Tailhook molded solid with tail wheel

point out diferences in versions and optional parts. I built a late-war F4U-1D in classic dark sea blue and a Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm F4U-1. Construction is exceptionally quick with few parts, but before closing up the fuselage and the wings you must decide on ordnance options as the mounting holes need to be opened. Again, AFV provides numerous choices for underwing stores. I selected drop tanks and rockets for the F4U-1D, but the 5-inch HVAR rockets are so tiny they are molded linked together, somewhat delating the scale appearance. he “birdcage” canopy is elegantly handled by cutting of a portion of the fuselage behind the cockpit and replacing it with a tiny part with rearview cutouts. I left the cowlings of both planes, so I didn’t have to mask the tiny engines. Separate parts are provided to model the extended or folded wings as well as optional position laps. I built one set of each, both with laps deployed. he wing-fold inserts are extremely thin and in were broken in my kit. However, the parts it ine and the mounting post to attach the folded outer wing was intact. Fit of the wings, like the other assemblies was exemplary — I used no iller. he petite landing gear is fragile too and diicult to remove from the sprue without breaking. he size of the gear moldings made it impossible to include gaps between the many struts, most noticeably the tail hook which is molded to the tail wheel with a triangular slab.

With so few parts, the Corsairs were quickly ready for paint. I used Testors Model Master dark sea blue for the F4U-1D, and extra dark sea gray, dark slate gray, and sky from Hataka’s new “Orange Line” FAA acrylic lacquers for the F4U-1. he decals were troublefree — even the tiny prop logos. For the F4U-1D, I added the canopy and antenna posts, and hand-painted them. A small piece of Uschi van der Rosten superine stretchable nylon was used for the antenna wire. he wings mounted easily on the sturdy pins, but they didn’t seem to fold as far as some photos show. I hand-painted the FAA Corsair’s canopy. It took me just a shade over 12 hours to complete both Corsairs, but more time could have been spent separating the tail hook. With kits of this quality I hope AFV Club continues expanding its tiny air wing. – Chuck Davis

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781-321-8855

MASSACHUSETTS • Norton

6,000 model kits, old and new: Autos, armor, planes & sci-i. Reference books & supplies. Open T-Th 11-7, F 11-8, Sa 10-5. Rt. 495 to Rt. 123E, behind Dunkin’ Donuts. www.mymummy. com E: [email protected] HARRY’S HOBBIES & COLLECTABLES 250 E. Main St., Rt 123 508-285-8080

DEAN’S HOBBY STOP

116 N. Washington Street

989-720-2137

MICHIGAN • Royal Oak (Metro Detroit) New & Old Toy Soldiers, Historical Miniatures, Models and Figure Kits from Around the World. Our famous selection of hobby supplies includes scenics, paints, reference and more. www.michtoy.com MICHIGAN TOY SOLDIER & FIGURE CO. 1400 E. 11 Mile Rd. 248-586-1022 Let your imagination run wild! Aircraft, ships, cars, armor, special orders, diecast cars, model railroading Z to G and more...

TRAINS & THINGS HOBBIES

231-947-1353

Your single stop model building shop. Michigan’s largest selection of new and vin-tage kits in all genres plus everything needed to build them. Wed - Fri 11-8 Sat 11-6, Sun 12-5 Visit us on Facebook. www.modelcave.com

MODELCAVE

103 W. Michigan Avenue

While in Las Vegas, come see our wide selection of models and detail accessories. Less than 5 miles off the Las Vegas strip Hours Mon-Fri 10-7, Sat 10-6, Sun noon-5.

HOBBYTOWN USA

4590 W Sahara Ave Ste 103

702-889-9554

Best plastic, resin & balsa kits from around the world. Scratch building & diorama supplies, reference books, large paint selection including Humbrol, Citadel & Testors

ELITE HOBBIES

603-749-0800

Full service hobbies, a full line of HO, N, 3-Rail, military, cars, boats, planes, dollhouses, scratchbuilding supplies, plus details-details-details!

KENVIL HOBBIES

973-584-1188

NEW JERSEY • Magnolia (Camden) Huge foreign & domestic model selection all scales. Automobiles, aircraft, ship, books, wargames, scenery, diorama supplies, parts & tools. Open 7 days

AAA HOBBIES & CRAFTS

706 N. White Horse Pike

856-435-1188

Car, Plane, Military, Models, Trains, Paints, Tools, Diecast. Art Supplies, Wood & Wood Models. Open Wed., Thur., Fri., Sat. 11:00 to 6:30.

RUDY’S HOBBY & ART

718-545-8280

NEW YORK • Middle Island Excellent selection of lead miniatureshistorical and fantasy. Plastic models, wargames & modeling supplies. Books and magazines.

MEN AT ARMS HOBBIES, INC.

134 Middle Country Rd.

Imported & Domestic Aviation Books & Plastic Kits. Paint, Decals, HO, N trains, R/C, U/C airplanes. Mon 1-6, Tue-Wed 12-6, Thur-Fri 10:30-7. Sat 10:30-6. www.malhobby.com

M-A-L HOBBY SHOP

108 S. Lee Street

972-438-9233

Scale modeling from beginner to expert. A wide selection of aircraft, armor, autos, igures, ships, & sci-i. Lots of reference material, detail parts, decals, tools, & eight lines of paint. Open Tues-Sat 10am-6pm.

DIBBLE’S HOBBIES

1029 Donaldson Ave.

210-735-7721

WASHINGTON • Lynnwood We are a full line hobby shop. Huge model selection. Gundam, supplies, tool, educational, kit, parts, kite, game. Huge selection, paint, train & R/C items. www.galaxyhobby.com

GALAXY HOBBY

19332 60TH AVE W

425-670-0454

WASHINGTON • Seattle

NEW YORK • ASTORIA

3516 30TH AVE

713-529-7752

TEXAS • San Antonio

NEW JERSEY • Kenvil

590 Rt. 46

G & G MODEL SHOP

2029 Southwest FWY

TEXAS • Irving (Dallas Area)

NEW HAMPSHIRE • Dover

#334 90 Washington St.

HO & N, Lionel trains. Complete line of plastic kits, military and architecture supplies. Open 11am-6pm M-F, Sat. 10am-5pm www.gandgmodelshop.com

631-924-0583

Plastic Model Specialists. Largest selection of plastic models in NW! We have Aircraft, Armor, Auto, SCI-FI, and Gundam, along with great paint selection. Email us at [email protected] or look us up at www.skywaymodel.com

SKYWAY MODEL SHOP

12615 Renton Ave. S.

206-772-1211

CANADA–ON • Ottawa (Vanier) One of Canada’s leading model shops. Complete line of military & aircraft kits, decals, paints and accessories. Free parking. On Parle Francais.

HOBBY HOUSE, LTD

80 Montreal Rd.

613-749-5245

Visit our in-house Aircraft Model Museum. Foreign and domestic plastic and wood kits. Open 7 days.

JAN’S HOBBY SHOP, INC.

1435 Lexington Ave.

212-987-4765

Large selection of new & out-of-production kits. Accessories & inishing products. Servicing the hobbies since 1986. We buy kit collections. www.wheelswingshobbies.com

WHEELS AND WINGS

1880 Danforth Ave.

416-752-0071

OKLAHOMA • Owasso

Oklahoma’s largest plastic kit, paint & aftermarket inventory. Planes, cars, trucks, armor, ships, trains & sci-i. Special orders welcome! Tue - Fri 10-5:30, Sat 10-5, Sun 1-4:30 Web site: www.topshelfmodelsllc.com

TOP SHELF MODELS

119 S. Main St.

918-274-0433

Run your Retail Directory ad in the next issue of

FineScale Modeler!

OREGON • Beaverton

MICHIGAN • Traverse City

210 East Front St.

TEXAS • Houston

NEVADA • Las Vegas

NEW YORK • Upr Eastside GR Manhattan CANADA–ON • Toronto

MICHIGAN • Owosso Thousands of model kits from old Aurora to new releases. Mon 4pm-7pm, Tues - Fri 11:30am-5pm. Sat 11:30am-4:00pm E-mail: [email protected]

MICHIGAN • Ypsilanti-Metro Detroit

CONNECTICUT • Cos Cob

405 E. Putnam Avenue

Extensive selection of armor kits & Verlinden accessories. Military, auto & aircraft plastic models. Photo-etched parts. O gauge train sets. Open Tues - Sat 11-6, Sun 12-5. www.HQHobbies.com

Largest store in area, easy access via I-93, Rt. 1, and the T. Complete line of model kits & supplies, plus toy soldiers, igure kits, games, etc. Shipping available. Info: hobbybunker.com

Large selection of plastic kits, paints, and supplies. Special orders no problem Visit us in person or online www.houseofhobbies.com Secure online ordering

12188 Brookhurst St.

CONNECTICUT • Milford

MASSACHUSETTS • Malden (Boston)

CALIFORNIA • Burbank

7259 Canoga Avenue

860-646-0610

HAWAII • Kailua, Oahu

ARKANSAS • Jacksonville

911 S. Victory Blvd.

TIME MACHINE HOBBY

71 Hilliard St.

Plastic modeling kits. Paint, tools, scenery, accessories, & scale model railroads. Mon - Sat 10:00am-6:00pm; Closed Sun www.metrotrainsandhobbies.com

www.anchoragehouseofhobbies.com Alaska’s best hobby supplier since 1964. Two stories, 6,300sf, 1st loor all R/C, 2nd loor general hobbies, plastics, trains, slot cars, telescopes & more!

1200 John Harden Dr.

Largest hobby shop in NE. Military, cars, trucks, plastic models, diecast cars, trucks. Planes, RC planes, cars, trucks, slot cars, rockets, Breyer, Detailing supplies, games! Mon-Wed 10-6 Th-Fri 10-9 Sat-Sun 10-6

FLORIDA • Ft. Myers

ALASKA • Anchorage

2803 Spenard Rd.

CONNECTICUT • Manchester

734-316-2281

Complete full line hobby shop. Z, N, HO, O, Lionel, and LGB. Open Mon - Fri 10-8, Sat 10-5, Sun 12-5.

TAMMIES HOBBIES

12024 SW Canyon Rd.

503-644-4535

Call 888-558-1544, ext. 440 for more information.

PENNSYLVANIA • Landisville (Lancaster) Large Selection New & Used Kits Tools, paint, airbrushes & scratch building supplies. Full line hobby shop open Tue, Thur & Fri 10-5, Wed & Sat 10-2  www.CoolTrains.com

COOLTRAINS TOYS & HOBBIES

106 W. Main Street

717-898-7119

Alpha Precision Abrasives, Inc.___ 4

FineScale Modeler Modeling Tools 14

MIG Productions ____________ 67

ARA Press___________________ 8

Glenn Hoover Models ________ 64

Oldmodelkits.com ___________ 64

Colpar’s Hobbytown USA _____ 64

Great War Modeling__________ 67

ParaGrafix Modeling Systems ___ 4

Cult TV Man _______________ 15

Hobbylink Japan ______________ 9

Proxxon, Inc. _________________ 6

Damaged Magazine ___________ 2

Hornby America ______________ 4

Roll Models_________________ 64

Dean’s Hobby Stop ___________ 64

MegaHobby.com_____________ 64

Squadron Mail Order __________ 4

Evergreen Scale Models ________ 4

Michigan Toy Soldier Co.______ 64

Tamiya America, Inc. _________ 68

Fantastic Plastic Models _______ 64

Micro-Mark Tools ____________ 6

TotalNavy.com ______________ 64

www.FineScale.com

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FINAL DETAILS By Elizabeth Nash

The Flying Egg takes to the skies! W

hile celebrating 50 years in business, Squadron hosted the 27th EagleQuest — an annual June show and contest in Grapevine, Texas. his show attracts models from every category: armor, aircraft, igures, vehicles, sci-i, etc. And then, of course, there’s the miscellaneous category, where some of the most out-there and humorous builds can be found. Sitting in this section was Jeanet Burnett’s sunny-side-up-colored Hughes 500 eggplane. It stood out immediately with its bright hue and clever composition.

Needing to stretch the helicopters’s design only slightly, Hasegawa developed its own Hughes 500 eggplane. Jeanet built it out-of-the-box and gave it comical context.

Paint job Jeanet started with a primer base coat of Tamiya acrylics. She then preshaded to bring out the exaggerated dimensions. To paint the yolk-like color, she used a Badger 200 airbrush. To inish, she applied a glossy topcoat freehand, making the “Flying Egg” shine. Because the pre-shading provided enough contrast, and because she wanted a clean, unscrambled, look, Jeanet skipped weathering.

The real deal Go online to learn Want to put your aircraft in flight? Go to FineScale. com and type “acrylic rod” into the search bar — you’ll find an in-depth Builder Basics story on posing your model above its base with the help of a clear, organic-looking, plastic stand. 66 FineScale Modeler December 2018

he Hughes MD 500 is a civilian light helicopter, hailing from the Army’s OH-6 Cayuse. It entered service in the 1960s. Nicknamed the “Flying Egg” because of its characteristically oviform fuselage, the small aircraft was agile and small enough to land where larger helicopters could not.

Setting the foundation She cleaned out a carton of Egg Beaters and, not wanting it to fall over and crack, added weights for stability. A clear, acrylic rod joined the carton and makeshift base (or you might call it a nameplate). Out of the skillet and into the skies! FSM

M ODELI NG

• Ea • Cr

PL • 12

Great War Scale Modeling, a new special issue from FineScale Modeler, shows you how to build iconic tanks, ships, and biplanes from a long-neglected part of modeling history — WWI. Stories include: • Recreating the famous Red Baron’s Fokker Triplane. • How to rig the wings of a WWI biplane. • Building a realistic German battleship, the SMS Konig. • Creating a killer Renault FT for U.S. service. • 30+ pages of photo galleries and much more! Whether you’re a beginner or advanced modeler, you’ll find a wealth of ideas and tips from notable experts in the field.

P33283

YOUR COPY KalmbachHobbyStore.com/FS10

Promotional offer available for a limited time. Free standard shipping to U.S. addresses only. Canadian and foreign addresses, add $3.95 for shipping and handling. Sales tax where applicable. Great War Scale Modeling will arrive in November 2018.

www.FineScale.com

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