Stikpusher

So I started this kit back in November 2011 for a Spitfire GB on FSM. Needless to say it did not get finished in a timely manner, and was resumed and sidelined multiple times over the years. A few months ago I decided to knuckle down on this, and this past week I was finally able to get it over the finish line finally yesterday. This is ICM's 1/48 kit, and there are parts in there to make many different variants of the late Merlin Spitfires. The kit includes a nice engine on its mounts, but that is also the kit's weakness, as the cowling cannot be built around the engine. I was able to get the bottom and side panels on, but not the top... This boxing also included a set of ground crew and standing pilot figures, along with a few accessory items. I added an Eduard PE seat harness, and replaced the kit decals with a set from Aeromaster. Paint used were Humbrol Enamel (underside) & Acrylic (topside) for the main colors. All in all this was a nice kit, and I do look forward to doing another with the engine fully exposed, and adding some plumbing to really dress it up nicely! Thanks for looking, comments & critiques are welcomed.

Thank you Ron. The older Italeri 1/35 armor kits were pretty nice back in the day. They had a few shortcomings here and there, but they were usually pretty nicely detailed. Certainly better so than Tamiya kits of the same vintage. With a little extra effort, they still hold up well enough today.

At long last, some 20 years after I first started this kit, it is now finally finished. My second completion of this year! This is the Testors boxing of the 70's vintage Italeri molds. I replaced the kit single piece vinyl tracks with some Dragon indy link tracks, added a CMK resin transmission, plus some other scratch work on the interior to fill up the open spaces in there. The crew figures are Dragon, Decals from Star Decals "Panzers in Italy" sheet and I painted this with Floquil and Vallejo colors. Stowage came from various items in my spares bins. Thanks for looking! Comments and critiques are welcome.

This is an overhaul of Dragon’s M26A1 kit that I built close to 30 years ago when it was a new release. That was before I used to gloss coat before decals, flat coat after, and other such techniques… the original kit decals eventually lifted and flaked off over time, and I also found out that Marine Pershings in Korea were not repainted from Army OD into USMC green as they were taken from Army stocks. Recently I bought a set of Star Decals USMC Pershings in Korea, and about two weeks ago I started the overhaul by cutting back the front fenders to how photos showed. I was working on this between several other projects as paint or glue dried. This is from 1st USMC Tank Battalion during the winter of 1950/51 on the drive to Chosin and back. I finally got this one’s overhaul finished yesterday…

It took a few days longer than intended, but it still is my first completed build of 2024. A very nice little kit, and a subject that made me want to learn about it. IBG’s Model 1897 75mm Field Gun, Modified 1938. and for a sense of the size of this gun Thanks for looking… comments & critiques are welcome.

Thank you Jean! I’m sorry that I missed your kind feedback until now . Very much appreciated!

Pretty sneaky with your title... 🤔😉 Very nice work on your Blue Angles F11C

So your basic technique here was apply one color, mask off, then apply the second color, remover the mask, and apply a tinted clear coat?

How did Pete write it? "meet the new boss... same as the old boss"

On older kits, there may be motorization holes or company logos. On newer kits, there is usually accurate detail down there- access plates, drain plugs, etc. Looking underneath will show if the builder bothered to paint and weather the bottom, or if on an older kit they filled and/or covered the motorization holes, removed the company logo, and then painted and weathered the undersides. Just like autos, ships, and aircraft have details on the bottom, so does armor.

I had thought about doing a conversion of the Lindberg kit into the long nose version. But in the long run, I most likely would stick with the short nose instead. And yes, some detailing scratch work would be in order! Very nice work on your rework of the Lindberg Tiger Gil. 🫡

Well it's either wait or look for the old Lindberg kit... 😮

What company is DB? It's not a name I recognize from a mainstream company such as Tamiya, Hasegawa, Trumpeter, Hobbyboss, ICM, Airfix, Revell, etc...

The last single seat Grumman carrier based fighter! Very nice work on the glossy Blues scheme. I do wish that one of the mainstream companies would do a new kit of the F11F in 1/48 injection plastic.

Very nicely done! It looks much better than the one I saw in real life out in the Mojave Desert years ago sitting in between fire seasons on some facility. That one was dusty, old, and tired looking.

I'm with Gil... that is some superb work on the camo! Bravo!🫡 Hard to believe that this is a mid 70's vintage Revell Japan kit with that surface detail. Way ahead of the then current detail trends...

I found this tidbit regarding the putty on the "This Day in Aviation" website/blog Several hundred of the early production P-80 Shooting stars had all of their surface seams filled, and the airplanes were primed and painted. Although this process added 60 pounds (27.2 kilograms) to the empty weight, the decrease in drag allowed a 10 mile per hour (16 kilometers per hour) increase in top speed. The painted surface was difficult to maintain in the field and the process was discontinued. I will have to remember it when I tackle the Hobbyboss P-80A in my stash one of these days... 🤔

Very nice work! IIRC, I had read somewhere that the gray P-80’s were finished with having panel lines puttied, sanded smooth, and sealed with the paint scheme for maximum speed performance. What paint did you use for the gray?

Now that is some hardcore model building! A completed kit within 24 hours! Not to mention being built to a high standard! Wow!!! Bravo!!!

Gil and Mark, thank you for looking in and your kind words! I forgot to add this guy to the Class of 2023, my 1/35 Longest Day Beachmaster

Here is this past year's crop of completions from my workbench First up is the old box scale MPC Snap Tite AT-ST Scout Walker. I modified it to have the vision port flaps open. This was a Shelf of Doom rescue. For my 1/48 aircraft collection I completed Heller Etendard IVM Monogram F-84F Thunderstreak Monogram Blue Angels F/A-18A Hornet Academy Spitfire Mk. XIVe FR In my 1/35 Armor collection I added these completions Eastern Express B-4 203mm Howitzer Takom M3 Lee (early production) started by another modeler who died and completed as part of a tribute build to him for IPMS Nationals. Tamiya M151A2 TOW jeep, converted to IDF configuration Thanks for looking

Your Connie turned out gorgeous! Nice to see that she gets in well in the display case with other large four engine types.

Very nice work on the skin tones!

Very nice work! Wasn’t the USS Rueben James sunk before actual US declaration of war against Germany in December of 1941?

I missed this back in April. Wow! Love your NMF work on this build.