Leaderboard

I purchased both of these kits from a vendor at our clubs annual invitational. Both kits are from Meng. This was my first time building Meng kits, and I must tell you, they were a joy to build. I was very impressed with the level of detail, and how well everything fit together. The base was covered with Stucco repair from Lowe’s. While it was still wet, I pressed the tracks, and mine roller wheels into the mixture. I painted the base with several shades of brown, and sand. Once dry, I applied a wash of Tamiya brown, and black. After it dried, I dry brushed Naples yellow hue for highlights. While trying to simulate the nonslip surface on the top of the turret and hull, I ran into some issues. After talking with some of the armor experts in our club, they pointed me in the right direction. Chris

I can't wait till is over! 🙂

These circular discussions are entertaining, but I’m waiting to see how it will be run, which depends, I’m sure, on local rules, CDC guidance, and best practices in play at the time. I’ll likely make my decision about two weeks out based on knowns at that time. I feel for the organizers, have paid my registration including the banquet, and bought a trophy package. I don’t want a refund if it cancels, just hoping it helps in some small way. If it doesn’t cancel, it’s just a choice we all have to make based on what we think the level of risk is for ourselves and others. I have my own ideas, and each person should evaluate their own risk tolerance. My profession is all about risk management, so I look at this the same way. joe

I finished this baby January 2, after staring it in... 2002? It's a Hasegawa/Mister Kit mashup in 1:72 to depict a Serie VIII Macchi-built machine; the cockpit is Mister Kit and True Details resin with a Pavla seat with Eduard belts, and the wheel wells are mostly scratch-built. Mister Kit's photoetched gear doors were a pain to work with but ended up looking good. Missing details inside and outside the radiator were made with mesh, styrene strip and sheet and a lot of patience. The plane was painted with True North Africa mustard and light grey (matches for the Italian colors) and the camouflage was made with Mike Grant's "smoke ring" decals, which performed great (although they can be fragile). The markings for "Dai Banana!" came from a Sky Decals sheet and they were more persnickety than the smoke rings - Solvaset was my friend. The real secret weapon was the Valiant Wings monograph on the C.202, which answered many questions (questions that led it to go to the Shelf of Doom, perhaps?).

Note: This is my personal opinion based on my own experience with both our local shows and the IPMS national convention NCC needs to address this issue within the rules asap or well soon possible. With todays electronics there is no reason why anyone should need AC power for their creations. Providing power is a huge expense and pain for the host clubs. Vegas spent over $1000 providing power for the model room. That averaged $110 per model that needed power. If we are serious about keeping convention cost down we need to stop placating to contestants that cannot build around such a rule as "No AC power will be provided for model entries, no exception. Three options, provide your own AC power backup, purchase the AC power from the host site. ($$$$), build your model with simple DC battery power." Not meant as an insult anyone but we somehow need to real in cost and this is simply one convention expense that is way too high. Joe Porche #20296

I strayed a bit from simple on this one, inspired by a really nice build of the Lindberg XFY-1 given to me by a friend who has Gone West. I built up a cockpit using some Monogram F-80 parts and a PE instrument panel for which I can't remember the source. The intakes were given some internal trunking and the belly was extensively reshaped as Aurora got that pretty wrong and it is an interesting part of the airplane. A new canopy was made so I could pose it open. Some of the casters were missing so I made some resin replacements and posed them in a more realistic fashion. Work was complicated by the fact that the kit came to me as a glue bomb and the first step was to get it apart without destroying it. Later I found an unstarted kit but what would be the fun in that? It rests in the stash.

I've had this 1/48 Missing Link resin conversion for the Monogram Me-262A for decades to turn it into an Me-262B, and finally decided to build it! The conversion is simple and straight forward, only requiring the cutting down of the kit spine and the addition of the rear seater's cockpit tub. A very nice extended vacuform canopy is included, the nose radar "C" arms, as well as the seat and details for the rear cockpit. All in all, with the exception of drilling the radar arms to accept very fine wire radar antennas, this is an easy conversion. The only other thing worth mentioning is I tried a new technique for the side splotches. Instead of fighting with my airbrush, I cut VERY small swatches of sponge, held them with tweezers, dipped them into paint, blotted them off on a paper towel, and then DABBED the splotches onto the model. I was quite pleased with the result and it was MUCH easier than trying to spray them on! The model was rescribed and a brown sludge-wash applied. The markings are all from the Monogram kit, except for the black fuselage crosses. I didn't have ANY decals small enough to fit, so I made a stencil and sprayed the black crosses onto the sides. Anyway, happy to have this one built after it's sat in the stash since the 80s! Comments, critiques, and questions welcome, as always. Cheers! GIL

I wanted to see if I could build a broken relic into something presentable. I learned about the P-38 when I build this kit as a child and I would fly it around outside shooting down me109s and what have you. The copy I had at that time was molded in glossy OD plastic. I decided to find a copy and I did. I found some busted up kits for sale on eBay. The P-38 was one of them and is molded in metallic blue. It was missing the tail plane, props and spinners and balance weights. I asked for parts from the club membership and a member sent me a complete Monogram P-38 kit for parts. So here are photos showing the progress. It is one of Aurora's more accurate 1/48 models and I wanted a simple stand build; but, there was lots and lots of sanding and filling. To my surprise the Monogram replacement parts fit perfectly. I carefully removed the yellowed canopy and polished it. There is no cockpit just a molded on pilot, and rudimentary instrument panel and radio. The canopy is more like a helmet in that it sits atop the cockpit and is oversized. The only thing I could do at this point was adding putty and sanding down the sides so that it fitted properly. I glued the canopy with clear Gorilla Glue and it made a good bond without crazing the plastic. The clear canopy is missing some frame lines so I used decal strips to create those missing frames. None of the intakes are open so I just used a large sharpie to paint them black. I painted the model with Tamiya Green Drab and Mission Models Neutral Gray. The markings are from an Aeromaster sheet on OD P-38s. The props are held in place with blue-tac putty. Thanks for looking. 12 additional images. Click to enlarge.

Good luck with that. Some don't even bother to read the category cards on the tables!

11 completions this past year, about average for me. I'll run them in chronological order. Fuel tanker and Cushman trike from the Airfix 1/72 USAAF Bomber Support Set, done as post-war civvie vehicles: Airfix 1/48 Gloster Meteor F.8: Classic Airframes 1/48 Grumman Widgeon: Airfix 1/48 Spitfire XVIII (converted from the XIV kit): Airfix 1/48 Spitfire Vb: Airfix 1/72 MBB Bo105: Airfix 1/72 Lynx HAS.2: Airfix 1/72 Lynx AH.1: Revell 1/72 F-4EJ, the very basic 1965 kit! SBS Resin 1/72 Farman F.190: Tamiya 1/48 Mosquito NF.XIX, converted from the NF.XIII kit: A pleasing year, I was pretty happy with most of these completions. We'll see what 2022 brings, but I have a number of interesting builds planned. Let's see what transpires!

Latest from the CDC on the Delta variant. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/fully-vaccinated.html I plan on wearing a mask. Not as a political statement, but for the same reason I would wear a bandage if I had a cut. I am 71 and fully vaccinated, but prudent use of any health aid where there is a risk of severe illness or injury is common sense.

Well the postman brought this a few hours ago. Thank you to the gentleman from another site who found this at a local shop for a great price and offered to pick it up and send it to me! I love the “painting guide for lozenge pattern camouflage” labeling... on such a large subject that’s gonna drive me crazy! But then again, I used to parachute out of perfectly good airplanes in the middle of the night, so I have screw loose upstairs somewhere...

Hi. My last racer, Polish PZL P6, made from scratch in 1/32 scale, from National Air Racers in Cleveland 1931 More on the topic here: https://forum.largescaleplanes.com/index.php?/topic/84035-pzl-p6-1931-from-scratch-scale-132/ Best regards, Marcin IPMS Polska

The other alternative--one I favor, and one I've discussed on this forum before--is to limit out of box models to being just that--out of the box. Period. No added seat belts, rigging, spark plug wires, etc., unless it comes in the kit and is shown on the instruction sheet. Aftermarket decals should be allowed, but that's as far as it really should go. People then argue along the lines of "well, the model will seem to be lacking if I don't add seat belts" or "it won't be accurate if there are no railings" (that one still confuses me, since, last time I checked, accuracy was not a judging criteria). My answer? Entering out of box is a decision the modeler makes. You have consciously decided to limit what you can and cannot do if you decide to enter OOB. Don't like the limitations? Then simply don't restrict yourself by entering OOB--enter the "Open" categories and let the chips fall where they may. To be sure, I have seen OOB models win categories over a dozen fully detailed models because, as Chris points out, the more stuff you add, the more opportunity there is for mistakes. As far as multi-media "high tech" (aka ProfiPack, etc.) go, the work around is as Ed pointed out--split them into traditional (all plastic) and mixed media.

The old Bandai 1/48 armor kits were really gems at the time and still aren't all that bad. They all sported at least a minimal interior while other companies kits had nothing but old motorization brackets. This one is bound for Malta camouflage. I completed the interior with some extra "busying-up" parts added, like some more bins in the hull, some wiring a recoil guard for the main gun and I bodged together a sort of #19 radio set. The turret basket is not accurate and is actually in common with that in the Valentine kit. As a matter of fact, if you check the one in the ESCI 1/72 scale Valentine, you'll find it's also the same. But accuracy aside, again, at least there's something in there to see through the hatches I intend to leave open. In the end, it turned out pretty well for a kit that dates from 1975. The figure is from the Tamiya Humber a/c kit as there was no crew in the box when I got it. This is everything before exterior painting started, with the exception of the exhaust system. And here's the final product.

Hi All, I'm pleased to report a bid for the 2024 National Convention was submitted. It will be evaluated by the Eboard and details will be shared at the National Convention in Omaha. Thank you all who have reached out and supported the current bid cycle. See you in Omaha! Cheers, John

Recent Group-Build /Theme for Pittsburgh IPMS Club was the 80s. I discovered a Fujimi 1/72 Sea Harrier from our in-House Dealer(Pusher) and at $7.00 started down the Rabbit hole. Yes.. Resin Interior,Master Models Pitot and a second kit for Falkland Markings had me following the white Rabbit. Cut Canopy open,Added a few antenna, Opened up some vents and out challenging was dropping Engine vents for Ground Ops. Gunze Dark Sea Gray, GX-100 and Markings for HMS Invincible . Please note "007" how could I not choose this 😃. Thanks for Looking Comments Always Welcome Cheers Bill

Not the easiest new tool Airfix kit to build but it's such a cool looking aircraft, I had to build it. I did end up using the Eduard Zoom set though.

Plugging away on my Lockheed collection, I found that I lacked a P-80A. While researching the build, I found that the Sword P-80A/B kit had a definite error that needed correction. For that whole story (and cure), the build thread is over on BritModeler HERE For those just mildly curious, here are the pics: Thanks for looking, Ed

Finished this one late last year- cheers Pig

This is John Dennett's newest offering. IIRC it's from The Outer Limits' very first show. The story is about a radio station operator that seemingly contacts his counterpart from the Andromeda Galaxy (ignore the science). Wanting to impress his girlfriend about the stations range, he boosts the signal all the way up, and accidentally sucks the alien, who's made of electricity, into this world! The kit is John's usual 2 part bust - the figure and the base. It's done in flawless blue gray resin. For a lot of my character busts I give my self the dilemma of do I paint it as if it were real? Or do I do it as an actor in costume? Since I discovered how the effect was done. I decided to paint the actor, who was William Douglas. For those that don't know the effect, they dressed Douglas in a brown wet suit because of the B&W film. Then they smeared the suit with oil, and when developing, made a negative of the being. So this turns to be the easiest paint job I ever did. Brown suit, and all I had to remember that was in going to try the trick, light had to be dark and vice versa. Painting the other parts I didn't know what different hues would do so I kept all the colors in the brown family. After the below pic was taken I coated the whole thing in Spaz Stix Super Gloss. Then with the image viewer I have - Irfanview - I first made the image B&W, and then made it a negative. I also tweaked the Brightness, Contrast, Gamma Correct, and Saturation. It gave me a result I was happy with, looking like the alien on the show. Thanks for looking.

Hello. This is my last model Wedell Williams 45 National Air Racers 1934, from scratch in 1/32 scale. Best regars Marcin IPMS Polska 🙂

Well done, sir, well done. Now get you to the contest table, and tell the judges, let the PE be an inch thick, to this finish it must come; make them laugh at that seat belt.

For Highlamder: Alas poor OOB! I knew him well, David. A category of infinite problems, of most excellent confusion It hath borne me on the contest table a thousand times; and now, How grand in my imagination it is. Apologies to Sir William Pat D

David, you mentioned about local hobby shops being passive in the face of ecommerce. They face the same problems as any other retail business. Rents and business rates and taxes ever increasing, Cost of any salaries that have to come out of the business. Buying in stock and waiting for it to sell at a reasonable profit to sustain the business with potential customers often just window shopping, getting straight onto their smart phones to compare on line prices, and ordering from some big warehouse operation instead. Not all small outfits can afford to set up ecommerce themselves as the on costs of having to pay for IT expertise to design and set up a website and maintain it, as well as their own input to keep it always up to date. Are they really passive, or just being steam rolled into giving up against relentless pressure by on line giants and modellers going for the cheaper deals they can get on line? I for one miss a number of local hobby shops disappearing, being able to browse and occasionally meet up with like minded folk in the shop, and owners who were model makers in their own right with their expertise.

GIL

1/4 scale bust of Thulsa Doom by Kent Kidwell Dave

He ruthlessly seized power in “ The Night of the Bloody Xactoknives!” 😉😂 Anonymous (for fear I might be next to ‘disappear’ )

Just FYI for future conventions, on Saturday morning there was a judging team available to give you feedback on your models. They would not have compared them to any other models and would not have know what the actual judges of your models saw, but they could have given general feedback from a judging point of view.

Good to see the Eboard mixing with the crowd.... Gil

Finished my A-3B bomber this evening. Started with the CollectAire 1/48 resin EA-3B, so I had to saw off the plain tail and convert the backside by adding the gun stinger and rear radar bulge. The side door and windows had to be eliminated and the nose "sharpened" a bit too. This is one of CA's better, later edition kits with the wingfold option, dropped flaps and slats, and PE parts for the cockpit. I chose these markings (Caracal decals) to match the CA resin A-5A Viglante bomber (converted from the RA-5C) I'd built some years ago. And in-progress pics... Wing assembly test fitting Tail conversion work Side door and windows filled Engine assemblies The CA resin A-5A Viglante bomber that it matches... Comments, critiques, and questions welcome, as always! Cheers! Gil

I got this kit in a grab bag of kits I bought. It's from the 1956 molds and even had the pilot's head molded in halves integral to the fuselage sides. There are many inaccuracies and omissions, so to build it 'right' would be a real waste of time as there are now many other much better representations, including Airfix's own excellent re-tooled one. But I decided to do it just for fun, so I did it as a desk model and since it was to be in flight, I added the 'spinning' prop. I also rigged it, which was not called for in the instructions, and added the antenna, which you may notice is the wrong configuration, but since there were so many other 'problems' and it was simpler to do this way, I settled for it amongst all the other inaccuracies, which includes the markings. The kit's decals were useless, so I got some out of the spares box. They actually belong to a Hawker Fury of First Squadron, but hey, in for a penny in for a pound, inaccuracy-wise.

I'm sure that you've all heard the phrase "my eyes are bigger than my stomach"? Meaning don't bite off more than you can chew. I've always been intrigued by dioramas. The stories that they tell can be awesome. I've always felt that the best aspect of a good diorama is one that each new time that you look at it you find some new hidden detail that you missed the previous time. I finally decided, a few years back, that I was going to build my first diorama. Being a car guy it almost made sense that I would do a garage with vehicles, tools, supplies, etc. I also like nature so I wanted to incorporate some added outdoors scene as well. So, one thing led to another and the next thing you know my design is way out of control and taking up a tremendous amount of space. It was fun but finding somewhere to store it/display it when it was done was no easy task. I also only took this to one contest after it was done because of the size and weight. Here it is. I framed the garage completely out of wood. Removable roof, real shingles, opening garage door and as much detail as I could throw at it without it becoming too busy. It was great learning experience that mainly taught me that if I ever did any more dioramas, (which I have) to keep the size in check.

What is there to say about the Sopwith Camel? It is one of the iconic aeroplanes of WWI, probably the most well known from the Royal Flying Corps/Royal Air Force to even the novice aviation buff. And helped out no doubt by a certain cartoon beagle and his never ending quest to defeat the Red Baron. This is Monogram’s 1979 retool of Aurora’s 1956 vintage kit. I added a few bits to the interior, and detailed a few exterior bits. Rigging is steel wire and EZ Line, paints are Xtracolor, Humbrol, and Testors enamels. Decals are by Eagle Strike for a Camel from 45 Squadron flown in Italy in summer 1918 by Lt. C.M. Masters. posed with my Oeffag Albatross, my first grown up biplane build from a few years ago And ready for the dawn patrol Thanks for looking, comments and critiques are welcome

Hi, In this diorama, I tried to portray the battle of Hue City scene of Stanley Kubrick's cult movie "FULL METAL JACKET". First of all i apologize for my bad english. Scale 1/35 M41 Walker Bulldog Tamiya 35055 Figures US Armoured Troops Tamiya MM217 Hope you like it.

Finally, after many years, this is finished. I can say that there were not wo pieces in the entire build that fit together easily. And Trumpeter found ways to take one part and make four out of it. I will say it is a huge plane and I do love Navy schemes. Finished with Squadrons decals Dave

Hi to all, I present my latest work performed with the MWP technique (Metal Work Panels) or with the complete covering of the model with aluminum panels (self-adhesive tape). This is the Hong Kong Models kit for the 1/32 scale B-25 J Mitchell 'The Strafer' model: the kit has been further improved with the following optional accessories: The version chosen (optional Zotz Decals) is the following: North American B-25 J Mitchell "Lady Lil" (correct nose for this version ) Hong Kong Models kit 1/32 scale model - version: 498thBs "Falcons", 345bth Bomber Group " Air Apaches" 5th AF in Philippines, May 1945 image posted for exclusive technical and historical reference for this thread this is the technique (sample from the wip) used to cover the model with ultra-thin and self-adhesive aluminum panels (MWP technique) : Happy surfing: cockpit interior (extracted from wip): below you can better appreciate the metal oxidation process on the engine nacelles (extracted from the wip): internal bomb compartment (extracted from the wip): Thanks for the attention. for more info & pics :http://www.adventurephotomodels.com George

"Why being required to wear a mask upsets so many, ....is such an unbearable burden....I will never understand." Agreed. It's meant to protect others, in case you're infected and don't know it. To me, not wearing a mask is like purposely farting in public, only with possibly fatal consequences.

OK, my previous post skirted the edge or trolling and I was told by others how rude and so forth that I was. I apologize for any offense I gave. No one was talking about it (the previous post on the subject was like 3 weeks prior) and I figured it would get some discussion going. It did. I was just a little too - as my fellow Phoenix chapter members remind me often - a little too curmudgeonly. We have to be realistic about whether or not the show can go on. As was just pointed out, work schedules, travel arrangements and not incurring a cancellation penalty at hotels and the like all come into play and require some advance notice. And over and above us regular attendees, what about the vendors? They really need some advance time to know if things are a go or not. Beyond schedules and such, there is the matter of safety precautions if the show does still happen. Will the Nats organizers REQUIRE everyone to wear a mask? No exceptions. This is not a political issue, it is a health issue. And how will social distancing be carried out in the vendor room (how far apart will the vendor tables be and how many people allowed in to the vendor space at any one time) and in the model room? Nats are crowded. Model tables are crowded. How do you avoid that. And then the judging - and yes, I am a judge of many years standing. Judges crowd together to examine the models. How is that to be done SAFELY? And what about the banquet? Can you even consider a banquet when the proper spacing likely cannot be arranged (and if it can, I would like to hear that from the chapter organizers) - and how do you social distance when the awards are announced and everyone crowds into the banquet room. I don't see how this can all be done. What I found so upsetting to me - and I still do - is the silence from those in charge of this Nats. Considering everything involved, that is simply unacceptable - maybe I'm the only one that finds the silence so, or maybe I've just missed some responses from them, but I would think others among our fraternity would also find what I perceive as silence to be unacceptable. I truly do not see how this Nats can be put on this year. And that's not rude or uncaring or anything like that. Yes, going is everyone's individual choice, but we should not have to be in a position of deciding which is a greater priority - our possible health or our hobby. Leaders sometimes have to make decisions which are not popular among a few or even many, but they have to make those decisions which are in the best interest of everyone. And before anyone pops up with an anecdotal story about how they attended this or that meeting or contest and everyone is fine, etc., just look at the numbers. Texas is a hotspot. As is my own state of Arizona. This virus is real. It is not going to magically fade away overnight. It is not a media opportunity. It is not the flu. It is real. And for those of us in the higher risk categories, it can be deadly. But, of course, we still want to go (we modelers are really just big little kids and we want what we want and we do not want to be disappointed and so many of us will go despite the risks) and that is why those in charge, whether at the national or local level need to make a realistic appraisal and acknowledge that this is a lost year - for the sake of everyone's health and peace of mind. Would that be a disappointing decision? Of course. We've had 3 Nats in Phoenix and I was very much involved with the first 2. I know the work and effort that goes into a Nats by those who put it on. I know how disappointing and possibly costly cancelling a Nats would be. But I see how much more costly in human terms it could be if it does go on and people get sick and possibly die. That is something no one could then wash their hands of. That is why I plead with the leadership to do what is necessary. For all our sakes. Kevin Wenker

My model is the Italeri 1/72 scale Fiat CR-32 Chirri." It represents an aircraft assigned to XXIII Grupo Caccia, Aviazione Legionaria. The unit was led by Lieutenant Colonel Andrea Zotti and based at Puig Moreno, Spain, June-July 1938. The unit formed part of the Italian contingent fighting for the Nationalist cause during the Spanish Civil War. I used the Osprey Fiat CR-32 Aces of the Spanish Civil War (Aircraft of the Aces 94) for inspiration; profile 28. I wanted to model Zotti's aircraft; he flew "3-4", but I only had the decals for "3-6". The model was built out-of-the-box except for the rigging. Took me 3-months to figure out I can't paint Italian camouflage with an airbrush freehand and another 3-months and a lot of Tamiya tape to manage that effort. I enjoyed the build; never worked harder to complete a model...

Here is Lindberg’s 1991 boxing of the Snark missile in 1/48. I must have weeks invested cutting off flash and filling seams. What a mess these old molds were. I was bound and determined to finish as my wife gave it to me for Christmas 2 years ago. The key goal here was to go to another level with lighting - EXPLOSIONS! The models are painted with MCW acrylic lacquer. Those are the 31yr old decals…they looked good until i put clear on the Snark ones, a few showed some silvering almost like they lifted a bit with the hot paint on them. The tractor, hitch and stairs were weathered with Flory washes and dry brushed with Vallejo metal colors. 220 grit sandpaper for the base. Lights are 24v COB LEDs at 6500K. 9ft of them! Blinding even from the living room lol had to use my sons New Google phone to capture the scene. Any other camera just showed bright glaring light all around. The streaming jet exhaust is compliments of synthetic ‘rope’ style cotton. That really sets off the appearance of flow I think. Here are my top 10 shots. Hope you guys enjoy them… And here’s a sneak peak underneath

So I neglected to add my last few updates here… Firts up, I built the kit crew figures. I love the poses on these guys, very natural then I started priming… not realizing that I had forgotten to add stowage. So I stopped the priming, let it dry, selected some stowage items from my spares collections and epoxied it all in place then the next day I finished up the priming next up, base colors…

Last time I built a F-105G, I was in the 7th/8th grade. No paint, or decal, just good old Testors tube glue. Had a blast. Decided to add lights and sound. Went on YouTube, and found “F-105D startup”. I’m using a Bose Soundlink for a speaker. Going to build a jet blast wall to put it in, The lighting is the same kind I used to light up the inside of the Sherman. Hobby Lobby carries these mini LED light sets. They have a portion of a row devoted to different sets of these. Easy to use, and really cheap.

2020 1. 1-10-2020 Israeli Skyhawk 2.2-22-2020 B-25 Wolf Wagon 3.3-21-2020 P-51H PA_Ang 4.4-7-2020 PA ANG A7D 5.04-22-2020 303Sq Spitfire MkV 6.04-25-2020 FW 190D-9 7.05-10-2020 C-46 Yost Pilot 8.5-15-2020 Israeli Mystere 9. 06-04-2020 Hartmanns F-86 10. 06-24-2020 A-10C D-Day Anniv. 11. 07-20-2020 VMA-211 Red tail 12. 07-23-2020 2011 Tiger Tornado 13. 07-27-2020 Albatros D.III OEFFAG 14. 08-11-2020 303 Sq Hurricane B.O.B. 15. 09-19-2020 Leduc 022 16. 10-11-2020 Bf 110 Battle of Britain 17. 11-09-2020 P-40 Lt Welch Pearl Harbor 18. 11-18-2020 Victory 357 19. 12-18-2020 F4U-5 Corsair Thanks for Looking Lets Go 2021...VIVA LAS VEGAS Bill

I've been wanting to build this aircraft for a very long time and have had two in my stash. I really wished I wouldn't have gotten rid of my Dragon Me-262A-1a Nachtjager version but this Tamiya A-1 kit was a good kit to build. I had set out to build Franz Stigler's plane from JV-44 late in the war. I read Adam Makos' book , A Higher Call several years ago and he was one of the main people that the story centered around. Long story short....he was going to shoot down a severely shot up B-17 and decided to lead them out of Germany instead. Afterwards he was assigned to JV-44 (pretty much Germany's last remaining fully operational air defense unit which was made up of the very best remaining fighter pilots) where he flew this aircraft. If you haven't read this book I won't give anything away but I'll just say that is a very powerful read. The kit is one that has been around for a while from Tamiya: There are a couple of schemes that could've been his bird but this is the one here that I went with as it just looks so dang cool.... I used Vallejo acrylics to replicate the paint and went with Eagle Cals for 95% of the markings and Peddinghaus for the #3 numerals on the side. Note.....never use the Peddinhaus offerings. Other than the #3 the stencils and other markings were just way out of scale. I had some trouble with the windscreen ended up removing it, sanding the fuselage and windscreen joints to get a better fit but that was about the only problem I had out of this awesome kit. Anyhow....after 6+ months...here is the completed build:

"Kuklinski's Principle of Appearance: A half-built scratch built kit impresses people with your skill; a completed scratch built kit looks just like any other model." I have included a picture of my in-progress scratch built 1/25 scale FWD P-2 crash fire truck. I have been working on this since March, 2020. The body is more of less complete, except for the battery compartment (the opening on the lower, center of the body). Everything is pretty much scratch built. It's about 16 inches long, 5 inches high and about 4 1/2 inches wide. The tires are resin from American Industrial Truck Models, and some parts from the AMT American LaFrance pumper kit (mainly just the seats). The next "adventure" is building the transmission, steering, and engine assemblies. I have more pictures but I can't seem to download them. I have a question for you folks: I need to scratch built two "straight six cylnder" gas engines. Any suggestions on where these can be found, or modified? I may have to scratch build these too.

I was out of town and away from my bench on Tuesday and Wednesday so no progress then. But yesterday I finally got the fuselage assembled. and unfortunately despite all the test fitting and sanding, I still have a bit of a gap behind the cockpit from the added fuel tank. But that should not be too difficult to fill. And what can be seen of all the added detail inside up front... Also I did a bit of grinding with my Dremel to thin outbthe cowling edges Next up... seam filling and clean up...

Last night I began construction. Actually though it was mostly just paint work. First I took a razor saw along the seat to give it some texture to suggest that of the wicker seats actually used. Once painted and with a wash it should look more the part. Then I painted up other cockpit components, and the interior of the fuselage halves. Just getting the base colors on for now. I’m not gonna use the kit pilot, so behind the seat is a glaring empty space. I searched thru my spares/salvaged parts and came up with a fuel tank to fill the void. It somewhat resembles the real thing. I’m not going for 100% accuracy, just stuff to suggest what should be there. I’m sure that must sound like blasphemy to some modelers. I’ll get to work on detail painting and washes over the next few days, plus whatever mods I intend to scratch up for the cockpit.

Gary and Jim are both mostly correct. But if it was personal risk only, it is a relatively simple ethical calculus. But when you consider the chance of also infecting others, (at the Convention or subsequently at home) you are in a sense asking them to take on the possible health consequences of a decision they were not involved in making. Each of us, when we risk exposure, are not just choosing for ourselves, but for everyone with whom we come in contact. And, to the observation: ‘But that means we need to avoid ANY non-essential contact and practice social distancing until there is a vaccine’ I would reply: ‘ Well, Yeah!’ This resilient organization has weathered at least one financial disaster ( when Treasurer absconded with the treasury many years ago). I have no doubt we will survive this, as well, if we want IPMS to go on. I know I do. Nick

I finally finished this baby last night. My first competed build for 2019. It's the Tamiya kit built in Operation Iraqi Freedom (thanks for correcting me, Rob) scheme. I used mylar for the optics and a resin set from Red Zebra for stowage. I also printed out cardboard boxes for MREs from Freddie's set and assembled them for a neat look that breaks up the stowage on the tank. I added a boom mic to the tank commander with copper wire. I used the hairspray technique on this one and tried to bring out the NATO woodland scheme underneath like the original. It didn't work out too well in that the top coat was very tenacious and didn't want to come off easily. Final weathering with Wilder oils and Flory pigments. I also made use of an item called "ceramic wire" for the aerials. I'm pretty satisfied with this build. The kit is highly recommended.