12 easy steps for whitewash tank camo >

FineScale.com
January 2018

p. 52

PERFECTING
SIMPLE TECHNIQUES
A P51
8PAG
PUMP UP DETAILS IPMS/USEA
NATIONA
GALLERYLS
p.30

Raúl Corral’s 1/48 scale

P-51D from Tamiya – p. 24

How to build 3-D printing Improve a How to paint

an odd opens the final carrier-deck realistic
Tiger p. 20 frontier p. 46 display p. 38 hands p. 18

“FITTER COMPARO” ||| JAPAN NEWPRODUCT REPORT

We build HobbyBoss and
Kitty Hawk Su-17s – p. 60 BONUS
ONLINE
CONTENT
CODE
PAGE 3
Vol. 36 • Issue 1
CONTENTS ONLINE CONTENT CODE: FSM1801
January 2018 /// Vol. 36 /// No. 1 Enter this code at www.FineScale.com/code to gain access to web-exclusive content

42

FEATURES KIT REVIEWS

15 Airbrushing & Finishing
Small details tell big story of Akagi 56 Trumpeter M915 tractor and
AARON SKINNER M872 flatbed trailer

18 Form & Figure 56 Revell Spitfire

Giving your figure a hand
JOE HUDSON 20
58 Tamiya M1A2 Abrams
20 How to build an oddball Tiger
Cyber-hobby kit with resin Zimmerit 58 Takom Maus V2
BILL PLUNK
59 Moebius Death Dealer
24 Relax and build a Mustang
Easy details and weathering
RAÚL CORRAL 60 “Fitters” compared:
Kitty Hawk vs. HobbyBoss
30 Show Gallery 35
IPMS/USA National Convention
IN EVERY ISSUE
38 Deck out a Nimitz-class carrier
Correct Italeri’s carrier deck section 5 Editor’s Page
HUGO PETIERS

42 Build Hasegawa’s Skywarrior 7 Scale Talk

Improvement and paint for an A-3B
STEVE EVANS 9 New Products
38
46 Modeling New Horizons
44 Reader Gallery
3-D printing opens hobby frontiers
ROBERT F. LaPORTA
55 Questions & Answers
50 Revive an Airfix relic
New decals and nose for a BAC-111 62 Reader Tips
FRANK CUDEN

52 Whitewash, rinse, and repeat 64 Modelers Mart/Classifieds

Lighten up with easy camo technique
JONATHAN CAMPBELL 50 66 Final Details
FineScale Modeler (ISSN 0277-979X, USPS No. 679-590) is published monthly (except for June & August) by Kalmbach Publishing Co., 21027 Crossroads Circle, P.O. Box 1612, Waukesha, WI 53187.
Periodicals Postage is paid at Waukesha, WI and additional offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to FineScale Modeler, PO Box 62320, Tampa, FL 33662-2320. Canada Post Publication Mail Agreement #40010760.
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EDITOR’S PAGE
By Mark Savage

The perfect season arrives

With Christmas and other holidays year, I received three models (Dad
just around the corner and New Year’s had taken the hints I’d been drop-
knocking at our door, the perfect sea- ping for months), which kept me
son is nearly upon us. busy through spring.
I call it the perfect season because I had two setups: One, the card
we all know that there are benefits, table I put up in our tile-floored fam-
especially for those of us in the ily room. This worked best for larger
northern climes, to being house- models I was working on, but it got
bound for a weekend. As the wicked in the way of Mom’s ironing board.
north winds blow and the And two, a metal Two fabulous models from my “wonder years.”
snow piles up against the TV tray that no one
porch, it’s less likely we’ll I call it the cared if it was painted Bonanza, Combat, Gilligan’s Island, or
have a lot of interruptions perfect on or nicked with my Man from U.N.C.L.E., and while
to our favorite pastime. season hobby knife. At the away the hours making models.
Now we can model in because we time, I had a couple It was a good time, the best of
peace, create to our all know (mainly pocket knives) times in the perfect season.
heart’s content, snuggle there are my dad had given me Here’s hoping you find some peace
up with our latest issue benefits to through the years. and creative quiet time this winter to
of FineScale Modeler, being I had an old cigar box relax, reflect, and build!
and just enjoy ourselves. housebound that held my plastic tray of
It’s this time of year Testors paints, along with
that gets me reflecting my brushes and a tube of
on my early modeling days. First, glue. No liquid glue back then, at
getting that new biplane, jet, or car least none in our house.
model for Christmas, plus maybe a I’d plunk myself down in front of
couple of new paintbrushes. One editor@finescale.com
the TV (black-and-white still), watch

Off the sprue: What’s your favorite current TV show?

Editor Senior Editor Associate Editor Assistant Editor Editorial Associate

Mark Savage Aaron Skinner Mark Hembree Elizabeth Nash Monica Freitag
msavage@Kalmbach.com askinner@FineScale.com mhembree@FineScale.com enash@FineScale.com mfreitag@FineScale.com

I laugh the hardest at I’m watching several Actually, we don’t watch Brooklyn Nine-Nine is just Well I’ve got two. This is
Modern Family, but really including most of the much TV at our house hilarious. The talented Us, because it’s a
enjoy the genealogy PBS Masterpiece Theater (for which my kids have yet immature detectives fantastic drama with a lot
show on PBS, Finding shows, but the new show thanked us), other than of the NYPD are on the of unexpected turns and
Your Roots, with Henry that surprised me, and I Anthony Bourdain’s Parts case! Each episode, I a great cast, and The
Louis Gates Jr. It’s look forward to the most, Unknown, sports, and laugh nonstop (so much Middle because I can
entertaining and really is The Orville. Netflix. so that sometimes I have relate! (Sad to see that
digs into some historical to rewind to hear the it’s the last season for
topics that are often jokes I missed while that one).
overlooked. giggling).

www.FineScale.com 5
 Editor Mark Savage
Art Director Tom Ford

EDITORIAL
Senior Editor Aaron Skinner
Associate Editor Mark Hembree
Assistant Editor Elizabeth Nash
Editorial Associate Monica Freitag

ART
Illustrator Kellie Jaeger
Photographer William Zuback
Production Coordinator Cindy Barder

CONTRIBUTING MODELERS
Paul Boyer, Federico Collada, Andy Cooper,
Raúl Corral, Frank Cuden, Phillip Gore, James Green,
Joe Hudson, Rick Lawler, Karl Logan, Harvey Low,
Rato Marczak, Chris Mrosko, Bill Plunk, Darren Roberts,
Chuck Sawyer, Cookie Sewell, Bob Steinbrunn,
Cristóbal Vergara, Jim Wechsler, Adam Wilder

KALMBACH PUBLISHING CO.

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6 FineScale Modeler January 2018
SCALE TALK
Your voice in FSM

Now that’s a big model

I’ve been building models for 65 years, give
or take. The latest project: Would you
believe the front 28 feet of a full-size
F-100D?
The fuselage portion of the project
started in 2006. The attached photo shows
me in the “model” just after it was com-
pleted in July 2015. Steve Rettell taught me
how to do the metal work — there’s no way
I could have done this without his help.
The vinyl decals were made by Jack and
Beth Harrell, using my drawings as tem-
plates.
My wife, Anne, painted the Statue de la
Liberté details. This airplane was based in
Chaumont, France, and the color scheme
was carried in the 1958 William Tell
Weapons Meet at Nellis Air Force Base.
There’s not enough space to go into the
building process here, but if you go online
to www.supersabre.com you can follow the
fuselage construction process.
Clearly, some FSM readers are certifi- Where did it come from? Air Force F-4s were cleaner than ours. Our
ably nuts. But we sure have a great time! I’ve enjoyed the recent Scale Talk letters on aircraft showed fluid leaks more readily.
– Peter Rob how to properly weather a model. If you’re I also worked at Naval Air Station,
Murfreesboro, Tenn. going for realism, you have to consider the Moffett Field, also in California. The state
location and type of facility the equipment of the aircraft were different there, too.
Correction was kept in. For the most part, I think panels on
Note that Airfix’s 1/72 scale Handley Page During the Vietnam War, I was sta- models are exaggerated. It’s nifty looking,
Victor B.Mk.2 reviewed in the November tioned at Marine Corps Air Station El but not something you’d see in real life.
2017 issue requires a .9oz. nose weight, not the Toro in California. We trained air and – Richard Jones
hefty 9oz. we called for. ground crew on F-4s. I noticed that visiting via email

What tools are essential to you?

Motor tool attachments
Congratulations on 35 years! I enjoyed
the November anniversary issue with the
appropriately named article “35 tips,
tools, & techniques you need.”
I have two important additions to your
list of essential tools: If using a motor tool,
I highly recommend getting the flexible
shaft attachment and a micro chuck.
The flexible shaft makes the bulky tool
much easier to control and hold. The
micro chuck just makes changing bits so
much better than changing collets for dif-
ferent bits.
– Robert Norman
Painesville, Ohio
Mini clothespins
In the November tool article, you note
using clothespins from the laundry room.
An alternative is the mini clothespins I
find at my local A.C.Moore crafts store,
made by Loew Cornell (No. 1021179).
There are 24 to a package and they are
1¾ inches long. They are coated with a
clear finish so the outside doesn’t snag or
scratch delicate parts. I find they provide
the right amount of clamping pressure.
– James Davies
Newark, Del.
Prescription glasses
Regarding magnifying glassware, I had
tried a few of the clip-on types but, given
how nearsighted I am, they never felt
quite right. It seemed that objects weren’t
in focus.
Then I saw a CraftOptics booth at an
exposition and knew I had found what I
needed. I now have a pair of prescription
magnifying glasses (including bifocal
lenses) that I can actually see with.
If you wear glasses, I strongly recom-
mend looking into prescription magnify-
ing glasses. Oh, and the optional LED
light doesn’t hurt, either.
– Greg Dieter
Tigard, Ore.
Inspiration, of course
I have read FSM since the late 1980s.
While I am distressed by developments
within the hobby world (fewer U.S. man-
ufacturers, higher kit prices, and the clo-
sure of most brick-and-mortar hobby
shops), I am heartened to see that interest
is still strong among the generations.
Your publication undoubtedly
contributes to this endeavor.
Since I have an estimated 4,000 kits
in storage waiting for me to build them, I
will be a continual reader looking for that
fresh idea, technique, tool, and
recommendation.
– John Kiser
Arlington, Texas

www.FineScale.com 7
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8 FineScale Modeler January 2018

NEW PRODUCTS
Compiled by Monica Freitag & Aaron Skinner

Spotlight

Exclusive: All Japan Hobby Show Report

T
he Tokyo International Exhibition Center hosted the 57th annual All Japan Hobby Show Sept. 29-30, 2017. Most of the
major Japanese model manufacturers attended and showed off upcoming releases. FSM’s special correspondent Greg Bower
checked out the offerings; here are some highlights.

BANDAI FREEDOM MODELS

ing armor. The legs are posable with

working pistons and the cannons are
Developed in Taiwan for the Republic of movable and would be great with other
China air force, the F-CK-1 Ching-Kuo 1/72 scale armor. The kits should be
Continuing its established line of Star entered service in the late 1990s. available now.
Wars kits, Bandai showed off the much- Freedom Models has released 1/48 scale
anticipated Perfect Grade 1/72 scale kits of the single-seat -1C and two-seat
Millennium Falcon. The kit reproduces
the 5-foot filming miniature used in the
-1D variants and they should be coming
out soon.
TAMIYA
original Star Wars: A New Hope, including
three landing-gear legs as opposed to the
five used on later models. Surface detail
includes faithfully recreated scratches and
GREAT WALL HOBBY
impact craters, and the kit includes light-
ing and photo-etched parts. It should be
available soon.

FINE MOLDS

Following the success of its 1/48 scale

In 2015, Fine Molds released a detailed
1/72 scale F-14D Tomcat with posable
hatches, but it was only available in sec-
tions sold with issues of Model Graphix.
The company retooled some of the intake
parts to improve accuracy, then added
new cockpit and exhaust nozzle parts to
produce an F-14A. Decals include a
choice of markings for either VF-84 Jolly
Rogers or VF-111 Sundowners. A missile
set is being sold separately. Both were
expected to be available in December.
MiG-29 and F-15, Great Wall Hobby
showed off sprues and a buildup of its
upcoming Russian Sukhoi Su-35S
“Flanker-E”. The release date was
unknown at press time.
ROCKET MODELS
A new Japanese company, Rocket
Models, has a range of 1/72 scale kits
under the Fist of War brand. Based in an
alternate universe, the kits theorize the
results of German work to produce walk-
Using technology normally associated
with its 1/32 scale aircraft kits, Tamiya
showed parts and buildups of a 1/48 scale
Messerschmitt Bf 109G-6. Magnets and
optional parts allow the cowl to be closed
or open to display a detailed engine.
Carefully installed polycaps leave the
drop tank removable. Three marking
options will be included. The release date
was unknown at press time.

www.FineScale.com 9
NEW PRODUCTS
AIRCRAFT KITS
1/48 SCALE
IDF F-CK-IC Ching-Kuo from AFV Club,
No. AR48108, $55.99. Look for a detailed review
in an upcoming issue of FSM.
SBD-5 Dauntless from Italeri, No. 2673,
$34.99.
1/72 SCALE
F-106A Delta Dart from Trumpeter,
No. 01682, $47.95. Look for a detailed review in
an upcoming issue of FSM.
F-35A Lightning II fighter Lockheed
Martin from Meng, No. LS-007, $69.99. Look
for a detailed review in an upcoming issue of
FSM.
10 FineScale Modeler January 2018
Tornado IDS 60th Anniversary 311 GV
RSV from Italeri, No. 1403, $22.99.
Fw 189A-1/A-2 from Italeri, No. 1404, $17.99.
F/A-18E/F Super Hornet (2 kits) from
Hasegawa, No. 5265, $99.99.
Kugisho P1Y1 Ginga “Frances” Type 11
from Hasegawa, No. 5101, $37.99.
Mitsubishi G3M2/G3M3 Type 96 attack
bomber from Hasegawa, No. 5111, $42.99.
Mitsubishi F-2A 3SQ 60th Anniversary
from Hasegawa, No. 0261, $45.99.
Shinmeiwa SS-2 Rescue Seaplane from
Hasegawa, No. 0260, $59.99.
Area-88 F-14A Tomcat Micky Scymon from
Hasegawa, No. 4755, $59.99.
Messerschmitt Bf 109G-6 Finnish Aces (2
kits) from Hasegawa, No. 0259, $45.99.
ARMOR KITS
1/35 SCALE
Merkava Mk.1 from Takom, No. 2078, $55.
Look for a detailed review in an upcoming
issue of FSM.
 ARA Press
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www.FineScale.com 11
NEW PRODUCTS

1/56 SCALE

Merkava Mk.1 Hybrid from Takom, No. 2079, M4 Sherman tank Black Magic‚ from Revell,
$55. No. 85-7864, $23. Wargame King Tiger tank from Italeri,
No. 5765, $29.99.

1/72 SCALE

M109A3 from AFV Club, No. AF35304, $55.99.

M3 Lee (early) from Takom, No. 2085, $59.95.
Look for a detailed review in an upcoming FSM.

PzKpfw IV Ausf F2 and 8-ton halftrack

from Hasegawa, No. 0046, $64.99.

FIGURE KITS
1/48 SCALE
MIM-23 from AFV Club, No. AF35283, $59.99. WWII pilot
Look for a detailed review in an upcoming Albatros from Plus
issue of FSM. Model, No. AL4077,
M3 Grant from Takom, No. 2086, $59.95. $11.50.
AMD35 French armored car 1940 from
Tamiya, No. 32411, $40.

15cm sIG 33 auf Fahrgestell PzKpfw III (Sf)

from Dragon, No. 6904, $69.99.

1/48 SCALE
OTHER SCALE

R.O.K. Army K2 Black Panther from

Academy, No. 13511, $65. Look for a detailed
review in an upcoming issue of FSM.

German Heavy Tractor SS-100 from Tamiya,

Military Miniature Series No. 93, No. 32593, $26.
Polish Line light horse Lancers from
Warlord Games, No. 302212001, $35. Black
Powder Napoleonic Wars 1789-1815.

Prussian Landwehr Regiment (1813-1815)

Carro Armato L6/40 tank from Italeri, from Warlord Games, No. 302012501, $25.50.
No. 6553, $29.99. Black Powder Napoleonic Wars 1789-1815.

12 FineScale Modeler January 2018

Polish Vistula Legion from Warlord Games,
No. 302011801, $25.50. Black Powder
1/35 SCALE AIRCRAFT DETAILS
Napoleonic Wars 1789-1815.
1/72 SCALE

SHIP KITS Flaps for P2V

Neptune from Plus
Model, No. AL7019,
1/350 SCALE $26.10. 10 resin parts,
photo-etched sheet
and decals.

Gas station from Plus Model, No. 494, $80.60.

JMSDF DDH Hyuga Helicopter Destroyer

SPACECRAFT DETAILS
from Hasegawa, No. 4154, $59.99.
1/350 SCALE
1/700 SCALE

Greengrocer trol- Fluid tank from Plus

ley from Plus Model, Model, No. 495,
No. 513, $20. 9 resin $33.30. 24 resin parts
parts and laser carved and photo-etch
wooden parts. sheet.
Japanese Navy Destroyer Asashio from
Hasegawa, No. 9463, $22.99. 1/48 SCALE

TOS Enterprise Moonlander space-

engine grills from craft from ParaGrafix,
ParaGrafix, No. No. PGX209, $31.95.
Japanese Navy Light Cruiser Tatsuta from PGX208, $29.95.
Hasegawa, No. 3173, $64.99.

Wheel extinguisher Portable toolbox AIRCRAFT DECALS

MISCELLANEOUS KITS from Plus Model,
No. AL4074, $17.30.
from Plus Model,
No. AL4075, $17.90.
1/32 SCALE
28MM Space Racers -
Make Your Own F-16C Alaskan
Paper Rockets, Splinters from
$29.99. From TwoBobs Aviation
Laurence King Graphics, No. 32-068,
Publishing. $14. Also available in
1/48 48-259 and 1/72
72-105.

Ma’al Drakar from Reaper, No. 77580, $149.99.

The Dragon Tyrant.

Welcome new manufacturers

Linden Hill Imports: www.lindenhillimports.com

www.FineScale.com 13
NEW PRODUCTS
BOOKS
1/48 SCALE

US Navy Escort TSR2 Britain's Lost M1A1 in Iraqi Krupp Protze and
Carriers 1942-45, Cold War Strike Jet, Service, $25, soft- Variants, $18, soft-
Arctic Flankers — Su-27 Flanker air- $18, by Mark Stile, $20, by Andrew cover, 66 pages, all cover, 46 pages, all
Su-27 Guardians of frame stencil data softcover, 48 pages, Brookes, softcover, 80 color photos, ISBN: black-and-white pho-
the North update (Russian) from all black-and-white pages, mostly black- 978-1-5267-0691-1. tos, ISBN: 978-1-9475-
from Linden Hill Linden Hill Imports, photos, ISBN: 978-1- and-white photos, From Sabot 5200-005. From Sabot
Imports, No. No. LHD48011M, 4728-1810-2. From ISBN: 978-1-4728- Publications. Publications.
LHD48040, $21.99. $12.99. Osprey Publishing. 2248-2. From Osprey.

The Panzer IV The Boat that Won

MiG-21 Aces of the Sturmgeschütz, $45, Hitler's Rock, $22.95, the War, $34, by
Vietnam War, $23, by Thomas Anderson, by Anthony Tucker- Charles C. Roberts, Jr.,
F-16C Thunderbirds from TwoBobs Aviation by Istvan Toperczer, hardcover, 272 pages, Jones, softcover, 123 hardcover, 128 pages,
Graphics, No. 48-260, $24. softcover, 112 pages, all black-and-white pages, black-and- black-and-white pho-
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Red Stars for Russian Soviet Su-27s & Mig- white photos, ISBN: 4728-1752-5. From 978-1-84832-099-4. 0691-1. From Pen &
29s 1980 - 2017 from Linden Hill Imports, 978-1-4728-2356-4. Osprey Publishing. From Pen & Sword Sword Books Limited.
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Want to see more? Junkers Ju 88 The
B-29 Superfortress Early Years -
Visit www.finescale.com for Workbench vs Ki-44 Tojo, Pacific Blitzkrieg to the
Reviews, details of books and decals and FSM’s Theater 1944-45, Blitz, $24.95, by Chris
New Product Rundown videos with Aaron $20, by Donald Goss, softcover, 147
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of modeling tools at the Kalmbach Hobby 978-1-4728-1886-7. From Pen & Sword
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browse our selection of essential tools! Publishing.

14 FineScale Modeler January 2018

AIRBRUSHING & FINISHING
By Aaron Skinner

Small details tell big story

Paint, weathering, and animated aircraft and figures capture a moment in time

Pilots of Mitsubishi Zeroes and Nakajima Kates run up the engines and prepare to take off as deck crew make final preparations aboard the
Japanese carrier Akagi on Dec. 7, 1941. Dave crowded his 1/350 scale model with more than 20 planes and scores of figures.

C
rews hustle about the deck and
propellers spin as the Akagi
launches the first wave of fighters
and torpedo bombers against
Pearl Harbor. That’s the scene set by Dave
Adamson’s 1/350 scale model of the
Japanese carrier.
The Parker, Colo., resident pulled out all
the stops when he built Hasegawa’s Akagi
with four of the company’s detail sets
embellished with some Eduard photo-etch
(PE). In addition to ladders and railings,
PE replaced much of the kit plastic under
the flight deck.
Dave painted most of the 29-inch-long
model with Testors Model Master enamels
mixed with Testors Universal Enamel
Thinner. He uses different ratios for flat —
3 parts paint and 1 part thinner — and
gloss colors — 3 parts paint and 2 parts
thinner.
Using a dental compressor (a leftover
from his career as a dental laboratory tech-
nologist), he sprays enamels at 15-20 psi for

Meet Dave Adamson

“I’m an 84-year-old the Army Air Corps, gave to his wife, Norma the stash.” He builds
youngster still learning him a Comet kit of the (they’re still together 56 mostly 1/48 scale World
my way through the B-29. “The kit came with years later), and a career War II aircraft, but dab-
hobby of scale modeling,” solid-wood precut parts, occupied much of his bles in 1/32 scale planes,
says Dave. As a preteen, glue, paint, clear plastic time. “I do not remember some jets, and loves the
he built stick-and-tissue blisters, and, yes, sandpa- what prompted the reen- change of pace offered
airplanes with his older per,” Dave says. From the try,” he says. “I didn’t have by 1/350 scale ships. “I
brother and remembers late 1940s to the late much time to build, but I have two children —
whittling airplanes from 1960s he didn’t build did start buying up lots both now married — and to get my son, Troy,
shipping-crate planks. In much as high school, four and lots of kits — the I’m blessed with five started in the hobby, as
late World War II, his years in the Air Force, beginning of that mon- grandchildren,” he says. “I well as two grandsons,
brother, on leave from some college, marriage strous thing known as used kits from my stash Nicholas and Christian.”

www.FineScale.com 15
AIRBRUSHING & FINISHING
general coverage. For small areas and
details, he moves the brush closer to the
surface and reduces the pressure to 10-15
psi; he may add more thinner for better
flow. He painted the Akagi with a Badger
200 single-action airbrush.
After assembling the hull, minus the
flight deck and some details, and wiping it
with Testors Plastic Prep (out of produc-
tion), Dave pre-shaded details and recesses
with flat black. Then he airbrushed the
lower hull with Floquil oxide red (an out-
of-production color replaced by Model
Master British crimson).
The next day, he masked the lower hull
and sprayed everything above the waterline,
as well as the still-separate island and the
fore and aft decks, Kure naval arsenal gray
(No. 2167). “I applied a thinned and light-
ened version of that color to achieve a
bleaching or fading effect, concentrating on
the center of the broader areas both vertical
and horizontal,” he says. “With the airbrush
fine-tuned to more-detailed control, I

Painting photo-etch: The model’s
extensive PE poses paint adhesion
problems that Dave remedied by
lightly sanding both sides of the
thin metal frets before removing
any parts to give the paint
something to hold onto. “Sanding
is certainly not a panacea to the
adherence problem, but it does
offer an improvement,” he says.
“The procedure is tedious, but
with care and patience, can be
done without damaging parts,
even the more-delicate ones.”
No primer: Dave rarely uses an overall
primer — the Akagi was no exception —
because he doesn’t worry about enamels
not sticking, spot-checks problem areas
such as filler and repairs, and prefers a
targeted approach for pre-shading or color
modulation. Rather, he is concerned that
each layer of paint, including primer,
obscures fine detail molded into modern
kits. “Overly thick paint application,
whether it is the result of too many paint
layers or overly thick paint spraying/
brushing technique, destroys details and
contributes to a toy model look,” he says.
Rigging: Dave rigged the mast and radio
antennas with EZ Line attached with tiny
drops of super glue. Dabs of white glue
applied with a toothpick and painted
with thin gloss black produced
insulators. “I wanted to present the Akagi
with a high wind over the deck using the
flags to pose that impression,” Dave says.
For flag lines, he gently bowed fine
wires, painted them black, and anchored
them with super glue. He applied decal
flags to thin foil, then bent and rolled
them over toothpicks so they waved
in the wind.

Figures: Dave crewed his Akagi with a variety of figures:

Akagi by the L’Arsenal resin, Eduard PE, and Fujimi plastic. PE figures
can look a bit flat, so, after bending them into poses,
numbers Dave bulked them up with tiny dots of thick super glue
added to heads, shoulders, buttocks, and stomachs. He
attached them to cardboard strips with double-sided
tape and airbrushed sailors with insignia white, the
855 feet 3 inches pilots light brown, and officers black. Details such as
skin, hair, hats, and shoes, were hand-painted.
(length)

54
(number of aircraft launched
against Pearl Harbor)

180
(days between Pearl Harbor and
Akagi’s sinking at Midway)
applied the same paint mix to the smaller
detail areas around the ship. In spite of hav-
ing pre-shaded the model, I decided to
accent some recesses and shadow areas even
more with darker shades of the base color.”
Linoleum decks were common on
Japanese vessels; Dave masked and painted
them with White Ensign linoleum
Markings:
Concerned that
decals might
diminish the fine,
engraved planks on
the wooden flight
deck, Dave chose to
paint the markings.
After masking the
long stripes with
Tamiya tape, he
airbrushed Model
Master insignia
white (2751). He
used a circle cutter
to make masks for
the curved markings
around the
elevators. Freehand
masking and more
insignia white
produced the Akagi
symbol on the
deck’s stern.
(IJN 10). He installed the painted ship’s
boats and other details, then attached the
completed flight deck and island. Alliance
Model Works resin hammocks destined for
the bridge’s splinter shields were painted
with a mix of insignia white and a little tan,
then given a wash of black watercolor.
He weathered the carrier with a combi-
Ship’s boats: After airbrushing the tops of the boats with
Model Master tan (2738) lightened with a little white, Dave
flipped them over and painted the bottoms with Model
Master Russian topside gray (2120). After dry-brushing
highlights with white, he applied a wash of black
watercolors.
Flight deck: Dave assembled the three-
piece flight deck early in the build and
added all of the Hasegawa PE underneath,
test-fitting it with the hull to ensure
alignment. While it was off the hull, he
airbrushed the underside with Model
Master Kure Naval Arsenal gray (2167). For
the wooden topside, he applied Model
Master tan (2021) with a little yellow
added. He post-shaded the flight deck
with two mixes of the base tan, one with a
little white, the other with dark brown
added. A red-brown watercolor wash
emphasized the molded wood and toned
down the white markings, giving the deck
a weathered appearance.
nation of airbrushing, dry-brushing, and
pastels. Vertical fading and saltwater streak-
ing on the hull were applied with airbrush
and pastels, but the subtle rust shades were
just pastels. Dry-brushed light gray high-
lighted details and blended the weathering.
He sealed the finish with Winsor &
Newton flat varnish. FSM
Aircraft: Dave cut the molded
canopies from Hasegawa’s clear
plastic Zeros and Kates to make
way for Rainbow PE frames. After
hollowing out the cockpits, he
hand-painted the cavities dark
gray. A coat of thin gray primer
minimized the translucency of
the plastic for subsequent
camouflage colors. The aircraft
were painted with Model Master
enamels lightened a little for
scale — Japanese army light gray
(2115) on the Zeros and the
underside of the Kates, Japanese
navy green (2116) for the
bombers’ upper surfaces, and flat
black for the cowls and tires.
Punched clear disks replicate
spinning propellers. He lightly
weathered the planes with
airbrushed splotches and streaks
of lighter and darker base colors,
and enhanced panel lines with
gray pastel powders.
www.FineScale.com 17
FORM & FIGURE
By Joe Hudson

Giving your figure

a hand
Usefu tips for getting a grip

Often exposed, hands

grip objects that give
context and they can
project emotion as
much as faces.

M
ost of the time, authors concentrate their step-by-step instructions
on painting faces as the focal point of any figure. But hands are just
as important and shouldn’t be overlooked. Hands that look like they
were painted as an afterthought can mar an otherwise beautifully
finished figure and destroy the overall effect of a vignette or diorama.
To demonstrate hand care, I painted one of Tamiya’s recently released German
tank crewmen (No. 35354). These plastic figures are beautifully molded.

Next Issue Paints used

As part of FSM’s Vietnam special in Scale 75 Light Skin SC-18 Vallejo Surface Primer Light Gray
February, Joe shows how he painted Scale 75 Golden Skin SC-19 Vallejo Model Color Beige Red 70.804
the uniform of the Battle of Huê´ U.S. Scale 75 Indian Shadow SC-23 Vallejo Model Color Mahogany Brown 70.846
Marine seen at the top of this story. Scale 75 African Shadow SC-24 Vallejo Model Color Flat Black 70.950

18 FineScale Modeler January 2018

 1 2 3
I base-coated the assembled figure with gray As a base for the flesh, I mixed beige red and For the first layer of shadows, I mixed beige red
primer, then painted the areas around the mahogany brown. I make this layer a little and Indian shadow and applied several thin
hands flat black. This frames, or blocks in, the darker than the base color I use on faces glazes to the areas below the wrists, the
hands so I can better see what I am doing. because it will help with the shadows later. section of fingers below the knuckles, and
under the right hand.

4 5
Adding progressively more Indian
shadow to the mix darkened
subsequent shadow applications
as I added three or four layers,
each slightly narrower than the
one before. I left off the deepest
shadows until after applying
highlights to get a better feel for
the hands.
For highlights, I mixed beige red
and golden skin. (These colors are
from different manufacturers, but
blended just fine.) Thin glazes of
this shade were added to wrists
and knuckles.
6 7
Adding progressively more To further brighten the hands, I
golden skin to the mix produced mixed light skin and golden skin
brighter highlights. Brushing on and brushed it over the highest
several thin, controlled glazes spots and the center of other
prevented uneven color buildup. I highlights.
painted fine lines along tendons.

8 9 10
Returning to the shadows, I brushed thin With the shadows in place, I finalized As a crowning touch, I added veins to the
African shadow around the wrists, between highlights by painting very thin light skin on backs of the hands. First, I brushed fine lines of
the fingers, and under the tanker’s right hand. top of knuckles and the uppermost edges of a mix of mahogany brown and Indian shadow;
Adding a little black to African shadow fingers. Less diluted light skin colored the parallel lines of a mix of light skin and golden
separated the fingers. fingernails. skin made the blood vessels stand out. FSM

www.FineScale.com 19
 How to build an
oddball Tiger
Aftermarket Zimmerit and add-ons for the mismatched F13
BY BILL PLUNK
T
iger F13 is a rolling contradiction — a hybrid tank cob-
bled together with components from motley vehicles
from training schools and unit remnants. It comprises
an early production turret with Zimmerit, a midproduction
hull, and late-production steel wheels! A part of the Gruppe
Fehrmann scratch unit, it saw action late in the war as part of
last-ditch German defenses.
Only a couple of poor-quality photos are known, but they
prove that this tank did exist. I referred to the grainy images as I
built Cyber-hobby’s White Box limited-edition Gruppe
Fehrmann Tiger I (No. 6335). I also used Atak resin Zimmerit
(No. 35032), designed for Dragon’s late Tigers.
20 FineScale Modeler January 2018
From the bottom up
I replaced the kit tracks with workable plas-
tic Modelkasten Tiger I Late tracks, which
include a jig that holds five links at a time.
Each link has two separate guide horns.
Using the magic number of 94 links per
side, I assembled two runs with the charac-
teristic Tiger sag.
I added the rear hull plate and side
plates, using a sprue spreader to correct a
slight warp at the front hull so the glacis
and superstructure plates would mate prop-
erly, 1.
Adding Zimmerit
I removed the front left mud flap for inter-
est, taking care to leave the supporting lip
from the main armor plate intact. Using
Gator’s Grip Thin Blend glue, I added Atak
Zimmerit panels to the glacis, front super-
structure, and hull nose plates off the
 1 2 3
I test-fitted the Modelkasten track runs with Testors cement won’t affect resin, but it softens Using curved scissors, I cut the thin resin to
the adjustable idler to get the proper sag. the underlying plastic to serve as a glue. show damaged Zimmerit on the left side …

4 5 6
… but I left the right side pristine. The rear Zimmerit left room for mufflers. Photo-etched clamps secure tools.

7 8 9
I didn’t modify the turret’s right-side Zimmerit. Gaps on the left depict a missing bin. Before painting, I test-fitted the turret and hull.

model. I followed that up with Testors liq-
uid cement around the panel edges to lock
them down, 2. Small amounts of Squadron
White putty filled in a couple of gaps and
blended the panels with the kit parts. The
plates were then installed. A pair of com-
pression clamps pressed the sides and roof
together, creating a solid join.
I used small, curved scissors to carefully
remove key parts from the Atak side panel,
creating damage on the left side, 3. The
right side was added as a whole piece with-
out damage, 4.
On the rear hull plate, I added the
Zimmerit first and then the exhausts, mud
flaps, and tow hooks, 5.
Hull top and turret
I added in the engine access panels and the
kit-supplied photo-etch (PE) screens. Small
amounts of putty filled the locators for the
unneeded Feifel air cleaners. Also filled
were the square openings created by the
misalignment of the gun cleaning-rod
holders, due to the different types of hull
parts used in the kit.
For the front part of the main deck, I
used Griffon PE tool clamps, 6. Blu-tack
masked the periscopes.
I replaced the kit’s mantlet with Atak’s
part, complete with Zimmerit, then
attached an RB Models brass MG34 coax-
ial machine gun with super-glue gel to
detail this area. The kit’s recoil sleeve and
8.8cm main gun with muzzle brake finished
the mantlet.
Matching details and Zimmerit on the
turret to photos of F13 proved a little tricky,
since the kit’s early-style turret didn’t
account for spare-track holders. The tank
lacked a turret bin, so I filled the mounting
holes with sheet styrene, then puttied and
sanded the area smooth. With a pencil, I
marked the areas that wouldn’t have
received Zimmerit had the bin been in
place, then outlined the area covered by the
commander’s pistol port. Lastly, I marked
out the left-side spare-track supports using
the panel openings as a spacing guide. The
Atak panels are thin and translucent, so I
could see the pencil marks through them
and know where I needed to cut.
I attached the right-side panel first, add-
ing resin viewport covers and the escape
hatch, 7.
I cut the left panel down significantly
and added the armored viewport without
Zimmerit, 8.
Leftover Zimmerit covered the pistol
port, and a small patch was added to the
front top edge of the turret for some added
detail, 9. Nothing went to waste with this
build!

www.FineScale.com 21
10 11 12
I began painting with an overall primer of dark A base coat of panzer dunkelgelb and light For the second camouflage color, I airbrushed
brown, followed by patches of red oxide. gray followed. Italian olive green.

13 14 15
Then I applied red-brown. Note the difference Removing the masks revealed the red oxide I painted spare track links with burnt umber;
in the patterns on the hull and turret. exposed by the damaged Zimmerit. dry-brushed steel highlighted wear.

16 17 18
Black artist’s pastels produced smoke stains on After highlighting the edges of the chipped … and on the front of the hull.
the already weathered exhausts. Zimmerit, I added spare track on the turret …

Time for paint I wanted the hull and turret patterns to hull runs, and I used the Modelkasten links
I used Testors Model Master enamel paints be different from each other, so the two for the turret racks. The spare tracks were
for this project except where noted. were painted separately and the pattern airbrushed with burnt umber, lightly dry-
First, I airbrushed a primer coat of applied freehand. Over the base coat I brushed with steel and given a wash of
Italian dark brown over the vehicle, includ- applied Italian olive green, then added the thinned leather. A dusting with orange art-
ing the road wheels and running gear. third camouflage color using a 50:50 mix of ist pastels finished their look, 15.
I mixed a custom red oxide primer using leather and military brown, The exhausts were fin-
12, 13.
April 1945
9 parts insignia red and 1 part flat black, ished in a similar fashion,
and airbrushed the damaged Zimmerit I misted a thin base coat minus the steel dry-
areas and the exposed area on the turret, 10. — 9 parts thinner to 1 part brushing and with the
Once dry, this area was masked off. paint — over the model to addition of black artist pas-
I used a mix of equal parts panzer dun- blend the colors and mute The date Gruppe tels as exhaust staining, 16.
kelgelb and light gray for the base coat, air- the camouflage. Fehrmann For the damaged
brushing the hull, turret and the exposed From there, the mask- formed. The Zimmerit areas, I picked out
faces of the road wheels, 11. ing came off the red oxide unit comprised chipped edges with a light
Photos showed that F13 was missing areas, 14. Most of the tan color, then dry-brushed
side fenders. To re-create this, I masked off paint work was now six Tiger tanks with horizontal strokes to re-
the attachment line so that there would be complete. and five create residue captured in the
a clean break in how far down the pattern The kit included Panthers, texture. The spare tracks were
extended — as if the pattern had been set individual spare links then installed in their holders,
while the fenders were attached. that were used for the
numbered 17, 18.
F01 to F13.
22 FineScale Modeler January 2018
19
I painted the tow cables and tools in position.
22
The first step in the weathering process was an
overall Ammo wash sealed with PFM.
25
My mud recipe included Mig dry mud, water,
and liquid dish soap.
I used non-buffing Metalizer gunmetal
for the tow cables and metal portions of the
tools, followed by a dry-brushing of steel,
19. The wood portions of the tools were
painted with a base coat of equal parts light
gray and Afrika grunbraun followed by a
wash of leather and raw umber artist pas-
tels.
The bare-metal contact surfaces of the
road wheels, sprockets, and idlers were
detailed with Metalizer steel and dry-
brushed with burnt umber. I also stippled
some burnt umber to show chipping and
scuffing.
To these areas, I applied Ammo by Mig
Jimenez Afrika Korps wash, then dry-
brushed the base coat mix over that. The
wheels were added and the sprockets and
idlers left movable to support the tracks to
come, 20.
I airbrushed a coat of Pledge FloorCare
20
After brushing steel onto contact points on the
wheels, I applied washes and dry-brushing.
23
A pinwash enhanced hull and turret details.
26
Another dry-brushing of steel highlighted the
tracks treads and guide horns.
Multi-Surface Finish (PFM) over the
entire vehicle to protect the paint work
from the weathering. F13’s markings were
limited to hastily applied turret numbers;
the kit-supplied decals were added and
Solvaset was used to ensure they con-
formed to the complex surfaces and
Zimmerit. Once the decals had set, a sec-
ond coat of PFM sealed them, 21.
The first step in the weathering process
was an overall wash of Ammo Afrika
Korps wash, 22. After it was blended and
adjusted with clean thinner, I airbrushed a
light coat of PFM to preserve it.
Dot filters came next. I used a combina-
tion of flat white, raw sienna, and the cus-
tom base-coat mix. The Zimmerit required
a horizontal application to achieve the
desired effect. This was followed by a pin-
wash using the Afrika Korps wash, 23. The
work was sealed with lusterless flat.
21
The tank doesn’t have many markings, but I
settled the numbers with Solvaset.
24
I painted the tracks burnt umber, flowed on a
raw umber wash, and dry-brushed steel.
27
To finish, I added a convoy light and radio
antenna. My unique Tiger was ready to roll.
After an airbrushed base coat of burnt
umber, the tracks were heavily dry-brushed
with steel and given an overall wash of raw
umber, 24.
I weathered the tracks with pigments by
applying a wet mix of Mig Productions dry
mud using tap water with a drop of liquid
dish soap added to break its surface tension,
25. The mix was added and left to air-dry;
then excess pigment was removed with a
brush. I dry-brushed some additional steel
on the cleat faces to highlight them, 26. I
applied the dry mud pigment as a dry pow-
der to the road wheels. The tracks were then
installed.
The last remaining details were added in
the form of the rear convoy light and a
brass RB Models 2-meter radio antenna,
27.
F13 was now ready to head out for one
last battle before the end! FSM
www.FineScale.com 23
 Relax and build a
Mustang
Easy details and weathering
for Tamiya’s 1/48 scale P-51D

BY RAÚL CORRAL AMS stands for

Advanced Modeler
Syndrome — and if you
suffer from it, a basic
build of a solid kit can
rejuvenate your juices.
An old reliable, like
Tamiya’s 1/48 scale
P-51D, can be just what
you need to reinstall fun
on your workbench.

W
orking on a never-ending project? Tired of filling,
sanding, dry-fitting, and sanding some more? I was — Checkertail
and there was no better medicine than a kit like Tamiya’s Clan
1/48 scale P-51D (No. 61040).
Relax, sit comfortably, put on some music, and enjoy the model. – Name given
Released in 1994, it is a fantastic piece of engineering and a the 325th
remarkable demonstration of detail and simplicity. Just two sprues Fighter Group
provide everything you need for a really good-looking Mustang to by “Axis Sally”
add to your World War II collection. in German radio
What got me going was a decal sheet from Eagle Strike (No. propaganda
48090, “Checkertail Clan Pt. I”) including three colorful Mustangs
from the 325th Fighter Group operating in the Mediterranean
Theater of Operations (MTO). I chose Stinker Pat (P-51D-15,
44-15131), flown in the 317th Fighter Interceptor Squadron by
Maj. George Hamilton, who named his aircraft after his young son.

24 FineScale Modeler January 2018

 1 2
I began the cockpit with a base coat of Tamiya flat black (XF-1). I mixed my own interior green: 50% Tamiya deep green (XF-26), 25%
Tamiya light blue (XF-23), and 25% LifeColor RLM 04 (UA 140) yellow
(but any acrylic yellow would do).

3 4
I added Eduard’s precolored photo-etch for Tamiya’s P-51B (product I base-coated the floor with an acrylic 60-40 mix of GSI Creos chocolate
No. EDPFE219) to the cockpit walls and pilot’s seat. This kit comes “silver brown (406) and Tamiya flat red (XF-7), then brushed streaks of LifeColor
color-plated,” but I painted over that. yellow for wood grain. Other details were Tamiya flat black and flat
aluminum.

5 6
I wanted a yellow undercoat for a bright checkertail, but coverage with Back to the cockpit: After a few finishing touches, dry-brushing with
yellow can be tricky. I primed the area with Tamiya flat white before Humbrol light gray matt enamel (64) makes edges and raised details
spraying several light coats at low pressure with GSI Creos semigloss stand out.
RLM 04 yellow (413).

www.FineScale.com 25
 7 8
Before the fuselage is joined, a light spray of Humbrol clear varnish matt Now it’s starting to look like a Mustang! After joining the fuselage
enamel reduces any gloss from the previous interior painting and dry- halves, more yellow: white primer, then MTO stripes for the wings;
brushing. hand-brushed touch-up, then a light airbrushing for the tail.

9 10
Red markings on the nose, spinner, and wingtips were airbrushed with Before airbrushing the airframe, I masked MTO and unit markings with
Tamiya flat red. At this stage I also painted the propeller blades, masking Tamiya tape. I also carefully masked the stabilizer roots, since they are
the yellow tips. metallic, not yellow.

11 12
Overall, I airbrushed Tamiya chrome silver (X-11). Next, several panels were called out with a different metallic shade, a 3:1
mix of chrome silver and Tamiya gunmetal (X-10 ). Make sure the
masking tape is low-tack; you don’t want to pull up any paint.

26 FineScale Modeler January 2018

13
I airbrushed a light coat of Tamiya gloss clear (X-22) to prepare for
decals. Then came the best — and most challenging — part of the
model. With the proper cuts, the Eagle Strike decals even fit the tail-
wheel door!
15
To weather selectively and add contrast, I mixed different metallic
washes: Humbrol metallic silver enamel (11) and Metalcote acrylic
polished aluminum (27002), each of them mixed 3:1 with Humbrol
black matt (33).
17
I detailed the main landing gear with brake lines made of metal wire
from a bottle of good Spanish red wine; the wire is painted flat black.
On the tires, a wash of Humbrol red brown (100) over Tamiya flat black
brought out the tread.
14
After protecting the checkertail with a light coat of Tamiya clear, I
masked and painted the antiglare panel Tamiya flat olive drab (XF-62),
being careful to protect the immaculate chrome silver surface.
16
Go easy: Do the washes quickly but gently, and only once, to lessen the
risk to underlying paint. Don’t forget the underside.
18
Back to the main airframe: Another coat of Tamiya clear gloss prepared
the kit for the major decaling. I over-coated with another coat of clear,
then let it dry for 48 hours before further weathering.
www.FineScale.com 27
19
I thin a 1:1 mix of brown and flat black artist’s
oils and use my finest-tipped brush to apply
the wash to panel lines and rivets.
22
Naturally, the longer you use a swab the dirtier
it gets. (Nothing new here.) With this dirty
swab you can apply additional dust and dirt to
certain areas of the aircraft that should show
more wear.
25
I used a pencil to place scuff marks where the
crew and pilots would walk.
28 FineScale Modeler January 2018
20
After a few minutes, I begin removing/cleaning
excess wash using a cotton swab damp with
Humbrol thinner.
23
You can add dirt with a brush; wait for it to dry
before applying more. To replicate dust and
grime, I change my weathering ratio to 7:3
(brown/black).
26
Using a fine brush and Humbrol Metalcote
aluminum matt (27001), I chipped the
propeller blade’s leading edges …
21
The more thinner you use to clean up excess,
the cleaner the final result.
24
I applied additional washes to outline the gun
compartments. When to stop is up to you.
27
… and on the antiglare panel, I used a sewing
needle to make sure the chips were small
enough.
28
Exhaust stains and gunsmoke were painted by
dry-brushing Humbrol flat black enamel.
29 30
I added some wiring to the radio and batteries Drop tanks, painted and weathered same as
behind the pilot’s seat. the airframe: I made hoses with fine rubber
tubing from my spares, brush-painting with
flat black enamel and using a sewing needle to
paint flat silver hose clamps.

31
I attached the canopy with Humbrol Clearfix
— a delicate moment I wish Tamiya had
spared me by molding the frame and canopy
as one piece.
32
Just a touch of Clearfix gave navigation and
formation lights a glassy look.
33
Nearing the end, I used a fine brush to hand-
paint the molded .50-caliber machine gun
barrels with Humbrol gunmetal (53),
immediately dry-brushing with Humbrol
Metalcote aluminum matt.

Dry-brushed flat black

Varied panel shades Fitted decals

MTO stripe
Rubber tubing for fuel lines
Aluminum matt chipping
Wire for brake lines
Clearfix for glass
After airbrushing light coats of Tamiya clear gloss to unify the weathering effects, I let everything dry for 48 hours. Finally, I sprayed several light
coats of Humbrol enamel varnish matt, including the checkertail but increasing the contrast by avoiding areas where the natural-metal finish was
less weathered. It was the finishing touch for Stinker Pat. FSM

www.FineScale.com 29
SHOW GALLERY

IPMS/USA
Nationals 2017
Hundreds of terrific
models covered the
tables at the 2017 DAVID FALK
APPLETON, WISCONSIN
International Plastic David says his 1/25 scale
Modelers Society/USA Caterpillar 594 pipelayer is 99%
National Convention at scratchbuilt. The seat cushions
the La Vista Conference came from an AMT truck kit;
everything else is styrene and
Center in suburban metal. He painted the unique
Omaha, Neb. FSM’s vehicle with Floquil railroad
Mark Savage and Aaron paints — the old stuff — and
Skinner were there and weathered with pastels and real
sand on the tracks.
took these photos.
The 2018 convention
will be held August 1-4
at the Phoenix
Convention Center in
the heart of Phoenix,
Ariz. For info: www.
ipmsusanationals2018.
com.

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30 FineScale Modeler January 2018

 ▲ RICHARD VAN ZANDT
OLIVE BRANCH, MISSISSIPPI
Richard replaced the landing gear
legs on AMK’s 1/48 scale MiG-31
with cast-metal parts and resin
tires. Over a black base coat, he
airbrushed pre-shading patches
of blue, yellow, and brown, then
applied the gray camouflage
using Mr. Paint acrylic lacquers.

◀ DJORDJE NIKOLIĆ
FIFE, WASHINGTON
Djordje reduced a map of France
to 1/48 scale for two Luftwaffe
pilots to consult next to Tamiya’s
Kübelwagen. He painted the vehi-
cle with Vallejo acrylics, then
weathered it with enamel washes
and powdered pigments for mud.
The ground is plaster decorated
with kitty litter, model railroad
grass, and leaves.
▶ RON BRITT
MUSTANG, OKLAHOMA
Ron customized Moebius’ 1/18
scale Batpod with cables, wires,
and scratchbuilt monoshock and
oil reservoir. He painted the bike
and Batman’s fiendish feline
counterpart, Catwoman, with
Tamiya acrylics.

www.FineScale.com 31
SHOW GALLERY
▲ ROGER TORGESON
SEQUIM, WASHINGTON
Roger raised some decks and lowered others to convert Trumpeter’s 1/350 scale
USS North Carolina into USS Washington. Other changes include: correcting the contour
of the stem, ends to the armor belt, outboard shaft shape, V struts, and bilge keels;
replacing the boat booms; adding eyebrows to the bow; replacing molded deck details;
using resin main turrets; and correcting locations of the 20mm guns. He painted the
battleship with Testors Model Master acrylics.
32 FineScale Modeler January 2018
▼ DANA SMITH
WEAVERVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA
To model a recently landed DUKW on a beach awaiting
off-loading instructions, Dana filled the bed with stow-
age and covered it with a net, then added rope bum-
pers, hung chains on the bow, and an improved muffler.
He painted the Italeri 1/72 scale model with True Earth
acrylics and filters.
▲ RICHARD C. ENGAR ▲ JIM CHURCH
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH SAGINAW, MICHIGAN
Richard built Roden’s 1/144 scale C-124C out of the box and used custom decals to “It’s a Welsh warrior from the 1270s,” says Jim. He finished
mark it as the Globemaster II flown by Sen. Jake Garn when he was in the Utah Air the Andrea Miniatures 54mm figure with Vallejo acrylics,
National Guard. The model was painted with Testors enamels and lacquers. “I made including five different washes. Pigments and pastels pro-
two of these and presented one to Senator Garn in June,” Richard says. vided highlights.

▲ ALEC KIRIKAVA
APPLETON, WISCONSIN
Alec improved Dragon’s 1/72 scale P-61A by scratchbuilding the belly gun bay as well as the wheel wells, and adding Aires resin. He painted the
Black Widow with Testors Model Master acrylics.

www.FineScale.com 33
SHOW GALLERY

▲ SERGIO LAURENZANO
NEUQUÉN, NEUQUÉN, ARGENTINA
Sergio improved Aoshima’s 1/350 scale Japanese I-41 with Alliance Model Work railings and AFV Club photo-etched details. Mixing Tamiya acrylics
with Tamiya lacquer thinner, he airbrushed the sub gray, then masked and sprayed the lower half red. Next, he airbrushed thin, fine gray splotches
to weather the submarine.

▶ EARL PETRIKIN
CLEARWATER, FLORIDA
Earl spent five years building and
painting Pocher’s 1/8 scale Alfa
Romeo 8c 2300 Monza. He had to
modify all of the body panels for
fit, replaced all of the screws with
bolts, nuts, and pins, relocated
the oil tank, scratchbuilt the
windshield and fender arms, and
upholstered the seats with
genuine leather.

◀ KEVIN WENKER
PEORIA, ARIZONA
On Sept. 29, 1918, American
fighter ace and Medal of Honor
recipient Lt. Frank Luke was
wounded by ground fire and
landed behind the German lines;
he died soon after. To model
Luke’s final moments, Kevin cut
and repositioned the control sur-
faces and scratchbuilt a cockpit
for Hobbycraft’s 1/32 scale SPAD
XIII; Aviattic decals over Tamiya
and Mission Models’ acrylics fin-
ished the plane. The ace is a repo-
sitioned Andrea Miniatures’
figure.
 ◀ EUGENE MARDAR
McCORDSVILLE, INDIANA
After adding antennas and
navigation lights to Zvezda’s
1/144 scale Airbus A320, Eugene
marked it for Air Moldova with
Pas Decals.

▶ ERIK ZABEL
ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA
Soviet pilots liked the Airacobra,
and more than 4,700 were sent to
the USSR during World War II
under the Lend-Lease program.
Erik built one from Eduard’s 1/48
scale P-39N with photo-etched
details and resin exhausts, then
painted it with Testors Model
Master enamels. Poster putty pro-
vided masking, and he weathered
the fighter with washes, pastels,
and pre- and post-shading.

www.FineScale.com 35
SHOW GALLERY

JOHN CURATOLA
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI
Early B-29s operating from bases
in India wore olive drab and neu-
tral gray camouflage, as seen on
John’s 1/72 scale Academy
Superfortress. He detailed the
bomb bays and engines and air-
brushed the model with Testors
Model Master enamels.

▶ BRETT AVANTS
ST. CHARLES, MISSOURI
Brett built Academy’s 1/35 scale
Korean War T-34/85 out of the box
and painted it with Ammo by Mig
Jimenez’s Russian 4BO green
modulation set. Extensive weath-
ering followed, including washes,
highlights, pigments, and rain
streaking. The angled ground-
work is Celluclay over styrene
foam.

36 FineScale Modeler January 2018

 STEVE ROSARIO
OLATHE, KANSAS
This is one of six Polar Lights 1/1000
scale Enterprises Steve has built —
each corresponds to a favorite Star
Trek episode, including this one for
“Space Seed.” He scribed panel lines
on the primary hull and replaced the
kit windows with homemade decals.
He painted the Federation starship
and the SS Botany Bay with Testors
Model Master enamels over black
pre-shading, and weathered
the sleeper ship with pastels.

◀ PAUL JOHNSTON
ADELL, WISCONSIN
Nice ride! Paul painted Tamiya’s
1983 Honda CR-X with Tamiya
Italian red, masked with Tamiya
tape, and sprayed Tamiya gloss
aluminum on the lower body.
Photo-etched badges and India
ink flowed into panel and door
lines finished the sports car.

▶ KEN NILES
FAYETTEVILLE, GEORGIA
“A ragged, rugged Marine Corsair
in the island campaign,” says Ken
of his out-of-the-box Tamiya 1/48
scale F4U-1. He painted and post-
shaded the camouflage with Mr.
Paint acrylic lacquers over a base
coat of Alclad II dull aluminum.
Gently scraping the upper layers
chipped the paint to reveal bare
metal.

www.FineScale.com 37
 Decking out a
Nimitz-class carrier
Cut up and correct Italeri’s carrier-deck section
BY HUGO PETIERS

F
or years, builders of modern naval aircraft
in 1/72 scale have felt left behind when it
comes to diorama accessories. So I was
excited when Italeri produced a large Nimitz-
class carrier-deck section (No. 1326).
I had already built a Hasegawa F-14A Tomcat
and thought I would be placing it on an assem-
bled surface in no time. This was far from the
truth…
The good parts of the kit are: 1) the tie-downs on the deck look
realistic; 2) there’s a posable hatch (opened or closed) for the cata-
pult operator’s position; and 3) the carrier deck is made of a sturdy 1
piece of plastic. The downright ugly is: 1) the rows of tie-downs are not parallel with the
The bad parts are: 1) the box art makes you think that you can deck plates, which are oriented in the ship’s direction of movement; 2)
make bow catapult No. 2, which you can’t; 2) the decals of the deck the jet blast deflector (JBD) is supposed to be at a right angle to the
lines are much too wide and the yellow lines too short; and 3) the deck plates, which it is not; and 3) the catapult is at a wrong angle and
antislip surface on the deck seems coarse for this scale. too close to the JBD. Time to get out the hobby knife.

38 FineScale Modeler January 2018

 2
I settled on making the waist catapult No. 3 of the USS Theodore Roosevelt. To make an accurate Nimitz-class carrier, I would have to cut up the deck
and reposition the catapult and JBD, putting them at the correct angle. For safety’s sake, I practiced on a sheet of paper, making sure that all parts
would align again later.

3
Moving back to the plastic, I dug the same pattern originally on the paper into the deck with a scribing tool, carefully breaking those pieces off. The
loose pieces were rearranged and glued in the correct position.

4 5
The back was reinforced with styrene strip. I filled gaps with putty and By adjusting the angle of the catapult, some tie-downs became
sanded everything smooth. All of the deck lines were restored with a misaligned. I moved these around on the deck. After finishing the new
scribing tool. edge around the diorama with styrene sheet, the biggest part of the
reconstruction was done. Whew!

www.FineScale.com 39
 6 7
Next, a layer of gray paint helped me check the flatness and smoothness Photos show that the texture of the antislip coating on a carrier’s deck is
of the surface. A black pre-shading of the newly made deck lines was slightly different around the seams of the deck panels. I tried to
followed by a few thin layers of lightened gunship gray paint. re-create the look of these lines by airbrushing them with a slightly
lighter gray color.

8 9
Going for realism: Subtle color variation was achieved by applying I added the white, yellow, and red lines and painted the outlines of an
clouds of lighter shades of gray between the deck panels and tie- access hatch next to the JBD. A piece of 1200-grit sanding paper
downs. removed some of the deck lines. I wish I had put on a layer of varnish
before painting the lines, but it still worked. Luckily, I did not sand
through the gray paint, so no touch-ups were necessary.

10 11
Preshading, paints, and pinwashes brought color to the six plates of A pinwash of all nooks and crannies with Rembrandt raw umber and
the JBD. I waited until the end of the build process to attach them on black artist’s oils came next. Dry-brushing the tie-downs with light gray
the deck. made them stand out. Layers of matt varnish sealed the deck.

40 FineScale Modeler January 2018

12
In my research, I noticed quite a few tire marks around the catapult. How to paint those in a realistic way? Well, what better way than with actual tire
marks! I made a rolling contraption with one large Lego wheel for rolling paint on the deck, and another wheel wrapped with insulation tape to
absorb the paint and act as a reservoir. My contraption worked so well that the effect was exaggerated. Dabbing away excess paint with a
turpentine-soaked cloth left me with the desired effect .

A set of 1/72 scale crew from Fujimi added scale to

the display’s size. It took much more work than I initially
expected, but the final result was worth the effort. My
Tomcat is now ready for launch. FSM
A few improvements
and nice paint
for an A-3B

BY STEVE EVANS

F
or no reason other than size, the A-3B Skywarrior is one
of the most impressive U.S. Navy aircraft ever. Known as
the “Whale,” the aircraft comes in different shapes for a
variety of missions, which only adds to its desirability in
model form.
Relatively new, Hasegawa’s 1/72 scale Skywarrior has been
released in a variety of guises — and you can get aftermarket bits
to convert them into a bunch more.
It features fully engraved panel lines with nice crisp detail. There
is very little flash, few shrink marks, and the panel fasteners are
well done with only the larger “bolt”-type fasteners and no rivets
on show, fully appropriate for this scale.

1 2 3
The cockpit’s simple detail belies the kit’s age. The cockpit fits neatly into the fuselage with The J-57 engines are each represented by just
There are basic seats and consoles with decal the nose wheel bay. Don’t forget to add weight the starter bullet, the compressor fan, and the
dials. I added masking tape seat belts and up front, as the Skywarrior is a natural tail- turbine inside the pod halves, but that suits
carefully painted the area. sitter. There’s plenty of room in the nose. the scale.

42 FineScale Modeler January 2018

 4 5
Filler and sanding corrected mismatches
between the wing and fuselage.
7 8
All that filler and sanding eliminated panel
lines. I sprayed the repair work with Alclad II
gray primer and micro filler to reveal any
problems and provide a smooth surface to
rescribe lost details.
10
To mask hard edges, I applied Tamiya tape; Blu-
Tack poster putty worked perfectly for softer
demarcations. Then, I airbrushed Tamiya white
under the plane.
13
The nicely molded landing-gear doors, struts,
and wheels look great under a black artist’s oil
wash. I painted most of the antennas and pitot
tubes before attaching them.
6
The alignment of the engine pylons with the As molded, the horizontal stabilizers point up
wings left much to be desired, but a little filler too much. A little sanding at the mating edges
and sanding fixed that also. corrected the dihedral.
9
After attaching details including the masked I airbrushed the upper surfaces with GSI Creos
canopy, I sprayed the model with Alclad II acrylic light gull gray (H315) mixed with Mr.
primer and pre-shaded panel lines with dark Color Leveling Thinner.
gray.
11 12
More masking followed so I could paint the Once I had painted the intakes red and the
black antiglare panel and nose as well as the airbrushed Alclad II metallic around the
radome. I used GSI Creos acrylic off white (H21) engines, I dragged gray and burnt umber
for the last. pastels back from panels and hatches to show
fluid spills and streaks.
Super glue secured static discharge wicks
made from 1-pound fishing line. FSM
www.FineScale.com 43
READER GALLERY

▲ ▶ DAN JAYNE & CHUCK STEWART

MUSKEGON, MICHIGAN
The late Dan Jayne had a knack for transforming plastic models into some-
thing above and beyond — or below, in the case of Minicraft’s 1/350 scale
Titanic. Sixteen years after modeling the wreck, Dan built a topside version of
the same kit. Among the superdetailing was drilling out 964 portholes. “Yeah,”
he said, “I counted them. Phew!” You can see more of Dan’s works (also photo-
graphed by Chuck Stewart) in the latest edition of Great Scale Modeling 2017,
available on newsstands now.

◀ DON CZECH
CAPE CORAL, FLORIDA
Don built Monogram’s 1/48 scale
Cessna 180 — “probably more
like 1/43 or maybe 1/40,” says
Don — to be a news plane, add-
ing STOL winglets and a luggage
trunk under the fuselage. He
made the cowl removable to
show off his thoroughly plumbed
engine. The cabin also was
upgraded, with resin seats, dash-
board, and wood flooring. Don
made the cargo hatch functional
and says it fits perfectly.

44 FineScale Modeler January 2018

 ▲ JOSE ALBERTO ALBITES TAPIA
LA CHORRERA, PANAMA OESTE,
PANAMA
Revell’s 1/48 scale Huey got a makeover from
Jose when he painted it with Testors Model
Master colors and made his own decals to
show it in the Panamanian air force (Fuerza
Aérea Panameña) in 1976.
◀ CHARLIE PANZERA
WESLEY CHAPEL, FLORIDA
Tamiya’s 1/35 scale 105mm M4A3 and
accompanying figures wear a deft paint job
by Charlie, who finished the Sherman with
acrylic colors and weathered with artist’s oils
and pigments.

▲ BRIAN SCHUTT
CORAL SPRINGS, FLORIDA
Attaching a plastic tray to a wood display
▲ JASON NIKL base, Brian created a seaside setting for
ARLINGTON, TEXAS PiLiPiLi’s 120mm Pirate of Tortuga, 1670. He
Jason says this is his first attempt at weathering; he used Ammo by Mig Jimenez products. Still fashioned the water and waves from resin
more impressive, he scratchbuilt this 1/24 scale Hitachi 870 excavator from “mostly styrene and handpainted the crab basking in the
sheet and a few 3-D-printed pieces,” he says. He up-scaled it from a 1/50 scale die-cast digger. shallow surf.

www.FineScale.com 45
3-D printing
opens up the
hobby’s frontiers

BY ROBERT F. LaPORTA

Download 3-D
files and
information:
www.nasa3d.
arc.nasa.gov/
detail/new-
horizons

46 FineScale Modeler January 2018

 1 2 3
The New Horizons kit comprises four parts -- Most of the scaffolding is easily pried off with … or sliced off with a sharp hobby knife.
the antenna, left and right body halves, and gentle pressure and pulling …
the radioisotope thermal generator.

4 5 6
After sawing away sections of the antenna, I To maintain the dish’s curve, I ran the motor Before gluing the new antenna base into the
finished the first step with a cut-off wheel in a tool at slow speed and gradually removed the dish, I chamfered the edge to match the
motor tool. excess. contour. Clamps held it hard against the dish
as the glue set.

O
n July, 14, 2015, NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft passed within 8,000 miles of the surface
of Pluto at 30,900 miles per hour. This mission completed the U.S. reconnaissance of every
major and minor planet in our solar system.
To celebrate this milestone, NASA pro- Fortunately for modelers, Mylar thermal care of the initial step, 4. After shaving
vided files to construct a 1/12 scale model blankets cover the vast majority of New more of the base with a No.18 chisel blade,
of the probe using a 3-D printer. They offer Horizons, so the condition of the surface is I eliminated the underlying honeycomb
hundreds of other models, too. In addition not a big concern. with a sanding bit in a motor tool, 5.
to the STL printer files, the download Of the kit’s four parts, 1, the antenna I cut .6mm styrene to match the shape
includes 1/12 scale PDF plans that are a presented the greatest challenge. The of the missing material and glued it over
gold mine of information for finishing the medium- and low-gain support structures the opening, 6.
model. I printed the parts at my local are solid blocks, but they should be frames. Using a chisel, I scraped the edge of the
library; they have a 3-D printer that I planned to remove them and scratchbuilt triangle to blend it with the part. Then I
patrons can use for 50 cents an hour. replacements. smoothed the dish with a flexible block to
First, I removed the material, also called begin mitigating the ridges left by the
Parts is parts scaffolding, used to support sections of the printer.
Pieces made on a 3-D printer are a little part that might otherwise fall during print- Research indicated three methods to
different from the styrene kit parts most of ing, 2 and 3. Be careful to remove only the eliminate the ridges on 3-D printed parts.
us know. The printed plastic is much harder, scaffolding and not part of the model — One involves melting the surface with ace-
more akin to resin. Unlike resin, printed check the plans frequently. tone vapor. Upon testing, it resulted in
parts are usually hollow and use a honey- nasty, flammable vapors and over-softened
comb internal structure for support. The Dish it out the thin plastic.
most obvious difference is the rough surface I removed the solid antenna support in sev- The second process I tested was brush-
produced by the layered printing. eral stages. A saw and a motor tool took ing two-part epoxy over the surface and let

www.FineScale.com 47
 7 8
After all the work to remove the kit’s solid
antenna, the wire replacement is a welcome
sight. The feed horn for the main antenna is a
Lego piece I requisitioned from my son’s
collection.
10
Working slowly, I applied pieces of the self-
adhesive foil to the RTG so that each
overlapped the cooling fins.
13
The model’s adapter ring is represented as a
solid chunk of plastic, and it’s too big.
it level itself as it dried. I was unable to
achieve a smooth coat because, despite
being thick, the liquid wanted to flow
down.
I settled on old-school putty, in this case
a tube from Tamiya. After repeating this
process several times to be sure all the
grooves were filled, I brushed on
Mr. Surfacer 500 and sanded again. Finally,
48 FineScale Modeler January 2018
The lid wasn’t sturdy enough to support the
wire for the low-gain antenna to come, so I
reinforced it with a ring of .6mm styrene.
11
I painted each of the bolts silver off the model,
then attached them with super glue.
14
Using a circle cutter, I produced a perfect
blanking plate to cover the void left by the
amputated adapter ring.
I airbrushed the antenna with Tamiya
white acrylic.
Can you hear me now?
Referring to the plans, I used wire to make
the structure supporting the smaller anten-
nas, 7. Looking for a replacement for the
medium-gain antenna, I found what I
needed inside a carton of half-and-half —
9
The scratchbuilt heat shield, missing from the
kit, will go between the body of the spacecraft
and the RTG.
12
Clamps and two-part epoxy make for a strong
body that can withstand the rest of the
construction process.
15
It pays to hold onto odds and ends, such as the
modified tape holder that became the
spacecraft’s adapter ring.
the disposable inner cap, to be precise, 8.
For the support above the new dish, I
assembled a frame using stretched sprue
and 22-gauge hypodermic needles.
Before starting work on the radioisotope
thermal generator (RTG), I cut an octago-
nal heat shield from .6mm styrene, 9.
The RTG has a smooth, dark metal sur-
face, so I covered it with black chrome
16
I burnished the film over the surface and into
corners with a cotton swab.
18
Before applying the decal flags, I brushed
Pledge FloorCare Multi-Surface Finish over the
area.
Bare-Metal Foil, 10. Medium-viscosity
super glue that I applied with a toothpick
aided the foil’s adhesion in troublesome
spots. For added detail, I attached Grandt
Line bolts to the areas between the cooling
fins, 11.
Heavenly body
To align the halves of the probe’s body dur-
ing assembly, I inserted ¼-inch wooden
dowels into one to match holes in the other.
After coating the mating surfaces with
two-part epoxy, I pressed the body together
and clamped it as the glue set, 12.
The underside of the body features a cir-
cular adapter that mated the spacecraft
with the upper stage of the Centaur rocket
that sent New Horizons on its way, 13. But
it’s inaccurate, so I sawed it off and covered
the resulting hole with styrene, 14.
Searching my spare parts stash, I found
a plastic ring that once held tape. It was a
little larger in diameter than the adapter
ring needed to be, so I cut out a section and
closed the circle, 15. Super glue secured the
17
I detailed the inner face of the main camera
cover with strips of styrene.
19
After the glue on the images dried, I sealed the
base with two coats of Krylon clear acrylic.
new part. I scratchbuilt a low-gain Omni
antenna and secured it to the body with
wire at the end of the build.
Mylar covering
Orange-gold Mylar protected the body of
New Horizons and the outside of the
antenna from radiation. Thin Mylar film in
all kinds of colors is sold for wrapping gifts
and making decorations. I used Aleene’s
Tacky Glue to attach it — this craft glue is
plenty sticky but provides working time to
get the alignment correct.
I cut pieces of Mylar roughly the size
needed and crumpled them so they would
look like multiple layers of insulation. I
spread glue over the back of each piece of
Mylar then attached them to the model,
16. It’s tedious to cover small spots, but the
results are worth it.
Go for launch
I attached the RTG and antenna with short
pieces of dowel for support. To cover the
roughly printed surfaces of the cameras and
Visit MyScienceShop.com
Ever wondered what the
surface of Pluto looks like?
Now you can own the
dwarf planet in the form
of a globe produced from
photos taken by New
Horizons. Go to: www.
myscienceshop.com/
product/globe/81075
sensors, I punched discs from sheet styrene
and glued them in place, 17.
The only markings worn by New
Horizons were two small American flags; I
applied a pair from my decal collection,
preparing the surface with Pledge
FloorCare Multi-Surface Finish (PFM)
and using Microscale Micro Set to settle
them over the crumpled Mylar, 18.
To make a display base for the model, I
sealed a round wooden plaque with a few
coats of polyurethane. I let each coat dry
and sanded before brushing on the next.
Then I sprayed the plaque flat black.
I glued laser-printed photos of Pluto
and Charon, one of its moons, onto the
base with Aleene’s Tacky Glue, 19.
A 5mm clear acrylic tube attached to
the base with 5-minute epoxy suspends the
model over its planetary target.
It’s hard to imagine an injection-molded
plastic kit of New Horizons ever being
available. Now, thanks to NASA and 3-D
printing, you can have one at home — and
it’s not that hard to build. FSM
www.FineScale.com 49
 Revive an
Airfix relic
Replacement decals and a new nose sharpen a BAC-111 /// BY FRANK CUDEN

Having lain dormant for years, the kit decals were

useless — but an ATP decal sheet not quite as old
made Airfix’s 1/144 scale airliner worth a try.

W
hen I looked at the beat-up
old Airfix 1/144 scale
BAC-111 (No. 903178), it
reminded me of just how
long I’d had it — and when I opened it, the
primitive kit emitted that familiar old-box
bouquet. The British Caledonian decals had
curled and yellowed over the years — a
“someday” kit gone past its day.
Nonetheless, I was able to obtain an
ATP decal sheet for a Pacific Express 1 2
BAC-111 that included windows and Searching through a spares box, I fished out a The kit nose was history — sanding and
windshields. Calling up photos of the plane, drop tank with a tip that would provide a new shaping produced the distinctive point I
I welcomed ATP’s guidance on changing nose; I ran a strip of masking tape around to wanted.
the shape of the nose to make it more mark a straight cut and, with the aid of a miter
pointed. The wing fences would need to be box, sawed off what I needed.
relocated inboard, and ATP covered that
change as well.

50 FineScale Modeler January 2018

 Relocated
3 4 wing fences
I replaced the kit’s exhaust caps with styrene After smoothing the putty work, I sprayed
tubing, cut to length and thinned with a half- Alclad II gray primer. Note the relocated wing
oval file and 400-grit sandpaper. Thinned fences, per ATP’s instructions; I cut slits in the
white glue blended the new sections into the wings and glued .010-inch sheet-styrene
engine bodies. “roughs” into the slits and shaped them.
5
I saved a lot of time by filling the windows with
Microscale Kristal Klear. Later, I would correct
the unique Airfix wheel mount you see here.
Now, I was ready to paint the fuselage white.

6 7 8
Adding black trim required a lot of measuring I masked and sprayed leading edges with I brushed the old decals with Kristal Klear to
and guesstimation to get it “just so.” I cut the Alclad II airframe aluminum. prevent cracking. To avoid mismatched blacks,
trim decals right up to the edges and used I sliced off the black part of the decal; then I
them as a guide for masks, then airbrushed applied the two shades of gray decal stripe in
Testors gloss black enamel. segments for easier, straighter application.

9 10 11
White striping from Yellow-Wings (No. 48-004) ATP’s sheet provided wing exit markings as I hand-painted the wheel wells and gear legs
edges the two gray bands. I placed the cabin thin yellow outlines; instead, I used those as with Testors steel. Note the cant of the
window decals one by one, coating them each templates to outline white decal sheeting with engines: That’s the way they’re supposed to
with white glue to fill the slight depressions. black Scale-Master striping. be. Thrust-reverser decals came from an ATP
sheet designed for 727s; I cut them to size.

12
The wing exit arrows came from an old
Microscale sheet. You can see how I have
traced panel lines with an artist’s B pencil. Two
flat ADF antennas on top are made from .010-
inch sheet styrene and painted flat black.
13
I made an antenna aft of the windscreen with
.010-inch styrene; I used the same for new gear
doors. For nav lights, I notched the wingtips,
filled with Kristal Klear, and painted them with
Tamiya clear red and clear green.
14
The BAC-111’s APU vent pipe was mounted on
the fuselage behind the rudder; I cut and
thinned styrene tubing and painted it with
Testors steel — and, with that, I had a sleek
BAC-111 for my showcase. FSM

www.FineScale.com 51
Whitewash, rinse,
and repeat
Lighten up with an easy camouflage technique /// BY JONATHAN CAMPBELL

I built Dragon’s 1/35 scale PzKpfw IV

Ausf G (No. 6363) and decided to try
my own whitewash technique.

I
wonder if German tankers ever struggled as much as we do
with winter whitewashes. They tried to make it blend in; we
try to make it stand out. They spent hours; we spend weeks.
And even after we apply a beautiful whitewash, we weather it
down with muck and mud.
Whitewash techniques range from airbrushed paint to premade
mixes. Neither is economical. That and my sinuses’ aversion to any-
thing enamel are the reasons I decided to try my first whitewash
with Tamiya flat base (X-21).
Tamiya flat base (TFB) is a water-soluble acrylic resin that can
be mixed in to flatten the finish of Tamiya gloss paints. It can be
thinned with Tamiya’s thinner (or most other acrylic thinners). You
can add it to Pledge FloorCare Multi-Surface Finish (PFM) to
create a strong flat coat. And, unlike most Tamiya paints, TFB can
be easily brushed on straight out of the jar. If you’ve ever done that,
you know it dries to a white powder that lifts easily. My idea was to
seal this white finish to create a whitewash.

52 FineScale Modeler January 2018

 1 2
After Vallejo gray primer, I applied Tamiya German gray (XF-63) and I applied a coat of PFM, then decals. I like how the whitewash looks over
painted the stowed tools. Detail painting is best left until after the the decals; you may prefer to apply the decals after. TFB is easily
whitewash. removed until you seal it.

3 4
I thought to brush on TFB with a small flat brush, similar to how it was I globbed it on and tapped the brush here and there to make it look
applied it in the field. At first it looked faint, but within a minute it haphazard.
turned white.

5 6
After the TFB dried for about two minutes, I used a short, hard-bristled Then I airbrushed more TFB, adding just a few drops of Tamiya thinner
brush to distress it, gently brushing up and down to create streaks and and spraying at about 10 psi. Even if the airbrush spat, the coat still
break up chunks. I used a dry, pointy cotton swab to remove it from looked fine and was workable.
decals.

Meet Jonathan Campbell

Jonathan writes: “I delved into
scale modeling to fill several
gaps in a particular Star Wars
toy line discontinued in 2002.
Eventually, the simple week-
end repaints became kit-
bashed beasts that took
months and several trips to
the hobby store. Since then,
I have incorporated German
World War II aircraft and
armor in my array of subjects.
I’m more of a “make it look
unique” modeler than an
“accurizer.” It’s an art and a
hobby — both of which I try
to enjoy without too much
headache.”

www.FineScale.com 53
 7 8
Because the airbrushed layer was much lighter than the hand-brushing, A soft brush works best for distressing airbrushed TFB.
I opted for a softer touch to distress it. Be sure to use a dry swab to
remove TFB from decals; otherwise, it will reappear when it dries.

9 10
A sealant coat of PFM seems to erase the TFB … … but once it dries, the whitewash reappears. However, thinner layers
are diminished, while thicker areas appear more opaque.

11 12
I repeated this process four times: Airbrushed TFB and added more with Artist’s oil washes, paint chips, then a sprinkle of PFM on the muffler: I
a small brush; distressed the finish; swabbed TFB from decals; applied loaded a dry brush with DOA dark rust pigments and tapped it over the
PFM; then used a 4200-grit sanding pad to smooth it out. wet PFM to create a textured, rusty look that topped off my tank. FSM

Top 10 tips for TFB

• TFB absorbs moisture and oils
(fingerprints!); I applied oil
washes only to areas that
didn’t have much TFB.
• TFB looks better airbrushed
than hand-brushed. Hand-
brushing may leave edge
marks, even after removal.
• Tamiya thinner diluted with
water or windshield washer
fluid can remove TFB traces
completely, but you risk the
paint underneath, too.
• Just brushing or rubbing air-
brushed TFB off will create a
lighter base tone and produce
scale effects with color (similar
to oil fading).
• TFB works for aircraft, too.
• You can dry-brush with TFB to
contrast details.
• Alcohol-based thinners will
make TFB dry too quickly.
• A clear flat over TFB whitewash
will make thinner layers disap-
pear and whiten thicker areas.
• TFB dries to a cool white color.
Clear coats bring out more of a
basic white, but white paint
usually stands out a little
against TFB.
• Experiment and have fun!

54 FineScale Modeler January 2018

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
By Mark Hembree
United Nations blue
Q Has FSM ever published an article
about a United Nations vehicle or airplane
in which the source of United Nations blue
paint for models might have been dis-
cussed? I have tried quite a few blues from
various manufacturers but cannot find a
close match.
– Bill Snyder
Fargo, N.D.
A In its definition of the color azure, Wikipedia
cites U.N. blue as an example. Checking in at
www.paint4models.com, “U.N. flag blue” is
indicated as Federal Standard (FS) 35250. To
me, that looks pretty close, but that’s all the
help we’ll get there — the site’s tables reveal
no brands with that color.
However, searching for FS35250, I find
Ammo by Mig Jimenez lists its acrylic sky line
blue (A.MIG-224) as matching the Federal
Standard. Likewise for Vallejo’s deep sky blue
(70.844). And Hataka’s HTK-A284 is listed as
U.N. blue (FS35250).
If you broaden your search to “sky blue,”
you’ll find colors that look close, such as
Testors light blue and flat sky blue, and
Tamiya’s sky blue. You may want to mix your
own from there.
If you go with a custom color, be sure to
mix up enough to finish the job — custom
mixes can be difficult to duplicate, and you’ll
want enough for touch-ups. (There are always
touch-ups.)
One more word of encouragement: U.N.
vehicles are generally painted white, so the
blue would likely be for a flag, helmet, or cap,
and those can vary in the field. In that case, use
a sky blue and tell people it’s FS35250.
Bringing old decals to life
Q In one of my back issues there was an
article on reusing old decals and how to
bring them back to life. Could you please
provide me with the month and date of the
article?
– Kenneth Harrison
Golden Valley, Calif.
GOT A MODELING PROBLEM?
Our Questions & Answers column is here to
help. Email questions@finescale.com, or visit
FineScale.com and click on “Contact Us.” We
are not able to conduct lengthy research,
such as answering questions on markings
and unit histories. Mail volume and space
limitations prevent us from printing every
question. Please include your name, town,
state, and a daytime phone number.
Irish troops on patrol as U.N. peacekeepers in
Liberia, 2006.
A Kenneth, we’ve had so many articles on this
that, rather than search one out, it’s faster for
me to just tell you.
If decals have yellowed, you can put them
in a sealable plastic bag and set them on a
sunny window sill and leave them there for a
week or two to let the sun bleach out the
yellowing. Lacking a sunny sill, one reader says
he put them up on the dash of his car under
the windshield, achieving the same result.
When you are satisfied the sunlight has
done all it can do, brush-coat the decals with
Microscale Liquid Decal Film (www.microscale.
com). This will prevent them from shattering,
as old decals sometimes do. However, you will
have to use a hobby knife to trim along the
edge of each decal to cut through the
protective film and allow decals to slide off the
backing individually.
If a decal does crack, sometimes a
matching color of paint can save the day. For
example, when an old decal broke up on a
Boeing 377, I found insignia blue was a pretty
darned good match for the United Airlines
livery.
One more tip — when all the decals are on,
a coat of clear in the desired sheen (flat,
semigloss, or gloss) will help keep them on.
That’s important because old decals just won’t
stick as well, even if they go on whole.
Boring can be exciting
A micro bit in a pin vise is a precise way
to bore into gun barrels or, as in this
picture, a landing gear strut.
Q I’ve read articles about drill-
ing machine-gun barrels. How
about some tips on how to drill
such a small item, such as the
best way to locate the center for
drilling, and selecting the drill
bit size so you do not split the
barrel material. Any good tips?
– Dale Popula
Antioch, Calif.
A Boring out a tiny barrel can be a
nervous business. The trick is to start
small and sneak up on it. Here’s what I
do:
If the end of the barrel is convex,
gently sand it to square off the barrel
end. Then use the tip of a needle or
hobby-knife point to make a dimple in
the center of the barrel end to serve as a
pilot hole. Be careful to center it; if
you’re off, it is hard to correct. I suppose
you could use a micrometer to measure
the diameter and radius, but I eyeball it.
Then chuck the smallest micro bit
you have into a pin vise (above) and
slowly turn it to deepen the hole. If you
dare, you can go another size bigger on
the bit and do it again. The trick is to
stop before the outside wall distorts or
collapses.
A pin vise will work well enough, but
an ideal tool for this is a dental file
(endodontic taper in DDS lingo) such as
those used for a root canal. (Whee! Now
that’s fun stuff!) It’s easy to hold the file
between thumb and finger, giving you
more control.
Remember, you don’t have to go
very deep — just enough to create the
illusion of an open barrel. I paint the
inside of the barrel flat black and dry-
brush the end to highlight the detail.
And in case you are having trouble
finding a suitable pin vise, you can visit
the Kalmbach Hobby Store and get one
just like the hotshots around here use:
https://kalmbachhobbystore.com/
product/modeling-tool/84027. FSM
www.FineScale.com 55
WORKBENCH REVIEWS
FSM experts build and evaluate new kits

Trumpeter M915 tractor and M872 trailer

T
he M915 tractor was based on
the Crain Carrier Company’s
Centaur series of trucks and built
under license for the military by
American General. Powered by a
440-horsepower, 855-cubic-inch
Cummings diesel engine, the 6 x 4 tractor
can pull heavy loads on improved roads.
Trumpeter’s new M915 includes an
M872 flatbed trailer with a 40-foot con-
tainer. Molded in light gray plastic, the kit
features good detail and excellent fit. The
curbside kit lacks an engine; only the lower
part of the motor and transmission are visi-
ble underneath.
Kit: No. 01015
Scale: 1/35 Mfg.: Trumpeter,
www.trumpeter-china.com
Price: $156.95 Comments: Injection-
molded, 517 parts (36 PE, 24 vinyl),
decals Pros: PE easy to work with; lights
molded in clear plastic; doors and front
wheels posable Cons: Painting instruc-
tions lacking details; only one marking
option; rubber tires difficult to install; no
engine
The cab is molded in one piece. Clear
plastic provides all of the windows and
lights; the 24 tires are molded in a hard
vinyl. Photo-etch (PE) is provided for radi-
ator grille, steps, grates, and exhaust shield.
The large instruction booklet features
clear steps and relatively uncluttered dia-
grams. Unfortunately, it does not include
color callouts for the cab interior or other
details. The only painting
information provided
is the full-color
painting and mark-
ing diagram. Decals
provide markings
for just one vehicle.
I’m always con-
cerned about
getting a multi-
part frame like
that on the trac-
tor square and
flat, but
Trumpeter’s engi-
neering ensured the is forming the exhaust shield. I bent mine
frame was perfectly aligned. Getting this around brass tube slightly smaller in diame-
many wheels flat on the ground can also be ter than the muffler.
an issue, but Trumpeter’s engineering was Basic features fill the cab; advanced
spot-on here as well. The front axle is pos- modelers may want to add some details, but
able, but glue the steering in place once you they will be difficult to see unless the doors
achieve the desired position. I left the are posed open.
wheels off until the tractor was painted. Photos on the internet show the cab
I was impressed with how easy the PE interior to be mostly NATO green. It’s not
parts were to work with. There are a couple mentioned in the instructions, but the kit
of complex folds, but the relatively thick includes a decal for the dashboard.
metal is forgiving. The only really tricky bit However, getting the single decal to con-

Revell Germany Spitfire Mk.IIa

R
evell’s new kit of the iconic early
Spitfire features optional wind-
screens, well-illustrated instruc-
tions, and comprehensive decals
with markings for one aircraft.
Cockpit assembly was trouble-free. I
painted most of the components with
Testors Model Master RAF interior green;
a brown artist’s oil wash popped the
molded details. After applying the instru-
ment and seat belt decals, I sealed the
assembly with clear flat.
The fuselage halves fit so well that I
didn’t need filler to eliminate a seam. Be
careful, though, as the tail wheel and fin
antenna mast are molded on one of the
halves and easily knocked off during assem-
bly and painting.
The wing fit well except for small gaps
at the joins with the separate wingtips; I
filled those areas with white glue. Both the
wing and the horizontal stabilizers fit per-
fectly.
The canopy pieces were a bit thick, espe-
cially the armored windscreen, which seems
to protrude too far forward. However, the
clear parts fit without modification, and you
can see the interior despite the thick parts.
I painted the RAF day fighter camou-
flage with Testors Model Master enamels.
Recessed panel lines received a brown wash.
The decals were the one low point; some
laid down nicely but others were too stiff,
even on a glossy surface. I used decal soft-
ener on the bottom roundels with limited
success because of the uneven surfaces. The
red tape for the gun muzzles refused to
conform to the leading edges without decal
softener. Some of the decal silvered, but
another dose of solvent remedied the prob-
lem. Testors clear flat dulled and sealed the
finish.
I spent eight hours building and paint-
ing this little jewel. Parts breakdown points
to the possibility of other versions in the
future. The kit is a good value and would
make a good first airplane build.
– Tom Foti

56 FineScale Modeler January 2018


form to the raised detail is nearly impossi-
ble. So, I cut the decal into small sections
and used parts of it; I painted the rest of
the details.
The door windows are a snug fit; after
masking them, I pressed them into the door
openings without adhesive. The doors also
fit snugly, so I pressed them into place to
mask the interior during painting.
The rest of the cab exterior fit was
impressive.
The biggest problem I had on the build
was cleaning up and installing the six tiny
clear roof lights — I’m still surprised they
all made it onto my model!
I had trouble slipping the nicely molded
vinyl tires over the wheel rims. I used a
micro screwdriver like a tire iron to install
them, but that slightly damaged some of
the rims in the process.
The trailer built quickly, starting with
the perfectly aligned frame. In Step 25, be
careful installing the tops of the storage
bins (Part H24); make sure the single hole
faces the closed side of the bin. It is not
keyed, so it’s possible to install it incorrectly.
The container was also a quick, easy
build; cleaning up and installing the door
latches was the only fiddly part.
For primer red on the container, I mixed
Tamiya flat red and red brown. A flat black
acrylic filter dulled the finish and variation
to the color.
The decals went on the container and
tractor easily and responded well to
Microscale decal solutions.
I spent about 34 hours building my
M915, aided by the kit’s impressive fit and
engineering. The PE would make a good
introduction to that media for intermediate
builders. The finished model exactly
matched the dimensions found on www.
military-today.com/trucks/m915.htm.
Advanced modelers would probably
want to add additional detail to the cab,
hoses for the pogo stick, and brake lines on
the tractor to really dress up the kit.
- John Plzak
Kit: No. 03953 Scale: 1/72
Mfg.: Revell Germany, www.revell.de
Price: $9.95 Comments: Injection-
molded, 38 parts, decals
Pros: Straightforward build Cons: Minor
fit problems; armored windscreen seems
too big; decals silvered
www.FineScale.com 57
WORKBENCH REVIEWS

Tamiya M1A2
Abrams

T
he Abrams tank seems to be a
hot subject with kit manufactur-
ers lately. Rye Field, Dragon,
Meng, and Tamiya have recently
come out with one Abrams or another in
1/35 scale.
What we were missing was an Abrams
in 1/48 scale — until now.
Tightly packed in Tamiya’s box for the
M1A2 are five trees of parts molded in tan
plastic, all finely molded and flash-free. I
was impressed at first glance: It was shock-
ing to see that the antislip coating was
molded into the parts, something the 1/35
scale molds lacked.
The instructions are a 10-page foldout
booklet. They include a recommended tool
guide, paint-color callout guide (Tamiya
colors only), and a separate sheet with a
brief history on the Abrams and a decal
placement guide. The instructions are easy
to follow and I did not notice any errors in
them during the build.
The hull is the first major assembly. A
metal bar
is provided to
add weight to the
model. I am not sure what
purpose it serves but it does give
the small vehicle more heft. After
installing it, I noticed that the bar is a little
loose and rattles inside the hull. That’s not a
big deal, though.
Pay close attention to the instructions in
Step 4. This makes building the tracks
much easier.
The turret is the next major assembly.
Again, follow the instructions closely as
there are several small parts to install. One
thing to note: There are no clear parts; all
the windows are depicted by decals, as is
the CITV (Commander’s Independent
Thermal Viewer). I waited to install these
decals until after I had painted the entire
model and had a gloss coat down. This pre-
vents damage during the build.
The decals in this kit were a big letdown.
After applying them over a gloss coat, most
of them silvered. They are also rather thick
and flat in finish. I would recommend
replacing them with an aftermarket set if
you can.
I used Testors Model Master armor sand
overall, with rubber black for the tracks, and

Takom Maus V2

T
he word big describes the full-
size Maus. It also describes
Takom’s kit and its level of exte-
rior detail. Most of the more
than 700 parts go into the suspension and
running gear; only 50 parts make up the
hull and turret.
The build begins with the suspension
and road wheels. If you’re careful during
assembly, the bogies should be movable.
But it’s easy to get a bit of glue in the
wrong spot and, given the large number of

Kit: No. 03.02.2050 Scale: 1/35
Mfg.: Takom, www.takom-world.com
Price: $55 Comments: Injection-
molded, 720 parts (10 PE), decals
Pros: Excellent cast texture; working
tracks Cons: Two-part barrel
road wheels, move to the next and fail to
notice that one of the arms is stuck.
Fortunately, the amount of travel is small,
so it’s not a great loss. In fact, it’s probably
easier to just go ahead and glue them in
position.
The tracks look great and work well, but
assembling them is tedious. Each set com-
prises 165 parts. But the upper run is pretty
well hidden by the sturdy body of the tank,
so you could probably build about half of
each run without anyone noticing.
Deviating from the instructions, I
attached both sides of the bogies at the
same time. There is a bit of wiggle room in
them, and if they dry crooked you’ll have a
devil of time getting everything aligned
when adding the side skirts.
With the complex running gear done,
the upper hull went together quickly.
Despite the simplicity, details pack the hull,
including photo-etched engine grilles and
scale-thin handles.
Turret assembly involved just two quick
steps. The shell is a slide-molded part with
beautifully molded cast texture on the

58 FineScale Modeler January 2018


Kit: No. 32592 Scale: 1/48
Mfg.: Tamiya, www.tamiya.com
Price: $34 Comments: Injection-molded,
172 parts, decals Pros: Crisp, clean molds;
good fits; straightforward build; easy-to-
follow instructions Cons: No interior
detail or stowage; decals were thick, and
they silvered
lightly weathered the model using Tamiya
Weathering Master pastels.
Parts count is relatively low at 172, so it
doesn’t take forever to complete this — I
spent slightly more than 15 hours at it, and
it was a refreshing, simple build. It would
be perfect for a beginner, and an experi-
enced modeler should have fun, too. Highly
recommended!
– Chris Oglesby
armor and no seams. The one downside is
the gun is molded in halves, which seems
like a throwback. However, the halves fit
well and the seam was easy to clean up.
Only one Maus V2 was ever completed,
but the kit provides several colorful and
creative camouflage options. I was drawn to
the late-war octopus scheme, but went with
my other choice of a dunkelgelb (dark yel-
low) lower haul and red oxide turret using
Tamiya acrylics. To give the colors depth, I
modulated them a little with slightly lighter
and darker shades.
I took a few liberties with the turret
markings, as there are no real photos of
Maus turrets in the factory. But I based the
main numbers on a photo of a Maus hull.
The lettering was done with a water-sol-
uble colored pencil. The larger, starker num-
bers were painted with Ammo by Mig
Jimenez washable white.
I had fun building Takom’s Maus, and
despite the complexity of the running gear
and the tedium of the track assembly it
went together quickly. I spent a little more
than 35 hours finishing it. Any modeler
with a bit of experience will have a great
time with this kit.
– Chris Cortez
Moebius
Frank Frazetta’s
Death Dealer
I
n 1973, noted fantasy and comic
artist Frank Frazetta painted a
now iconic image of a
mysterious warrior on
horseback. The Death Dealer
graced album covers and
spawned comic books, novels,
and role-playing games
Moebius’ 1/10 scale kit was
sculpted by the talented Jeff Yagher, who
did a masterful job of turning a painting
into 3-D. Noteworthy, too, is the packag-
ing, with a removable sleeve
featuring the kit’s title and other
information. Removing the sleeve reveals
an unobstructed copy of the original
painting suitable for framing or as a
backdrop for the completed
model.
After washing the parts, I
started building the horse with the legs pins on the parts. Instead, small indenta-
and tail. Seam cleanup was much easier tions indicate attachment points.
before the limbs were attached to the I base-coated the subassemblies with
body. Badger Stynylrez black primer. For the
The halves of the horse trapped the horse, I airbrushed shades of brown acryl-
tail. I attached the ears before cleaning up ics; the rider and equipment were colored
seams. The parts fit well, but on organic with dry-brushing and washes over the
subjects it pays to eliminate joins. I had black.
little trouble filling and sanding seams Final assembly was a breeze. I enjoyed
along the back, chest, and rear with building and painting the Death Dealer.
Tamiya surface primer, but seams between It’s one of Moebius’ best offerings thus
the leg quarters were tricky. Fortunately, far, and I recommend it for figure fans.
it’s mostly hidden on the finished model, Armor modelers will probably get a kick
so you could skip that if you wanted. out of it, too.
Before assembling the figure, I tempo- – Jeff LaMott
rarily attached the saddle back and pom-
mel horn with white glue to the horse to
properly fit the rider.
Spend extra time dry-fitting the rid-
er’s subassemblies to check which seams
and ejector-pin marks will be hidden on
the finished figure. When I glued the legs
to the torso, I taped them in place on the
horse overnight to ensure proper fit. I left
the arm, cape, stirrups, head, hand and ax,
and shield off for painting; they were eas-
ily attached during final assembly.
I cleaned up the tack but painted it
separately. The reins are fragile, so be care- Kit: No. 961
ful when clipping them from the sprue Scale: 1/10
and removing the attachment points. Mfg.: Moebius, www.moebiusmodels.
The kit provides chain and small metal com Price: $69.99 Comments:
rings to decorate the saddle blanket and Injection-molded, 47 parts (1 metal
suspend the sword. The instructions show chain) Pros: Good sculpt and fits
them being attached to pins on the back Cons: Small mistake in instructions
of the blanket corners, but there are no
www.FineScale.com 59
WORKBENCH REVIEWS
Fitters compared: Kitty Hawk versus HobbyBoss
B
oth Kittyhawk and HobbyBoss
have graced us with newly tooled
kits of the Su-17M3/M4 in close
succession. Previously, there was
only one option for building an Su-17
“Fitter” in 1/48 scale, that being the old
KP/OEZ mold that has also been reissued
by Eduard and Smer in recent times.
Kittyhawk (KH) provides 766 parts,
including 11 in clear styrene and 24 photo-
etched (PE) brass, versus 403 (13 in clear
and 20 PE) from HobbyBoss (HB). You
can choose from seven color schemes with
the KH kit, two from HB.
The KH instructions cover 19 steps in
Kit: 80144
Scale: 1/48
Mfg.: Kitty Hawk,
www.kittyhawkmodel.com
Price: $79.99 Comments: Injection-
molded, 766 parts (24 PE), decals
Pros: Accurate details; plenty of options
Cons: Difficult fits exacerbated by com-
plex part breakdown; some loose fitting
alignment devices
60 FineScale Modeler January 2018
34 pages. There are numerous faults in the
instructions, including misnumbered parts,
some parts not numbered at all, and several
areas where it is not that obvious where
parts go or how they assemble. I needed to
look at pictures of several areas of the real
aircraft to determine correct positioning/
assembly. Color callouts could be more
thorough but are generally accurate.
The HB instructions encompass 24 steps
in 16 pages and share many of the failings
of the KH instructions, having misnum-
bered parts and even less color information
than KH. Both have armament instructions
that are incomplete and inaccurate. Each of
the kits includes a comprehensive array of
weapons to hang under the jet, with KH
including quite a few that are not relevant
to the Su-17. Both kits provide plenty of
spare-parts bin fodder!
The KH cockpit is fabulous, with the
panel, side walls, and seat well depicted by
intricate small parts. I must confess that
the PE belts for the seat had me baffled,
being approximately 10 scale feet long, so I
left them off, as I could not figure how they
should be folded to fit. The only issue I had
was with the K-36 ejection seat headbox,
which looks a little too tall compared to
pictures of the real thing. On the other
hand, HB has missed the mark in regards
to accuracy and execution of the cockpit:
The molding of the tops of the buttons has
a strange, stippled texture, and the panel
and side wall details are “approximate” in
several areas. The seat is acceptable in shape
but has simplified molded-in belts that are
not terribly realistic. Unlike the KH kit, a
resin replacement cockpit is a must for
accuracy.
The wheel wells of both kits compare
similarly to the cockpits, with KH’s being
much more detailed and accurate than that
of HB. The main undercarriage legs of both
kits are somewhat flimsy and wobbly. This
is largely due to the design of the undercar-
riage itself — it would be an ideal applica-
tion of white-metal or brass legs! The HB
tires are vinyl versus KH’s plastic wheels.
Exterior surface detailing reflects the
same attention to detail as the interior of
both kits. The KH molding is quite accurate
and well presented, with numerous little
touches that make the end product just that
little bit more impressive, such as the ends
of the cannon barrels being bored out and
the depiction of the heat exchanger vent on
the base of the tail. On the other hand, the
HB molding has solid cannon-barrel ends
and simple engraved outlines for the heat
exchanger vent with no details at all.
Regarding assembly, let’s look at KH
first. It is a difficult kit to build! Twelve
parts make up the main fuselage/tail-fin
assembly. Compounding this is the fact that
the engineering of the individual parts is
not optimal. Alignment devices are present,
but they allow the underside centerline join
of the fuselage to float; it is essential to
progress slowly when gluing the seams to
minimize alignment issues. Filler is
required in virtually every seam, due to the
alignment pins on the upper fuselage parts
leaving conspicuous gaps.
In comparison, the HB kit almost falls
together; there really are no construction
difficulties. The KH intake “bullet” fairing is
inaccurate in the way it is mounted. The
real thing has wedges on the top and bot-
tom of the cone that direct airflow around
the cockpit. KH uses pins on each side of
the cone to hold the assembly, which makes
it difficult to center when installing it in the
nose. Similarly, the engine (which is pro-
vided as a complete unit that can be dis-
played separately or by leaving the tail
section of the fuselage unattached) is diffi-
cult to align in both axes. HB handled both
of these areas very well, correctly depicting
the bullet-fairing mount and making align-
ment of the burner easy.
Numerous options are included by KH,
with opened air brakes and blow-in doors
on the nose. But the parts do not fit their
respective recesses well at all, leaving no
option but to pose them open. All flying
surfaces are separate pieces. However, the
flaps would require modification to droop.
HB molded the air brakes, blow-in doors,
and flaps closed, so major work would be
needed to show them opened. KH provides
separate leading-edge slats, with slight
modifications required if you wish to have
them retracted. HB molded the slats closed.
KH includes parts to show both cannon
bays open, with reasonable representations
of the cannons themselves. HB does not
provide open cannon bays, but does include
a very nice tow bar to attach to the nose
wheel should you wish to use it in a
diorama.
The KH construction of the wings
allows them to swing and correctly depicts
the hollow rear inner-wing section that the
outer wings slide into. HB has dedicated
swept and extended wing panels, with two
pins that attach the outer wing panels to
the inner wing. HB only supplies one set of
ailerons, but if it had included two sets it
would be possible to exchange swept and
extended wings. Some trimming of the
mating surface is required to fit the pylons
on the KH kit, as excess plastic prevents a
good fit. The HB pylons literally click into
place and fit perfectly.
I chose to build the KH Fitter in
Ukrainian markings, and the HB as a
Russian air force Fitter that flew over
Afghanistan in the early 1980s.
I spent approximately 60 hours on
each model, much of that time being
devoured by applying the multicolor cam-
ouflage. The decals from both manufactur-
ers performed just fine, except the KH
yellow stencils were too transparent.
In conclusion, the obvious question is,
which kit is better? The answer depends on
what you want in a model. An easy build
that has some shape discrepancies and
questionable detail with few options? Or a
better-detailed model with more options
which is trickier to build? Both kits have
their problems, but both are streets ahead
of what has previously been available. If I
were looking to build another Fitter, I
would choose the KH offering because
accuracy of detail out of the box is more
important to me than an easy build that is
not as accurate. Yes, the KH kit is more
time-consuming and harder to build, but
really all it needs is a resin seat to improve
the cockpit — whereas the HB kit needs a
full cockpit replacement if accuracy of
detail is important to you. Both manufac-
turers have also released versions of the
two-seat Su-17UM3. One of them may
find its way into my stash!
– Matthew Walker
Kit: No. 81758
Scale: 1/48
Mfg.: HobbyBoss,
www.hobbyboss.com
Price: $87.99
Comments: Injection-molded, 403 parts
(20 PE, 3 vinyl), decals
Pros: Good fits; easy to assemble
Cons: Details poorly molded; cockpit and
wheel wells are approximations of the
real thing; inaccurate windscreen shapes
www.FineScale.com 61
READER TIPS
By Elizabeth Nash

1 2 3
This inexpensive modeling tool comes in handy all around the workbench.

Claying around
On my workbench is a substance that I couldn’t do without: modeling clay. Its many uses include:

1) Gap filler — Have you ever had a tiny gap, such as
on an aircraft between the wing and fuselage? Maybe
it’s only 1/64 of an inch, but you know it’s going stand
out like it’s a foot wide once painted. Usually, the filler
and the sandpaper come out, and so does the surround-
ing detail. Instead, take a little lump of clay, roll it
around until it’s nice and soft, and squeeze it into the
gap. Don’t worry about the excess, just take a damp
paper towel, cotton swab, or pipe cleaner and rub it off.
Then paint directly over the clay. I’ve never encoun-
tered any bad reaction between the clay and paint. I
find clay’s crack-filling property to be particularly use-
ful on figures when the arms or legs or whatever simply
don’t fit, or when you are trying to reposition the limbs.
Use a toothpick to push the clay into the gap and a
cotton swab or pipe cleaner to smooth it out.
2) Nose weight — Many years ago, I went to a sporting
goods shop and bought a 5-pound sack of birdshot
(today, there is still 4½ pounds left). I take a wad of
clay and knead it into the birdshot until the clay is
filled with little lead balls. This can be jammed into the
nose, under the cockpit, or wherever you need to put it.
On at least one occasion, I stuffed it in the engine
nacelles in front of the landing gear. Once you have it
in place, paint with white glue to lock the shot in.
3) Tiny palette — If you need to apply a little bit of
super glue or paint and don’t want to dirty a container,
reach for the clay. After flattening it out, use the non-
business end of a hobby knife to make dimples that can
be filled with glue or paint. Once finished, let the
impromptu palette dry overnight, which makes remov-
ing paint easy, letting you use the clay again.
Eventually, after five or six years, the clay will become
too grimy and dirty to use — not a bad lifespan for a
$2 modeling item.
– Chet Mohn
New Cumberland, Penn.

How to warm a rattle can
I find that warming a can of spray paint
under hot tap water makes the spray
smoother and creates a better finish.
However, it’s tiring having to wait for the
faucet to run hot again each time you need
to rewarm the can.
Lately, and with good success, I’ve exper-
imented with hand-warming packs used by
skiers and hunters. These packs are activated
when opened and exposed to air. After
opening the pack, I form it around the can
— it will not reach all the way around. To
make it into a glove-like ring that I can slip
the can in and out of, I loosely wrap mask-
ing tape around the pack, using a small wad
of paper towel between the tape and the can
to keep it from sticking.
To insulate the warming ring, I add an
outer layer of foil-faced bubble wrap and
secure this with more tape.
Using this setup, I’ve found my rattle
can stays warm for five hours.
A word of caution: Take this method
outside on the first few tries to test that the
brand of warming packs you’re using won’t
cause the can to overheat and rupture.
– Brian Yerich
Stamford, N.Y.
Stop the corrosion
If you’re building a kit with metal (not
photo-etch) parts, make the finish last with
this tip I learned way back in the 1970s,
when most 1/35 scale figures were lead (also
known as pot metal).
Back then, a common problem with
poorly-prepped figures was a kind of corro-
sion that would, after a year or two, bubble
the paint off. The solution was simple: Soak
the metal in a bath of white vinegar over-
night. Next, prime the figure in enamel or
lacquer (not acrylic). I always preferred the
now-unavailable Floquil primer, but any
enamel or lacquer will work.
I still have figures from the mid-70s that
have never suffered from corrosion. So, if
you’re using metal landing gear, propellers,
or other parts, try this old but faithful tip.
– Ned Barnett
Las Vegas, Nev.

62 FineScale Modeler January 2018

 Statement of Ownership, Management, and Circulation
(Required by 39 U.S.C. 3685)

1. Title of publication: FineScale Modeler

2. Number of publication: 679-590
3. Date of filing: October 1, 2017

A putty recommendation
Deluxe Materials Perfect Plastic Putty is an
excellent one-part acrylic filler that goes
down smooth and is easy to work with.
Even when dry, it can be removed with a
damp cotton swab or paper towel.
I’ve sometimes found no sanding is nec-
essary to get a smooth line, such as when
filling a wing fillet.
If it dries up inside the tube, don’t toss it
away. Use an eyedropper to add a couple
drops of tap water, shake well, and let sit for
a few minutes. The water softens the putty
so it’s like new again.
– Ernie Urtiaga
Oviedo, Fla.
From toy box to workbench
Need to make a mold? Use your kids’ (or
your own) Lego blocks.
Using a large Lego base, build up the
blocks as you would a brick wall, with each
new layer overlapping the seams of the
layer beneath. This will form a tight seal.
Create whatever form you need, be it
large or small, and fill it with silicone or
resin (it even holds reusable, reheatable
molding material). I’ve never had the mate-
rial seep through, and cleanup is easy.
The molding possibilities are endless!
– Craig Hay
Bronx, N.Y.
Dirty to clean in three minutes
If you invest in a jewelry cleaning machine
($19-$49), you can easily wash several
items on your workbench.
I use one to thoroughly clean out empty
paint bottles. They can then be repurposed
as small paint mixers or as a reservoir for an
airbrush. The machine also removes those
pesky, sticky bottle labels.
I have also used a jewelry cleaner to
wash out my airbrush. I break down the
parts and stick them in the plastic tub.
Once they are paint-free, I let them air dry.
Using a teaspoon of cleaning powder
($1.39-$1.89 per bottle), lukewarm water,
and the 3-minute setting on the machine,
you can clean with ease.
– Kenneth Uffelman
Fresno, Calif.
4. Frequency of issue: Ten times per year
5. Number of issues published annually: 10
6. Annual subscription price: $39.95
7. Location of known office of publication: 21027 Crossroads
Circle, Waukesha, Waukesha County, WI 53187-1612, ph.
262-798-6607
8. Location of headquarters or general business offices of
publishers: Same
9. Publisher: Steve George, 21027 Crossroads Circle, Waukesha,
WI 53186. Editor: Mark Savage, same address. Managing
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P.O. Box 1612, Waukesha, WI 53187-1612; Stockholders
owning or holding one (1) percent or more of total amount
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13. Publication title: FineScale Modeler
14. Issue date for circulation data below: September 2017
15. Extent and Nature of Circulation:

Protect Your
Average No. Actual No. of
Copies of Single Issue
Each Issue Published
During Preceding Nearest to
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Investment
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ONLY 16. Total circulation includes electronic copies:

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Shop at
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www.FineScale.com 63
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ATLANTIS MAIL ORDER HOBBY SUPPLY Deep Dis-
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ATTENTION KIT BUILDERS: If you are missing something
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build your favorite aircraft, specializing in metal finishes. Contact
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Call 1-800-533-6644 or visit
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64 FineScale Modeler January 2018

Local Hobby COLORADO • Aurora
Large inventory of models from the
MICHIGAN • Royal Oak (Metro Detroit)
New & Old Toy Soldiers, Historical Miniatures,
OKLAHOMA • Owasso
Oklahoma’s largest plastic kit, paint & after-
world over! Detailing accessories, research Models and Figure Kits from Around the market inventory. Planes, cars, trucks, armor,
Shop Directory publications, games, trains, R/C, tools, and
supplies. Easy access from D.I.A.
World. Our famous selection of hobby supplies
includes scenics, paints, reference and more.
ships, trains & sci-fi. Special orders welcome!
Tue - Fri 10-5:30, Sat 10-5, Sun 1-4:30
http://www.colpar.com www.michtoy.com Web site: www.topshelfmodelsllc.com
Local Hobby Shop Directory listings are available COLPAR HOBBIES MICHIGAN TOY SOLDIER & FIGURE CO. TOP SHELF MODELS
for the next ten issues for $275 (payable in advance) 1915 S. Havana St. 800-876-0414 1400 E. 11 Mile Rd. 248-586-1022 119 S. Main St. 918-274-0433
or at $37 per issue (billed to established accounts
for a minimum of ten insertions). Ads will be set CONNECTICUT • Cos Cob MICHIGAN • Traverse City OREGON • Hillsboro
in standard listing typography. All insertions must Planes, tanks, cars, ships, rockets, plastic and Let your imagination run wild! Full service hobby shop.
be consecutive and may be invoiced if you have wood kits. Trains. Authorized Lionel dealer & Aircraft, ships, cars, armor, special orders, Over 6,000 recently acquired models.
credit established with us. No mention of mail repair. Die-cast, RC, slot cars, structural and diecast cars, model railroading Z to G All the supplies you need to build your model.
order business permitted. For information call diorama supplier. Special orders welcome. and more... www.hillsborohobby.com
1-888-558-1544, ext. 815. Closing dates listed in ANN’S HOBBY CENTER TRAINS & THINGS HOBBIES HILLSBORO HOBBY SHOP
Classifieds section. 405 E. Putnam Avenue 203-869-0969 210 East Front St. 231-947-1353 345 E. Main St. 503-648-3788
ALASKA • Anchorage CONNECTICUT • Manchester MICHIGAN • Ypsilanti-Metro Detroit PENNSYLVANIA • Landisville (Lancaster)
www.anchoragehouseofhobbies.com Largest hobby shop in NE. Military, cars, trucks, Your single stop model building shop. Large Selection New & Used Kits
Alaska’s best hobby supplier since 1964. plastic models, diecast cars, trucks. Planes, RC Michigan’s largest selection of new and vin-tage Military books, tools, paint, airbrushes
Two stories, 6,300sf, 1st floor all R/C, planes, cars, trucks, slot cars, rockets, Breyer, kits in all genres plus everything needed to build Full line hobby shop open Tue - Thur 10-6,
2nd floor general hobbies, plastics, trains, Detailing supplies, games! them. Wed - Sat 11-8, Sun 12-5 Fri 10-7, Sat 10-4 www.CoolTrains.com
slot cars, telescopes & more! Mon-Wed 10-6 Th-Fri 10-9 Sat-Sun 10-6 Visit us on Facebook. www.modelcave.com
ANCHORAGE HOUSE OF HOBBIES TIME MACHINE HOBBY MODELCAVE COOLTRAINS TOYS & HOBBIES
2803 Spenard Rd. 907-277-7778 71 Hilliard St. 860-646-0610 103 W. Michigan Avenue 734-316-2281 106 W. Main Street 717-898-7119
ARKANSAS • Jacksonville CONNECTICUT • Milford NEVADA • Las Vegas TEXAS • Houston
Headquarters for scale hobbies. Models; Extensive selection of armor kits & Verlinden While in Las Vegas, come see our wide HO & N, Lionel trains.
N-HO-O trains; gaming; tools; paints, etc. accessories. Military, auto & aircraft plastic selection of models and detail accessories. Complete line of plastic kits, military
Discounts & special orders. models. Photo-etched parts. O gauge train Less than 5 miles off the Las Vegas strip and architecture supplies.
Open 10-6, closed Sundays and Wednesdays sets. Open Tues - Sat 11-6, Sun 12-5. Hours Mon-Fri 10-7, Sat 10-6, Sun noon-5. Open 11am-6pm M-F, Sat. 10am-5pm
www.railandspruehobbies.com www.HQHobbies.com www.gandgmodelshop.com
RAIL & SPRUE HOBBIES HQ HOBBIES HOBBYTOWN USA G & G MODEL SHOP
1200 John Harden Dr. 501-982-6836 394 New Haven Ave., Unit 1 203-882-1979 4590 W Sahara Ave Ste 103 702-889-9554 2522 Times Blvd. 713-529-7752
CALIFORNIA • Burbank FLORIDA • Ft. Myers NEW HAMPSHIRE • Dover TEXAS • San Antonio
Large selection of plastic kits, paints, and Plastic modeling kits. Best plastic, resin & balsa kits from around the Scale modeling from beginner to expert.
supplies. Special orders no problem Paint, tools, scenery, accessories, world. Scratch building & diorama supplies, A wide selection of aircraft, armor, autos,
Visit us in person or online & scale model railroads. reference books, large paint selection including figures, ships, & sci-fi. Lots of reference
www.houseofhobbies.com Mon - Sat 10:00am-6:00pm; Closed Sun Humbrol, Citadel & Testors material, detail parts, decals, tools, & eight
Secure online ordering www.metrotrainsandhobbies.com lines of paint. Open Tues-Sat 10am-6pm.
BURBANK’S HOUSE OF HOBBIES METRO TRAINS & HOBBIES ELITE HOBBIES DIBBLE’S HOBBIES
911 S. Victory Blvd. 818-848-3674 12951 Metro Parkway 239-332-0422 #334 90 Washington St. 603-749-0800 1029 Donaldson Ave. 210-735-7721
CALIFORNIA • Canoga Park GEORGIA • Blue Ridge NEW JERSEY • Kenvil WASHINGTON • Seattle
Kits, plastic & wood, Slot cars & toys. Huge selection of model kits & accessories. Full service hobbies, a full line of Plastic Model Specialists. Large selection of
Rockets, paint, glue and tools. Model trains. Ships, Armor, Aircraft, Figures, Cars and more. HO, N, 3-Rail, military, cars, boats, rare & out-of-production models.
Mon 10-5; Tue - Sat 10-6 Visit: www.freetimehobbies.com planes, dollhouses, scratchbuilding Large selection of detail parts. Largest
Closed Sun & Major Holidays. for complete listing. supplies, plus details-details-details! selection of plastic models in South Seattle!
www.scalemodelstuff.com Monday to Friday 10-5, Saturday 10-4 www.skywaymodel.com
SCALE MODEL STUFF FREE TIME HOBBIES KENVIL HOBBIES SKYWAY MODEL SHOP
7259 Canoga Avenue 818-716-7847 47 Dunbarton Farm Rd. 706-946-1120 590 Rt. 46 973-584-1188 12615 Renton Ave. South 206-772-1211
CALIFORNIA • Garden Grove HAWAII • Kailua, Oahu NEW JERSEY • Magnolia (Camden) CANADA–ON • Ottawa (Vanier)
Rewards program for 10% back on purchases. Wide selection of plastic model kits, paint, Huge foreign & domestic model selection One of Canada’s leading model shops.
Plastic aircraft, armor, ships, cars, decals, books, magazines and tools. all scales. Automobiles, aircraft ship, books, Complete line of military & aircraft kits,
books, paints, tools, miniatures war-games. Located on the beautiful windward side, a wargames, scenery, diorama decals, paints and accessories.
Mon-Thur 11-8, Fri 11-midnight, Sat 10-mid- scenic 20 minute drive from Honolulu. supplies, parts, tools. Open 7 days Free parking. On Parle Francais.
night, Sun 11-7 www.brookhursthobbies.com Mon - Fri 10-6, Sat 10-5, Sun 11-2
BROOKHURST HOBBIES WELLER’S HOBBYCRAFT AAA HOBBIES & CRAFTS HOBBY HOUSE, LTD
12188 Brookhurst St. 714-636-3580 767 Kailua Road 808-262-0211 706 N. White Horse Pike 856-435-7645 80 Montreal Rd. 613-749-5245
CALIFORNIA • Hollister MASSACHUSETTS • Malden (Boston) NEW YORK • Middle Island CANADA–ON • Toronto
Model planes, car, ships & figures. Model train Largest store in area, easy access via I-93, Excellent selection of lead miniatures- Large selection of new & out-of-production kits.
scales: Z, N, HO, O & G. Paints, tools. R/C & Rt. 1, and the T. Complete line of historical and fantasy. Plastic models, Accessories & finishing products. Servicing the
parts, incl. service. Craft & educational kits, model kits & supplies, plus toy soldiers, wargames & modeling supplies. hobbies since 1986. We buy kit collections.
supplies, products. Clinics available. Tu-Sat 11- figure kits, games, etc. Shipping available. Info: Books and magazines. www.wheelswingshobbies.com
6; Sun 12-4. www.debbiebartunek@mac.com hobbybunker.com
B.C.T. HOBBY & CRAFTS HOBBY BUNKER, INC. MEN AT ARMS HOBBIES, INC. WHEELS AND WINGS
201-C McCray St. 831-635-0537 33 Exchange St. 781-321-8855 134 Middle Country Rd. 631-924-0583 1880 Danforth Ave. 416-752-0071
CALIFORNIA • Orange MASSACHUSETTS • Norton NEW YORK • Upr Eastside GR Manhattan
New Products, Old Kits & Great Service! 6,000 model kits, old and new: Autos, armor, Run your Retail Directory
Everything you need to build plastic models planes & sci-fi. Reference books & supplies. Visit our in-house Aircraft Model Museum.
Armor, Aircraft, Ships, Cars, SciFi and more.
M-F 10:30-6pm, Sat 10:30-5pm, Sun 12-5pm
Open T-Th 11-7, F 11-8, Sa 10-5. Rt. 495 to Rt.
123E, behind Dunkin’ Donuts. www.mymummy.
Foreign and domestic plastic and wood kits.
Open 7 days.
ad in the next issue of
www.militaryhobbiesonline.com com E: mummy@mymummy.com
MILITARY HOBBIES HARRY’S HOBBIES & COLLECTABLES JAN’S HOBBY SHOP, INC. FineScale Modeler!
830 E. Lincoln Ave. 714-637-1211 250 E. Main St., Rt 123 508-285-8080 1435 Lexington Ave. 212-987-4765
CALIFORNIA • San Mateo MICHIGAN • Owosso NORTH CAROLINA • ARDEN Call 888-558-1544, ext. 815
Your source for plastic models, diecast and all
supplies needed to finish your latest model.
Thousands of model kits from old Aurora to new
releases. Mon 4pm-7pm,
Not just trains. Academy Models, AFV Club,
Bandai, Hobby Engine, Morgan Cycle,
for more information.
Open 7 Days - Call for Hours Tues - Fri 11:30am-5pm. Sat 11:30am-4:00pm Revell Monogram, Tamiya & More! www.
www.talbotstoyland.com E-mail: dean@deanshobbystop.com FactoryDirectTrains.com 
TALBOT’S HOBBIES DEAN’S HOBBY STOP FACTORY DIRECT TRAINS
445 South “B” Street 650-342-0126 116 N. Washington Street 989-720-2137 7 GLENN BRIDGE RD STE B 800-990-3381

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reply from an advertiser within a rea- Aves Studio __________________ 8 Hobbylink Japan ______________ 8 Powercookie Boards LLC _______ 8
sonable period, please contact us. Pro-
vide details about what you ordered Colpar’s Hobbytown USA _____ 64 Hornby America ______________ 6 Roll Models______________ 11, 64
and the amount you paid. If no action
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complaint to the advertiser, we will
not accept further advertising from Dean’s Hobby Stop ___________ 64 MegaHobby.com_____________ 64 Tamiya America, Inc. __________ 2
them. FineScale Modeler magazine,
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 FINAL DETAILS
By Mark Hembree
A season of giving
Modeling ships was not
Dale’s forte — but it
wasn’t about him. He
built Monogram’s 1/150
scale USS Susquehanna
for a co-worker’s father.
Photo by Cristian Ortega.
T
he spirit of gift-giving is part of
all the ways in which the holiday
season is celebrated. Right along-
side peace on earth and good will
toward men (and women) are those true
gifts born of selflessness, sacrifice, thought-
fulness, and compassion.
In the spirit of the season, a few model-
ers will present their own special gifts rep-
resenting hours spent for charity — builds
destined for others’ shelves, keepsakes for
someone else’s life.
This year, one of those charitable model-
ers is Dale Stanek, of Sarasota, Fla., who
challenged his own skills to build his first
tall ship — for someone he didn’t even
know. We’ll let him tell the rest of the
story:
“A co-worker was looking for a home
for about two dozen model kits that his dad
had. His dad used to build models, but gave
Check out Great Scale Modeling 2017
See FineScale Modeler‘s nationwide show
coverage, including the Midwest Model
Ships & Boats contest in Manitowoc, Wis.
66 FineScale Modeler January 2018
up due to his eyesight. People in the office
know about my model building, so they
offered the kits to me. Most of them were
1/48 and 1/32 scale aircraft, with this one
ship kit. I offered to build one of the mod-
els for the dad as a thank-you, and the
Susquehanna had a special memory for him.
So, even though I am mainly an aircraft
builder, I jumped at the chance to try
something different.
“I had always used enamel paints before,
but I found some YouTube videos demon-
strating weathering techniques with acrylics
to make plastic look like worn wood. I used
these techniques on the deck, the black
portion of the hull, and the masts. The sails
were also treated to an acrylic wash.
“Almost every small part also got a
weathering treatment. The only significant
enamel painting was the copper cladding,
which was then weathered with a green
acrylic wash to replicate corrosion. The
heavier black (standing) rigging thread
came with the kit; I dyed it with ebony
wood stain, then ran it through a block of
beeswax. The lighter standing rigging and
the running rigging (rope color) were from
Model Expo. I treated the black line same
as the heavy black line; the rope color came
from golden oak wood stain.
“I was able to learn some of the authen-
tic knots used by serious ship modelers, but
some still elude me; I ‘cheated’ in many
places with simpler knots.
“The sails came with dimples molded in
for the rigging, and I punched them out.
Using a needle to sew the sails to the yard-
arms was a disaster, but I found that dip-
ping the end of the thread in super glue
made it stiff enough to go through the
holes without fraying. Then, just carefully
tightening each line finished the sewing
job.
“In spite of Hurricane Irma roaring
through here, I was able to finish the model
in time for Modelpalooza 2017 in Orlando,
Fla., where it earned a bronze medal.
“After the contest I took the model to
work, where my friend Cristian set up his
gear and took photos. Then we turned the
ship over to its new owner (or at least his
son) to be delivered to its final home.”
Good modeling to you and good will to
all this season! FSM
 FAV EDITOR
Attention Scale Modelers — ORIT
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