ALL THE INFORMATION YOU’LL EVER NEED

TO CREATE THE BEST AIRCRAFT MODELS 6 NEW BUILDS

INSIDE
KIT BU ILD
MULTIROLE
MASTER
KINETIC’S 1:48 KIT OF
THE VERY ATTRACTIVE
M-346 MASTER, STEPS
S
IBER UP TO THE PLATE…
S U BSCIRNSIDE
FOR TAILS
DE

www.modelairplaneinternational.com

March 2019
£4.75 / Issue 164

PREVIEW
■ HONG KONG MODEL’S
1:32 LANCASTER LANDS
AT LAST…

SHOWTIME
■ WE VISIT THE FIRST
SHOW OF 2019, THE IPMS
BOLTON SHOWCASE
FROM THE UNIVERSITY
OF BOLTON STADIUM

KIT BUILD

BRISTOL’S LIGHT BOMBER WE TAKE A DETAILED LOOK AT THE AIRFIX 1:48 BLENHEIM MK.I

KIT
BUILD UKRAINIAN INSPIRATION
HUGE, EVEN IN 1:144, WE BUILD REVELL’S INCREDIBLE ANTONOV AN-225 ‘MRIYA’ 9 771747 504069
 How to contact us:

Contents
Tel: 01525 222573
Model Airplane International. Doolittle Mill, Doolittle Lane,
Totternhoe, Bedfordshire, LU6 1QX, England

VOLUME 14. ISSUE 164. MARCH 2019 VOL.14 ISS.164 MARCH 2019
Editorial:
Editor: Spencer Pollard
REGULARS FEATURES spencer@doolittlemedia.com
Publisher: Alan Harman
P04 - IN THIS ISSUE P10 IT’S SHOWTIME! Group Editor: Marcus Nicholls
P06 - NEWSLINE Administration Manager: Hannah McLaurie
Highlights from this year’s IPMS Bolton Model Show Office Manager: Paula Gray
P08 - COMMENT from the University Of Bolton Stadium. Advertising Manager: Richard Andrews
P78 - EVENTS DIARY richard@doolittlemedia.com
P79 - CONTACTS DETAILS
P81 - NEXT ISSUE P16 UKRAINIAN INSPIRATION
Huw Morgan builds the incredible Revell 1:144 Art:
P82 - FINAL THOUGHTS… Editorial Design: Peter Hutchinson
Antonov AN-225 Mriya.
Advertising Design: Peter Hutchinson & Alex Hall
REVIEWS
P24 ADVANCED LIGHT COMBAT AIRCRAFT Advertisement and circulation:
P14 ONE, ONE, FOUR FOUR NEWS Roy Kinsella builds Miniwing’s 1:144 Aero Model Airplane International, Doolittle Mill, Doolittle Lane,
All that’s new for fans of this increasingly popular L-159A ALCA. Totternhoe, Bedfordshire, LU6 1QX.
scale. Tel: 01525 222573
E-mail: sean@doolittlemedia.com
P28 THE SPITFIRE THAT WENT TO SEA
P6 NEW RELEASES KITS Jamie Haggo gets the best from Freightdog’s 1:72
Which models will you be building over the Distribution:
Supermarine Seafire Ib. Seymour Distribution, 2 East Poultry Avenue,
coming months?
London, EC1A 9PT.

P70 NEW RELEASES ACCESSORIES P36 RODEN’S PERFECT PEACEMAKER Tel: 020 7429 4000

What aftermarket parts will you be using to improve Greg Phillips tackles Roden’s warlike Pilatus
Newstrade:
your models? PC-6 variant… Select Publisher Services, 3 East Avenue,
Bournemouth, BH3 7BW.
P74 NEW RELEASES PAINTS P44 BRISTOL’S LIGHT BOMBER Tel: 01202 586848 E-mail: tim@selectps.com
Workshop additions to help with your finishing… Nigel Poole takes a detailed look at the brand-new
Airfix 1:48 Blenheim Mk.I. Subscriptions:
Model Airplane International, Doolittle Mill, Doolittle Lane,
Totternhoe, Bedfordshire, LU6 1QX. Tel: 01525 222573
P54 KIT PREVIEW
s c r i b e To d
Rates: UK £47, Eire and Europe £59,
We take a detailed look at the Hong Kong Models
u b 1:32 Avro Lancaster.
Worldwide Air £72.
Website: www.modelairplaneinternational.com
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Model Airplane International is published monthly by Doolittle Media, Doolittle Mill, Doolittle Lane, Totternhoe, Bedfordshire, LU6 1QX. Entire Contents © 2019 Doolittle Media, Reproduction
in part or whole of any text, photograph or illustration without written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited. While due care is taken to ensure the content of Model Airplane
International is accurate, the publishers and printers cannot accept liability for errors and omissions. Advertisements are accepted for publication in Model Airplane International only upon
Doolittle Media’s standard terms of acceptance of advertising, copies of which are available from the advertising sales department of MAI.

Issue 164 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 3

IN THIS ISSUE...

Written by
Spencer Pollard

Hello everyone, welcome to

the March 2019 edition of your
favourite aviation modelling
magazine!
his month we have plenty of interesting features

T to inspire and entertain, mixing up new kit

reviews with builds of some older offerings that
you will hopefully find just as interesting.
For our review builds this month we begin with
Revell’s enormous 1:144 kit of the one-off Antonov AN-225
Mriya. Supplied initially as a ‘test-shot’ for us to look at,
Revell’s very impressive kit is a sight to behold and in the
hands of Huw Morgan who was in the review seat as the kit
came in, the resulting model is a monster that will form the
centrepiece of your collection for years to come. Though
Huw has essentially built the kit from the box, he has taken
the time to add some cargo within the nose, additions that
help further tell a story as part of his build. You will find Huw’s
thoughts on the kit, beginning on page 16 of this issue.
Though smaller in size, the Airfix 1:48 Bristol Blenheim is
no-less impressive and so we are delighted to introduce not
only it, but also Nigel Poole to the pages of this magazine.
Following on from their 1:72 releases, their larger brother is
a testament to the skill of the toolmakers at Airfix who have
come together to create a wonderful replica of this all-too-
often forgotten member of the RAF’s WWII bomber force.
We hope you enjoy reading about this new kit as much as
Nigel enjoyed putting it together.
Having dealt with the brand-new releases, our authors
have had some fun with a number of slightly older kits,
Greg Phillips with Roden’s 1:48 Pilatus Peacemaker, Jamie
Haggo with Freightdog’s 1:72 Supermarine Seafire Ib and
finally, Alan Kelley with Kinetic’s 1:48 kit of the very attractive
M-346 Master. Each of these features will take you through
the construction and painting of this diverse collection of
plastic model kits, offering ideas that range from out of the
box construction, through conversion and on to some simple
scratchbuilding and detailing. Though different in terms of
subject and scale, there is much to enjoy and absorb and
we hope that you find something that will guide you through
similar projects over the coming months.
The end of January is the annual curtain-raiser to the
model show season, so were were delighted once again to
be able to attend the IPMS Bolton event from the University
of Bolton Stadium. Having moved there last year, the show
has really taken off and is now seen by many as one of the
best on the calendar, modellers from the North West and
beyond descending on the stadium en masse to enjoy the
models on display and the trade stands that were there in
abundance. From page 8 you will find some of the highlights
from the show and who knows, if you were there, maybe one
of your models!
So this is the March 2019 edition of Model Airplane
International. I hope you enjoy this issue and I look forward
to seeing you again next month! ■

4 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - March 2019

AIRFIX
www.airfix.com

1:72 MESSERSCHMITT ME 262B-1A

As the first operational jet fighter in the world, initial Messerschmitt Me262s combat operations were
flown by single seat aircraft, piloted by some of the Luftwaffe’s most experienced airmen. A two seat
trainer version soon followed, which allowed new pilots to acquaint themselves with this advanced
technology, without their conversion from piston power being their first solo jet flight. The kit includes
the following versions:

● 10./NJG 11, W.Nr 111980, Red 12 + RAF Version

● Avia CS-92 Czech

Kit is priced at £18.99 and is available at time of going to press, either direct from Airfix.com, or
from your local retailer.

1:48 HAWKER SEA FURY FB.11 ‘EXPORT EDITION’

The last in an illustrious line of Hawker piston
engined fighters, the Sea Fury entered service
with the Royal Navy too late to see operations
during WWII, but proved to be one of the fastest
propeller driven aircraft ever produced. Attracting
plenty of overseas interest, the Sea Fury was
also operated in some numbers by the navies of
Holland, Australia and Canada, with Australian
Sea Fury’s making a significant contribution to
air operations during the Korean War. The kit
includes the following versions:
● VW645 Sydney August 1955
● FB.11 803 Squadron Royal Canadian Navy 1948
● Sea Fury FB. Mk.50 No. 860 Squadron Royal
Dutch Navy – Aerobats
Kit is priced at £24.99 and is available at time
of going to press, either direct from Airfix.com, or
from your local retailer.

1: 48 NORTH AMERICAN MUSTANG MK.IV

As the North American Mustang was developed as a direct result of a British Air Ministry
requirement, it is somehow fitting that the RAF and Commonwealth air forces used the aircraft
extensively during WWII. The British designation for the later P-51D version was Mustang IV, with the
Dallas built P-51K, which used a different Aeroproducts propeller, referred to as the Mustang IVa. The
kit includes the following versions:

● KM272 ‘Dooleybird’ 19 Squadron RAF 1945

● KH676/CV-A Flg Off A F Lane, 3 Squadron RAAF Cervia Italy, April 1945

Kit is priced at £20.99 and is available at time of going to press, either direct from Airfix.com, or
from your local retailer.

6 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - March 2019

TAMIYA
www.tamiya.com

ENGRAVING BLADE FINE ENGRAVING TAMIYA CUTTING MAT

HOLDER
This aluminium holder is designed for use with
Tamiya fine engraving blades. It is also compatible
with Tamiya Design Knife blades. Lightweight and
durable with a knurled grip, its slimline form allows
it to be held like a pen, enabling precision results.
Comes with a safety cap.
NEEDLE 20°
This is a precision tungsten carbide needle for plastic
modelling use, offering an exacting finish and superb
durability. Use it to engrave new details or emphasise
existing ones. Performs excellently in straight lines
and curves, and can be used as one would a scriber.
Shank diameter: 2 mm. Length: 25 mm. Storage
case included. Recommended for use with Item
74139 Engraving Blade Holder.
A (A4 SIZE/BLUE)
This compact cutting board is made of semi-
transparent blue resin with minimal odour. The
surface area has the front side printed with useful
grid, increment angles, rulers, curved and circular
markings, and the reverse is plain. Dimensions: 220
x 300 x 2 mm.

ITALERI
www.italeri.com

‘TOP GUN’ F-14A VS A-4F

The American supersonic twin-engine Grumman F-14 Tomcat was the icon of the U.S. Navy fighter squadrons during the ‘80s and ‘90s. it was characterised by the
adoption of the variable-sweep wing, the twin-tail and the tandem two-seat cabin. The Tomcat provided an impressive operational performance. Thanks to its two
General Electric Afterburning turbofans it was able to reach the max speed of Mach 2.34. It was armed with a 20 mm M61 Vulcan rotating gun and it could use, in
addition to the more conventional AIM-9 Sidewinder and AIM-7 Sparrow, the AIM-54 Phoenix radar-guided long-range missiles. The best pilots of the U.S. Navy Fighter
Squadrons took part in combat training courses at the famous Fighter Weapon School better known as ‘Top Gun’. The F-14 pilots could improve their combat skills and
capability on the F-14 confronting against A-4 Skyhawk and F-5 Tiger II used by the school to simulate the flying characteristics of the Soviet Mig.

Issue 164 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 7

 ON A WING AND A PRAYER…
Jonathan Mock looks at our fascination - and fear - of modelling biplanes.
...

Written by Jonathan Mock

I
CM’s announcement of a 1:32
Gloster Gladiator kit for 2019
had me swearing in a manner
that would have made my
grandfather blush – and he
was a Cockney who served in the
Fleet Air Arm so he knew a thing
or two about profanity.
The Gladiator is a personal
favourite subject of mine, it’s
also a “west country” aircraft,
being built farther up the M5 in
Hucclecote, Gloucestershire. I’ve
not built as many models of it as
I perhaps would have wanted,
certainly the Matchbox 1:72 kit
featured early on in my modelling
life and I remember making a
blister-packed Airfix kit at some
stage with the solid cockpit and
moulded pilot’s head. Chris Ellis
wrote about converting this kit into
a Gloster Gauntlet in – yes that
book again – ‘How to Go Plastic
Modelling’. The FROG Gladiator
somewhat passed me by, as did
the 1:72 Heller kit which was seen
by reviewers as the best of the
bunch and brought many of their
trademark touches of detail and
delicacy – it’s one I keep meaning
to add to the collection.
At one point in the 1970s
Airfix considered adding a 1:24
Gladiator to their ‘Superkits’ range
but, like so many projects at the
time, it was destined to be little
more than a memo on a piece of
paper. The largest you could go
was the old – though still rather

8 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - March 2019

nice – Inpact kit that passed
hands through Pyro, LifeLife and
eventually Lindberg. Roden added
their own all-new 1:48 Gladiator to
the mix and Eduard reissued this.
But news of the 1:32 ICM
release does at last fulfil that hole
in the market for a large-scale
mainstream Gladiator kit and
even at the size it’s still going to
be a fairly diminutive model. With
the excellent new-tool Airfix 1:72
Gladiator also being reissued in
new schemes I’m hoping at least
one Gladiator of sorts returns to
my workbench because, in truth,
the last model of the type I made
was over 30 years ago (!) when I
built another Matchbox kit in the
Munich Crisis scheme.
My own personal odyssey
of building biplanes kits down
the years started – perhaps
unsurprisingly – with Matchbox
and their very first kit, the Hawker
Fury (PK1) when it was released
in the early 1970s. I also built
the Siskin around the same
time – far more forgiving with its
simpler design and more sturdy
struts – and really hankered after
the Boeing P-12 but could never
find one. The Airfix Dogfight
Double of Bristol F2B and Fokker
DR1 Triplane also made an
appearance at some stage as did
a couple of Revell WW1 biplanes.
A Matchbox Fairey Swordfish -
notable for the inclusion of the
radar parts - also accompanied
the inevitable sporting injury
or illness, but aside from the
aforementioned Airfix Gladiator,
my adventures with two wings
didn’t really pick up again until I
made the Hasegawa Curtiss SOC
Seagull and Heinkel He 51 in the
mid-1980s – I recently bagged
another copy of the latter with a
view to revisiting the subject and
was surprised how few parts there
were in the kit!
I do remember tackling the
Matchbox Handley Page Heyford
and realising that my skills did
not match my ambitions, likewise
the Fairey Seafox (a subject
that was perhaps the epitome of
Matchbox’s quirkiness). One I’m
still after – thanks to the influence
of the Matchbox adverts in Airfix
magazine from the late 70s – is
their 1:32 Tiger Moth.
Talking of Tigers, when the old
Airfix Tiger Moth was reissued
in 1987 I grabbed it with glee as
my father had made me one as
part of my first ever collection of
model aeroplanes – perhaps it
said something for my education
in modelling in the interim that
I realised the accuracy of that
kit fell well short of my fond
memories. Thankfully Airfix
replaced that with an excellent
all-new 1:72 kit in 2014 and it is to
be joined by a new-tool 1:48 kit in
2019 that brings us up to date.
Biplanes – and indeed triplanes
– also carry with them that terror
of getting struts and wings to not
only join but also align. Some kits
tried to get around this by making
linked struts that slotted into the
wing, it mostly worked but also
left an awkward join on the wing
surface to disguise. Airfix did
come up with an ingenious little
jig on their 1:72 Sopwith Pup to
help align and set the wings and
they did something similar with
their new-tool Swordfish kit. But
for those who supplied individual
struts, it was a matter of making
your own jig (using everything
from wood blocks to cardboard
and Lego bricks) and making sure
everything was square and true
before the glue set.
The struts themselves were
often over scale or lacking an
aerofoil section, hence the
popularity of Contrail’s extruded
plastic struts and Skybirds 86
metal ‘Strutz’ (both innovations
from the West Country – we’re not
all cheddar and cider you know).
Certainly when I read – still
do read – old articles on building
some of those vac-form kits like
the Contrail Handley Page HP 42
or Supermarine Southampton, not
only am I filled with admiration at
the skills of those building vac-
form kits but also biplanes to boot,
and all to a meticulously high
standard.
And, of course, talk of biplanes
leads us to that other elephant in
the room: rigging.
Now this has always been
seen as the bane of building any
biplane models because without
it, they just don’t look right.
Rigging not only adds that final
touch of authenticity but also a
layer of delicacy. The technique
of heat-stretched sprue over a
candle has always been a bit of
a modelling rights of passage of
sorts, but modellers have tried
anything and everything from
monofilament fishing line to rolled
wire. In my mind’s eye I can see
the late great Alan W Hall rigging
a 1:72 Tiger Moth with cotton
sewing thread and tube glue in
an edition of Airfix Magazine – I
think even he conceded it wasn’t
a good look.
Techniques have ranged from
drilling out holes in the wings/
fuselage and threading fishing line
all over the model to using sprue
fixed with white glue and a lighted
cigarette to add extra tension! The
current - and far less hazardous -
favourite are elasticated threads
like those from E.Z. Line and
Uschi Van der Rosten. I’ve used
these to make simple aerial wires
but have yet to progress fully
rigging a biplane with them. With
a Matchbox Hawker Fury currently
on the workbench, I’m going
to have to consider my rigging
options so it may be the time to
try it out.
At 1:72 scale you can get away
Issue 164 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 9
with a single wire where they are
doubled on the real thing, but
from 1:48 upwards it becomes
more obvious and with 1:32 and
Wingnut Wings’ range of superb
WWI kits – to be joined this year
by that magnificent HP O/400
talked about in a previous issue,
there is no hiding room right down
to the tensioners and turnbuckles.
Perhaps this is why I’ve yet to
tackle one!
It will be interesting to see what
engineering solutions ICM bring
to their 1:32 Gladiator and which
other variants they have planned
further down the line. I fancy
doing a large-scale Munich Crisis
machine as the colour schemes
from that period do fascinate me.
Of course I’ll have to get my act
together regarding rigging but
there are some excellent online
tutorials and videos out there so
it’s not like there’s a dearth of help
and advice.
Despite their perceived
complexities, bi-planes continue
to stimulate model manufacturers
as technologies improve and
engineering solutions take the
terror out of construction. And
it seems modellers still have
an insatiable appetite for them,
otherwise they’d/we’d not see new
releases continue to flow onto the
market.
For my part, I’m enjoying
revisiting that 1:72 Hawker Fury,
it gives me the chance to improve
some of the areas I don’t like (the
exaggerated wing ribs), retain
some of the original features
(the riveting on the cowl) and
add some basic details (cockpit).
Small steps given I’ve not made
something with two wings for a
few years, but steps nonetheless.
And two wings surely has to be
better than one? ■
 WRITTEN AND PHOTOGRAPHED BY SPENCER POLLARD

IPMS BOLTON
MODEL SHOW 2019
The IPMS Bolton show is the annual curtain-raiser to the year’s modelling events, so we are
always excited to attend. Over the next few pages we’ll give you a favour of this urperb event
and some of the models on display.
By mid-morning the Bolton show was a lively affair with crowded aisles full of modellers admiring the wonderful work on show.

club
minated the
72 XB-70 do layed.
This huge 1: it was attractively disp
ch
stand on whi

10 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - March 2019

Seeing so many 1:32 aircraft builds in one place was a treat. Our favourite? The superb The F-16 always looks great in Israeli colours…
Gloster Meteor!

The Revell 1:32 Beaufighter is a tough build, but in the right hands it can look spectacular. Another F-16, a different operator. Same impression though: a wonderful build of an
incredible aircraft.

The Sesku & Hemsworth Scale Model Club had this original display to reveal to onlookers where A view from the upper balcony within the exhibition hall at the University Of Bolton Stadium, shows
there members travelled from to enjoy each others company and discuss all things modelling. just how many models were on display…

A 1/18 AV-8B II Plus Harrier? What’s not to like?! With the Tornado now retired from use within the RAF, it was great to see models of this iconic
aircraft one display, this rendition of the Revell 1:32 kit being particularly fine.

Issue 164 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 11

This display of late-war Luftwaffe aircraft was a real highlight of the show. Just look at those One of the most divisive colour schemes ever applied to a Hunter! We love it, by the way…
finishes!

We’d not seen a build of Bronco’s 1:35 Horsa Glider before, so were very pleased to take a close look at this one.

This Hurricane Mk.I looked gorgeous in its red, 527 Calibration Squadron colours and markings. IPMS 580 Modellers had a very impressive display at the show, this 1:72 MQ-9 Reaper being just
One for a future build I think… one of their displayed models.

David Draycott’s F-5F Tiger II looked extremely striking in it’s overall silver finish. Nigel Poole’s Airfix 1:48 Bristol Blenheim as seen in more detail in this issue.

12 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - March 2019

 Even in 1:72, the P-8 Poseidon is a remarkably large model!

Carefully applied splinter camouflage helped to make this Dornier stand out from the crowd.

Another tough build, this superb Airfix Nimrod was not only well-built, it was very nicely finished
as well.

Another model featured elsewhere in this issue, Huw Morgan’s build of the Revell AN-225 The editor’s favourite collection of models at the show was this group of fully scratchbuilt 1:144 OR
Mriya drew crowds of admirers. F/155T drawing-board projects. Each was a stunning testament to the skill of the builder.

Issue 164 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 13

ONE, ONE, FOUR FOUR NEWS
Roy Kinsella rounds up some of the latest releases from this increasingly
popular aircraft scale. This month he looks at ...
AMP (RU)
www.hannants.co.uk
1:144 AMP B-2 SPIRIT -
14402
Very exciting developments just
announced by AMP, they are in the
late stages of producing a brand new
B-2 Spirit. Looking at the detail CAD
shots, I have a feeling this is going to
be very impressive. This will be hitting
the shelves later this year, when
we hope to bring you more details
and perhaps a full build. For further
information on the AMP range, please
visit the Hannants website where you
will there kits for sale.
MIKROMIR
www.mikro-mir.com
1:144 MIKROMIR HANDLEY
PAGE VICTOR B.1 - 144-027
MikroMir has followed on with
producing yet another V-Bomber after
their popular Vickers Valiant hit the
shelves just a few years ago. The
Victor is of course a very famous
aircraft and that makes it a wonderful
choice for a kit, in this case the initial
version to see service with the RAF,
the B.1, despite the fact that the
box image appears to show a K.2!
Seemingly in the works since 2016,
it will be very interesting to see how
this kit compares with the GWH/
Pitroad kits that we have become
accustomed to seeing on model shop
shelves and display table displays
over the last few years.
This will be on sale later in 2019 and
we’ll take a closer look at the kit in full
closer to that time.
14 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - March 2019
PLATZ
www.platz-hobby.com
1:144 PLATZ F-15E STRIKE
EAGLE - FC-11
Platz as usual hasn’t wasted
anytime releasing their next
injected-moulded plastic kit. Once
again in collaboration with F-Toys,
they have produced yet another
‘Flying Color’ release, this time
replicating the F-15E Strike Eagle. This double kit set is sure to whet your appetite, as there are two
USAF liveries plus an Israeli option to choose from in this new release, the latter no-doubt being the
big attraction here I think! Intriguingly, the kit also includes 71-291 which was the prototype ‘Strike
Eagle’ based on an F-15B and was thus a very different aircraft to the F-15E. It will be interesting to see
if the kit includes the pylons, stores and the detail changes needed to build this aircraft from this kit…
1/144 PLATZ TWIN RESCUE SET - PD-24
Platz has recently pleased the 1:144 scale community with the re-release of some of their older kits
which have been very much in demand since they went out of production many years back. The
UH-60J had been one of those kits and has now been re-launched to coincide with the release of an
entirely new Platz kit, the colourful and sleek, Raytheon U-125A as used by the Japanese Air Self
Defence Force (JASDF). Both kits are being produced together under the title ‘RESCUE WINGS’
and the set looks to be quite interesting, the gorgeous U-125A in its stunning overall blue finish being
particularly pleasing! More on this kit when we have it...
ARMORY
http://armorymodels.com
1:144 ARMORY SU-24M FENCER D
We have been waiting for this kit for a long time and
it’s finally about to be released, at last the long awaited
Armory SU-24M “Fencer D” should be hitting the shelves
by the time you read this. The kit contents are really
generous from what we know already with fourteen (yes,
fourteen!) livery options and a biblical offering of munitions
and stores to hang from your finished build, including the following:
● Fuel tanks - 2000l & 3000l
● Multiple bomb racks - MZBD-6
● Guided bomb - KAB-500Kr, KAB-500L & KAB-1500L
● Bombs - OFAB-100-120, OFAB-250-270, FAB-250M-54, FAB-250M-62, FAB-250TS, FAB-
500M-54, FAB-500M-62, FAB-500TS, FAB-1500M-46 & FAB-1500M-54.
● Container APK-9
● Container/cluster bombs KMGU-2.
● Cluster bombs RBK-250
● Gun containers SPPU-6-23
● Unguided missile pods UB-32A, B-8M & B-13L “Tulumbas”
● Unguided missile S-24B, S-25OF & S-25OFM
● Guided missile R-60, S-25L, Kh-23M, Kh-23ML, Kh-23MR, Kh-28, Kh-29L, Kh-29T, Kh-31, Kh-
58U, Kh-59 & Kh-29M “Ovod”
● Refuelling pod UPAZ-M
HIGH-FLYER
XXL! THE WORLD’S LARGEST
EXHIBITION FOR MODEL
MAKING AND MODEL SPORTS
04 – 07 APRIL 2019
DORTMUND, GERMANY

The great world of aircraft model-making –

and much more:

∂ Forum with exciting lectures for

active model flyers
∂ Flight shows
∂ Exhibition of special aircraft models
∂ Hot races with multicopters

www.intermodellbau.com
 KIT BUILD
SKILL LEVEL: INTERMEDIATE

SPECIFICATION: BUILT AND WRITTEN BY HUW MORGAN

UKRANIAN
Revell Antonov An-225 ‘Mriya’
Kit No: RV04958
Materials: IM,
Status: New Tool
Availability: On Line Model Shops
Price Guide: £ 81.99

BEFORE STARTING:
● Tamiya OF2 side cutters

INSPIRATION
●#3 and #4 scalpels with #11,#23, and#25 blades
● Deluxe Perfect Plastic filler
● AK Interactive filler
● Mr Hobby Cement S
● Loctite cyanoacrylate glue
● Albion Alloys and Flory Models sanding boards
● Abralon 600, 1000 and 3000 grit foam abrasive
● Micromesh polishing cloths
● Tamiya masking tape We build Revell’s enormous 1:144 kit of this
● Pacer Formula 560 canopy glue
● Bare Metal Foil Chrome spectacular, one-off transport.
● Artists’ grey green and brown tone pastel chalks

the additional engines. After a brief career

I
n the January edition of MAI we brought
PAINTS USED: you the first look at a test shot of the new in the space programme, when Buran was
Tamiya Acrylics
XF-1 Flat Black 1:144 scale Antonov 225 heavy lifter first cancelled, the An-225 was mothballed until
X-2 Gloss White shown as a completed display model at a decade later, the Antonov bureau realised
X-7 Gloss Red Scale Model World 2018, and which, as the commercial potential of a very heavy lifter
I write this at Christmas 2018, has just hit the and resurrected the airframe, and in the new
X-14 Blue
XF-19 Grey
XF-67 NATO Green shops, here we follow that up with a full build. entrepreneurial environment in the former
The An-225 is truly an aircraft of jaw- Soviet Republics, set about pitching the Mriya
Mr. Hobby Aqueous dropping statistics; the only aircraft in regular into the commercial airfreight world, initially in
use with six engines, the heaviest aircraft partnership with Air Foyle under the Heavy-
H77 Tire Black
GX 100 Gloss
GX 113 Flat ever built, with the greatest payload capacity Lift banner, and then with Volga-Dnepr. The
at 240,000 Kg, the holder of the record (at aircraft currently operates under the Antonov
Alclad II 190,000 Kg) for the heaviest single piece of Airlines badging in a white/yellow/blue scheme
freight moved by air...and so on, particularly representative of its Ukrainian heritage.
Aluminium
Steel
Jet Exhaust impressive because only a single airframe was Other than its obvious external vital
Pale Burnt Metal ever completed. statistics, the An-225 has a number of
Conceived originally to transport the features designed to facilitate its use as an
components of the Russian space shuttle extraordinary freight vehicle; - there are four
Citadel Miniatures
Orange
Yellow system (the Buran orbiter and the Energia 5Te capacity internal cranes for handling
Skull White launch rocket boosters) the An-225 was a smaller items or larger items in combination;
development of the An-124 Ruslan heavy the fuselage and landing gear is designed so
lifter, with extended wing roots, longer that at rest, the aircraft can 'kneel', lowering
Halfords:
Grey Primer
Gloss Appliance White fuselage and twin vertical tails, aside from the nose gear to provide a straight-in loading

Windsor and Newton oils:

Burnt Umber
Lamp Black
Titanium White

16 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - March 2019

There are over 200 plastic parts making up this large, complex
model, production models won’t use these colours.
The test-shot fortunately included a production version of the
proposed decals, complete with full-length cheat line. The light
blue underside colour will need to be mixed.
ramp; the 28-wheel main gear also has some
bogies that steer, allowing the entire aircraft to
turn within a 60m wide runway, and the whole
of the 1300 cubic metre hold is pressurised.
Cruise speed is around 800Km/hr and range
around 15,000 Km and power comes from six
Ivchenko Progress D-18T of 51,600 lbf thrust
each.
The An-225 is still proving an asset to
the civil and military airfreight business,
and Antonov are understood to have had
discussions with the Chinese national
aerospace corporation on prospects for
completion of the second part-built airframe,
and even a re-start of production.
In Miniature
Revell announced their 1:144 scale model of
the Mriya early in 2018, and with a scheduled
release date of December 2018, MAI was
fortunate to be offered a test shot to evaluate.
The main details have been reported in the
Issue 162 ‘First Look’ but it's worth repeating
that as often the case with test shots, the
plastic built here might be tweaked slightly for
inal release.
The model can be built in one of four
conigurations: in-light with everything tucked
away, and on the ground with the nose closed
up; nose open with loading ramp folded and
nose open with the fuselage 'kneeling' with
the ramp deployed. These options are clearly
illustrated in the instructions by the use of
coloured silhouettes. There are no options for
extended laps or separate control surfaces.
The decals are designed by DACO and offer
the scheme seen on the An-225 in Antonov
use in predominantly white with a light blue
fuselage underside, separated by a slightly
curving yellow and blue cheat line with white
There are some large pieces of moulding in the wing halves,
and the upper fuselage closure plate, which incorporates the
upper wing roots.
I happened to be building Revell’s Airbus 380-800 when the test
shot arrived, here the wings and fuselage are compared with
those for the Antonov.
pinstripes; painting the demarcation will
require some careful masking and a paper
template would have been useful. The decals
actually offer two options, with detail marking
differences as seen pre- and post 1986 and
helpfully include spare sections for some of the
critical pieces, something other manufacturers
could usefully emulate. Colour references as
usual are for Revell colours, with a couple
needing to be mixed.
The kit is produced over 8 frames holding
208 plastic parts, in greys and maroon for the
test shot, although no doubt inal production
of the main parts at least will be in white,
there are two small frames of clear parts for
the windscreen and observation windows,
although these latter are tiny and would be
easy to replace with white glue or equivalent.
The enormous fuselage halves are supplied
as full length sections, aside from the separate
nose door, and there's a huge upper fuselage
closing panel which serves to move the root
joint with the upper wing panel outwards from
the fuselage (incidentally, this feature means
that there's no option to leave the wings off for
transport or storage). Each of the six engines
is made up of separate hot sections and fans,
the latter being assembled with one-piece
cowling noses, although the main cowlings are
split conventionally to sandwich the internals.
There's some basic fuselage interior
detail, with a full loor, bulkheads, cranes
and internal ribs and there are alternative
undercarriage parts to allow for the kneeling
version; regardless of the option, there are
32 individual wheels to paint. Surface detail
is by ine engraving but the inish of a few
of the larger parts is a little grainy, no doubt
something that will be ironed out in production
trials, but in any case, is nothing that a light
Issue 164 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 17
The fuselage halves are nearly full length, apart from the
separate opening nose door. Here a 300 mm steel rule
illustrates the model’s size.
The six sets of engine parts are neatly moulded.
polish with wire wool can't cure. Moulding is
generally pretty sharp, but the sprue gates
are rather large, and some parts beneitted
from the use of a saw to remove them cleanly.
Despite the 1:144th scale, this is a big model
when built, measuring 62 cm by 60 cm (for
reference a 1:24 scale Mosquito would have a
span of 68 cm) so actual physical handling and
bench space might become an issue – quite
apart from the amount of paint needed!
Getting Started
The construction method follows that adopted
in many of Revell's latest big airliners and
transport planes where an internal shell is
constructed with the loor and roof joined
by the forward and aft bulkheads, and this
assembly is clad in the thin fuselage halves,
making for an inherently stiff structure. The
method allows straightforward moulding of
some interior detail, but inevitably leads to a
thicker-than-scale fuselage wall, and thus a
smaller-than-scale interior space. The fuselage
is closed by the large upper plate and a
smaller belly plate, the former carrying a hefty
wing spar. Joint alignment over all these long
joints and the broad wing will be critical to the
inal appearance of the airframe, especially
when painted white. Revell's instructions follow
a reasonably logical sequence, but actual
experience of the build suggests that some
steps would be best deferred to minimise the
risk of damage and to make handling what is a
very large airframe a bit easier.
Interior Decorating
So, irst up is the fuselage interior, comprising
the loor, roof and three bulkheads; I painted
the former dark aluminium and the bulkheads
Tamiya XF-19 grey which I used throughout
 KIT BUILD
SKILL LEVEL: INTERMEDIATE
The kit includes a credible flight deck, although the tiny
letterbox windscreen won’t allow much to be seen.
Surface detail is excellent, although the surface itself is
a little grainy in places, something that might well be
improved in production versions.
Alternative undercarriage parts are offered for the normal
or kneeling configuration.
Many of the parts have large sprue gates, which are best
cut using a micro saw.
18 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - March 2019
the build to represent the Revell 76 Grey
called up. The fuselage inner shells and the
deck head were painted grey with a lower
band of Tamiya XF-67 Green which I judged
nearest to the Revell 360 Green and which
actual photographs of the interior suggest
should be rather more vibrant than I ended
up with; for the two cranes and the internal
ladders I used Citadel Troll Slayer Orange.
The flight deck can be added now, and
although it's likely that little will be visible
through the letter box windscreen, I chose to
paint the seats grey and the instrument panels
a home concoction of blues and greens to
represent the typical Russian interior colour
seen in the real aircraft.
The inner structure is completed by the
addition of the four side panels, but since
I'd decided to build the aircraft with the nose
open, I wanted to make the visible part of
the interior a bit busier. In reality, without
internal lighting (next time maybe) very little
is visible beyond the first few centimetres, but
on-line photographs show that the side walls
are quite cluttered, with lots of piping and
cabling, control boxes and fire extinguishers,
and particularly, spare main and nose wheels
which were frequently carried. I made no
attempt the replicate the insulation padding
with which the upper part of the side walls
are clad, and the detail I did add was
representative only, and in no way intended
to be accurate. One area I spent some time
on was constructing the catenary power and
control cables for the overhead cranes which
are visible in the original, particularly if the
cranes are run towards the front of the hold.
As something of a diversion, the rather bare
interior convinced me it would look better with
a credible load, and having toyed with the
idea of multiple main battle tanks (the aircraft
received its airworthiness certificate with a
load of four!) settled on a civilian option of
several ISO Freight containers which if their
overall weight was limited to 20Te, could be
shuffled inside using the on board cranes,
The internal floors and bulkhead structure is simple, but rather large!
and representing a potential aid mission. I
acquired some 20' and 40' ISO container kits
from =C=rail=intermodal as used in N-gauge
railway modelling (UK N-gauge is around
1:148 scale so definitely good enough) which
built up very well and I placed them with some
pallets of sacks and oil drums in the forward
part of the hold.
Airframe And Wings
With the internal structure completed and
painted, the fuselage can be closed around it,
and progress in the build starts to accelerate.
Before doing that, Revell's instructions call
for the main landing gear bays and legs to
be fitted to the underside of the floor. Whilst
the bays can usefully be fitted and painted,
my experience was that the legs prove to
be rather vulnerable and can be left off until
much later in the build. The size of the four
main outside fuselage components (sides,
top and bottom panels) and their relative
thinness means that despite the support of
the internal structure, real care is needed to
get the joint lines as closely fitting as possible,
I glued one side to the internals to act as a
datum, thinking the rest would build around it,
but on reflection, getting the alignment of that
initial piece right then becomes super-critical,
and if possible, it would be better to use a
slow-setting glue and assemble at least two
or three of the main bits all together. Although
the primary seams run along panel lines,
getting the surfaces at the same level across
the joints is something of a challenge, and I
ended up doing some filling with superglue,
sanding and re-scribing. The upper decking
has the enormous wing spar fitted before
it's glued to the fuselage, and the spar itself
benefits from having the prominent mould
seams cleaned up first. With the fuselage
essentially complete, I did all the seam clean
up before attaching any of the flying surfaces,
simply to ease handling.
The horizontal and vertical stabilisers are
built up from opposing halves, and fit is pretty
There’s a simple cockpit perched up at the front, not much will be visible through the windscreen,
but it’s straightforward to paint.
The rather blank forward side walls were jollied up with some representational detail of pipework,
control boxes and spare wheels.
good, leading to minimum fettling of leading
and trailing edges, there's a smaller-scale
spar which its into the rear of the fuselage
to support them, but again it is excellent
and location very positive and needed the
merest smear of water soluble iller. Although
the instructions show the main wing being
assembled directly onto the fuselage, it is in
fact possible to mate the upper and lower
parts prior to this, and then slide the assembly
onto the spar, although if the build is planned
properly, it's not actually necessary to do this,
I did however pre-assemble the halves of the
twelve lap track fairings and it them to the
lower wing early on.
The nose is built up from two main halves,
with various internals and details depending
on the inal coniguration. For the fully open
option I'd chosen the instructions suggest
painting the interior the same green used
for the fuselage interior, although a study of
reference photos suggests this might be too
dark. In the open-nose options, the nose gear
doors are itted into the main nose piece itself,
and at irst sight they appear too small, leaving
a step at the rear edge. Thinking I knew better,
I rather smugly added a strip of plastic to the
front edge of the doors to bring the rear edges
in line with the sides of the nose, subsequently
having to eat humble pie when I realised that
on-line photos clearly show that Revell had it
right and the step is real! - I ended up carving
about 1 mm from the rear edge of the doors to
get back to the right proile. The underside of
the nose has a scribed panel on one half but
The undercarriage main parts build up into tidy sub structures which locate positively in the
fuselage but from a practical point of view the fragile struts are best left off until later.
The inner cheek pieces adjacent to the nose door have some awkward knockout marks which will
be visible with the door open.
not the other, and thinking initially that Revell
had forgotten it, I got geared up to scribe the
missing half, - fortunately I'd learned from the
door debacle and had the sense to check the
references - the as-moulded detail is correct!
The engines are straightforward,
representative fans, turbine faces and hot
exhausts being sandwiched between vertically-
split cowling/pylon halves. The instructions
suggest itting the one-piece nose sections
together with all the other elements, but a
bit of iddling showed that the nose pieces
could by itting them without glue, be used to
align the front fan faces and then removed,
allowing them and the cowlings to be painted
individually. I left the engines off the wings at
this point, partly for ease of handling, but also
so I could paint and decal them separately.
Paint And Decals
With the airframe thus pretty complete,
sanded, polished with 2000 grit Abralon
foam-backed abrasive, primed, re-polished
(a few times) with primary panel lines re-
scribed, it was time for paint. The inal stage
of preparation had been to leave the airframe
with an overall thin white primer inish so with
upcoming masking in mind, I chose to spray
the leading edges of the wings, tail planes
and vertical stabilisers with Alclad Aluminium
to represent natural metal and I took the
opportunity to spray the wing tips with Tamiya
X-7 Red. Having masked the Aluminium
and Red, I could apply the main gloss white
colour, using my standby Halfords Appliance
Issue 164 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 19
Gloss White straight from a warmed rattle
can, laying down a couple of thin mist coats
irst, followed by a inal, thicker wet coat, all
the time resisting the urge to put the paint
on too heavily. As it happens, while spraying
this in my garage in the depths of winter I did
manage to get some pooling of paint on one
wing tip; after biting my ingernails for 48 hours
while it sat over a radiator to harden, careful
sanding back with a sequence of increasingly
iner Albion Alloys sanding sticks and a very
thin re-spray saved the day. The fuselage
has a pale blue underside deined by a mix
of Revell colours which I replicated using a
50:50 mix of Tamiya X-14 Blue and X-2 White,
although on relection, this is rather too vibrant
a blue and more white would have been a
better bet. Although the demarcation between
the white and blue would to a large extent be
obscured by the cheat line decals, I was very
conscious of the risk of the solid blue showing
through the decals and wanted to mask as
closely as possible to the actual boundary, so I
scanned the decals and made paper templates
from printed versions which allowed me to
put faint pencil marks where the edge of the
masking should go.
Other than the slightly daunting prospect of
the large cheat lines and the nose stripes the
decals aren't challenging; they're tough, thin
and easy to handle and I used plain water to
place them, and DACO's red solution to settle
them down. Having left them until last to get
a feel for the way they might behave, the big
cheat lines were pretty benign in the way they
KIT BUILD
SKILL LEVEL: INTERMEDIATE

went on, and I followed the kit's guidance

in putting a couple of 1 cm cuts in the nose
segments, which I ended up adding to with
a couple of small cuts around the periphery.
Although it might sound difficult to a novice,
in fact their resilience makes fitting the
decals to the compound curves of the nose
not too bad at all, their tolerance to post-
application prodding being very helpful and
their slow response to the DACO solution
allowing plenty of time to smooth them down,
I finished them by pressing with a soft cloth
soaked in very hot water.
I had decided to model the aircraft in a
pretty clean condition, since it had been
re-painted in 2016 so kept the weathering
to a minimum. Online photos show that the
engine pylons and flap tracks get quite dirty
so I gave them a dilute wash of black oil
paint, scrubbing the residue off quite early
and using the stained tissue to rub some
grime into the wing upper surface. Specific
streaking and staining was added using
pastel chalks.
Decals on, there's some minor touching up
of paint around the nose door to do, and the
metallic panels around the (APU?) exhausts
behind the wheel wells to add, for which
I masked and used Alclad Steel. I'd hand
painted the wheels, and sorted them into
okay and not so good, putting the latter on
the inside of the legs and glued the support
jacks under the nose. Last thing would be
fixing the three segments of the loading
ramp. ■

The massive upper fuselage closure plate has an equally

massive main spar fixed to it, there’s a smaller-scale version to
support the tailplanes.

I wanted to add a credible load to the interior, so installed some N-gauge railway ISO containers and pallets of sacks and drums, Given the size of the mouldings involved, the fit of the upper
everything behind them being invisible. panel is pretty good, although careful incremental gluing is
needed.

20 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - March 2019

 Here are the main
components of the
airframe before assembly,
it’s difficult to get a feel for
the size from this picture,
but the main fuselage is
60 cm long.

I assembled the nose separately, and added what I though was a necessary packing strip, - wrong! Make up of the engines is conventional, usefully the one piece front ring can be left off until the
Note that what appears to be missing scribing of the asymmetric underside panel is in fact a end, simplifying painting.
representation of the real thing.

The rear edge of one of the engines in the test shot had a small defect in the moulding, easily fixed Masking the undercarriage was awkward with tape, so I used wetted tissue to mould into the
by letting in a piece of plastic strip and sanding to shape. corners.

Issue 164 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 21

KIT BUILD
SKILL LEVEL: INTERMEDIATE

Levelling the outer-to-inner wing panel joint left some of

the panel lines damaged. The main connection joint was re-
established using tape guides and the tip of a rat-tail file.

I scanned the kit decals and cut stencils to help define the Here’s a complete set of engines for one side, decalled but not yet weathered. It’s really useful to be able to leave off the nose ring
location of the masking line for the under surface blue paint. and paint it separately.

FINAL VERDICT
Revell are to be commended for producing a kit of an interesting, yet potentially limited interest kit; certainly
the unique airframe deserves recognition, but inevitably, the limited marking options will probably restrict its
appeal. As a build experience, the kit it excellent, detail is good, and the engineering is intelligent with very
few pitfalls, it may be relatively expensive and appear overwhelming in size, but actually, this is a kit that can be
tackled by modellers with a range of experience, and it’s certainly impressive when built! All we need now are some
‘what if?’ schemes. Many thanks to Revell for having the confidence to give us the test shot.

22 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - March 2019

 KIT BUILD
SKILL LEVEL: INTERMEDIATE
BUILT AND WRITTEN BY ROY KINSELLA
ADVANCED LIGHT
COMBAT AIRCRAFT
he Aero L-159 ALCA is a light
T subsonic attack jet and advanced
trainer developed in both single and
two-seat variants. The distinctive
features of the aircraft clearly reveal
it to be a close relative of the venerable L-39,
the airframe having changed very little. Indeed,
after 1991 and the demise of communism
24 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - March 2019
throughout central and eastern Europe,
nations such as the recently independent
Czech Republic found themselves facing
challenges in how to maintain and improve
their ageing air force assets.
Aero Vodochody (more locally known as
Aero), was formally a Czechoslovakian aircraft
production company which had produced
the L-29 Delphin and the family of the L-39
Albatros aircraft throughout the Cold War. The
factory resides in the district of Prague and
after the state of Czechoslovakia returned
back into two independent states, the Czech
Republic and Slovakia respectfully, Aero
continued production in the Czech Republic
with the L-39, but now focused at the export
market and how best to improve this platform
to new potential customers.
Aero eventually produced the L-39MS
(Later designed as the L-59 Super Albatros).
We build
Miniwing’s
1:144 Aero
L-159A
ALCA
This jet featured a more powerful turbofan
engine, advanced avionics and was sold to
Egypt and Tunisia. It is visually different to the
original L-39 by the more sleek extension of
the forward fuselage featured in the L-59.
In Miniature
Just like the real deal this
1:144 scale L-159A is
produced in the Czech
Republic by Miniwings, who
need no introduction as they
have been well established
in the 1:144 community for many
years.
This is an injection-moulded kit, although
newly produced by Miniwing we can see the
origins of the plastic in the older JACH/Attack
Hobby kits’ L-39. However, there has been
significant improvements and modernisations
made to this design. The kit is produced in
grey plastic, there are two grey runners and
one clear runner for the canopy. The kit is
sold in two different Boxes. The first is a
standard kit that contains plastic plus
photo-etch and a generous amount
of resin weapons including, Mk.82
bombs, GBUs, Maverick Missiles
and even a belly gun, decals being
provided are for the Czech Air force and offer
four different liveries. The second release is a
budget offering sold inside a sleeve instead of
a box. This contains the same kit, minus the
resin weapons. The budget offering obviously
costs less but also offers various decal
options.
I decided to build both kits for this feature,
the Czech Air Force and the Iraqi Air Force
budget release.
Assembly Begins...
As with most builds the
cockpit assembly is first
off the block here. The
plastic is a little crude
but there are enough

features to work with. The cockpit tub includes
the base of the ejection seat so all you have
to do is simply add the backing plate. This part
features the cushion and rear of the ejection
seat, including the headrest.
Fitting the cockpit assembly inside the
two fuselage halves is next. The avionics sit
neatly behind the ejection seat. At first I wasn’t
convinced the panel behind the ejection seat
would be adequate so on the Czech Air Force
example I scratched an alternative panel using
plasticard. Closing the two fuselage halves up
I moved on to ensuring the fit was nice and
there was little or no correction needed. We
were off to a good start!
Next came the wings. These are moulded
in one piece, including the fuel pods and
underside detail. This makes life easy, but
the fit of this entire section to the underside of
the assembled fuselage left something to be
desired. This wasn’t a problem though, a quick
smear over with Vallejo White Putty being
enough to fill the gaps. With the filler working
its magic the wings and fuselage were now
neat and tidy.
Moving on to the air intake I noticed the
plastic parts for the spitter plates appeared
just a little too thick which in turn faced the
air intakes to protrude a little too far. Instead
of thinning the plates down, I simply replaced
them with thin plasticard shaped using the
kit parts as templates. The result was more
satisfying than I had wished for and the when
attached, the air intakes looked smooth
against the fuselage.
Underwing Stores And Details
I decided at this point to fix the underwing
pylons in place. The Czech Air Force example
is regularly seen with all six pylons fitted so
that was replicated here. I decide to fit a thin
piece of plastic to the belly of the model to
replicate the gun pod pylon after neglecting the
fine resin and breaking it.
Moving onto the Iraqi airframe I only
mounted four of the six pylons as that is how
they appear in almost all the reference photos
I have. Miniwing can confirm this too. Using
the measurements provided, I marked out
each pylon and glued them in place under the
wings of both models.
Following quickly on from here I attached
the rear stabilisers to the fuselage, careful
to ensure I had them the right way around of
course. No snags here, the fit was nice and
snug. Concerned that the panel lines on the
kit were just a little too deep, I decided to
reduce them and at the same time take the
opportunity to even out any discrepancies
that might have resulted from the work so far.
I decided to blast the airframe with some Mr.
Surfacer 1500 Grey from a rattle can over a
few sittings. Every time I initially spray a rattle
can like this over a build, I almost think I’ve
Issue 164 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 25
SPECIFICATION:
1:144 Miniwing Aero L-159A ALCA
Kit No: MINI 323 & MINI 324
Materials: IM
Availability: Available
Price Guide: MINI 323 £11.70 (Czech) from Hannants &
MINI 324 £7.99 (Iraqi) from Hannants
BEFORE STARTING:
● Mr. Hobby Mr.Cement S
● Deluxe Rocket Rapid Cyano Glue
● Tamiya Masking Tape
● Tamiya Cutters
● Vetus Tweezers Set
● Swann Morton No.11 Disposable Scalpel
● Vallejo Plastic Putty
● RB Productions Fine Saw
● Evergreen Plastic Card
● Alclad II Sanding Cloths
● Norton 200 Grain Sand Paper
● Mr. Surfacer 1200 jar and rattle can
PAINTS USED:
Mig one-shot grey primer
Hataka Acrylics:
A048 Light Gull Grey
A035 Dark Ghost Grey
A037 Light Ghost Grey
A044 Dark Ghost Grey
A031 Gunship Grey
Tamiya Acrylics:
XF-53 Neutral Grey
XF-19 Sky Grey
XF-80 Royal Light Grey
XF-82 Ocean Grey 2 (RAF)
XF-83 Medium Sea Grey 2 (RAF)
XF-1 Flat Black
Alclad II Lacquer:
ALC-101 Aluminum
ALC-112 Steel
ALC-312 Klear Kote SEMI-MATTE
ALC-310Klear Kote Gloss
Tamiya Acrylics for detailing
Copicmodeller 0.02 Warm Gray Pen
overdone it and worry I have ruined the build.
But by the time it dries it almost always shrinks
and sets beautifully and that’s exactly what
happened here.
Getting back to where it all started I returned
to the cockpit to detail it a little before fixing
the canopy in place. A Dark Gull Grey interior
and a black ejection seat keeps it simple but
pleasingly attractive. Though that was simple,
adding the canopy proved less so...
The problem here is that the canopy plastic
is just a little too thick, a common problem
in this scale. How I corrected this was quite
simple; I sanded back the lower edges of the
canopy plastic where is meets the fuselage.
Happy with the excess that I’d removed I
placed the canopy on and turning the model
upside down I handpainted generous amounts
of Mr. Surfacer 1200, along the fuselage
edges, allowing it to dry in place, the resulting
finish ensuring a smooth and consistent line
between the canopy and fuselage When
everything was dry I masked the canopy - it
was now time to start painting!
Painting And Decals
Both of the L-159 builds, Czech Air Force
KIT BUILD
SKILL LEVEL: INTERMEDIATE

The kits contains a mixture of injection
moulded and resin parts.
Note in this shot of the kit contents, the The wings are supplied in one single parts Surface detail is delicate and The second kit is a
appearance of etched-brass details - a bonus that includes the tip-tanks. restrained. simpler affair, being
in a kit costing just under £12. supplied in a plastic bag
without the resin and
etched embellishments.

and Iraqi Air force examples, in real life are
painted with the same colour codes. However,
after looking at my reference photos there is
no denying they appear quite different mainly
because the Czech example is quite old and
weathered. In fact, the livery I chose for this
particular aircraft is a temporary scheme which
celebrates the aircraft flying 10,000 flight
hours! The colour codes indicate Dark Ghost
Grey and Gunship Grey over Light Ghost Grey.
This is the very same as the Iraqi aircraft, for
which I will use the HATAKA Red Range.
To achieve this weathered look, rather
than just lighten the paints I opted to change
to colours codes and chose colours closer
to my reference photos - I also decided to
use Tamiya Acrylics instead of Hataka to
make things more interesting. This being so,
I replaced Hataka’s Dark Ghost grey with
Tamiya XF-83, Gunship Grey with XF-82 and
finally Light Ghost Grey with XF-80.
I decided to thin my Tamiya paints down with
30% Mr. Color Leveling Thinner.
Both models were finished in the same way.
After the Mr. Surfacer application was long
dry I began adding the fuselage colours, Light
Ghost Grey first. When dry I masked this entire
area off carefully. Next up and contrary to what
might be expected, I added the darker grey
to the upper surfaces first. I did this because I
was concerned had I applied the lighter grey
color first, that I would risk damaging some
of the finer detail on the fuselage with the
application of the Blue-tak that I intended to
use for masking. Airbrushing this in reverse
simply made the painting process so much
easier and safer for both builds.
Moving on and happy with the Blue-Tak
masks covering the Dark Grey sections of the
upper fuselage, I applied the Dark Ghost Grey
colour, taking care with the paint application
to ensure the edge of Dark Ghost Grey would
be soft. Finishing with the main camouflage
colours I individually masked off various
sections that required individual attention,
including the nose, XF-53 on the Czech and
XF-19 on the Iraqi examples. Both builds
received a coat of Alclad High Speed Silver at
the edge of the intakes too.
Next up was to give both builds a generous
coat of clear gloss to assist with the decal
application later. For this I used Alclad Klear
Kote Gloss. Aqua Gloss would usually be fine
too but as the latter is acrylic I would be cautious
about using the decal solution with it. I just find
the Klear Kote is more durable in my experience.
The Decals in the kit are produced by JBr
Decals and are super-fine and unforgiving if
you make an error with them. However, if you
take your time and get them right then the
rewards are very satisfying. The decals were
absolutely gorgeous. The Czech roundel decals
are toned down and two Grey sections along
with a third clear section. However I felt the grey
shades were just not contrasting enough for my
liking so once dry, I just coloured one section
in with grey pencil to make it darker and I was
satisfied with the result. There were a surprising
amount of decals on offer in this kit, including
a generous amount of stencils too, considering
this is a 1:144 scale kit! But it was worth taking
the time to apply them.
After the decal application was complete
and sealed, I applied Alclad Klear Kote Semi
Gloss to take the high shine from the airframes
of both builds. The decals were so fine there
was no silvering whatsoever or any hint of the
decal surface protruding from this tiny build.
Weathering
Although incredibly small in front of me on the
bench I could see there was a little room for
weathering here. I decided to sharpen the point
of my standard lead pencil and create fine panel

The fit of the wing to the

Construction is simple and fuselage is not all it could be,
straightforward. needing a little filler to create Six pylons in place
a smooth joint. under the wings of the
Czech aircraft…

…Four under
those of that town
by the Iraqi Air
Force.

Plasticard replacements for

the intake splitter plates
help the intakes to fit more
accurately.

26 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - March 2019

 With the undersides
airbrushed, they could
A layer of primer helped to smooth everything out now be masked ready
ready for a layer of camouflage paint. for the upper surface
camouflage.

Blue-Tack was used

to define the upper
surface camouflage
pattern.

…As does the

Iraqi example.

Painted and glossed, the

Czech aircraft shows off for
the camera…

lines all over the aircraft. For the larger panel fuel tanks but I did not have enough bombs! training purposes I painted these munitions
lines, including the flaps I added a little drop of The Czech Air Force would be even beefier. in their respective training colours, hence
Black Tamiya Panel Line Accent. On completion Looking through so many photographs and the Tamiya XF-14 Flat Blue sections on the
I again added another clear coat of Semi- images, I was spoilt for choice but decided missiles and bombs.
Matt Gloss. The results were really satisfying. to mount the following: two Mavericks on Finally, I added some various details
Before moving onto the payload I fitted the the inner pylons, a pair of GBU-12s on the throughout the build, including coloured lights
undercarriage and various aerials. middle pylons and on the outer pylons, a pair and natural metal sections, before removing
of Sidewinders. To put the cherry on the cake the masks from the canopies.
Final Assembly I fitted the twin MG pod under the centreline To my relief and surprise this was not a
This is the point when you realise how much fuselage. Because this aircraft would be fit for tailsitter too. Bonus! ■
of a punch the L-159 ALCA must be able to
throw. The weapons array this aircraft can
mounted with is very impressive. Equally as The decals supplied in both kits are superb, especially once
impressive are the weapons provided in the sealed-in under a layer of matt varnish.
standard kit. Included are Mk.82s, GBUs,
Maverick missiles and one centrally mounted
Twin 20 mm gun pod. These parts are
moulded in resin and just stunning to behold.
On the trees there are also AIM-9 Missiles so I
was not going to waste any of these.
For the Iraqi fit all my research led me to
employ two wing tanks on the inner pylon and
two Mk.82 bombs on the outer pylons. This
was the common fit of munitions
when the Iraqi L-159 was used
to target ISIS, another option
could have been two Mk.82 on
each wing instead of one set of

Overall these little kits were great fun
as simple and as small as this. Although
I’m confident any builder would be as
recommended kit and I look
FINAL VERDICT
and incredibly rewarding. I wasn’t expecting to be so satisfied with a kit
I did tweak them a little to improve each over the standard kit contents,
equally satisfied whilst building them completely out of the box. A highly
forward to seeing more injected plastic kits from Miniwing in the future.

Issue 164 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 27

KIT BUILD
SKILL LEVEL: INTERMEDIATE

SPECIFICATION:
Freightdog 1:72 Supermarine Seafire Ib
Kit No. N/A
Materials: IM/Resin
Availability: All good model shops
Price £18.99

BEFORE STARTING:
● Swann Morton scalpel
● Tweezers
● RB Productions scriber
● RB Productions mini saw
● Mr Hobby epoxy putty
● Plastic micro strip
● Tamiya super fine surface grey primer
● Mr. Neo masking sol
● Mr. Color Levelling thinner
● Tamiya flexible masking tape

AIRBRUSH:
Iwata Revolution CR

PAINTS USED:
MRP
MRP-110 Dark Green WW2 RAF
MRP-111 Interior Grey-Green WW2 RAF
MRP-112 Medium Sea Grey WW2 RAF
MRP-115 Ocean Grey WW2 RAF
MRP-118 Sky WW2 RAF

Mr. Color
Dark Iron

Mr. Hobby
GX-100 Super Clear Gloss

Tamiya
Flat Black

Vallejo
Matt Varnish

Alclad
Duralumin

BUILT AND WRITTEN

BY JAMIE HAGGO

THE SPITFIRE
THAT WENT TO SEA
This month, getting the best from Freightdog’s 1:72 Supermarine Seafire Ib

n Part 5 of the Seafire series we take a step back to where it all they’d missed the deadline! So, this article will take on more of a review

I began in order to model the very first ‘Hooked Spitfire’ before

arriving bang up to date with a brand new release from Freightdog.
Released just in time for the 2018 PMS Scale Model World show
at Telford (which as I write this was a mere three weeks ago) I was
fortunate enough to grab one thus saving on postage and packing if

28 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - March 2019

style whilst still hopefully providing some advice on a relatively ‘new’ kit.

In The Box…
The package is actually KP’s new tool Spitfire Mk.Vb ‘Trop’ with a resin
conversion set and new decals printed by Fantasy Printshop. The
 plastic parts are fine,
crisp and accurate,
with consistent
panel lines and
comprehensive cockpit
detail for the scale. The
only that let it down was
the slightly thick one-
piece canopy, however,
a neat touch was that the
area under the windscreen
was designed to run along a
panel line, this making the fit
easier. Freightdog’s package
doesn’t include the original
decal sheet which is a shame as
there is no instrument panel decal
or seat harness (I usually stick the
decal to thin lead sheet). Still, that’s
a minor quibble as the rest of the
package looks great. As for the
resin bits you are provided with a
one-piece panel that fits under
the fuselage complete with
scribed hook recess with a
tiny hook poking out, two
and six-pot exhausts (for
the other decal markings)
and some very welcome
exhaust mounts. The kit
would have you blank off
the open exhaust area in
the nose to mount the exhaust
parts; this is a much better solution
and a request to Freightdog that they
consider marketing these separately for those
with the original and stock, KP boxings.
Conversion
The first step was to cut away the lower rear
fuselage in order to fit the resin replacement
containing the hook detail. This was
straightforward as the cut line was
along the existing panel line so
this was deepened with an RB
Productions’ scriber and then finished off with
the same manufacturer’s ultra-fine razor saw.
Freightdog’s instructions (on the single, full-
colour markings guide) would have you attach
the resin to one half now however it was easier
to wait until the fuselage halves were joined.
Cockpit
As I intended to use MRP paints, the cockpit
components received a thin coat of Tamiya
primer to deal everything in. I’ve had great
success with MRP, but occasionally it has
lifted so I always prime these days as a belt
and braces approach. As you’ll see from the
photos the detail is really rather impressive,
even some of the lightening holes in the frames
are drilled out - not even Eduard give you
that! Once everything had been airbrushed
with a basecoat of Interior Green, the details
were picked out with a fine brush and
various acrylics. The instrument
panel is well-moulded but the
missing decal would have
been very welcome (I had
a spare Eduard decal
but it was too big). No
matter, it won’t be seen
under the closed canopy
so I left it painted black.
To address the missing
seat harness and because
I didn’t have a photo-etch
set going spare, I just painted
some Tamiya Masking Tape
with Buff and glued it in place -
once again, under the canopy it looks
fine.
When dry, the cockpit components were
given a wash using Roy Sutherland’s now
well-known technique. In essence this involves
a 50/50 mix of Johnsons Klear and water with
some Tamiya paint stirred in provide the colour
- in this case black, but dark green would
do just as well. If you’ve not tried it, I highly
recommend you do! I exaggerated the contrast
KIT BUILD
SKILL LEVEL: INTERMEDIATE
KP’s moulding is superb, being very crisp with very neat and
consistent surface detail.
These are all the resin parts, the exhausts not being required for
BL 767 so another welcome addition to the spares box.
as the detail is small and the canopy thick, for
an open canopy I’d make it a lot more subtle. I
didn’t see the point in weathering the cockpit,
so it was coated with a layer of matt varnish
ready for installation and the closure of the
fuselage halves.
Construction
Before joining the fuselage halves, the resin
exhaust mounts were glued in place. The
contours match impeccably and are very
welcome, so much so that I repeat the plea
to Freightdog: please make these available
separately! Paint was gently sanded away
from the edges of the fuselage halves
First job, deepen the panel lines ready for the mini saw.
30 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - March 2019
The fuselage is also very nicely moulded. Note the belly tank,
a welcome edition to the spares box although early Seafires
were seen with them too if you want to create something a little
different.
A close-up of the fuselage frame, lovely stuff. Not even Eduard
replicate those holes!
before being being joined permanently with
cyanoacrylate. This was done for speed but
if you do the same be careful with alignment
as there are no pins to guide you. The fit was
okay, but filler was needed along the seam so
for this I used Mr. Hobby Epoxy Putty. This
stuff is fantastic; its analogous to Milliput but is
more plastic. That means it’s not water soluble
but sands and more importantly scribes, just
like kit plastic. It’s a wonderful product for
filling seams.
With the fuselage rubbed down, the resin
hook insert was glued in place. The fit is very
good but I did choose to fill and re-scribe the
panel lines for a consistent appearance. It
And here is the part removed with RB Productions’ saw.
Note how nicely moulded the smaller parts are, a standout
being that instrument panel and the lightening holes in the
frame.
For the scale, the detail in the fuselage halves is very well done.
was very easy as the contours are spot on!
The wings are straightforward although
along the inner leading edge the top halves
don’t quite reach the lower half. This was
easily fixed with a smear of Mr. Hobby Epoxy
Putty. A few lumps and bumps are needed to
be glued in place so don’t forget to open the
holes as indicated by the instructions, which
was something I completely missed!
When mating the wings to the fuselage it
was apparent that the underside of the nose
was ‘pinched’ so a short piece of sprue was
used to spread the parts to match the fuselage
with the wings. There were gaps along the
wing roots and tailplanes, so masking tape
was applied to protect the panel lines and the
errant gaps illed with Deluxe Plastic Putty.
When dry, a damp cotton bud was used to
remove the excess.
The canopy could now be glued in place
and the windscreen faired in with the Deluxe
Plastic Putty, the putty being sanded smooth
this time to blend the onscreen to the fuselage.
The two-piece Volkes Filter and lower
nose had been glued together at the start
of the project and then illed and sanded, so
this could now be added. This needed a fair
amount of fettling and I’m wondering if gluing
the ilter halves to each fuselage half irst
might be the neater solution?
All of the various radiators and coolers
were added to the lower wings next, the
radiators being particularly reined so no
photo-etch needed here. Finally, the upper
wing strengtheners needed to be added from
ine plastic strip. And there she was ready for
paint.
The basecoat in the cockpit, note the framing was handpainted with Ammo of Mig’s Interior Green colour, in hindsight this wasn’t
necessary.
Painting
The irst job was to mask the canopy (using
a spare Eduard mask suitably modiied) and
spray the internal colour. That done, the
airframe received a coat of Tamiya Super Fine
decanted to the airbrush and thinned with a
few drops of Mr. Color Leveling Thinner. This
uniied the inish and the mix of plastic, resin,
plastic card and no little iller.
MRP paints were used throughout the
painting process, each colour being laid down
and then lightened and darkened to break
up the monotone look. At irst glance it looks
like too much contrast especially as this
aeroplane was essentially a prototype trials
airframe, however, the subsequent varnish
layers and light weathering uniied the inish
and toned it all back by the end of the process.
The lower surfaces were masked and the
upper camoulage was sprayed in place, the
demarcation being applied freehand. With
my airbrush, MRP paint with a drop or two
of Mr. Leveling Thinner, an extremely tight
demarcation can be created and although Yes, the wash has far too much contrast but this is all going to be buttoned up, so the intense false shadows really help.
perhaps in this scale a hard demarcation is
more appropriate, I prefer the look of a model
inished in this way. The windscreen was now
masked off and the interior green primer colour
sprayed in place, which was I assume a post-
production modiication?
The paint work was sealed with a thin coat
of Mr. Hobby GX-100 Super Clear Gloss. The
MRP paint is hard and smooth, but I prefer not
to weather directly on top of it. The Fantasy
Printshop decals were applied using the new
Ammo of Mig Jimenez decal solutions which
worked superbly; they are very thin though and
though few split as they gripped the surface,
the damage was easily ixed. Everything was
the treated to a sealing coat with the gloss
again just to protect the decals ready for
weathering.

Weathering
This was kept very light as this was a trials
aeroplane. An oil sludge wash was applied but
in hindsight I think the dark grey/green tone A matt coat really blends everything together.

Issue 164 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 31

KIT BUILD
SKILL LEVEL: INTERMEDIATE

To help with depth

in the cockpit the
lower wing was
painted black. Note
the separate inner
wheel wells.

The exhaust mounts are a very welcome edition, almost

worth the price of the kit on their own. KP would have
you blank them off with car to mount the exhausts…

This looks worse than it is, but a

good slathering in Mr. Hobby Epoxy
Putty will ensure no gaps at all
and it makes it easier to blend into
the plastic.

The resin hook-insert fits really well but I

thought it would be neater to fill the join
and re-scribe the panel lines.

To improve the fit under the

nose and at the wing root, a
spacer was required as the
parts were a little warped.

More filler, this time Deluxe Perfect Putty. Note the masking tape
protecting the panel lines, this will aid clean up.

A moist cotton bud is the weapon of choice to clean up

the putty, no sanding required.

Up first, the interior colour.

Ready for paint.

Strengthening strips are required, these being made

from thin Microstrip. It’s all laid out in the Freightdog
instructions.
 Everything has been unified Alclad
with a primer coat. Sorry for Duralumin
the odd hue, the camera had was applied
a white balance wobbly and to the wing
this couldn’t be seen on the root and
little screen! Mr. Hobby
Masking Neo
applied with
a sponge to
recreate the typical
Spitfire/Seafire wear
pattern.

As this aeroplane was a

Spitfire conversion it had the The underside is
standard ‘day’ camouflage. masked so now
After the Sky fuselage band, the upper surfaces
the Medium Sea Grey was are ready for the
applied and shaded. camouflage.

used on the upper surfaces has created a little

too much contrast, especially over the lighter
markings. This was polished off with a kitchen
towel very gently so as not
to remove it from the
panel lines which
is easily done
if not careful.
A light post
shade with
a grimy tone
was then
applied with
the airbrush
over the undersides
and then to replicate the
exhaust staining on the fuselage sides.

Finishing off
I always dread this stage! There’s an almost
finished model sat there but this bit seems
to go on forever! The prop was painted
and glued in place, before painting the
undercarriage legs ready for installation. The
gear legs are handed but seem to both be
MRP’s Ocean Grey initially looked to blue and dark to my for the left hand side! The right gear leg
eye, however, after the green and matt varnish had been mounting peg was very carefully bent to
sprayed in place, it looked spot on.

Issue 164 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 33

KIT BUILD
SKILL LEVEL: INTERMEDIATE

the right angle, I’m looking forward to building With a good airbrush, proper paint dilution, a very fine
freehand pattern can result. This may be too feathered
Tamiya’s new 1:48 Mk. I…
for scale effect but I prefer it!
The gun barrels are a simple push fit and
look impressive. Though I ordered some brass
replacements for this one, I’ll probably save
them for another project. The finishing touch
was to add the aerial mast. This had a naval
set up so the IFF wires from the tail plane
had been removed, with only a wire from the
mast to the fin as the RN aeroplanes were
fitted with the HF - something I’ll get
round to adding when I get a surge of
motivation! ■

A gloss coat seals

everything and adds a
layer of protection despite
the MRP paints being
robust.

And here is the camouflage finished.

A complimentary tone was mixed from various oil paints and Ammo of Mig
Oil Brushers, thinned slightly and then slathered on.

It’s an easy job to polish away the

excess with a gloss surface and a
kitchen towel. Note how crisp the
mouldings are.

Oddly, the windscreen was in primer so it was carefully

masked and sprayed.

Always a satisfying event, peeling off the masking fluid.

34 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - March 2019

 My absolute favourite stage, the matt
varnish, in this case the wonderful
Winsor and Newton Galeria matt.
Now the subject starts to look like
a miniature aeroplane rather than a
model, in my eyes anyway.

Now for the top surface.

A bit of a chore, but

the results are much
better than trying to
handpaint the yellow
tips. Again, this is
MRP but over a white
undercoat.

The same exhaust

mix was applied on
the underside.
In hindsight, the tone I mixed was a little too high,
especially over the markings.

A very subtle exhaust stain was sprayed on using a sooty

tone mixed from Tamiya paints and heavily thinned. This
was a trials aeroplane not a combat veteran.

FINAL VERDICT
The sharp-eyed amongst you may notice a few flecks of white debris on the inside of the canopy! They won’t come off
and the thing is sealed and feathered in. Will I remove it and repair the damage? Maybe but probably not yet, it’s
irritating for sure but is yet to trip my irritation threshold!
In the box the KP kit looks fantastic being crisply moulded and well-detailed and though it clearly doesn’t match the
Eduard Mk. IX kit for detail and fit, it is easily the best Mk.V kit in 1:72 and I can highly recommend it - just be
prepared to use some filler here and there. The canopy is a bit of a let-down if I’m honest but I’m sure you could use
a vac-form replacement and if you wanted to open the canopy then the detail will stand up to scrutiny.
The Freightdog conversion is a great starting point for anyone wishing to embark on a conversion but so far hasn’t
plucked up the courage to take a saw to a kit yet. Overall this is a great package and a very nice model will result.

Issue 164 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 35

 KIT BUILD
SKILL LEVEL: INTERMEDIATE

SPECIFICATION:
Fairchild AU-23A Peacemaker
Kit No: ROD439
Materials: IM
Available from: All good model shops
Price Guide: £37.99

MATERIALS USED:
● Mr. Cement S
● Tamiya Panel Wash Black
● Derwent Studio Pencils.
● Flory Models Dark Dirt Wash.
● Micro Set
● Johnsons Klear

PAINTS USED:
Tamiya Acrylics:
Black XF-1
White XF-2
Royal Light Grey XF-80

Citadel Acrylics
Mephiston Red

Microscale
Gloss Varnish.

Vallejo:
Satin Varnish.

Winsor & Newton oils

Lamp Black
Titanium White.

AIRBRUSH USED:
Iwata eclipse HB- SBS

ACCESSORIES USED:
Eduard mask: EX 305 PC-6/AU-23A
Master-Model: AM-48-056, M197 Cannon

BUILT AND WRITTEN BY GREG PHILLIPS

RODEN’S PERFECT
PEACEMAKER
Get the best from Roden’s very impressive 1:48 Pilatus offshoot, the
Fairchild AU-23A Peacemaker...
the license-built Fairchild Peacemaker, with

R
oden has produced many variants
of the Pilatus PC-6 over the years,
even one with floats. My first build
of the Pilatus was Roden's Air
America version some years ago.
But one of my favourite subjects are civilian
aircraft militarised and here Roden offered up
pylons added to the wing and a lightened version
of a Gatling gun hanging out of the fuselage -
entirely, my cup of tea! Not built in great numbers
by Fairchild, the Peacemaker was not a great
success in the field - being far too slow - but as a
subject for a model, it’s perfect!
In The Box
As with many Roden kits that I’ve come across,
the surface parts have a slight texture to them
although the panel line detail is good and the
parts are nicely detailed with the occasional flash
to clean up. There are some large injector pin

36 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - March 2019

marks to clean up but that’s par for the course
with these models...
The Pilatus is one of those aircraft
that has fiddly bits sticking out everywhere, so
most assemblies like props, the undercarriage
(front and rear) aerials and wing struts need to
be painted and weathered separately and then
KIT BUILD
SKILL LEVEL: INTERMEDIATE

The Roden parts are nicely detailed but will require cleaning up, watch out for those injector pins! The floor plan needs holes drilling out too, but this time it’s up to you to figure out which ones.

The cockpit area is adequate for what will be seen through the The interior is ready to close up. But looking at the seats it looked little
sides, especially with that big gun blocking the view. sparse, so some seat harnesses were drawn up on paper and fixed to
the seats.

Because Roden uses the fuselage

parts for various versions of their
Pilatus PC-6 range, a little adjustment
will be needed for the specific types.
Luckily Roden has given us a helping
hand in these areas by supplying 1/1
scale plan drawings.

Roden’s interpretation of the gun left a lot to be desired
and the assembly wasn’t the best either. An upgrade was
badly needed and thankfully Master had the answer with
some beautifully turned barrels.
brought together during final construction. This
makes not only painting easier, but lessens the
chance of breaking parts off accidentally during
the construction and finishing stages.
My first step was to open the many holes on
top of the fuselage with a mini drill. Roden supply
measurements to help you drill these out, but
luckily the plan view offered in the instructions
showing the various dimensions, is the same
size as the fuselage part, so it was just a matter
The fuselage is joined along with the cowl. The cowl part requires some trimming to fit flush with the fuselage cross section.
The interior painted and finished ready to enclose in the fuselage.
of making a copy and attaching it to the top
fuselage with a few drops of paper glue and then
using that as a template. You could do this when
both fuselage sides have been glued togther, but
I chose to do them separately. With these drilled
out, the paper was peeled off and the holes
cleaned up.
The cabin floor is next and again, you need to
drill out location holes to mount subsequent parts
and details. It’s for you to make sure that you drill
the holes you need or leave them alone, no seat
holes for instance being required in the back of
this version. Talking of drilling holes, don’t forget
the pylon holes on the underside of the wings,
which was exactly what I did! It’s so much easier
if you follow the instructions sometimes, Greg...
The two seats are nicely detailed and the
front console is basic but adequate. A decal is
supplied for the instrument panel, which when
applied, broke up which a sign of things to
come.
The interior is painted black and then a
medium grey is applied making sure that some
of the black is left to show through. Once the
paint had dried the detail was picked out by
drybrushing everything with white oil paint.
When the oil paint had dried, the highlights were
boosted using Tamiya Panel Wash, in this case,
black.
Moving On...
The next item is the Gatling gun. The kit’s
rendition of this leaves a lot to be desired, so
I decided to create one from brass rod and
plasticard. Working on this item into the early
hours it was only in the cold light of day that
my efforts looked ten times worst than Roden's
Issue 164 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 39
offering, that bad that I didn’t take a photo of the
offending item! Without resolving this area of
the Fairchild I would have been stuck and would
have trouble proceeding any further. Thankfully,
after a search Online, I found that Master had
a gun in their range. Although not exact for the
Fairchild (it’s meant for a Cobra gunship) this
set would be a far superior replacement than the
kit’s offering. Whilst I was ordering this, I also
acquired the Eduard PC-6 masking set.
When the Master set turned up I was amazed
how small the parts were, even in 1:48. Supplied
in a large package were three beautifully turned
barrels accompanied by a very small photo-
etched sheet. Assembly of these parts is very
fiddly, so I ended up placing the three rear
barrel ends on some White Tack to hold them
in position whilst slotting the photo-etched parts
into their various positions.
All of the gun parts, mounting bracket and
ammunition housing, were then painted silver
and then flat black. Once dry, these parts are
handled and marked with my fingernail to give
them that used look. One item that I misplaced
was the ammunition belt connecting the gun
breech to the magazine housing. I’m sure it
ended up in the man cave bin and in turn went to
the outside bin - and I wasn’t rummaging through
that in the rain!
The interior was then completed and fixed to
the cockpit floor. This was then fitted to the inside
of the fuselage, the fit being spot-on. Closing the
fuselage parts it became very noticeable that
the front seats looked very bare, so I drew some
seat belts using colouring pencils, the drawn
belts being sealed with several coats of varnish
over the paper. These were then cut out and
KIT BUILD
SKILL LEVEL: INTERMEDIATE
The transparencies weren’t the best especially the front
windscreen and with no aftermarket replacement at the time,
had to make do with the best of what was supplied.
The nicely detail undercarriage is built and painted off the
model for ease.
added to the seat using PVA glue, not a hundred
percent accurate, they nevertheless filled that
visual gap through that big windscreen.
Completing The Airframe
With the fuselage parts joined, the tailplanes
were added followed by the main wings. With a
little trimming, these fit with no major problems.
One thing to watch out for is that the wings
don’t have the largest of attachment points
to the fuselage. With the wings being so long
and heavy, the model was sat on its back on a
flat surface to help with the alignment of both
wings and then left to set, at the same time
dry-fitting the wing struts so they would fit into
Being mindful that when applying the camouflage; it’s easy to lose track of what you’re doing
when masking and painting.
40 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - March 2019
The way Roden have moulded the propeller means you can
change the pitch on the props with ease if you wish.
Control surfaces and other details painted, ready for installation.
position later on.
The transparent parts aren’t the best,
especially the front windscreen which looks
rather rough. Sanding and buffing might help but
was afraid that the cheap and brittle plastic might
give me more issues than it cures, including
hazing or cracking. It was decided therefore to
dip them a few times in Klear, which worked to
a point.
The propeller parts were built next; a nice
touch here is the fact that you can change the
pitch of the props. The underwing weapons
comprise two flare dispensers and rocket pods.
These were painted silver and then Olive Drab.
Again, these are manhandled and marked with
More masking ready for the darker green to be airbrushed on.
The various weapons carried on the Fairchild; the kit only
supplies the one layout.
The final paint scheme is applied beginning with the tan colour.
fingernails to give that used look.
The undercarriage is next which is, to put it
mildly, fiddly! I used the fuselage as a guide/jig
for positioning of the struts and once happy just
one point of glue was applied to hold the strut
assembly together. These were then painted as
a standalone assembly.
Painting, Weathering And Decals
With the bare bones of the little Fairchild
assembled, the completion of the external
paintwork could begin. I temporarily taped the
ailerons and flaps to the wing so as to keep
the top camouflage pattern in line, fixing these
in place at the very end of the build. All the
The upper camouflage in place ready for the lower surfaces to be finished. The pale grey and black undersides need to be carefully masked and sprayed.

Issue 164 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 41

KIT BUILD
SKILL LEVEL: INTERMEDIATE

The decals are a nightmare especially the shark’s mouth, which fell to pieces on me. Masking
this for paint, or another decal supplier would be the way to go. For me I ended up painting
the front in place following the aforementioned damage.

paints applied here are custom mixes of Tamiya
paints. The tan was applied first then light and
dark green using the White Tack method of
demarcation. The grey then black undersides
were then sprayed on to complete the scheme.
With the paint left to dry overnight, the whole
model is lightly wet sanded with 6000 grit pad in
the direction of airflow.
Be careful when wet sanding as it will look
different when dry. So a first light sand and wipe
the residue dry and decide whether it needs
another going over.
Once happy with the finish, the paint was
sealed with a few coats of Vallejo Satin Varnish.
The model was then left for a few days ready for
the decals.
The decals looked good at first glance though
if I’d known the trouble they were going to give
me I’d have looked for an alternative decal
sheet! My first decal placed down was one of the
large Thai white lettering under the wing. When
removed from the backing and placed on the
surface it became very brittle and when moved
into position, broke in two pieces, then three,
the decal just didn’t like being handled. Another
point that came to light very quickly was that the
decal looked too big compared to the markings
shown on the painting guide. Once happy with
the position, this decal was given a coat of Micro
Sol and left to settle. I didn’t continue with other
decals until I saw if there was any reaction to the
decal from the Micro Sol.
After a few minutes I gently pressed the
decal onto the surface where one of the corner
edges decided to break off. Though I was losing
my patience now, I hadn’t come this far for the
decal sheet to let me down! I left the Fairchild
and went away to calm down and think. My first
idea was to look online for a decal substitute
for the markings in the scheme painted in, but
nothing came up. After a large slice of cake and
a calmer attitude, I went back and tackled the
other side of the wing. With the experience of
dealing with the first decal in my mind, I applied
the second one with a bit more care, because I
knew what was coming it seemed to behave a
little better.
Luckily the other decals left to apply would
be very small, except for the sharkmouth, which
when applied broke up into little pieces at the
front. I suppose the front lower cowl shape is
complex. This decal was also too big which
didn’t help when positioning. When the decal
dried the rest of the shark's mouth was painted
in by hand.
After that painful experience with the decals,
the whole Fairchild was given several coats
of Vallejo Satin Varnish. With everything left to
dry the rest of the model’s ancillary parts could
be pieced together. This was carried out with
little in the way of hitches, although a steady
hand is needed to attach the many small parts to
the top of the fuselage. ■

FINAL VERDICT
As I mentioned earlier I built the ‘Air America’ Pilatus some years ago and don’t recall any issues with the decal
sheet then. Other than the decals this is a good kit with nice surface detail and with care, goes together without
problem. Roden has captured that no-nonsense go and land anywhere look that the Pilatus has and in the process, added
a superb model to my display case!

42 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - March 2019

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 KIT BUILD
SKILL LEVEL: INTERMEDIATE

SPECIFICATION:
Airfix 1:48 Bristol Blenheim MK.I
Kit No A09186
Materials: IM
Available from: All good model shops
Price Guide: £36.99

BEFORE STARTING:
● Tamiya Extra Thin Cement
● MiG Extra Thin Cement
● Mr Surfacer 1200
● Perfect Plastic Putty
● Dspiae Single Blade Cutters
● Tamiya Masking Tape
● Silhouette Portrait 2 cutting machine.
● Tweezers.
● Mr Paint Liquid Filler

PAINT USED:
Mr Paint MRP- 85 Fine Surface Primer Black
Mr Paint MRP - 108 Dark Earth
Mr Paint MRP- 110 Dark Green
Mr Paint MRP- 111 Interior Grey-Green
Mr Paint MRP- 173 Tyre Rubber
Vallejo
Various shades of MiG oil paints.

AFTERMARKET ITEMS USED.

Mig Rigging Line 0.01 mm
Master Model. Browning .303 calibre barrels. (Part No
AM-48-026)
Brengun . Vickers K (GO) gun. (Part No BRL 48047)

BUILT AND WRITTEN BY NIGEL POOLE

BRISTOL’S LIGHT

BOMBER
We take a detailed look at the brand-new Airfix 1:48 Blenheim Mk.I

H
aving returned from Scale Model
World in Telford in November of
last year, I was all fired up for my
next challenge. Disappointed that
Airfix hadn’t managed to release
the new 1:48 Blenheim in time for Scale Model
World, I found myself picking over the kits
I had to try and identify my next victim. So,
you can imagine my delight when the editor
asked me if I could build the very kit I was
longing for, the Blenheim. So, a week after
the largest model show in the world, much to
my girlfriend’s disapproval a large brown box
was delivered and quickly whisked off to my
workshop...
First Impressions...
On opening the box, I wasn’t disappointed.
Nice clean flash free mouldings seemed in
evidence, as did a high parts count, a good
level of detail, crystal-clear canopies and
turret. But there’s always a downside and on
this occasion it was the
horribly soft plastic that
Airfix seem intent on using.
I had, some weeks previously
just completed Airfix’s rendition of the
1:72 Blenheim. Looking through the runners
it was apparent that they had employed some
of the same construction techniques in this
new large-scale version. Obviously, the part
count is higher, along with the level of detail,
but the construction of the engines, canopies

44 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - March 2019

and undercarriage are similar. The only major
difference is the one-piece fuselage, which
eases construction. It’s also quite obvious from
the kit’s breakdown and unused parts, that
we are going to be treated to other variants,
other than just the nightfighter supplied in this
release.
Getting Started
Diving straight in, the instructions have you
begin with the construction of the bomb
bay. Seeing as we are building the fighter
variant with its gun belly pack attached, you
are required to remove, what are in fact the
bomb bay doors that are moulded in the
open position. This is a very simple task as I
discovered, being best achieved by heavily
scoring along the relevant lines and then
snapping them off. This, I found, created a
nice, accurate cut requiring minimum clean up,
if any at all.
The rest of the bomb bay area comes
Issue 164 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 45
together swiftly and with
no fuss, with the wing spars
forming part of the bulkheads. The
well in-between the two wing spars
is well portrayed, even though hardly any of it
can be seen when the fuselage is closed up.
But we know it’s there, and that’s what counts!
The fuselage is the next part of the
construction, this being well-appointed and
fiddly, with a lot of parts fitting in a small area.
Luckily, most of the work is done prior to
KIT BUILD
SKILL LEVEL: INTERMEDIATE

The Injection pin

markings were easily
dealt with using a Perfect
Plastic Putty. Sanding
down and finishing it off,
with a quick a quick rub
over with a fibreglass
pen.

Tools needed to deal with those

ejector pin marks: putty and a glass-
fibre pen.

The sink marks on the wing fillets, were dealt with early on in the build. Using Mr
Paints Liquid putty. Care must be taken when sanding it back, so that the original
profile of the fillet is retained.

The completely
filled wing-root
fillet, filled as
described in
Dissolving parts of the kit’s runners in liquid glue the text.
helps create a very useful filler for larger gaps.

The tiny parachute

pack, assembled The engines and their nacelles
and very carefully under construction.
painted.

Ammo’s Extra Thin Cement

was used to great effect
around this build.

46 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - March 2019

 The interior of the
wheel wells are
nicely detailed and
fun to paint.
joining the fuselage halves, so even my fat
fingers could cope!
There are several ejector pin marks that
need dealing with on the interior of the
starboard side, as they will be visible through
that huge expanse of a canopy. I simply
filled them with some Perfect Plastic Putty,
sanded them back and then finished them off
with a rub down from a fibreglass pen. There
are a similar amount on the port side, but
thankfully they are hidden by the pilot’s seat
and controls.
Prior to doing any more work on the
cockpit I noticed some really
prominent sink marks, running
the length of both wing fillets.
They’re not something
even I could ignore and
Here you can see how I departed from the instructions.
Using this sequence of construction I was able to I’m pretty lax about these
construct the undercarriage without performing any sort of things! Deciding
tedious masking in order to paint them, and the interior of these were best dealt with
the wheel bays.
early on, masking tape was
The tyres come marked
with the Manufactures
name of DONLOR. I can only
assume this was adopted
for Trademark reasons. It is
however a very simple and
quick task to alter this to
read DUNLOP.
The undercarriage legs slip simply into place...
Issue 164 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 47
tactically applied to preserve the details in
the surrounding area. This was followed by
a healthy serving of MR Paints liquid putty to
the affected parts. Left to dry it was a simple,
yet tedious task to sand back to a smooth,
sink free finish.
But the remedial work in this area wasn’t
over yet. The tips of both fillets were blunt,
dare I say it, short shot! A quick test-fit of the
wings confirmed this. Not to worry there’s
an easy way to deal with this sort of thing;
in the past I have tried to repair this type of
fine detail with putty but it never seems to
adhere well, coming away when you try
to shape it. Superglue has proven
to be just as ineffective. Cracking
and breaking away when you
try to carve it to shape. There is
however an ideal solution and
it’s in the box. Cut some lengths
of sprue and put them into a glue
resistant pot. Then add a little
The completely
assembled and painted
undercarriage ready
to be fixed in place.
Note the mixture of
black and aluminium
components.
...Before sliding the rear of the engine nacelle in place. Here
you can see how little masking is needed if construction is
approached in this way.
KIT BUILD
SKILL LEVEL: INTERMEDIATE
Airfix supply a jig to ease construction of the
turret components. Just be sparing with the glue
to ensure it doesn’t become a permanent fixture.
liquid glue, allowing the sprue to dissolve into a
paste so you now have a putty that welds itself
to the plastic of the kit. Once dry, it is easy to
carve and sand to shape. The only downside
is the drying time as it takes a while depending
on the amount of liquid glue used. The more
Paints and finishing products used as part of this build.
Having access to my own vinyl cutter, allows me to design and
produce my own masks. For both canopies and markings.
48 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - March 2019
glue, the longer the drying time.
Moving On...
Once that was out of the way, it was back to
the cockpit. Using the Haynes Manual for the
Blenheim as a reference guide (If you can only
Here all the raised detail around the gunners hatch, turret ring and vertical stabiliser have been reinstated. The use of a vinyl cutter
was employed to make the ring around the edge of the gunners hatch.
Custom masks allowed the interior faming to be painted with
ease.
The cockpit supplied by Airfix is excellent out of the box.
The only thing required aftermarket wise is the harnesses.
buy one source of reference for the Blenheim,
this book should be at the top of your list) it
was quickly painted up using MR Paint 111,
interior Grey Green, weathered using MiG oils.
Airfix has done a cracking job on the cockpit,
even the brake lever on the centre of the
control column is represented.
The only aftermarket you really need is a
set of seatbelts. Unfortunately, at the time of
building the dedicated Eduard set of belts for
the Blenheim were unavailable, but a little
research enabled me to use the set intended
for the Sea Hurricane, coupled with a set of
generic RAF seatbelts, from which I pilfered
The turret was similarly masked with custom items created by
the author.

The barrels for the
gun pack were also
replaced, this time
using Master Barrels.
It’s not that Airfix’s are
bad, just that Master
Barrels are better.
Strangely enough the prominent ‘V’ was missing from the undercarriage doors. However on
checking my references I found that these were not applied to all Blenheim’s, but the aircraft I
chose to model does have them, so they were easily depicted using strips of plastic cut to shape.
Airfix have done
an outstanding
job on the Dorsal
turret. It’s such
a pity it cant
be seen when
installed.
fit around the bomb bay, is in a word, snug,
Here, the port roundel shows The Airfix offering was requiring me to break out a set of clamps.
off for the camera, painted to put it mildly, poor. The rest of the fuselage isn’t a bad fit, but
using more custom painting Mine was exchanged not a good one either...I think it can be best
masks. The improvement for the aftermarket
over proprietary decals is version produced by described as ‘adequate’. This needs dabs of
easy to see. Brengun. filler here and there, coupled with some heavy
sanding.
During this process, the raised detail
around the gunner’s entrance hatch was lost,
along with the lip that’s forward of the turret
and a prominent raised panel at the leading
edge of the vertical stabiliser. I’m fortunate
in that I have a Silhouette cutting machine
that I initially purchased to make masks that
allow me to airbrush markings and produce
protection for glazed canopy panels. Since
its purchase I have found a myriad of uses
for it one of which is to reproduce raised
detail, which may have been lost during the
construction phase. Measurements were
quickly taken and the raised ring around the
hatch was soon cut from vinyl and applied to
the fuselage.
The lip around the turret and the area on
the stabiliser were a little trickier to re instate
being so prominent, but I believed it was
worth the extra time involved to find a
solution to the problem. Using the vinyl
tape Tamiya produce for masking off
curved areas, I proceeded to follow
The same the outline of the lost raised detail.
forethought Then applying Mr Surfacer 1500
was put into
the engines,
on the base of the stabiliser and MR
exhaust ring, Paint liquid putty around the turret ring,
cowl and using an old paint brush, I slowly built
exhaust. That up the depth of the filler layer by layer, until
was used when
constructing the
eventually it was deeper than the Tamiya tape.
undercarriage Putting it to one side it was allowed to fully
and bays, harden off overnight. Once dry I proceeded
allowing me to to slowly and carefully sand back the filler,
build them with
no masking
until it was the same level as the Tamiya tape,
for painting making sure it faired seamlessly into the
required. existing details. Then for the moment of
truth: removal of the tape. To cries of
joy I was rewarded with perfectly sharp
raised areas of detail, which spanned
the fuselage halves. It’s the little
triumphs in modelling that matter, and
this was one of them for me!
Once all the major parts were fitted to the
fuselage my attention turned to the canopy
which is crystal-clear and huge! Sitting behind
my MacBook Pro, Adobe Illustrator open,
canopies and digital callipers in hand, I set
about designing masks. That’s when I realised
that there was no mention of the second
port side canopy in the instructions. After a
quick check of my reference’s. I came to the
conclusion that the port side canopy shown in
the lap belts, for the turret gunner and the instructions is applicable for the all black
navigators’ positions. night fighter from No 54 operational Training
The Instrument panel rivals many Unit (option B). The port side canopy, which
aftermarket offerings, only requiring careful isn’t mentioned is of the type used by the
painting and application of the supplied Aircraft restoration Company depicting No 23
decals which were cut and applied separately Squadron (option A) the option I had decided
to ensure a perfect fit. A parachute pack is to model. Strangely enough, on both port
installed to the rear of the pilot’s seat, the side canopies the lower window directly in
detail of which is exquisite and really shines front of the pilot is slightly frosted and looking
through when picked out with various oil at photographs and the Airfix paint guide,
paints. If I had more time, I would have added they should be clear. A quick sanding and
some wiring detail to the rear of the instrument polishing session later it was clear, a minor
panel, but alas I was on a deadline. inconvenience dealt with.
Once the radio panel and tailwheel Masks made for the interior and exterior, I
bulkhead had been painted up and fitted, the went to work. Once all the masks were fitted
fuselage halves could be bought together. The MR Paint Interior Grey Green was sprayed on
Issue 164 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 49
KIT BUILD
SKILL LEVEL: INTERMEDIATE
the inside of the canopy. Painting the inside
of a canopy can be time consuming, but the
overall effect far exceeds relying on painting
the interior colour on the outside of the canopy
first, providing as it does, a sense of depth
whilst allowing the interior colour to flow
throughout the cockpit.
The canopy on aircraft is always the focal
point to which your eye is drawn to and none
more so than the Blenheim Mk.I - it’s a flying
greenhouse in that regard. So, if you get it
wrong on this kit, it’s a major issue and there’s
no getting away from that fact I’m afraid.
Happily, the fit is good. Not perfect mind, it
requires patience and a steady hand. It cannot
under any circumstance be rushed. There are
multiple methods being bandied about for the
best way to fit the canopy, so I fell back onto
my experience gained when building the 1:72
version. Opting to fit the starboard side first,
I carefully teased it into place, securing one
small area after another with Ammo’s Liquid
Cement, letting each area fully dry before
moving onto the next. Finally, the two halves of
the canopy were bought together and then with
much trepidation and the steadiest of hands,
a small bead of liquid cement was allowed to
wick its way along the length of the join. Add
the upper forward section of the canopy and
your done. Now you can take a breath! If
you’re not confident using liquid cement in this
area, then I would suggest using some resin
UV curing glue as it dries crystal clear and
doesn’t run. It can be applied to the canopy,
manipulated into place and then zapped with a
UV light source to cure it.
50 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - March 2019
With the fuselage pretty much complete,
bar the turret I started on the wings. For me
modelling is like a game of chess as I’m
always planning several moves ahead. I don’t
like masking for painting because it can suck
the enjoyment out of kit for me, so I always
plan my construction around making painting
easier. A lot of planning on my part went into
the engines and undercarriage, I can tell you!
Firstly, the undercarriage was tackled.
Throwing caution to the wind the instructions
were ditched and parts C8, C28 and C21
which represent the main framework for
the undercarriage, were glued together
and painted. The oil tank (C6) was then
painted, weathered and fitted, along with the
representation of the forward wing spar, which
can be threaded into position through the
framework of the undercarriage. Putting those
to one side, the remaining undercarriage parts
were fitted into the top nacelle of the wing,
including the rear nacelle bulkhead, before
being painted and weathered. The separate
bottom nacelles were then painted, both inside
and out.
The main framework of the undercarriage
can then be clicked into place, along with
the forward firewalls (parts C39). The lower
nacelle, already painted, can then be fitted to
the lower section of the wing, remembering
that the wing spar representations and
lower nacelles are left and right handed. To
ease fitting of the lower nacelle I found that
removing the locating guide on the front
firewall helped a lot. Doing it this way gave me
a fully painted undercarriage and interior wheel
wells, with absolutely zero masking. That’s got
to be a result in anybody’s book.
The same philosophy was employed with
the construction of the engines and their
cowlings. Instead of building the cowlings
around the engines, they were built up
independently, painted and weathered and
then the completed engines fitted into the
cowlings from the front and exhausts from
the rear. The cooling fins are then clicked into
place, thus negating any tricky masking.
Mention must be made of the wing to
fuselage fit. It’s done, by the now common
to Airfix ‘spar technique’, which makes the
fit almost fool-proof. My fit was gap free
perfection, top and bottom. Not a jot of
filler, nor the swipe of a sanding stick was
needed, the same being said of the horizontal
stabilisers, the fit of which was so good, I
attached them after the main paint scheme
and decals had been applied.
Painting, Weathering & Decals
The airframe, albeit in separate sub-sections
was for the most part now complete, letting
us move onto the main paintwork. Firstly a
primer coat was applied. Don’t skip this stage.
Remember the downside I mentioned at the
beginning, that awful plastic? Well if you don’t
prime, it will come back to haunt you especially
if you use a ‘hot’ type of paint such as a Mr
Paint’s lacquers, because firstly it will scar the
plastic as though you have spilled liquid glue
over it, and secondly it won’t stay on when
you mask over hit! I use heavily thinned Mr
Surfacer 1200 through my airbrush. It goes
on silky smooth and provides that necessary
barrier between plastic and paint.
With the primer on, and any blemishes
rectified, the main camouflage pattern was
applied. For me the MR Paint lacquer-based
paints are the ones to reach for. Pre-thinned
for airbrushing, fast drying times coupled with
a rock-hard finish. What’s not to like? The
smell and the cost, that’s what! In fairness I
like the smell - it’s the rest of the family that
complain!
Using MRP 108 Dark Earth and MRP 110
Dark Green the upper camouflage pattern
was applied freehand. The main painting was
completed with MRP 85, Black Surface primer
for the underside. Sticking to the golden rule of
painting darker colours over lighter ones. The
already completed engines, propellers and
horizontal stabilisers were now fitted.
Opting to make masks for the squadron
codes and roundels, these were quickly and
easily painted on. A gloss coat and then all the
smaller decals were added, which performed
flawlessly, easily out performing many
aftermarket decals I have used, being perfect
in register and super thin.
With this done, the airframe was
sympathetically weathered. I like weathered
aircraft as much as the next person, but for
me subtlety is key as the Blenheim suffered a
terrible attrition rate during the war to the point
that one pilot, during the Battle for France in
1939, was shot down three times in one week!
So, it’s not unrealistic to presume, that they
weren’t around long enough to look like a hunk
of junk.
The remainder of the undercarriage was
then attached along with the flaps. The
paintwork being sealed with Vallejo Premium
Matt varnish.
This just left the dorsal turret. Now this is
a nice piece of design work with a low parts
count. But what there is, forms a surprisingly
accurate rendition of the turret area. This is
made up on a jig that makes construction a
breeze and ensures everything fits and lines
up correctly. The only downside is the gun:
it’s awful. After all the effort Airfix put into the
turret detail, they let themselves down with
the poorest excuse of a Vickers K gun I have
ever seen! Do yourself a favour and order an
aftermarket one, from either Gaspatch Models
or Brengun. You won’t regret it.
As a final touch the antenna was rigged
using Ammo’s 0.01 mm rigging. Which, as you
can imagine is super-fine, but being elastic
in quality is quite resilient, and hard to snap
accidentally. ■

FINAL VERDICT
Let me get this out of the way. There are only two things that let this kit down: the plastic Airfix use and that
turret gun! Airfix are on the cusp of moving from producing good kits to great kits, but to my mind the plastic
they are using is a major factor preventing this. I’m no expert in the field of injection moulding, but I’m sure if
they changed it to a harder type like that used by their competitors, the annoying sink marks and short shots would
disappear overnight.
That being said I really enjoyed this kit. It’s not for beginner’s mind, mainly due to the make-up of the canopy.
The details are very good and the fit in the main, is excellent. They also appear to have corrected the shape of the
upper nacelles, compared to the 1:72 kit. It took three weeks for me to complete and I enjoyed every minute of it,
‘enjoyed’ being the key word. Roll on the other variants I say! I just hope a Mk.IV is on the cards as well!

Issue 164 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 51

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 KIT BUILD
SKILL LEVEL: INTERMEDIATE

BUILT AND WRITTEN BY ALAN KELLEY

SPECIFICATION:
Kinetic M-346 Master Advanced Fighter Trainer
Kit No: K48063
Materials: IM/PE
Available from: All good model shops
Price Guide: £42.99
MULTIR
MAST
MATERIALS USED:
● No. 10 & 11 Scalpels
● Mr. Dissolved Putty
● Ammo by Mig plastic cement
● Tamiya Masking Tape
● Winsor & Newton Series 7 size 00000 brush
● Deluxe Rocket Rapid Cyano Glue
● Tamiya Sprue Cutters
● Tamiya Fine Surface Primer
● UMP Skinny Sanders
● Hataka Lacquer Thinner We take a detailed look at Kinetic’s 1:48
● Mr. Base White 1000 primer
● Alclad II Black Primer & Micro filler
kit of the very attractive M-346 Master
● Badger Stynlrez Black Primer

O
riginally co-developed this aircraft programme, Zvezda
PAINTS USED: by Yakovlev and and Kittyhawk having released the
Alclad II Alenia Aermacchi as Yakovlev version the YAK-130,
Hi-Speed Silver
Steel
the Yak/AEM-130, whilst only Kinetic so far have
Alenia Aermacchi chosen to produce the M-346
Hataka Orange Line proceeded to separately develop Master.
Gloss Clear Coat the M-346 Master, after the I was asked in the summer to
Hataka Blue Line
partnership was dissolved in 2000, build a pre-production sample of
White while Yakolev continued work on the forthcoming Kinetic Gold
Jet Black the Yakovlev Yak-130. Exteriorly release of the Master
Brown the aircraft look virtually identical, for their stand at
Lifecolor Tensocrom
but different cockpit systems being Telford
White Oxide Paint (for panel wash) put in place. The first flight of the
M-346 was performed in 2004 and
Ammo by Mig the type is currently operated by the
Metallic Red
air forces of Italy, Israel, Singapore,
Mr Hobby Acrylic and Poland.
H327 Gloss Red paint
In Miniature
Ammo by Mig
FS36231 cockpit Grey
Recently there have
Cyan been several new
Yellow releases of jet
Dark Wash trainers in 1:48
scale based on

16 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - March 2019

ROLE
TER

Issue 164 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 55

 KIT BUILD
SKILL LEVEL: INTERMEDIATE

Intake sides showing the ejector pin marks. Ejector Pin marks filled with Mr. Dissolved Putty. Cockpit tub ready to be painted.

which I decided to complete in the Metallic some definition and make those little details
Red Initial Production batch scheme, the pop.
results of which you see here. Next up was to work on the two main
landing gear bays and the nose bay. There is All cockpit
Getting Started... plenty of detail in both areas that look great components
The Kinetic Gold branding on the kit is to once picked out with careful painting. First cleaned up
signify the new moulding advances achieved step was to prime them all using Mr. Base and ready to
be primed
since they relocated to their new factory Color White 1000. Once this was dry I painted with Tamiya
in Hong Kong. On opening the box I was all of the piping with Hataka Jet Black, before Fine Surface
instantly impressed with the quality of the picking out the fine details using the Winsor primer.
moulding achieved by Kinetic. & Newton Series 7 000 brush. I simulated
The first step of construction began with the clamps used on the piping with little dabs
removing the cockpit parts from the runners of Ammo Cyan and Yellow paint. Before
using my trusty Tamiya Sprue Cutters, then gluing any of the bays in place all the landing
sanding the remaining attachment stubs off. legs need glued in position. They are
The cockpit is nicely detailed, but there are no reasonably strong, and aren’t under
instrument panel decals supplied with the kit, threat during the construction
so all instrument detail will need to be either process.
handpainted or use aftermarket decals, such Next up was to build
as those supplied by Airscale or Mike Grant. I the intakes and exhausts
decided to paint mine as I frequently do. I’m a which need to be added
great believer in trying to add as much detail before the fuselage can be
as possible and like to simulate the writing completed There are some
that would appear in cockpit panels with very quite noticeable injector pin
fine white lines. The cockpit was painted using marks that need filled, before the
Ammo by Mig FS36231 cockpit grey, before two side of the intakes can be glued
the panels could be added using Hataka Blue together. Once I had filled the pin marks
Line Jet Black paint, all the cockpit buttons using Mr. Dissolved Putty, I glued the two
being added in light grey. I ran an Ammo dark halves together and ran some more putty
wash around the cockpit as a final step to add down the seam. Once this had cured I sanded Photo-etch
harnesses ready
to be added to
Painted assembled ejection
cockpit. All seats.
instruments
were
handpainted,
no decals
being supplied
in the kit.

Harnesses
glued in
place.

56 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - March 2019

 Part-way through painting,
the detail is beginning to
come alive.

Seats painted
Seats primed initially black using
using Tamiya fine Stynlrez Black
surface primer to seal Primer.
in the etch.

Details added using

Abteilung oil paints.

it flush and painted nose section, the

everything white coaming over
using Mr. Base the instrument
Color White panels and the
once again. framework for
The turbine the HUDs. The
blades and fit of the forward Gloss Red in preparation for the final Metallic
exhausts were windscreen, Red. For this I was using the recommended
painted gloss when dry-fit was paint - Ammo 192 Metallic Red. My experience
black before being perfect. I painted of Ammo acrylic paint is that it has good
given a coat of the HUD glass clear coverage, but needs time to fully cure. I
Alclad Steel, then a green, glued them in painted the parts and left them aside for 48
wash. These were then place then added the hours. Once set, I sprayed all of the parts with
glued in place, ready for windscreen. The kit comes a gloss coat using Hataka Orange Line Gloss
the fuselage to be assembled. with optional canopies: one Clear.
Kinetic have approached this very with moulded in detonation cords The main aircraft was also primed in Mr.
smartly, having a top and bottom section of the and one without. The version I was building Base White 1000. Whilst I had been painting
fuselage, rather than a huge seam along the did not have the detonation cords fitted, so I the flaps, etc, I noticed there really was no
top to fill. The fit of the parts, when test fitted, used this one, tacked in place as a mask over need for the middle gloss red paint coat, so I
was perfect. Before the top half was glued on, the canopy sections for painting. I masked the decided to leave this out this time round.
I added the tail and all of the various photo- front windscreen using Tamiya tape cut into I painted the entire airframe using Ammo
etch parts. shape, and the model was ready for painting. 192 Metallic Red once again and left it to cure,
Before gluing the cockpit in place within before finishing the airframe with a layer of
the bottom half of the fuselage, I would Painting And No Weathering! gloss varnish.
recommend adding the two nose panels. The I began the painting process by completing Before getting to the decalling stage, I
fit is quite tricky if the cockpit is glued in place the flaps, ailerons and tailplanes. These were painted the metal panels around the exhausts.
first, as I found out to my cost, meaning I primed with Mr. Base White 1000. Once For this I used Alclad Steel, with highlights in
had a little gap to fill. I then added the cured, I gave them a coat of Mr. Hobby H327 Aluminium.

Photo-etched grilles and wing lights glued in place.

Issue 164 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 57

KIT BUILD
SKILL LEVEL: INTERMEDIATE

Flaps and ailerons with Mr. Dissolved Putty sanded back

and masking tape over the attachment points to protect
them during painting.

Detail painting in the wheel wells. I used Ammo acrylic paint for this.

Mr. Base White 100 primer

The nosewheel well assembled and landing gear added. on flaps, ailerons and
tailplanes.

Intakes glued together and primed white.

H327 Red gloss red added. This step eventually proved

Assembled flaps, ailerons and speed brake. Join lines and to be unnecessary due to the good coverage of the
ejector pin marks filled with Mr. Dissolved Putty. Ammo Metallic Red.

Top coat
of Ammo
Metallic Red
added.
 Main gear bays and legs added.

The front wheel well glued in

position. It is clever from Kinetic
to mould the wells and bay
doors as one piece.

Intakes glued in position.

It’s very important to ensure
they are aligned correctly
as the metal leading edge
part will not fit correctly,
otherwise.

Turbine
blades
primed in
Alclad Black
Turbines painted using
Primer.
Alclad steel, and then
given a black wash to
enhance the detail.

There are not a lot of decals for the scheme
I chose. They are printed by Cartograf and
are perfectly in register. As is typical with
all Cartograf decals, they settled perfectly,
although I did have to coax the decals into
place around the leading edge of the vertical
stabiliser with a hairdryer. One issue I did have
with the decals was with the stripes over the
wings onto the tail planes; I chose to drop the
wing’s leading edges and also the flaps and
ailerons, but when you do this, the decal is
far too short, so I chose to mask these areas
and spray them the correct colour with Alclad
stainless steel paint.
There is no weathering worth talking
about on this aircraft as it is very new and
as a demonstrator, has been kept pristinely
clean. However, upon close inspection of
several weathering photos I could see that
the riveting on the airframe and also the panel
demarcations were white. I wanted to keep this

Cockpit mounted in place. I recommend adding the two Exhausts now added and ready to glue the
sides before this stage as I found it difficult to glue them fuselage together.
in place once the cockpit had set in place.

Issue 164 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 59

KIT BUILD
SKILL LEVEL: INTERMEDIATE

Instrument panel coaming and HUDs added.

Complete assembled airframe. I primed the speed

brake with Mr. Base White 1000.

Canopy tacked in place ready for priming

and paint. The photo-etched fences were
also added to the wing roots.

Airframe primed in Mr. Base White 1000.

60 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - March 2019

Ammo Metallic Red added and Gloss Coat applied. Exhausts masked ready for paint. There’s a lot of masking in this area!

Alclad steel applied. Masks removed to show metal panels.

as subtle as possible and used Lifecolor Tensocrom

white oxide paint, carefully painted onto the lines and
rivets, wiping any excess away with kitchen towel. This
achieved the look I was hoping for.

Final assembly
Wing leading edges masked I added all the various sub-assemblies and the
off. I also masked and airbrushed the aircraft with a final clear coat. This
painted the grilles on the only left the addition of the finer details and the model
rear of the fuselage.

The model, completely painted and ready for its decals.

KIT BUILD
SKILL LEVEL: INTERMEDIATE

Sub-assemblies glued in place

with Revell Contacta. This gives
more control and is a better
bond for larger parts.

Masking the areas for the wing stripes where it is not possible to use the decals. Alclad High Speed Silver paint applied carefully with an airbrush.

Masks removed. I’m happy with the results! Decals applied with no issues.

62 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - March 2019

 was complete. It was at this stage I build and
painted the ejection seats. The photo-etch
harnesses were annealed over a candle flame,
cooled and shaped to make them look more
realistic. I glued them onto both seats and
then primed them both using Badger Stynlrez
Primer. Once dried, I used dark grey paint to
drybrush the highlights onto the seat frames.
Using Lifecolor I used various shades of Ammo paint to add
Tensocrom White Oxide in all the base colours, such as the seat
for the panels. cushions, harness and various placards and
warnings. The final stage was to use oil paints
to blended the finish together and further
enhance the detail.
This then lead me onto the canopy. I painted
the photo-etch mirrors first, then masked off
the canopy, primed it in black and then applied
the Metallic Red. I let it cure, added a clear
coat then glued the mirrors in place. The
completed canopy could then be carefully fixed
to the model, allowed to set and then the pitot
glued in place to complete this very attractive
project. ■

A final gloss coat finished

the model.

FINAL VERDICT
Kinetic have produced a fine model of this aircraft, and provide plenty of options in terms of markings and armament.
My version did not use any of the pylons and supplied missiles, bombs or drop tanks, but this aircraft will look
impressive once fully armed. It will be interesting to build the new Kittyhawk or Zvezda Yak-130 and compare them to
this kit. I thoroughly enjoyed my build and look forward to doing the next one now.

Issue 164 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 63

WE TAKE A DETAILED LOOK AT THE...
HONG KONG MODELS
WRITTEN BY SPENCER POLLARD
efore Christmas we discussed the
B impending release of a number of
larger plastic kits, amongst them
the subject of this month’s preview,
Hong Kong Model’s 1:32 Avro
Lancaster B.Mk.I. With the kit now to hand we
can take a closer look at the contents of the
box ready for a full series of builds later this
year.
In the Box
It’s awfully big of course, and not just the kit
itself, the suitcase-sized box that it arrives in
commanding attention before the lid is lifted
ready to examine the contents. Once you open
the box though the sheer size and scale of the
project that you are soon to face, becomes
all the more apparent. Clear your bench and
diary: this is one huge project to enjoy!
Being one of the first kits to arrive, ours
appears to be a ‘Limited Edition’ offering that
also includes a bonus in the form of a clear
64 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - March 2019
fuselage. I have reservations about this, but
can see that it will be useful for those wanting
to show of the kit’s interior, of which there is
plenty! The inclusion of clear parts offers up
several possibilities should you wish to use
them, keeping one half entirely ‘clear’, or
perhaps masking out specific areas to reveal
the interior on the side of the model that is not
the primary point of focus. Like I say, I have
reservations about the validity of this feature,
but it’s certainly noteworthy. Now, back to the
kit...
Though HKM make something of the fact
that their kit is designed with all modellers in
mind and that simplicity has been their aim
from the off, this kit still includes 824 parts over
50+ runners, so don’t be fooled into believing
that this is a weekend project. That’s not to say
that the kit doesn’t include features designed
to simplify the process slightly (the wings for
instance are each moulded in large, hollow
sections) but in the main, what you see is a
traditional kit, albeit one that’s very large!
Work begins on the interior as you would
expect, the cockpit being the first point of call.
Detail here is well created and comprehensive,
the bomb aimer’s, pilot’s and navigator’s
stations all being present and in the main,
correct. Along with the neatly-defined structural
detail inside the fuselage halves, the cockpit
and associated areas feature delicate
structures and fittings that will repay careful
painting and weathering. Careful examination
of the smaller parts reveals further details and
in some cases, such as the instrument panels,
odd omissions, the instrument faces being
entirely smooth with seemingly nothing in
the way of decals to decorate each one. This
was the first of what would be a few points
of contention with this kit and its approach,
leaving me to feel that some details had been
rushed and thus compromised as a result.
To offer the gauges as smooth shapes on an
otherwise neat panel is one thing, to not offer
S LANCASTER B.MK.I
a decal to complete the picture quite another.
As with the seat straps that we will look at
later, the aftermarket will no-doubt deal with
this omission, but it nevertheless remains
noteworthy for those looking for a complete
picture from the box.
Though the cockpit comprises a large
number of small parts that combine to create
the seats, instrument panels, tables and other
paraphernalia, these sit on top of large and
rather bland floors that do little to capture
either the complexity or construction of the
originals. Here you are presented with perhaps
the clearest example of cost-cutting and
simplification and though little of these pieces
will be seen with the fuselage closed up, for
the asking price I would have expected rather
more complexity than that offered by HKM.
Along with the plastic parts within the
cockpit, the kit also includes a small fret of
photo-etch that includes some seat straps.
I have to say that much like the instrument
faces, these are less than impressive, being
flat and featureless, even careful painting
being unlikely to elevate their appearance
beyond the ordinary. It’s nice that they are
there but they do little to replicate the complex
belts found in the real aircraft and given the
material of their manufacture, they will be hard
use, difficult to paint and no-doubt difficult to
place realistically. By the time that you get
around to dealing with the interior of your build
I am sure that aftermarket belts will be ready
for sale, so I would suggest that they are used
rather than those supplied in the box.
Moving on from the cockpit, the instructions
deviate slightly from what seems like a
sensible constructional path to deal with the
tailplanes and fins. Traditional in design and
construction, these will be easy to build, the
inclusion of separate control surfaces and
rudders allowing options when it comes to the
final set-up of the model. I was taken by the
use of internal bracing struts that ensure that
the fin and tailplane halves don’t compress
and crack their joint during use. Similar
notes apply to the mainplanes, though as
mentioned earlier, their assembly is simplified
slightly thanks to their astonishing method of
moulding, huge, hollow parts being the order of
the day. It also may well be worth mentioning
at this point the quality of the surface detail,
delicate panel lines and embossed rivets
being HKM’s weapons of choice top replicate
the Lancaster’s fuselage construction. How
you feel about this depiction of the aircraft’s
panelling and rivets will no doubt be a very
personal thing, but there is no doubting the
excellence of the mouldings and the surface
detail that decorates each part, that surface
detail being some of the very best that I have
ever seen in a plastic aircraft kit.
As with the interior, the turrets are complex
and thanks to the myriad parts that seemingly
make up each one, likely to be time consuming
to build and paint, especially when the glazing
is a clear as it is in this kit and the interiors so
visible as a result. Once again, HKM flex their
muscles when it comes to the moulding of the
various parts, the .303 gun-barrels featuring
open muzzles and delicately incised cooling
vents along their lengths. As mentioned, the
glazing that sits atop each turret is incredibly
clear, the same being said for the huge cockpit
canopy. Along with the clarity of each piece,
the framing is also noteworthy, each structural
member being sharply defined without looking
out of place. Though I’m sure that masking
sets will be forthcoming, the frames are so well
depicted that masking using more traditional
methods will be relatively straightforward, if
not quick to complete! In terms of construction
the upper and nose turrets are split in two, the
joints being along natural panel lines, the tail
turret being a single piece that slides over the
completed interior detail before the other gun
barrels are carefully glued in place.
Having dealt with the fuselage, the
next main task is to assemble the wings,
the engines/nacelles and the complex
undercarriage. We’ve already dealt with the
wings themselves in terms of their moulding,
so we will leave that alone and move on
to the engines. The kit includes four RR
Merlin engines and their associated mounts.
Scanning the instructions it would appear that
you can mount the engines in place and then
show off as many as you want thanks to the
inclusion of separate cowling panels that can
either be left off to taste, or glued in place
to create a smooth nacelle. Detail around
the engines is fine and well-moulded with
almost 40 parts making up each one. Having
seen the completed model at least year’s
IPMS Scale Model World in Telford I couldn’t
help but think that the engines looked a little
under-detailed in terms of their finer features
with only the basics in place and that was
certainly confirmed with the kit to hand. What
is supplied is certainly a worthy attempt at
the Lancaster’s Merlin powerplants, but when
compared to Tamiya’s Mosquito for instance
the finished engines look somewhat naked.
Given the number of pipes and cables that
are missing from each one, they will certainly
benefit from additional work and the details
that will result from those hours at the bench.
Do that though, especially on more than one
engine and the results will be more in keeping
with the original and the scale in which it is
being replicated by this kit.
The interior of the inboard nacelles and
their undercarriage bays, legs and wheels
are similarly detailed, the basics being
undoubtedly there. Once again though, they
would benefit from additional pipework and
other fixtures and fittings, the wheels and
tyres looking particularly devoid of any fine
detail. I understand the approach to this kit
and that costs needed to be kept down, but it’s
in places such as this that the effect is more
akin to a high-end 1:48 kit than one offered in
1:32, with details that are depicted rather than
fully realised. That’s not to say that what is
supplied is poor, it isn’t, but there is a definite
sense that with just a little additional time and
effort the results could have been far more
comprehensive and the resulting model, far
more realistic. Having said that, if you are a
modeller that’s happy to dish out for a kit such
as this, you will not likely be one that cannot
add what’s needed no matter how long it takes
to do so. Honestly, I doubt that many will build
this kit from the box...
The final aspect of this kit that needs to be
discussed is the bomb bay, its load of bombs
and something that rather takes the shine off
the kit: the number of ejector pin marks that
need to be dealt with. The bomb-bay in a
Lancaster is capacious and here that is well
replicated with a full load of bombs, including
a set of 500lb General Purpose bombs and a
single 4000lb ‘Cookie’. As with the other finer
details in this kit, you can’t help but admire the
moulding and be a little less impressed by the
detail. The Cookie for instance is little more
than a bland tube that exhibits absolutely no
surface features that point to its construction.
Similarly, the smaller bombs are little more
than basic shapes, rather than accurate
depictions of the weapons carried by not only
the Lancaster, but also other Allied aircraft of
the period.
And then we move on to those ejector pin
marks. Given HKM’s ability to mould extremely
complex shapes almost to perfection, the
appearance of so many ejector pin marks in so
many almost impossible to deal with locations,
was something of a shock. The upper ceiling
of the bomb-bay for instance is peppered with
them, these annoying blemishes appearing
between the ribs, almost 40(!) being found
on one single piece of the bay! The same
problems affect not only the interior of the bay
but also the inner bay doors, flap bay interiors,
gear doors and interior surfaces and the inner
bomb-bay walls. All in all, for a kit of this price
and complexity, not a pretty picture. Though
most of the pin marks within the bomb-bay will
be hidden by the bombs, many will not so you
will either have to live with them, or spend time
carefully removing each one - a far from easy
task. I’m really at a loss as to why this was not
dealt with earlier and a decision taken to use
additional tabs – a la Dragon – to deal with any
issues that may have been needed during the
moulding of the kit, that resulted in so many
ejector pin marks being seen.
The construction of the kit is completed with
the completion of the propellers (standard and
paddle blades being supplied in the box), the
slotting of the wings into place, the flaps and
then control surfaces on the main wings. Small
aerials and other tiny features can then be
added ready for the painting of the camouflage
and add-on of the markings. The kit includes
two options, the choices being as follows:
● Lancaster B.Mk.I - R5868/OL-Q, No. 83
Squadron, RAF Wyton, June 1943.
● Lancaster B.Mk.I - R5868/PO-S, No. 467
Squadron RAAF, RAF Waddington, May
1944.
● Lancaster B.Mk.I - W4783/AR-G, No. 460
Squadron RAAF, RAF Binbrook, May 1944.
The decals, printed by Cartograf are superb
as you might imagine, being comprehensive,
well-printed and seemingly accurate in
colour and design. No-doubt as this kit hits
the shelves, options will be offered for the
hundreds of Lancaster that flew during WWII,
but in the meantime, these will be more than
acceptable... ■

VERDICT
This is a very impressive kit that will build up into a huge and commanding replica once complete. As men-
tioned, though much of what’s on offer is impressive, there are compromises and they rather take the gloss
away from what could have been a stellar release. As it is, the modeller will be in for a long and involving
project that will not only require them to construct the 800+ parts that the kit contains, but perhaps add to
and correct some of the issues that we have mentioned. We will see just what is possible from this kit later
in the year when John Wilkes embarks on his multi-part build feature.
Thanks to HKM for the review sample looked at this month.

66 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - March 2019

 EW in the ‘HOW TO BUILD...’ series
How to Build... Available
TAMIYA’S 1:48
SUPERMARINE NOW
SPITFIRE MK.I
When Tamiya released their 1:32 scale Spitfire
Mk.IXc in 2009, they set a new standard for plastic
model kits. As one of the most popular subjects in
the history of scale modelling, we should not be
surprised to find that Tamiya has now released an
all-new Spitfire kit in 1:48 scale.
Tamiya’s brand new 1:48 scale Spitfire Mk.I
delivers innovative design, outstanding detail, an
accurate outline and crisp, subtle surface textures.
This model has nothing at all in common with their
1993 kit.
Between these covers, we provide an exhaustive
step-by-step illustrated guide to building
Tamiya’s 1:48 scale Spitfire Mk.I straight from Only
the box plus tips on painting and weathering.
Plenty of inspiration is offered with two different £14.95
plus p&p
configurations plus a conversion to the Photo
Reconnaissance version with models by Brett
Green and Marcus Nicholls.
Also included are a walkaround of a surviving
Spitfire Mk.I, a
summary of other
Spitfire Mk.I model
kits available in
1:48 scale, a list of
available accessories
and decals plus a
catalogue of helpful
references.

ALSO AVAILABLE Visit doolittlemedia.com for details

FAX:
✁
Tamiya Supermarine Spitfire Mk.I - Pre-order P&P: UK; £2.00
Europe; £4.00
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www.doolittlemedia.comwww.doolittlemedia.comwww.doolittlemedia.com
 NEW RELEASE - KITS

NORTH AMERICAN MITCHELL MK.II

Scale: 1:72/Italeri/Materials: IM/Kit No. 1415/Availability: All Good Model Shops/ Price: £17.50

nother new Airfix red box is now appearing in model shops, this time

A in the form of the North American Mitchell Mk.II This is essentially a

re-release of Airfix’s earlier Mitchell B-25 C/D boxing, but none the
poorer for it.
The kit includes exactly the same sprues in the as the original
release, with options for different engine exhausts and armament fits, employing
clever engineering, such as using the engine nacelles as a jig to ensure correct
alignment of the undercarriage legs. It’s a kit I would recommend to relative
newcomers to the hobby, who already have a few kits under their belt, though
the large clear canopies could be potentially tricky, as three clear parts have to
be glued together in the nose area, but with a little care and patience it shouldn’t
pose much of a problem.
This latest release now comes with a new decal sheet enabling you to model
either an aircraft of No. 180 Squadron RAF, flying out of Dunsfold circa 1943
with a Lion as its nose art (Nulli Secundus), or No. 305 Squadron (Polish) RAF
flying out of Lasham (also circa 1943) with the familiar red and white check-
erboard, or to be more accurate szachownica lotnicza, displayed. These new
decals are rich in colour, look especially thin, well researched and perfectly in
register, as we have come to expect from Airfix’s new releases.
Looking at period photos of these aircraft, they became really dirty, really
quickly, thus, this kit gives us a great canvas onto which we can apply a whole
range of weathering techniques.

VERDICT
This kit really is an overlooked gem in Airfix’s catalogue, one which really deserves more credit, with sharp mouldings and great attention to detail. Each
time this kit has been released it has been overshadowed by more popular subjects from the same manufacturer (this time being the new tool Hunte) which
is a real shame, as this is really one of Airfix’s better kits. (Nigel Poole)

68 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - March 2019

AIRBUS HELICOPTERS H145 POLICE
SURVEILLANCE HELICOPTER
Scale: 1:32/Revell/Materials: IM/Kit No. 04980/Availability: All Good Model Shops/Price: £29.99.

Y
et another large-scale helicopter from Revell, this time the H145 which
is employed by lots of Police services around the world including the
UK who run a mixed fleet of these and the EC135.
The base kit was originally released in 2005 in the H145’s military
form, but those original parts which remain are hard to differentiate
from the newly added parts, all of which are crisp and flash free.
The FLIR unit, data link pod, monitor screens and all the other police specific
equipment is faithfully reproduced, matching that seen when I flew in my forces
helicopter - albeit a EC135 but with similar surveillance equipment fitted. This
opens up the possibility of building the Revell EC135, using all the police
specific equipment from this kit, should you wish.
The Decal sheet is vast, covering items such as the fabric pattern for the
seats and the paintwork around the area of the Fenestron unit. The decal for
the image displayed upon the air observer’s screen, from the FLIR camera is
particularly good (with a quick flight of my drone, some work in photoshop and
I’m sure I can have a FLIR image of my house on that screen!). One airframe
option is catered for on the decal shee, that being the Police Helicopter
squadron in Stuttgart, Germany, which is a stunning livery in silver and blue
that’s guaranteed to stand out in any display case.

VERDICT
A little something different: not military, yet not really civilian either, with an eyecatching paint scheme. I bet it won’t be long until the aftermarket decal
companies start producing sheets for the UK based, National Police Air Service (NPAS) aircraft. (Nigel Poole)

Issue 164 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 69

 NEW RELEASE - KITS

EC135 HEERESFLIEGER/GERM.
ARMY AVIATION.
Scale: 1:32/ Revell/ Materials: IM/ Kit No. 04982/ Availability: All Good Model Shops/ Price: £29.99.

P
roduced by Airbus. The Eurocopter
135 is currently employed by over 300
organisations, military and civilian,
in 30 different countries. So, it’s safe
to say that there will be at least one
colour scheme you’ll like!
This kit was originally released in 2013 under
a civilian guise, and Revell has now added new
sprues, allowing us to model the military version of
the EC135. With a high a part count (260 parts),
and fine intricate detail, I would not suggest this will
be an easy kit and Revell themselves market it as
level 5, bearing in mind they only have five levels!
The kit employs both raised and recessed details
over the large fuselage, which is most welcome
when building these larger scale kits, adding to
the level of authenticity we strive for. On closer
inspection of the parts I could find no sink marks at
all, with the large clear cockpit canopy being free
from any flaws or distortions. In fact, it’s hard to
believe that the original moulds are now 6 years old,
such are the quality of the parts!
The decal sheet offers us two airframes, both
flown by the German Army out of Buckeburg in
2018, the only difference between the two aircraft
being the serial number on the tail. The green
and black paint scheme gives this helicopter a
menacingly broody look. The sheet includes decals
for the cockpit instrumentation, which are of the new
digital style screens. It is amazing, just how much
detail they have packed onto this small sheet.

VERDICT
Well-executed, large, detailed and at an affordable price: what’s not to like? Any chance of releasing it in the Police version Mr. Revell? (Nigel Poole)

RENARD R-31
Scale: 1:72/Azur-FRROM/Materials: IM, PE/Kit No. FR0039/Availability: Hannants, £21.60

ew releases from Azur-FRROM are

N
always welcome, particularly as they
tend to cover some of the more left-
of-field subjects that aren’t covered by
mainstream manufacturers. Certainly
it’s the case here with a fine model of the very at-
tractive Renard R-31, the only Belgian designed
aircraft used by the Belgian Air Force during the
German invasion in 1940. This surprisingly large
two-seater aircraft which, possibly due to its Rolls
Royce Kestrel engine, looks in parts remarkably
like a Hawker Fury, but there the similarity ends
due to its characteristic parasol wing.
The model is contained on a couple of
frames of dark grey plastic. Don’t be put off
by the tag “limited run” because, apart from
the lack of locating pins the moulding quality
is very good, and previous experience with
these kits has shown there to be little problem
with the fit of parts. The surface detail is up to
current expectations, and the inclusion of a
small photo-etch fret means that items such
as the Browning gun, should it be used can be
considerably enhanced. There is a well-appointed
cockpit, again supplemented by the inclusion of
photo-etched seat straps, and apart from further
small parts on the fret to add to the airframe,
one is struck by the relative simplicity of the kit’s
construction. The large Parasol wing is only
supported at one point in front of the cockpit so
apart from adding the large wing struts there
is nothing daunting here, particularly with no
rigging. Some small improvements could be
made though, such as drilling out the exhausts,
and possibly separating the ailerons, elevator
and rudder should you wish. There are a few
strengthening wires between the undercarriage
which can be seen in reference photos that could
be added, not a particularly difficult task.
Markings for three options are provided, two
for the similarly marked “Red Sioux” and “Blue
Sioux” squadrons finished in green and silver
dope, whilst a third is a training aircraft mainly in
silver with the upper decking in green. The decals
are crisply detailed and in perfect register, though
it’s difficult to tell if they are opaque enough to
prevent lighter areas darkening over the green
paint. A painting challenge comes in the form of
trying to achieve the turned effect on the metal
engine panels, again, visible on reference photos
of the aircraft. No easy answer here as each time
I’ve tried I’ve used different approaches such
as using oil colour, metallic markers, and soft
graphite pencil.

VERDICT
All in all then a very nice model of a very attractive airplane that is every inch an archetypal thirties silver wing aircraft. Our thanks go to Azur FRROM for the
review sample. (Haris Ali)

70 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - March 2019

VIRIBUS UNITIS -
ALBATROS D.III OEFFAG 153/253
Scale: 1:48/ Eduard, The Czech Republic /Materials: IM, PE/ Kit No. 11124/Availability: Eduard, 895 Kč

N
ow here’s a lovely package! It’s hard to believe that Eduard’s Oeffag
Albatros series first appeared around eight years ago, and as part of
their re-release programme they have put together a “Tribute to the
old monarchy” in the form of two Oeffag Albatros D.III kits. Each set of
parts covers both the 153 and 253 series, supplemented by two sets
of photo-etch for each model, allowing for one of each of the types to be built,
supplemented by a set of masks and enough decal options for nine Austro-
Hungarian aircraft.
The box itself is impressive, with an excellent rendering of one of Brumows-
ki’s famous all-red aircraft alongside one piloted by the equally famous Friedrich
Navratil, supported by suitable Austro-Hungarian heraldry on a period map
of Austria Hungary. Bravo Eduard - that should be enough to pull you in! The
model is a good one, the dark grey parts cleanly moulded with great surface
detail, the rivets on the plywood panels perhaps a little obvious but they do
look right when painted. The same could be said for the accentuated rib detail,
a feature of Eduard’s recent WWI offerings which you will either love or hate.
Personally I find them a little too exaggerated, but not as bad as those seen on
the Siemens Schuckert D.III or the S.E.5a, though even here they still look okay
and if the really bug you, they can be sanded down a little.
The two marques were characterised by different Austro-Daimler engines of
increased power as development progressed, and indeed, both the engine and
cockpit area are excellent with plenty of supplementary photo-etch parts. Both
distinctive snub nose and conventional conical nose parts are supplied, plus al-
ternative ailerons to accommodate the options provided, though there are other
unused parts that will cover other options if you have alternative decals, such as
those 253 aircraft that had armament mounted on top of the fuselage.
The decals are well up to Eduard’s usual quality, and with Austro-Hungarian
aircraft equally as distinctive as their German counterparts, there being plenty
of colourful options to choose from amongst the nine offered here. These are
spread across two sheets, complete with a mass of stencils, and should you
wish to make further use of the unused ones you can buy an ‘Overtrees’ set
(8241X, 225 Kč), plus supplementary photo-etch sets (8241-LEPT, 195Kč for
the 153, and 8242-LEPT, also 195Kč for the 253) from Eduard. Many of the
options will be familiar to WWI modellers but they’re all so attractive and for me,
it really is one of those aircraft that just begs to be built over and over again as
there are so many possibilities.

VERDICT
I think you may sense my enthusiasm for this subject, and one thing is for sure, come a period when I have more time on my hands, I’m really looking
forward to making inroads into my stash of WWI Eduard kits, and you can be pretty sure my six Oeffag Albatros’ will be at the top of the list, that’s if they
haven’t already been completed!
This is a very nice pair of kits and they come highly recommended. Our thanks go to Eduard for the review sample. (Haris Ali)

Issue 164 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 71

NEW RELEASES - ACCESSORIES
BARRACUDACAST
www.barracudacals.com
BR32357 FW 190A-1
THRU A-5 MAINWHEELS
Designed For: Hasegawa & PCM
Material: Resin
Price Guide: $9.95
This set contains two accurate resin
mainwheels with ribbed tires, separate
six holed wheel hubs to represent the
correct hollow look under the hubcap,
and detailed tire logo and data. This
wheel was fitted to all Fw 190A-1 to A-5,
and some early A-6s. For the Hasegawa
or PCM kits. Designed by Gunnar
Jansson.
BR32380 P-51 MUSTANG
DIAMOND TREAD
MAINWHEELS
Designed For: Revell
Material: Resin
Price Guide: $8.95
Replace the kit mainwheels with these
superb resin wheels that feature accurate
diamond tread pattern and detailed
hubs. Real P-51 wheels have see-
through hubs, and you can easily open
the slots and holes on these wheels by
cutting away the thin flash, resulting in
a very prototypical look. Designed for
the 1:32 Revell new-tool P-51D, but will
also work for 1:32 P-51s of all types
from Hasegawa, Trumpeter, Dragon,
Hobbycraft or Monogram. Easy and quick
to install. Order both styles and you can
display your model with mismatched
tires, a common occurrence on P-51s in
the field. Master Patterns by Master Mike
and Roy Sutherland
72 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - March 2019
BR32358 FW
190A-6 THRU A-9, F, D
MAINWHEELS - RIBBED
Designed For: Hasegawa & Revell
Material: Resin
Price Guide: $9.95
Consists of accurate resin mainwheels
with ribbed tires, solid wheel hubs and
detailed, readable tire logo and tire
data. A simple to install upgrade for your
Hasegawa or Revell Fw 190A/F and all
Dora series kits. Designed by Gunnar
Jansson.
BR32381 P-51 MUSTANG
BLOCK TREAD
MAINWHEELS
Designed For: Revell
Material: Resin
Price Guide: $8.95
Replace the kit mainwheels with these
superb resin wheels that feature accurate
staggered block tread pattern and
detailed hubs. Real P-51 wheels have
see-through hubs, and you can easily
open the slots and holes on these wheels
by cutting away the thin flash, resulting
in a very prototypical look. Designed
for the 1/32 Revell new-tool P-51D, but
will also work for 1:32 P-51s of all types
from Hasegawa, Trumpeter, Dragon,
Hobbycraft or Monogram. Easy and quick
to install. Order both styles and you can
display your model with mismatched
tires, a common occurrence on P-51s in
the field. Master Patterns by Master Mike
and Roy Sutherland
BR32359 FW
190A-6 THRU A-9, F, D
MAINWHEELS - SMOOTH
Designed For: Hasegawa & Revell
Material: Resin
Price Guide: $9.95
Consists of accurate resin mainwheels
with smooth tires, solid wheel hubs
and detailed, readable tire logo and tire
data. A simple to install upgrade for your
Hasegawa or Revell Fw 190A/F and all
Dora series kits. Designed by Gunnar
Jansson.
BR48343 SEA FURY
MAINWHEELS -
DIAMOND TREAD
Designed For: Airfix
Material: Resin
Price Guide: $6.95
This set consists of a pair of Sea Fury
mainwheels with diamond tread, a very
common tread pattern for earlier Sea
Furies, and could be found on Sea Furies
throughout it’s service life. The hubs are
beautifully detailed and the tyres are
complete with fine beading and readable
tire data. Separate centre hub nuts are
supplied in 2 types, with and without up-
locks. The tyres are the correct smaller
diameter. This wheel is for Sea Fury only.
Tempest and Firefly wheels are larger,
and also available from us. A real detail
upgrade for the Airfix kit. Simple to install!
Can also be fitted to the 1:48th Sea
Furies from Falcon, AMG, Hobbycraft
and Trumpeter. Patterns by Mike O’Hare.
BR32357 FW 190A-1
THRU A-5 MAINWHEELS
Designed For: Hasegawa & PCM
Material: Resin
Price Guide: $9.95
This set contains two accurate resin
mainwheels with ribbed tires, separate
six holed wheel hubs to represent the
correct hollow look under the hubcap,
and detailed tire logo and data. This
wheel was fitted to all Fw 190A-1 to A-5,
and some early A-6s. For the Hasegawa
or PCM kits. Designed by Gunnar
Jansson.
BR48344 SEA FURY
MAINWHEELS - BLOCK
TREAD
Designed For: Airfix
Material: Resin
Price Guide: $6.95
This set consists of a pair of Sea Fury
mainwheels with diamond tread, a very common
tread pattern for earlier Sea Furies, and could
be found on Sea Furies throughout it’s service
life. The hubs are beautifully detailed and
the tyres are complete with fine beading and
readable tire data. Separate centre hub nuts are
supplied in 2 types, with and without up-locks.
The tyres are the correct smaller diameter. This
wheel is for Sea Fury only. Tempest and Firefly
wheels are larger, and also available from us.
A real detail upgrade for the Airfix kit. Simple
to install! Can also be fitted to the 1:48th Sea
Furies from Falcon, AMG, Hobbycraft and
Trumpeter. Patterns by Mike O’Hare.
BR48387 BF 109G
WHEELS - RIBBED HUB,
RIBBED TIRE
Designed For: Universal
Material: Resin
Price Guide: $7.95
Superdetailed, properly sized and
proportioned resin mainwheels as fitted
to the Bf 109G-5 through G-14 series
aircraft. A easy upgrade for the Eduard,
Zvezda, Hasegawa, Tamiya, Otaki and
other 1:48 Gustav kits. Designed by
Gunnar Jansson.
Issue 164 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 73
BR48356 FW 190A-1
THRU A-5 MAINWHEELS
Designed For:Hasegawa, Tamiya & Eduard
Material: Resin
Price Guide: $7.95
This set contains two accurate resin
mainwheels with ribbed tires, separate
six holed wheel hubs to represent the
correct hollow look under the hubcap,
and detailed tire logo and data. This
wheel was fitted to all Fw 190A-1 to A-5,
and some early A-6s. For Hasegawa,
Tamiya and Eduard early Fw-190A kits.
Designed by Gunnar Jansson.
BR48388 BF 109G
WHEELS - RIBBED HUB,
SMOOTH TIRE
Designed For: Universal
Material: Resin
Price Guide: $7.95
Super detailed, properly sized and
proportioned resin mainwheels as fitted
to the Bf 109G-5 through G-14 series
aircraft. A easy upgrade for the Eduard,
Zvezda, Hasegawa, Tamiya, Otaki and
other 1:48 Gustav kits. Designed by
Gunnar Jansson.
NEW RELEASES - ACCESSORIES
BARRACUDACAST
www.barracudacals.com
BR48389 BF 109G
WHEELS - PLAIN HUB,
RIBBED TIRE
Designed For: Universal
Material: Resin
Price Guide: $7.95
Super detailed, properly sized and
proportioned resin mainwheels as fitted
to the Bf 109G-5 through G-14 series
aircraft. A easy upgrade for the Eduard,
Zvezda, Hasegawa, Tamiya, Otaki and
other 1:48 Gustav kits. Designed by
Gunnar Jansson.
BR48391 BF 109G-
10 AND Bf 109K-4
MAINWHEELS
Designed For: Universal
Material: Resin
Price Guide: $7.95
Super detailed, accurate resin
mainwheels as fitted to many 109G-10
and all K-4 aircraft. these are the wheels
with wider tires that necessitate the large
wide wheel fairing on the upperwings of
later G-10s and all K-4s. Also fitted as
mainwheels to the He-162. For Eduard,
Hasegawa, Revell, and Fujimi kits.
Designed by Gunnar Jansson.
74 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - March 2019
AVAILABLE FROM
DOOLITTLE MEDIA
BR48390 BF 109G
WHEELS - PLAIN HUB,
SMOOTH TIRE
Designed For: Universal
Material: Resin
Price Guide: $7.95
Super detailed, properly sized and
proportioned resin mainwheels as fitted
to the Bf 109G-5 through G-14 series
aircraft. A easy upgrade for the Eduard,
Zvezda, Hasegawa, Tamiya, Otaki and
other 1:48 Gustav kits. Designed by
Gunnar Jansson. www.doolittlemedia.com
BR72353 FW 190A-1
THRU A-5 MAINWHEELS
Designed For: Hasegawa, Tamiya & Eduard
Material: Resin www.doolittlemedia.com
Price Guide: $4.95
This set contains two accurate
resin mainwheels with ribbed tires,
separate six holed wheel hubs to
represent the correct hollow look under
the hubcap, and detailed tire logo and
data. This wheel was fitted to all Fw
190A-1 to A-5, and some early A-6s. For
Hasegawa, Tamiya and Eduard early Fw-
190A kits. Designed by Gunnar Jansson.
www.doolittlemedia.com
NEW FROM DOOLITTLE MEDIA

The Modeller’s Guide

Superdetailing, Painting and Weathering
Aircraft of WWII, with airfield accessories, ordnance and diorama

Aleksandar Pocuc
SCALE MODELLING:
A LOVE STORY READY

‘
Modeller’s guide to
TO ASSEMBLE superdetailing, painting and
weathering aircraft of WWII’
TOOLS AND MATERIALS
book is intended for both
TECHNIQUES beginners and advanced
modellers as it covers wide variety
BUILDING THE AIRCRAFT of modelling tasks ranging from
■ SPITFIRE MK. IXC basic detailing, scratch-building,
■ P-47D THUNDERBOLT painting, weathering, machining
■ JU-87D ‘STUKA’ custom parts using resin as well as
scratch-building part from brass and
MAKING A DIORAMA
aluminium and of course, diorama
making. Basics about tools, paints
and modelling materials have
been covered as well. The book
revolves around three subjects,
P-47D Razorback, Spitfire Mk.IXc
and Junkers Ju-87D Stuka, all in
32nd scale. Step by step concept
will provide a good reference and
ideas to all WWII aircraft modellers

ORDER NOW: regardless of their experience.

 www.doolittlemedia.com
✆ 01525 222573
✉ enquiries@doolittlemedia.com

FOR ONLY

£18.95 PLUS P&P

DOOLITTLE MEDIA, Doolittle Mill, Doolittle Lane, Totternhoe, Bedfordshire, LU6 1QX. United Kingdon.
TEL: +44(0)1525 222573. FAX: +44(0)1525 222574. ONLINE: www.adhbooks.com
WWW.MODELAIRPLANEINTERNATION
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EVENTS DIARY
Model shows for 2019
February 24th 2019
South Cheshire Militaire to be held at
Malbank 6th Form College, Malbank
6th Form College
Nantwich, CW5 5HD. IPMS South
Cheshire Military Modelling Club’s 35th
Annual Universal Model Show will
see 100+ Exhibitors showcasing the
very best of modelling across many
different genres Military models,
sci-fi & fantasy, wargaming, train
layouts, R/C, boats & aircraft, wartime
dioramas best in show competition,
traders, buy & sell stand, star wars
characters, military vehicle display,
hot food & refreshments, plus much
more. Free parking! Great day out!
Admission: Adults £3.50, children &
concessions £1.50
Contact: South Cheshire Militaire:
Steve Morris. Tel: 07807722582.
Email: morris_sj@live.co
Website: www.scmmc.co.uk
78 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - March 2019
March 16th 2019
Southern Expo 2019 to be held at
Hornchurch Sports Centre, Hornchurch
Sports Centre, Harrow Lodge Park
Hornchurch Road, Hornchurch, Essex
RM11 1JU. 10am to 5pm Saturday &
10am to 4pm Sunday Entry: Adults
£3.00, Children £1 & Senior Citizens
£2 Open Competition (Sunday only)
– the Senior competition is being
sponsored by Models For Sale
(www.modelsforsale.com).
Contact Pete Bagshaw.
Tel: 01708 726102.
Email: SouthernExpo@tiscali.co.uk.
Website: www.southernexpo.co.uk/
March 23rd 2019
Yeovil Model Show 2019 to be held
at Bucklers Mead Academy, Bucklers
Mead Academy, 1 St Johns Road,
Yeovil, BA21 4NH. 1000’s of the best
models from the southwest on display
including aircraft, cars, military,
ships, tanks, motorbikes, figures,
boats, railway, busts, sci-fi & fantasy
painting, gaming and airbrushing
demonstrations. Large selection
of trade stands selling kits, paints,
brushes, glues, tools, accessories,
books. Disabled Access. Hot and Cold
Refreshments. Free Parking. Free
children’s activities. Please note there
are two entrances, BA21 4NH and
BA21 4FE.
Contact Ken Bugler.
Tel: 07759 137000.
Email: yeovilmodelshow@gmail.com
May 19th 2019
East Midlands Model Show 2019 to be
held at The Leisure Centre, Hinckley,
The Leisure Centre, Argents Mead,
Hinckley, LE10 1BZ. The 29th Annual
Show for the East Mids Model Club
Show. £4.00/Adults, £1.50/Child/Conc,
£9.00/Family ticket. Prices held for the
4th year. See the web page for more
details and updates.
Contact: Jon Arnold, East Midlands
Model Club. Tel: 07931 338498.
Email: Jon@jonarnold.net.
Website:
www.eastmidsmodelclub.co.uk
May 25th 2019
IPMS Torbay and South Devon Model
Show to be held at Torquay Town
Hall, Torquay Town Hall, Castle Circus
Torquay, Devon, TQ1 3DR. Exhibitions,
club displays, competitions,
trade stalls.
Admission: adults £2.50, over 65s
£1.50, under 13’s: £1.00,
family: £5.00.
Contact: IPMS Torbay & South Devon.
Email:
torbayandsouthdevon.ipms@gmail.com.
Website: www.ipmstorbay.com
August 11th 2019
Boscombe Down Aviation Collection
to hold their Fourth Model Show in
Hangar 1, Old Sarum Airfield, Old
Sarum, Salisbury, SP4 6DZ. Displays
by model clubs across the region along
with trade stands and other displays.
Entry includes the model show and
museum, as well as the experience of
sitting in a fast jet cockpit!
www.boscombedownaviationcollection.co.uk
CONTACTS
Contact details for companies featured in MAI this month...
Azur/Frrom
**See Special Hobby Ltd**
Albion Alloys
518 Wallisdown Rd, Bournemouth,
Dorset BH11 8PT
www.albionhobbies.com
Tel. 0044 1202 511232
Fax. 0044 1202 539967
Creative Models Ltd
Creative Models Ltd, Unit 6-10 Ind
Est, Chatteris, PE16 6TG
Tel: +44 (0)1354 760022
Fax: +44 (0)1354 760037
www.creativemodels.co.uk
Eduard M.A.,
170 Obrnice, Obrnice,
435 21, Czech Republic
Tel: 420 35 6 11 81 86
Fax: 420 35 6 11 81 71
Email: info@eduard.cz
Hannants
Harbour Road, Oulton Broad,
Lowestoft, Suffolk, NR32 3LZ
Tel: 01502 517444
Fax: 01502 500521
www.hannants.co.uk
Hasegawa Corporation,
3-1-2 Yagusu Yaizu,
Shizuoka 425-8711, Japan
Tel: 81 54 6 28 82 41
Fax: 81 54 6 27 80 46
Historie & Collections
5 avenue de la Ræpublique
F-75541, Paris Cédex 11
Tel: 01 40 21 18 20
Fax: 01 47 00 51 11
www.historieetcollections.fr
The Hobby Company Limited
Garforth Place,
Knowlhill,
Milton Keynes
MK5 8PH
Tel: 01908 605 686
Fax: 01908 605 666
Email: sales@hobbyco.net
or enquiries@hobbyco.net
www.hobbyco.net
ICM Holding
Borispolskaya 9, Building 64,
Kiev 02099,
Ukraine
Tel/Fax: (+380 44) 369 54 12
Email: export@icm.com.ua
✆ ✉
Italeri S.p.A Mushroom Model Publications Special Hobby Ltd
Via Pradazzo 6/B, 3 Gloucester Close, Petersfield, Mezilesi 718,
I-40012 Calderara di Reno, Hants. GU32 3AX Prague 9 193 00,
(Bologna), Italy Tel: +44 (1)1730 265014 Czech Republic
Tel: +39 051 72 60 37 Email: rogerw@mmpbooks.biz www.cmkkits.com
Fax: +39 051 72 64 59 www.mmpbooks.biz
Email: italeri@italeri.com Wydawnictwo Stratus s.c.
Pocketbond Ltd. PO Box 123,
Lela Presse S.A.R.L. POCKETBOND 27-600 Sandomierz 1,
29, rue Paul Bert, Bachmann Europe PLC, Moat Way Poland
62230 Outreau, France. Barwell, Leics LE9 8EY Tel: 0-15 833 30 41
Tel: 03 21 33 88 96 Tel 01455 841756 Email: office@stratusbooks.biz
Fax: 03 21 32 00 39 info@pocketbond.co.uk www.stratusbooks.com.pl
www.avions-bateaux.com.
Email: info@avions-bateaux.com. Revell GmbH Trumpeter
Unit 10, Old Airfield Industrial Wa San Development (Macau) Ltd
MARK I Ltd. Estate, Cheddington Lane, Tring Rampa Dos Cavleiros No.9,
PO Box 10, HP23 4QR Block 5, Floor 16, Flat AS EDF,
CZ-100 31 Prague 10 – Strasnice, Tel: 0845-459-0747 Jardim Sun Yick Garden,
Czech Republic Fax: 01296-660041 Macaua, China
Tel: +420-241 765 158 Email: ukbranch@revell.de www.trumpeter.com
Fax: +420-241 765 158 www.revell.de/en
Email: mark1@cmail.cz Wingnut Wings Ltd
Revell GmbH & Co., KG PO Box 15-319,
Master Model Abteilung X, Henschelstr 20-30, Miramar,
71-126 Szczecin, D-32257 Bünde, Germany Wellington 6022,
ul. 26 Kwietnia 49/44, Poland New Zealand
Tel: +48 0 503 072 624 www.wingnutwings.com
Email: info@master-model.pl
www.master-model.pl
Issue 164 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 79
EBUYERSGUIDEBUYERSGU
KIT KRAZY MODEL SHOP HANNANTS MODEL SHOP
Tel: 020 8298 7177
303 The Broadway, Bexleyheath, Kent DA6 8DT
Tel: 0208 205 6697 Fax: 01502 500521
Unit 2, Hurricane Trading Estate, Grahame Park Way, Colindale, NW9 5QW
NEW AND PRE-OWNED KITS, COLLECTIONS BOUGHT AND SOLD. OPEN 10.00AM - 5.30PM, THURS & FRI OPEN UNTIL 7.00PM
OVER 20 MAJOR BRANDS OF ARMOUR KITS IN PLASTIC AND RESIN, NO1 IN EUROPE FOR PLASTIC KITS AND ACCESSORIES
BOTH CURRENT AND OOP - 70P S.A.E FOR OUR LIST INCLUDING THE FULL RANGE OF TAMIYA (NOT RC)
Opening hours: 9-30am-5.30pm (Open Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday) email: sales@hannants.co.uk www.hannants.co.uk
You can also find us at most major model and airshows throughout the year
1/2 MILE FROM
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 S ubscrib
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TOP GUN TRAINER E FOR EMIL 2.0

Mike Williams enjoy’s Eduard’s 1:48 L-29 Delfin Chris McDowell takes a detailed look at Eduard’s Messerschmitt Me Bf109E-3
‘Profipack’

A BIT OF INSPIRATION – RAF PHANTOM FGR.2S

Glenn Sands remembers the incredible Phantom in RAF service, ready for a full build of the Airfix 1:72 kit next month…

Issue 164 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 81

FINAL THOUGHTS

HOW OLD BOOKS CAN OFFER NEW INFORMATION…

hough model making to me is fundamentally about the being ‘Olive’, is ‘Khaki’ within Tamiya’s range. Here is the list and how it

T building and painting of models, I am just as interested in its

history. Because of this, I have over the years bought a huge
number of classic (some would say old…) modelling books
and magazines in the hope that I can be just as clued-up on
where the hobby and industry came from, as much as can be on where
it is going. A chance purchase at the Bolton Model Show of a book
published in 1974, provided one such nugget of surprising information…
compares to Tamiya’s current range - see what you think…

PACTRA COLOURS
● XF-1 Flat Black
● X-2 Gloss White
● X-5 Leaf Green
● X-9 Aircraft Grey
TAMIYA COLOURS
● XF-1 Flat Black
● X-2 Gloss White
● X-5 Flat Green
● X-9 Gloss Brown
In Chris Ellis’ aircraft modelling title published in 1974 “How To Make ● X-11 Silver ● X-11 Chrome Silver
Model Aircraft”, he discusses Revell’s 1:32 Harrier instructions. Within ● XF-51 Flat Dark Olive ● XF-51 Khaki Drab
that little passage, Chris includes part of the instructions that show off ● XF-56 Flat Metallic Grey ● XF-56 Metallic Grey
Pactra paint codes, using this to illustrate how detailed and complete
the instructions are. Though this is interesting in itself what is perhaps I wonder if these were the only ones, or if as I suspect, there are
more intriguing is that most of the Pactra codes included on the sheet more matches between the two ranges? Perhaps I need to carry out
match exactly, Tamiya’s paint numbers and colours used today. The further research and get back to you… Fascinating, eh?
only exceptions within the list of 7 colours used being X-9, which today See you next time. ■
is Gloss Brown and not Aircraft Grey, and XF-51 which, rather than

“Though this is interesting in itself what is perhaps more intriguing is that most of the Pactra
codes included on the sheet match exactly, Tamiya’s paint numbers and colours used today.”

82 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - February 2019

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