79

AUG/SEPT 2018 • £6.50 UK $15.99

www.mengafvmodeller.com

SPICED INVADER
Alfred Chu’s A-26K INVADER
 CONTENTS
2 Welcome to the Jungle Part 1
Alfred Chu converts and upgrades the veteran Revell / Monogram 1:48 kit.

14 Bellisima G-50
Paolo Portuesi builds the new 1:72 resin kit of the Fiat G-50 from SBS.

20 Bella Ballila part 5

The Editor continues his build of the Aviattic 1:32 Ansaldo A.1

26 Tough Tiffy
Jean-Baptiste Saillant describes his North African Typhoon Mk.1B in 1:48.

36 Refind Hind
Pascal Klasen reworks the 1:48 Revell / Monogram kit to build his Mil Mi-24D

46 Air Borne
New releases.

56 Out Flanked
Kinetic Models 1:48 Su-33 is test-driven by Julien Haccoun.

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1
 A-26B/K ‘C O I N ’ CONVERSION
and SUPER-DETAILING
of the vintage MONOGRAM /
PROMODELER A-26 INVADER

W ELC O M E
Modelled by Alfred Chu

JUNG L E
長 .

1:48

TO
2
THE part one
3
 Born in late WWII, the A-26 Invader,
although not as famous as the B-25 gained
an excellent reputation for low altitude
combat capabilities in Northern Asia,
Southern Asia, South America and Africa in
the Cold War era. The USAF ordered forty
B/C models to be rebuilt as the ‘K’ model
by On Mark engineering Corp. in 1964. This
‘K’ version was to take on the role of a
COIN (counter insurgence) aircraft
successfully until the early 1970’s.
To model an accurate ‘K’ in 1:48 is an
involved process (as you will see!). This
project was based on the PRO MODELER
A-26B (5920- also re-released by Revell in
2017) basically the Monogram release from
1995 re-issued in 1993 as A/B-26C (5508)
with a few modified parts. Typical of the
Monogram style the kit has raised panel
lines, accurate dimensions and decent
detail providing simple assembly. Because
the K model and B/C model have many
differences there was conversion set
released; Paragon Design’s set (48101)
which provided resin and photoetched
parts including the 8-gun solid nose,
wingtip fuel tanks, late version engine
cowlings and carburettor intake, propeller
blades, 8 underwing pylons, Co-pilot’s
seat, right instrument panels, the top
turret’s enclosed cover, enlarged rudder
and tail spoiler, windshield wiper, gunsight
and a lot of antennas.
Also available as detail sets were open gun
bay (4898) and flaps (48100), because the
kits and conversion sets already have a
vintage of some twenty years I have had to
do all manner of scratchbuilt
improvements and call on more modern
detail upgrades (the engines for example)
to bring the level of detail and accuracy up
to contemporary standards.

In addition to the conversion there are a lot

of detail upgrades required to bring the
basic kit up to modern standards, the first
being the removal of all of the raised panel
lines and re-working the recessed gaps
and fully riveting the airframe. Gunze
lacquer C309 was airbrushed overall and
when dry polished with #240 wet and dry
paper and a sponge abrasive which reveals
the panel lines whilst removing the raised
detail. Using scribing templates, thick tape
(electricians type) and a scribing needle the
time-consuming task of engraving the
panel lines begins. A final sanding leaves
dust in the grooves which should be
cleaned out with a dental probe.
I didn’t know it at first that the main wing
structure of K model differs greatly from
B/C model (because there is no detailed
data readily available), and then found the
NABE3's Aviation Photo Gallery internet
blog, there are many detailed photos and
model projects on show of the same ‘K’
aircraft providing reference I didn’t have.
Returning to the wings, LOCTITE 410 black
instant adhesive was used to fill and then
rescribe and re-rivet (mainly in 0.65,
0.75mm rivet wheels) with the JLC Mega
tool being used for screw-heads on the
main wing, nacelle front, rear nacelle and
other necessary parts.
The control surfaces also received rivet
detail with a ‘tooth saw’ type scribing
template and a Model Scribe needle tool.

4
With panel lines engraved and riveting
complete I could start to add the separate
parts and details. Scribing and riveting
involves some heavy handling of the larger
First I removed the original wingtips with a
razor saw in preparation fot the ‘K’
conversion fuel tanks.
The pegs allow dry fitting and sanding for a
perfect fit. Final fixing would be done later.
The conversion parts lack the
reinforcement plate on top of the flap
which was added with 0.2mm plastic
card.
parts of the kit and it’s not woth the risk of or sub-assemblies starting with the wings
damaging smaller parts. Because of the which also of course house the landing
large amount of work involved I planned gear bays and nacelles.
the assembly into manageable ‘sections’
Next I made the resin underwing pylons For strength, I drilled coresponding holes in
ready, the location on the wing bottom the wing and pylons to accept location pegs
corresponds to measurements provided in from heavy copper wire.
the Paragon instructions.
The next major surgery involves removing the kit’s flaps
to be replaced by the new resin versions
To correct the oil cooler intake the kit’s wing must be carved, starting with coarse wet
and dry paper. The correct shape of separator was cut from waste resin and the mesh
covers . Another piece of scrap resin painted black was used to represent the cooler
behind the bulkhead.
On the upper side of each wing are 3 blue lights to
add. I started by drilling an appropriate sized hole
into which clear plastic rod was inserted and
trimmed to size and finally polished (#400-1200
paper) then polishing compound.
TAMIYA X-27 clear blue was applied to the back
and finished with a reflective surface from adhesive
aluminum foil.
5
 From inside the wheel wells the inner fuel tanks can be seen but are void
of any detail. This was added with plastic card and copper wire.
Also, with removing the flaps a gap is left between the top and bottom
wing parts which can be filled with 1mm plastic card cut to shape.

Paragon’s wing-tip fuel tanks lack many details. The two

sections were given a strong bond by drilling and pinning (with
a section of paperclip) before adding plastic card and copper
wire details throughout. A number 20 needle is added to
replicate the fuel discharge pipe. Refill caps were created with
punched plastic card inserted into drilled holes. The teardrop
shaped bulges (more of these later on the wings) are created
by heating the end of a section of sprue and pushing it into a
metal template and trimming with a razor saw.
A strong bond was achieved with a plastic tab in the wing and
a slot in the fuel tank with locating pins for extra strength.

The tear shaped bulge ahead of radiator Again, heated sprue is inserted into a The new bulge in place- the opposite way
flap is the opposite way around on B/C template and shaped before being around to the kit moulding.
aircraft than on the K model. trimmed with a razor saw.

The front end of aileron has a

semicircular reinforcement
plate, 0.1mm plastic card is
used to punch discs which
were then cut in half and
glued in position. Wing
reinforcement strips were
added using 0.14mm plastic
ard strips.

There is a bulge in the rear also to use engraving knife

removed Remove after Fine grinding

6
 Before assembling the wheel wells I
separated the main gear doors from
the outer sidewalls before detailing
could start. Working to references the
internals and bulkheads received
plastic card and copper wire
components. The final closure of the
halves was done after painting.

Next it was the turn of the landing gear to be detailed, using again Titanium Silver Enamel some dark washes and fluid staining (from
various widths of copper wire and styrene rod the kit parts are a clear orange and red acrylic) bring everything to life. Fluid pipes
decent base to work on. After an airbrushed finish of Tamiya are picked out in Gunze Flat Black.

The completed landing gears; note the red hydraulic fluid staining.

All of the nacelle interiors, landing gear and

engines (more on these later) were
airbrushed with GSI metal primer and Black
Surfacer 1500 black followed by Kiddyland
lacquer silver X-13.

7
 The next coat was GSI C351 and 352 US interior green
creating shadows and highlights. This can be then scraped and
chipped revealing the silver underneath. Strengthening the
contrast of the details was done in the tried and tested method
of a Burnt Umber oil paint wash followed by some gentle dry
brushing in a lighter green.

The ‘K’ model wheels changed to KC-135/Boeing 707s.

The tail-end hole was
closed by plastic rod
The hollow area was filled with
steel pellets and melted candle
wax. The design of the B-26 runs
the risk of being a ‘tail sitter’!
Paragon’s conversion set doesn’t include these so to be
accurate it’s necessary to scratch build the wheels. I drew
these with Solidworks CAD software and had them 3D
printed. Resin copies were made from a silicone mould from
the master 3D print, only the actual wheel is needed, the kit
tyres can be retained and modified.

The ‘K’ wheel is wider so the tyres need adapting to suit. This was done
with 0.3mm plastic card sandwiched between the kit parts and re-
modelling with Miliput to create the bulge and flat contact point. An
overall coat of flat black was followed by some careful masking and a
subtle coat of dark grey to enhance the tread pattern.

8
 Comparison of
all the blades,
blade length to
the reference
conversion
Paragon’s resin
parts

‘K’ model propellers are completely different from the original B/C
models, Paragon’s resin propeller blades are not the best match with
the original hub, I found Aires QUICKBOOST S-2 propellers w/ tool
(QB48 569) a more suitable match for the hub but not the blades.
After much deliberation I found the most suitable are the Kinetic 1/48
S-2 propeller blades which I modified to fit the new hub. Blade roots
were extended with 3mm plastic rod adding a ring at the root with
0.2mm copper sheet and detailed further as shown here. Careful
alignment is critical of the blades
and hub.

Reference showed the blades to

suffer heavy weathering which was
achieved with the help of chipping
fluid on top of the base grey before
spraying the flat black. Final tiny
areas of paint damage was added
with a soft pencil.

9
 Paragon’s cowling is a reasonable basic Much sanding and shaping gave a better With the basic shape complete the finer
shape but needs the air intake adding and representation of the cowls, note the details were added along with panel gaps
reshaping. recessed flat area of the carburettor air and fastener details.
intake.

With a saw blade

in a motor tool
the kit engine
was removed
from it’s housing.

The original kit engine (R2800-52W “C”
version) and the ‘K’ model (right) using the
QUICKBOOST 48 664 F4U-5 engines.
I found the crank end cover on the
QUICKBOOST parts too small for the ‘K’
engines and used parts from the
HASEGAWA F4U-5N which were detailed
and a copy made in resin.

Copper wire was used for the ignition Mr Finishing Surfacer gives a solid base coat
system details. when using multiple materials and acts as a
pre-shade of black for the acrylic grey.

Several washes helped

the detail stand out
and provided staining
around the crank cover.

Using 0.2mm copper plate new

cowling flaps were constructed
adding a much better level of
detail than the kit parts.

Cylinder highlights
were painted with
TAMIYA X-32

10
Paragon’s air scoop is the wrong shape and a new one was
constructed from plastic card. Another opportunity to add some
weight was taken behind the engines.

Exhausts were made from 1.0mm brass tube,

sets of four were grouped on 0.5mm plastic
card and set into place.

B-26K/A-26A mounted weapons inside the

bomb bay and also under each wing. I choose
four 250lb bombs in the bomb bay, using parts
61 and 62, and two M31 “Funny” cluster
bombs. Underwing I choose BLU-27 Napalm
bombs X2, Mk.82 extend fuse bombs X4, CBU-
14 A/A submunition dispensers X2. The M31 is
scratch built, the BLU-27 and Mk.82 are from
Hasegawa’s weapon set 1 and the CBU-14 is The scratch built M31 is based on the Finished M31 ‘Funny’ bombs after
from the KMC A-1H/J SKYRAIDER Weapons set ITALERI 1:48 F-16C BL755 cluster bomb coating with SURFACER 500 to
(48-5070) parts. make a rough-cast surface.

Pre-shading gives a realistic and

mottled finish to the cast surface.
The masked yellow adds a touch of
welcome colour.

The M31 is sprayed with GSI Mr. BASE WHITE and C323. Underwing pylons and weapons were embedded with a tiny
The surface chipping was created by sponge with TAMIYA XF79 magnet allowing swapping of weapons for a different look.
‘dabbed’ when almost dry.

After the BLU-27 is sprayed with
silver it is masked with BLU-TAK and
tape ready to spray on the semi-
gloss black.
The Mk.82 extend fuse is The olive drab final coat is
sprayed in TAMIYA X-32 GSI C12 and C23 mixed
and masked. Pre- completing the payload.
shading was carried out
as before. 11
12
13
 Paolo Portuesi
builds the brand new sbs kit of the
pretty little fiat g-50 fighter

14
Among the many aircraft I love, the Fiat G-50 of the Italian Regia
Aeronautica has always had a special place in my heart. Nevertheless, I
actually have never built one. The reason why? So far, none of the kits
available are worthy in my opinion. We have so many other great kits
and so little time… Many years ago, Secter/Hasegawa released an
already, at that time, a long awaited kit in 1:48, my favourite scale. Sadly
it came with problems, both in detail and fit. Another kit came along; the
somewhat better Special Hobbies/Flying Machine Fiat G-50. I have a
couple of these kits in my collection, but I never found enough inspiration
to build one. A few months ago, I was told by my friend Csaba Bordacs
that his Hungarian company SBS model was realising an all new multi-
media Fiat G-50 kit.

Well aware of the quality levels achieved by SBS, I thought that soon I
would have in my hands a kit worthy of my love for the Fiat G-50! When I
finally got to examine the first test shot, the high quality of this new kit
made me forget it was 1:72 (not my usual scale) and I immediately told
Csaba that I was going to build it and asked the Editor if I could share
the news in the pages of AIR Modeller...

1:72 15
 Opening the box I was impressed by the quality of the
resin casting and the extreme finesse of detail. State-of-
the-art design features throughout with photoetched
parts, clear resin, white metal (landing gear), a clear resin
windscreen, acetate and decals for two Italian schemes.
Panels lines are fine and perfectly in scale. As usual for a
World War II fighter, I started the assembly with the
cockpit, very well and clearly detailed for this scale. The
seat is a little gem, it just needs to be painted it in Semi
Matte Aluminium ALC-116. I used the same colour for the
control stick. Afterwards, these two very small parts were
weathered with a brown oil wash. The floor and the lateral
bulkheads were painted in grey Gunze H-324. These too
were weathered with various oil colours. After painting the
oxygen tank in a mix of 80% Blue Gunze H-326 and 20%
gloss White Gunze H-1, the other interior details were
mostly painted in Flat Black Gunze H-12. At this point I
added the lower seat belts, offered in this kit as
photoetch. I used Sail Colour Gunze H-85 for the fabric
With the fuselage moulded as a single piece
assembly is quick and easy.
Surface detail is very fine and
true to scale.
16
and White Aluminium ALC-106 for the buckles.
Since the fuselage is made as a single piece, the two
side panels of the cockpit must be inserted into the
fuselage from below. After that, it is time to insert the
cockpit floor in the same way. The wings, like the
fuselage, are moulded in a single part and fit easily to the
fuselage. Surprisingly only a minimal amount of
cyanoacrylate was enough to firmly glue the whole
assembly together. Sanding was minimal throughout. Not
only the wings match the fuselage, but also the tail
planes fit is perfect. Once the assembly of the main parts
of the model was completed, I started the painting phase
leaving aside the engine cowlings.
Cockpit detail is very nice,
the finished unit is fitted
into the fuselage from
underneath.
My undercoat is in
red-brown to allow
some pre-shading.
The decals supplied are excellent, I chose the 150th
squadron, based in Grottaglie, in Italy, in October 1940, at
that time camouflage of the upper surfaces of their aircraft
were a combination of spots in "Verde mimetico 3" and
"Marrone mimetico 2" on a background in "Giallo mimetico 3"
and on the lower ones with a homogeneous layer of "Grigio
mimetico".
Given the type of camouflage, I started with darker colours
over the base yellow, in this case with Cocoa Brown Gunze
H-17. I used a mix of 80% Middle Stone H-71 and 20%
Cocoa Brown H-17 to highlight the
areas that would otherwise have remained too dark. Since
the Yellow Gunze H-4 looked too bright, I thought that I
would soften this colour by adding a 20% of Cocoa Brown
Gunze H-17. For the green spots I used some Gunze H-342
darkened with a 10% of Flat Black H-12. Then, I over
sprayed all these spots with a mix of 80% Cocoa Brown
Gunze H-17 and 20% of Red Brown H-463. Given that the
upper surface spots are quite hard edged, reproducing
them freehand with the airbrush was not easy. To get clear
and well defined edges, I thinned these colours only 20 %
and sprayed them from a close distance at a relatively high
pressure, a challenge in 1:72! The lower surfaces were
painted in using the Grey Gunze H-306 lightened with a
just a bit of Flat White H-11. Once the entire aircraft
was painted the panel lines received some
brown oil paint washes, to make them more
visible.

In 1:72 this mottled camo

finish is somewhat of a
challenge. A solid green
finish is also offered with
the decal options if you’re
not feeling so brave!

Decals are excellent quality

and settle down to the
surface really well.

17
 The Fiat A.74 RC.38 engine is well reproduced; it needs only the
ignition cables adding should you wish. Once painted and weathered,
the engine fits well and looks good inside the cowl. The "early" tail
wheel is very well represented for a kit in this scale and for the main
undercarriage the legs are cast in white metal and are very well
detailed. I did nothing but paint them in Alclad Semi Matte Aluminium
ALC-116. The undercarriage well’s covers are relatively complex,
being made in four parts each. These are very delicate parts made of
thin photo etch and need a great deal of care in assembling, painting,
and fixing them in place.

The propeller hub is very finely moulded. This part too should be
painted in Semi Matte Aluminium ALC-116. The propeller blades are
superb; given the camouflage, they should be painted in a Light Grey
Gunze H-324 on the outside and in Flat Black H-12 on the inside. The
windshield is beautiful, perhaps the side structure of the windshield is
just a bit too high, resulting in a slight step. To remedy this, I removed
some material from the inside edge of the windshield improving an
already very good fit. The relatively small windshield can be glued in
place at the end of the painting process. As usual for SBS, the decals
are simply fantastic, given that they are thin and perfectly in register.
In my opinion, the SBS decals are among the best around. However,
the true highlight of this kit is the machine guns. For 1:72 these little
parts are simply amazing, being reproduced with a fantastic finish.

18
Finally, I can only say that building this kit has made me
think again about the detail possible from 1:72 kits ‘from the
box’. This kit is without question the best Fiat G-50 in any
scale. I need to thank SBS, and my friend Csaba Bordacs
hoping that they will decide to release another Fiat G-50
soon, but in my favourite scale of 1:48!

19
 BUILDING THE AVIATTIC 1:32 ANSALDO A.1
MODELLED BY DAVID PARKER
Having removed the centreline hinge in order to get the cowlings to fit I
needed to make a new hinge which I made from plastic rod. I scored the rod
with a scalpel to mark the hinge sections and sanded a flat surface so the rod
would sit on the cowlings.
The windscreen is supplied as two photoetched frames with two separate
centre rims which must be curved. Two printed clear acetate films are also
supplied for the glazing. Having successfully soldered the two main frames
together I hoped I could cut out the individual windows from the film and fit
them into the recessed rims. I quickly found this was not going to work so I
tried to glaze them with one of the proprietory model glazing products, a
20 liquid you load into the frame and leave to dry. Whilst it dried clear it was
5
The new hinge was brush painted with aluminium and the other areas of the
cowlings where the paint was damaged were also touched in at the same
time.
horribly distorted. I removed it and used my soldering iron to melt the solder
and separate the two halves of the frame again. I glued the film onto the
frame leaving a tab to handle the film and applying a minimal smear of CA
glue to the frame. The other half of the frame was then glued in the same
way and the excess film was removed and sanded flush. The paint was
retouched and the pre-painted metal centre frame was glued to the front and
back of the frame.
The tail support struts are comprised of two photoetched bars which must be The struts were then test fitted to the fuselage brackets which had been pre-
joined together and separate brackets. The bars were soldered together. painted before being glued to the fuselage.

Once I was happy with the alignments the struts were also pre-painted before Attention turned to fitting the photoetched panels on the underside of the
being glued into place. fuselage. The vents were embossed on a soft surface and I had to sand
down the edges of the panels so that they didn’t overlap the edges of the
fuselage.

The panels were sprayed in aluminium and the fuel tank in copper. The fuel tank was given a little advanced weathering before it was glued into
place beneath the cockpit floor.

The front underside panels were treated with AK Interactive True Metal and I started to apply some weathering beginning with the cowlings using acrylic
fixed in place. paints to avoid damaging the True Metal finish which will dilute with white
spirits.
21
 Oil streaks are added running back from under the front the cowlings. I applied areas of staining around all the surface fittings along the fuselage
using oil paints.

Oil washes were also applied to the details on the tail. The lower wings were weathered with oil washes focussing between the rib
tapes and staining the wing root area. The upper wing remains unweathered
in this comparison.

Work on the undercarriage begins with The wheels have separate tires and covers with the I used lead wire to add the bungee chords which
soldering together the rigging points which option to install a set of photoetched spokes if required provide the rudimentary suspension for the
22 are then fitted to the main cross member. but I much prefer the look of the covers. undercarriage.
The completed undercarriage is set aside to be Constructing the first of many of the rigging points beginning by soldering some 0.3mm brass rod
painted and will be installed once the wings are to the tether points. The tab is then rolled up around the rod and the rod is used to seat the tether
completed. into the bracket and the excess rod is trimmed off.

The bracket is then soldered onto the base plate so that the holes are The underside cowlings were also weathered with various oil streaks and
aligned. stains.

The wing was further weathered with assorted oil spatters which were also The pre-painted rigging points slide onto the steel pins that are moulded into
focussed around the wing roots. Diluted oil paint was used to produce this by the wings and glued into position.
flicking a loaded stiff brush.

The lower wings were then glued into position on the

fuselage using the holes in the fuselage. The area of
the fuselage where the wing root joins it was also
stained with oil colours.

The project continues in the next issue. 23

 TIFFY
Conceived to replace the Spitfire and Hurricane, the
gestation of the Typhoon was long and not without
problems, with a ‘difficult’ engine it had a dangerous
tendency to lose its tail at high speed, fortunately it
was the only aircraft capable of countering the
FW190 raids on the English coasts at the end of
1942.
Due to the formidable fire power of the four 20mm
canons, but the lack of power of the Napier Sabre
engine it was decided to assign the aircraft to ground
attack missions at low altitude. The decision to send
the aircraft to North Africa came from pressure from
the Prime Minister himself, three aircraft were directly
despatched from the assembly line at the Hawker
Factory.
The main adaptation was to equip the aircraft with a
sand filter on the belly, directly behind the radiator.
After a delay, finally the three Typhoons were send to
Casablanca, and convoyed by air to Idku in Egypt, for
along trial period with the 451 Australian Squadron,
equipped originally with Hurricanes. After
approximatively 100hrs of flight time the engine was
26
removed for the Typhoon and inspected to check the
degree of wear, especially of the fuel distribution
system as the engine does not have valves, so a lot
of problems occurred with overheating, lubrication...
and fires! All the aircraft were returned to Aboukir to
completely overhaul the engines. Despite the fact
that the pilots were really impressed with the
performance of the Typhoon, no more were sent to
North Africa, and instead priority was given to
supplying the 2nd Tactical Airforce in preparation for
the Normandy landings.
Not often favoured by modellers, I have always loved
the Dark earth/middle stone/Azure blue camouflage
scheme, I decided to represent the ‘Tiffy’ code EJ906
which was removed from service on February 1st
1944 due to the lack of spare parts, I’m sure the
ground crew had enough by then! The Hasegawa kit
(also borrowed by Eduard) is superb even if it suffers
from small faults, it’s a great base to do a superb
replica of the Typhoon, even if you decide or not to
use the Eduard accessories.
Jean-Baptiste Saillant’s 1:48 Typhoon Mk.IB

27
 Even if the kit is finely moulded, it needs to be raised to
todays standards, to do so, I decided to do a complete
riveting job. You need of set of blue prints, a pencil to trace
the lines on the model, a ruler, tape, and a lot of patience!
the complete operation took me five hours. The sand filter
has been completely scratch built with four pieces of
plasticard of 0.5mm thickness glued together and a layer of
liquid putty to blend the surfaces.

As I’d started the kit before the re-box by Eduard I have

used the parts from the Hasegawa box, a few parts are
scratch built with cooper wire and plasticard and it will be
more than enough for the very small and deep cockpit of the
Typhoon. The back-rest of the seat is sculpted in Milliput and
the belts are from an old photoetched set. The landing gear
is basic, only fine wire was added to simulate the brake
lines.
The wheel bay is basic too, I just wanted to show the main
spar, which is visible on the real aircraft, which is easy to
represent with styrene strips. The main wheels from the kit
are nice, especially as they are already moulded with a flat
surface to simulate the weight of the Typhoon, it would be
great if other manufacturers could take this idea, never the
less, I decided to replace them with resin wheels from the
Eduard set which have a little more finesse.
The main problem with this kit is the fit if the top side of the
cockpit to the fuselage, to avoid an extra tooling cost,
Hasegawa has done two versions of this kit with the same
tool. Do not follow the instructions; glue the cockpit sides to
both fuselage halves before the assembly, the fit will be
much better with this method, a little putty will be necessary
to fill a small gap, but nothing to worry about.

After a layer of TS30 Silver (Tamiya), Gunze H-312 is applied

and will be reworked with different shades on the inside of
the cockpit. Only the weathering now needs to be done
before closing the fuselage. To simulate the worn aspect of
the seat here’s the way I achieved it:

• Tamiya RS3 sprayed • 4 layers of hair spray • A layer of

black matt

Once dry, I used water and a stiff brush and gently removed
the paint to show the aluminium colour underneath, you can
use a blade, a needle, a scalpel, but do it gently to avoid
removing too much paint.Let it dry overnight, before
applying a wash. The seat padding is painted with Prince
August acrylics from darker to lighter colour layers, and the
same goes for the harness, a wash is applied to give
contrast and the harness buckles are painted with an
aluminium silver.

28
Once the complete cockpit was assembled, I applied some desert dust
tones into corners to simulate the dusty look. The instrument panels were
painted with a fine brush and a drop of gloss varnish applied on every
instrument to simulate the glass.

As mentioned, I had already started to build the Hasegawa release but

managed to get my hands on the Eduard edition of the kit so I decided to
build both models in parallel to compare any advantages.
With both cockpits ready, and the with the help of pre-coloured PE parts,
there is a saving on time but the seat seems to be out of proportion and
the instrument panel is too wide and must be cut to fit inside the fuselage
taking some of that time back! These are older Eduard upgrades
designed for another manufacturer’s kit and not as perfect as their more
recent upgrades, the detail is finer but the original kit cockpit looks pretty
good with a few home-made details.

The rest of the assembly does not present any problems and it’s pretty
straight forward, so it means that we get quickly to the painting stage.
The entire model does receive a layer of silver Tamiya TS-30, to check for
any faults, and will be used later for the weathering process.

I found the Eduard dash panel

I had already started detailing an old needed adjustment to the width to
Hasegawa kit before Eduard did the reissue. fit within the fuselage properly. The
Out of curiosity I pulled the box out and pre-coloured photoetch has
decided to build both kits and compare the beautiful finesse.
The kit seat
cockpits; one with my own details added
(pictured here)
and the other with the Eduard upgrades.
appears to have
better proportions
Below is my own detailed version,
than the
instruments were carefully painted with
aftermarket version.
Prince August acrylics and 0/5 brush finished
with a drop of gloss varnish.

Here is the completed cockpit with

the help of the Eduard aftermarket
and pre-coloured parts ready to be
closed between the fuselage halves.

29
 For our ‘tropicalized’ Tiffy, I used Xtracrilx Azure Blue, in thin
layers, then reworked with X-4 Tamiya Blue and I little bit of
white. Applied randomly, these colours avoid having a uniform
aspect and sprayed in the air flow direction simulates the wear
of the paint, the same techniques is used for the fuselage.

The upper camouflage is done with Gunze paint, which are

great to use if not the closest colour match in some cases.
Paper masks are used to paint the camouflage to have a soft
demarcation between the colours, both are reworked again
with different shades to simulate the sun fading effects, a little
matt varnish will be spayed to lighten the paint in certain areas.

The markings are painted with masks, but the decals from
Eduard are nice and thin should you choose to use them.
Again, a light weathering is done on the markings, then a light
polishing with Micromesh 3000 is done on the whole model
and especially concentrated in the maintenance areas.
The base silver will reappear and also the rivets will be more
visible, with a fibre pen you can simulate more the wear and
be very precise in certain areas. The scuff marks are done with
scalpel blade and tiny piece of sponge dabbed with paint and
applied randomly in certain areas. With Tamiya matt, black,
around 95% thinned, I start to over shade certain zones and
start to apply oils leaks, dirt marks and shades in different
areas.

With all the ready to use products available, applying a wash

has become fool proof and avoids damaging a base colour.
I still favour my technique with oil paint and Lighter fluid, I really
like this technique because with three different colours like
black, brown and sienna, I can obtain a great number of
variations that can be easily reworked or modified.
Certain panels were contrasted with black and some other
panels are washed with a lighter colour for variation.

The landing light is completely redone in

scratch, the light Is removed with a
Dremel tool, the then light is replaced
with a decanter filter to simulate the light
bulb, a clear styrene sheet is moulded in
place to simulate the glass cover.
The edges were filled with brushed matt
varnish.

30
I apply small dot with pure oil paint
and blend them with a small brush
and lighter fluid until the desired effect
is reached, any problems you can just
remove with lighter fluid and start again.

To simulate the dusty look of aircraft

exposed to the harsh theatres of operation
I mixed some pigment and water to make
and thick paste. With a soft brush, I applied
the mix on the whole model and let it dry.
With another very dry soft brush I swept the
model in the air flow direction for the wings and
vertically for the fuselage, do not use a very wide
brush, as the effect may not be same.
Once again, it’s up to you to obtain the effect you want, in
case of a problem, with a moist paper just remove the
mistake and start again.
Be careful as the pigments are not sealed and will show
fingerprints if handled.

Finally it was time for detail painting. To paint the

propeller, I started with TS30 Tamiya, then a base
coat of white on the propeller tips, matt black,
followed by a scuffing session with fibre glass pen,
washes randomly applied and some oils leaks made
with a 0.2 black pen and reworked with water.
The dust on the wheels are done with pigment mixed
with lighter fluid applied with a very fine bush and a
larger flat bush to remove the excess.

The exhausts stains are painted with a very diluted

black, I start very close the exhaust pipes rack and
the progressively remove the airbrush away for the
model, to obtain a very diffused effect, as the paint is
still wet with a tooth pick I scratch the paint vertically
to simulate mechanical maintenance traces. The
same operation is done for the exhaust pipes and
there you have your finished dusty, desert Tiffy.

31
32
33
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 Russia’s Flying Tank
gets super-detailed by
Pascal Klasen

36
REFINED HIND 37
 Building the beast
After watching a documentary film on the “Nationale Volks Armee”
(East German army) I was fascinated by the footage of the Hind,
it’s really a flying tank and the design is quite extraordinary. There
were 42 Mi-24D and 12 Mi-24P used by East Germany during the
cold war.
This is the only kit of a Mil Mi-24D in 1:48 on the market, so you
have no other choice than to use the Monogram kit. In fact,
despite the age of the kit the basic shapes and outlines are okay
and still a good base. The decals from the re-boxed Monogram kit
by Revell of Germany are awesome, I love them and there is no
need to buy similar from the aftermarket so this re-box is a good
buy.
The Revell / Monogram cockpit is badly researched, so I chose to
use the Pavla aftermarket resin cockpit. It is quite good in details
and realism but the fit is poor! I was asked ‘why don’t you use the
Cobra model resin parts – it is easier to handle than the Pavla one’
but if you compare both, you come to the conclusion that the
Pavla one is the only choice in the case of accuracy for the Mil Mi-
24 D version. Pavla recommend to use the Monogram mid-section
to fit the pilot’s instrument panel, but this doesn’t fit very well so I
created one myself. With some Milliput putty it was also very easy
to shape the fabric cable cover for some extra realism.
The main rotor is a synthesis of the resin rotor correction set,
scratch building and some of the original kit parts. I was not so
lucky with the LEM correction set, because it was in bad condition
and still not a replica of the original one. After a long period of
thinking, I decided to cut several parts off and combine them.
Also, I created the wiring myself with thin 0.3 mm lead wire and for
the shells I used thin strips of Tamiya masking tape.
38
The fitting of the kit parts was okay, the tail was a little deformed
but easy to correct with Tamiya extra thin plastic glue and basic
putty is what I’d recommend to use. The CMK resin set offers the
possibility to build several versions – even for the Mil Mi-24D. It
also offers a part to enlarge the length of the tail. For jobs like
these I prefer to use 2 component (epoxy) adhesives to ensure
that the connection is strong enough.
An overall airframe re-scribing is needed because the kit dates
from 1986 and typically doesn’t include any engraved detail. It was
very easy to handle this with a small steel ruler and the Trumpeter
engraving tool. There is also a lack of flush and domed rivets, I
decided to create most of them by with a rivet roller or with Archer
rivet decals for the domed heads.
It was painful and time-consuming work to do the riveting, but it is
a very important job on a Hind model. If you compare the
Monogram kit to the 1:32 Hobby boss kit, you will see that there
are only recessed rivets – but that’s simply wrong!
The diameters of the exhaust pipes holes also have to be
reduced, because there is too much free space. Plastic sheet and
putty will help you handle that, but it is not so easy to get back an
exact circular shape.
Above: The Pavla resin cockpit
does need a fair amount of cutting
and dressing to fit. The mid section
of the cockpit needs removing
from the kit. The first stage of
painting is overall black with some
highlighting.
Akan paints produce excellent Russian colours, cockpit My reference showed some missing details
green is a good match. Lifecolor acrylics were used for which were scratchbuilt.
brush-painting the details.

The floor section received the rivet treatment which, along with the inner
fuselage detail, shows up well with a strong contrasting wash.

More Emerald Green was

used for the instrument
panel and Airscale
decals used for the dials.
Left: The new mid-
section was formed with
plastic card and Milliput.

The finished cockpit

looks busy and detailed.

39
 The resin insert to extend the tail as supplied in the
CMK update set. Plastic card strips and putty provide
a perfect blend before scribing and riveting.

‘Rosie the Riveter’ and Archer Transfer’s relief rivet

heads provide the accurate surface detail. A scribing
template and needle added panel detail.

40
The completed fuselage detail. Archer’s rivet heads
look excellent under a coat of paint. They are applied
as per any water-slide decal but are actually moulded
resin rather than print.
The LEM rotor head wasn’t
as good as I’d hoped and
parts were used in
A comparison of the photoetched rocket rails and the kit parts.
conjunction with the kit
parts and some scratch
building. Alclad II Aluminium
Airframe silver proves a
good match as a base
colour.

41
 Painting
The basecoat was painted in Tamiya XF-55 Deck tan, after this I
started the application of Tamiya masking tape to achieve a hard-
edged camouflage. Step by step I did the masking and added the
basic green tone by airbrush. It was a mixture of Mr. Hobby H303
and XF-15. The underside was painted with Lifecolor UA027.
To add more volume, I did some post-shading with Tamiya X-19
Smoke and I also added some highlights around the camouflage.
This was a bit tricky, because after spraying a coat of gloss over it,
the model looks a bit overdone. Some sections or panels were
masked to highlight and shadow the surface. Same principles
applied on the underside with the Lifecolor paints.
AK Interactive xtreme metal paints purple and copper where used
to paint the exhaust. The metal parts of the main Rotor were primed
in several dark grey tones, after that I applied thin layers of Alclad II
Airframe Aluminium - this process achieves more contrast. The
Blades of the main rotor where painted with Tamiya XF-25 and were
given highlights in the centre of the small panels.

The small rivets along the frames of the Canopy where made by a
000 brush and oil colour – very tricky and also a painful job to
ensure the exact distances between them, but an extra touch of
finesse that’s worth the effort.

The airbrushed camo pattern before washes

and weathering. The decals supplied in the
Revell release are excellent and sit well on a
coat of gloss varnish.

A helicopter of the “NVA” would not show signs of heavy
weathering. Simple things were done like a wash to bring
out the finer details and some filtering and fading,
because the majority of weathering was done by
airbrush at the camo stage. All panel lines and rivets got
a washing with heavily thinned Dark Mud oil colour from
42
Abteilung 502. The rivet heads were painted in a lighter
base colour tone to give a three dimensional look.
Some areas were filtered with an orange oil paint tone, to
become a variation to the different panels. Fine and
heavy chips were made by a very fine brush and Vallejo
Model Air chrome.
Aftermarket sets:
Machine Dun and DUAS probe- Master Model
Main Rotor correction parts for (Revell) 1:48- LEM Kits
Mi-24 Hind exterior 1:48- Eduard

Mi-24 V/P Exterior set for Monogram/Revell- CMK

Wheels set for Mi 24 Hind Helicopter- Northstar Models

43
 Available from the publishers of

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Volume One features: Hansa Brandenburg, SE5, Roland D.IVVA
A,
RE8, Albertros, Sopwith Pup and Gotha plus rigging and wood
painting techniques

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These highly acclaimed books are still available in limited
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Rumpler, FE.2B, Fokker D.VII, Pfalz D.IIIA and Sopwith Triplane

Big Bird, B17G modelling guide

David Parker ’s award-winning build of the HK Models 1:32 B-17G

featuring e
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engines and exterior. Superb reference for any B-17 project with
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 new releases

MiniArt 1:35 Flettner FL282 V-21 Kolibri

Another version is now available of MiniArt's delicate and highly
detailed 'Hummingbird', I think we're correct in saying this was a
'land' based machine (V-21) as opposed to the previous kit which
was the Navy version. A few may wince at the 'armour' scale of
1:35 but this seems to be the norm for rotor aircraft and of course
has a lot of scope for an interesting diorama with 1:35 being the
most popular scale. MiniArt produce some of the most highly
detailed kits on the market today and this is no exception with
beautiful moulding finesse and fully detailed Siemens-Halske Sh
14 radial. The dainty tubular airframe and tricycle wheel
arrangement give the kit more of a WWI subject feel and it's a
fascinating look at how the concept of rotor aircraft developed.
With close to 200 parts for a relatively small model this is packed
with fine detail straight from the box and there's a small
photoetched fret to help also. One set of markings is included for
the particular subject aircraft based at Schweidnitz between May
and September 1944. A great affordable kit of an interesting
subject, we can only hope MiniArt continue to produce aircraft kits
to the high standards set by their armour releases.

Kokopelli Scale Designs

As the technology of 3D printing
advances, these samples we’ve
received from a new venture,
Kokopelli Scale Designs, rate as
some of the finest and most detailed
we’ve seen to date. These initial
releases will be applauded by fans
of the Sukhoi fighter jets.
KSD480001 is an intake plug in 1:48
(to fit both Kittyhawk and GWH kits)
KSD 480002 which is an exhaust
plug (PLAAF version) and a superb
boarding ladder in both 1:48 and
1:32 suitable for most Sukhoi kits
(KSD 480003 and KSD 320001
respectively). Superb quality, keep
an eye on
46 www.kokopelliscaledesigns.com
Fallen Stars 1 Number one in a new series 'Aircraft Pictorial' from Canfora is a real treat for USAAF fans
with over 100 large format images, the majority of which have never been published, of
Tom Laemlein fighters and bombers in various degrees of distress. From a modeller's perspective the first
Published by Canfora thing that springs to mind when flicking through the pages is diorama inspiration (enough to
Softback format, 128 pages last a lifetime!) but further studies reveal some excellent close-up reference of disassembled
machines and great weathering ideas. All the favourites feature including P-38, P-39, P-40
ISBN 9789198477504 and Mustang all the way through to B-24 and B-17. A great collection of images which are
www.canfora.se well captioned and presented, available direct from Canfora www.canfora.se

BarracudaCals
Some new super-detail decals from the
guys at Barracuda providing some
superb stencil markings printed by the
masters at Cartograf.For the Focke-Wulf
190A/F/D is set BC72376 in 1:72 and
BC48373 for any kit in 1:48.
For Late Spitfires (Mks VII through to 24,
Seafire XV through to 47) is set BC72378
in 1:72 and in 1:48 set BC48375. For the
P-51D Mustang in 1:48 is an ultra-
detailed set of cockpit stencils (head
magnifier and best tweezers at the
ready!) BC48361is the product code. Top
quality as usual from Barracuda
www.barracudacals.com

Meng single-edged side cutter

We all have our favourite tools which you

think can’t be improved on, exactly what
we thought before testing these new
cutters from Meng. Manufactured by
Dspiae these are the most beautifully
engineered cutters with a forged single-
edge super thin blade that allows very
tight, precision cutting of sprue gates with
ease. The shape and design of the blade
allows access to tight spaces and with
minimal effort the blade cuts styrene like
butter. An adjustable limiting ‘stopper’
prevents any misuse which could damage
the cutting edge. We love this tool! These
will be certainly be reserved for ‘best’
(although Meng state they are suitable to
cut resin and photoetch our older side
cutters will be taking these tasks on from 47
now) Cutting sprues has never been so
much fun!
 Junkers Ju88 Volume III Prolific Polish publisher Kagero have released the third volume in their 3D Monograph
series (now 64 titles in this series!) which provide excellent historical and development
information and especially for modellers the state of the art 3D illustrations. The main
Marek J. Murawski, Marek Ryś topics covered are development of the Ju88A bomber and reconnaissance versions,
Published by Kagero Mistel and the aircraft in action during the Battle of Britain. Plenty of period images are
Softback format,140 pages included throughout and the high quality colour renders feature great reference to
anyone super-detailing a kit with cockpit interiors and separate components such as
ISBN 9788365437754 oxygen controls, seating and MG magazine storage. Another area suited to detailing is
www.casematepublishers.co.uk the landing gear with again, excellent coverage. Great reference and great value.

Solid Scale
A new German company offering precision cut masking
stencils for airbrushing is now up and running with their on-
line shop. There’s no doubt the best way to achieve a
painted-on look for markings is to...well, paint them on!
Solid Scale have started their range with some of the more
generic shapes in a wide range of sizes to suit all scales
provided on the sheets. Soviet red stars, Allied white stars
and three types of balkenkreuz are a good start. The film is
high quality with a translucent finish which can be reused
time and time again without leaving residue. A range of
popular sized paint container labels are also available to
mark your mixes and a quick-drying yellow liquid mask in
20ml jars. Keep a look out on their website for the range
expanding www.solidscale.de

Eduard 1:72 MiG-21 Interceptor ProfiPack Edition

If small scale Russian early jets are your thing we’d imagine
you’ve already heard the hype about this little gem and already
have a couple in your possession! The hype is certainly justified,
what a beautiful new-tooled production this is from Eduard made
even more desireable with the ‘ProfiPack’ edition which includes
48 five marking options along with a mind-boggling array of stencil
decals and a pre-coloured photoetch fret. A set of Eduard’s ready
to peel adhesive masks are also thrown in for good measure. This
kit is as stunning as their 1:48 version with the most delicate
surface detail and fine moulding you could wish for in any scale
along with touches such as clear marker lights, multi-part engine
and cockpit and even photoetched brake lines really taking 1:72
up a notch; superb, if you want to take the detail even further
have a look at the Brassin sets in a couple of pages!
Eduard 1:48 Albatros D.V ProfiPack
This release of Eduard’s ever popular Albatros is more of a decal
selection with a kit attached! Four stunning schemes are offered
of well-known aircraft with suitable pre-cut masks and excellent
pre-coloured photoetch. The Albatros has to be considered one of
the prettiest WWI fighters and Eduard’s kit still stands up well
being a complete re-tool of one of their original short run
productions (how things have changed at Eduard!) With the
photoetch this will be a very detailed build straight from the box
Eduard 1:48 Bf 109F-4 & Bf 109G-2 ‘Afrika’ Dual Combo
This limited edition set from Eduard allows you to justify buying
‘just one’ kit but actually getting two stunning ‘109s! Not only that
but we’ve markings for a dozen aircraft operating in North Africa
with suitable air filters in resin, three photoetch frets and pre-cut
masks; a beautiful bumper bundle for lovers of this most famous
fighter. Eduard gained a lot of respect correcting their tooling to
produce this superb ‘109 with sublime surface detail and
accurate features giving their catalogue another benchmark kit to
give even the most demanding of modellers a superb out-of-the-
box build (take a look at our feature on the G-6 back in issue 77).
Many options of canopy fitments, control surfaces and nose
and with relatively simple rigging not a bad starting point for
cutting your teeth on a WWI project. If you’re a regular builder it
would be well worth looking at Eduard’s ‘Overtrees’ of this kit-
basically just the bare plastic sprues at a very budget price
allowing you to use more of the beautiful decals provided. Another
great ProfiPack release which offers superb value.
www.eduard.com
cowlings are included along with propellors, drop-tanks and
smaller features from other versions are included on the sprues
and worthwhile additions to the spares box. If you can’t help
yourself Eduard also offer an extensive range of resin extras for
these kits including full cockpits and engine sets. The clear, colour
instruction booklet really gives the modeller the impression
Eduard want you to enjoy their kits with clear and simple
diagrams and detailed colour profiles with historical background
text to each aircraft. This is a really impressive package that’s got
the lot! www.eduard.com
49
 Wings Cockpit Figures
For us, there’s just something about a nice figure which improves
the presentation of an aircraft model no-end. Some of the very
best available come from Wings Cockpit who commission the best
sculptors and resin casters in the business and have expended
their range even further with these recent 1:32 releases. RFC05C is
an RFC mechanic to pose seated on a wing or the wooden crate
provided (complete with his trophy pickelhaube helmet!) A couple
of superb USAF subjects are USAAF03B, fighter pilot, late WWII
leaning against a propellor and USAAF03E representing a pilot of
groundcrewman sat on a wing wearing high altitude gear (choice
of three heads). Luftwaffe subjects are LUFT02B, a pilot in Kanal
suit designed to perch on a Fw190 nose cowl and the dainty
Luftwaffenhelferin to pose sat on a fighter wing, LUFT02C.
LUFT03G is a superb German pilot in the Med / Africa with two
optional heads (and a bonus head sporting sunglasses) and finally
LUFT03F which is a pair of Luftwaffe fighter, Stuka or bomber crew
in winter suits 1935-43. A fantastic range which we’re pleased to
see back in action, our thanks to David Allen from
www.wingscockpitfigures.com

Corsair, David Doyle A new series from renowned military author David Doyle,
‘Legends of Warfare’ are beautifully presented hardbacked
Vought’s F4U in Published by Schiffer
monographs, the first of which we’ve looked at is the Corsair.
WWII and Korea Hardback format, 112 pages Packed with excellent images, including some in colour, the story
ISBN 9780764355035 of the F4U and it’s combat history is told throughout WWII and
www.daviddoylebooks.com post war service including French operated aircraft. The images
are certainly the focus (always welcome as modelling reference
of course) with excellent detailed captions and text including
cockpit close-ups. A great concise overview of the Corsair and
it’s many marques. Excellent value.

Douglas TBD David Doyle If you’re fond of the Corsair you may well also have a soft-spot for
the Devastator, another topic in the ‘Legends of Warfare’ Series
Devastator, Published by Schiffer covered in style with an absolute wealth of interior close-ups
America’s First Hardback format, 112 pages perfect for anyone looking to add some detail to a project along
WWII Torpedo ISBN 9780764354199 with good factory / construction images and development
information. With plenty of ‘in-flight’ period photos and shots on
Bomber www.daviddoylebooks.com
board the carriers this is another great collection of information at
50 an excellent price, especially good deals on postage when ordered
direct from the author if you’re in the USA.

Grumman JF2 Duck David Doyle
US Navy, Marine Published by Schiffer
Corps, Army Air Hardback format, 112 pages
Force and Coast ISBN 9780764354489
Guard use in WWII www.daviddoylebooks.com
Maciej Noszczak
P-47
Published by Kagero
Thunderbolt Softback format, 20 pages and A3
pull-out plans
ISBN 9788365437723
www.casematepublishers.co.uk
Maciej Noszczak
F2A Buffalo Published by Kagero
Softback format, 20 pages and A4
print
ISBN 9788365437730
www.casematepublishers.co.uk
Ki-84 Hayate Maciej Noszczak
Published by Kagero
Softback format, 20 pages and
A2/A3 pull-out plans
ISBN 9788365437747
www.casematepublishers.co.uk
More excellent modelling reference with plenty of factory
assembly images and close-ups with colour images of
preserved aircraft in a walk-around style detailing all of the
different versions of the quirky ‘Duck’ with some line drawings to
help define the differences. This series looks to be growing
quickly (with land and sea war machines also covered) and has
a very collectable appeal with the chunky, squared hardback
presentation at a price you’d expect to pay for a thinner
softback book. Recommended reading and reference which will
look great on the bookcase.
Kagero's popular Top Drawings series hits 50 and if our cover star
from the last issue has you inspired to start your own P-47 project
here's some great reference. The Top Drawings series is exactly
that; top quality scale plans (1:48 in this case) and beautiful colour
profile illustrations covering versions D-25, D-27, D-30 and D-40.
The plans as usual are highly detailed, right down to every rivet
and fastener. A nice bonus is the inclusion of some 1:48 masks for
wheel and canopy painting.
So to Number 51 in the Top Drawings series offering more of the
same detailed plans and superb colour profiles which feature a
wide scope including Dutch and Finnish schemes. 1:48 is the scale
offered in the plans and some excellent drawings highlighting
production changes of the F2A-1, A-2 and A-3 to help you know
your Buffalo. A quality A4 art print pull-out is well worthy of framing
and a nice bonus.
The Nakajima Ki-84 Hayate comes under the spotlight now with a
bumper production containing both A2 size 1:32 plans and A3 pull-
outs providing the ultimate detailed plans in 1:48. Again, the colour
profiles are exquisite offering the bonus of weathering reference.
Diagram drawings of production changes are also offered and a 51
set of pre-cut masks in 1:72, 1:48 and 1:32 for the canopies of
Hasegawa's kits.
 672180

634001

648405

648404

634002

672181

Eduard
More mouthwatering upgrades from the guys at Eduard who never
stop releasing their top-quality resin and photoetch super-detailing
sets. A brand new range is ‘Look’ their innovative printed resin and
coloured photoetch. The instrument panels are just superb
(although some may consider it ‘cheating’ try getting close to this
standard with a paintbrush!) all of the dials are reproduced and
come complete with high-gloss glazing all in place. The first two
releases in the range are 634001 for Revell’s P-51D-5 and 634002
for the Tamiya F4U-1A. In Eduard’s praised ‘Brassin’ range are a
couple of the popular cockpit sets with highly detailed resin and
pre-coloured photoetch; in 1:72 is 672180 for the MiG-21MF and
for Tamiya’s new ‘109 G-6 is set 648405. More for Tamiya’s ‘109
G-6 with set 648404 providing a fuselage section with open radio
compartment and internal detail, all beautifully detailed. 672181 is
a great upgrade for Eduard’s own MiG-21 again in 1:72 with a
multi-part exhaust nozzle. Eduard’s ‘Zoom’ series remains a
popular choice for sensible photoetch ‘essentials’ with printed
parts they’re a great detail boost, FE894 is for the Airfix Ju 87B-
2/R2. This is just a selection of Eduard’s constant stream of new
releases, keep up to date at www.eduard.cz

Uschi van der Rosten

Blitz Rounds Metal Paste
Two great sets of metal pastes here
offering a choice of ten different metallic
colours. The paste can be applied loosely
with a brush and then buffed up with a
finger tip or soft cloth for an extremely
realistic finish. I used this method to finish
the copper Ansaldo radiator but it can also
be airbrushed using a lacquer thinner to
dilute the paste. I find it works best when
applied over a sympathetic base colour as
the effect is not always 100% opaque when
brushed on but it also creates an excellent
realistic tarnished appearance.
52 Details of the whole range can be found at:
www.uschivdr.com
 72159

72157

72156

72158

48352

48353 48354 48355

32130 32131 32132

Scale Aircraft Conversions
SAC continue to serve a huge selection of white-metal cast
landing gear upgrades starting with 1:72, 72156 gives the Airfix
1:72 B-25 landing gear and some parts to provide nose ballast,
72157 is designed for the Italeri/Testors SR-71 Black Bird, 72158
gives you two sets of gear for Eduard’s Spitfire Mk.IXe/XVIL and
72159 is another double set for an Eduard kit; the MiG 21.
In 1:48 is 48352 for Trumpeter’s MiG-15, 48353 for Eduard’s
Spitfire Mk.VIII, 48354 is an extensive set for ICM’s recent He
111H-3/6/16 and finally in forty-eighth is 48355 for Great Wall’s Su-
35S Flanker. A couple of Wingnut Wings kits get the attention with
32131 for the Sopwith 5F.1 and 32132 designed for the AVG C.VI.
Get over to www.scaleaircraftconversions.com for full details of the
full range.

The Airbrush Company

Distributors of the ‘Sparmax’ range of airbrushing products, The
Airbrush Company have an excellent new ‘Zeta’ compressor out
which is ideal for modelling. A brand new patented feature is the
‘Smart Stop’ holder which switches the compressor on or off
when the airbrush is placed or removed from the holder which
saves on energy and extends the life of the compressor’s
working parts by reducing pressure fluctuation. The system
allows for a similar pressure stabilising effect of an air-tank
compressor but very compact in size. The kit comes complete
with the desk-top clamp which houses the switch and pressure
regulator / moisture trap (a 2M braided airbrush hose is also
included) and allows up to 40 minutes continuous use (before
needing a 10-15 minute cool down) and is suitable for all of the
usual modelling airbrush brands. The oil-less piston operation is
very quiet and being light and compact makes this system ideal
if you’re working in a limited space and offers excellent value as
we’ve come to expect from the Sparmax range.
Another innovative product for anyone using airbrushes regularly www.airbrushes.com offers great service and
is the new ‘SharpenAir’ which will restore and sharpen damaged everything you may ever need to airbrush
needles keeping your airbrush in tip-top working condition. The including an extensive choice of paint and
quality hand-held tool has four progressive diamond-grit coated weathering ranges.
sharpening stones and is very easy to use. A polishing pad for
airbrush not
the final finish is also included. included in
Sparmax
Zeta kit.

53
 Flanker. The very name has for many aviation enthusiasts and modelers alike the
meaning of sheer power, manoeuvrability and gracefulness. Developed at the height of the
Cold War, the Su-27 Flanker was the first of a large and successful family of fighters
designed by the OKB Sukhoi design bureau. The initial long range air superiority fighter,
soon evolved into a multirole aircraft and was even navalized to embark on the Kuznetsov
class aircraft carrier developed in the ‘80s for the Soviet Navy in response to the almighty
US Navy fleet of Supercarriers.

For many years, the only way to build a “Sea Flanker” in 1:48 scale was either by heavily
modifying the Academy Su-27 or by grafting an outrageously expensive resin conversion
to the very same kit. Either way, it was a very complicated and time-consuming task
largely beyond the casual modeller’s skills and capabilities. It was therefore very good
news when Kinetic announced the release of the Su-33 Flanker D designed by Aviation
Art.
Having already built an Academy Su-27 many years ago, the Su-33 was not on top of my
“wanna do” list but when I was given the opportunity to build Kinetic’s kit I couldn’t decline
the offer.

To say it in a politically correct tense, I have mixed feelings regarding this kit. The box is
typical of Kinetic productions but it is illustrated with a nice painting instead of the usual
pictures. The packaging is good but could be better. The sprues are mostly packaged in
their own bag but some of them (such as the burner cans) are protected in small card
boxes. This would be perfect if the clear part had benefitted from the same care. In my
sample, they were in their own simple bag so the canopy got smashed during transport,
leaving it completely useless unless I put a tarpaulin over it… Bad luck. Happily a
replacement was quickly provided by the manufacturer thanks to the dedication of the
Editor.
Speaking of the content itself, the plastic parts are beautifully and delicately detailed. They
are extensively riveted but the overall look is conveniently restrained. For once the parts
are moulded in a medium grey plastic with a very smooth finish giving a much better
feeling than the light grey used for previous models. However, following closer inspection,
extensive sink marks are present on many parts, which is very frustrating if you want to
correct this.
A number of options are offered, including drooped flaps and slats, extended refueling
probe, etc. A small and very nice photoetch fret compounds all this for further details.
Finally, the decals are very good quality. However the instructions provided in the box are
insulting to say the least. The diagrams look like bad quality screenshots of the CADs and
the construction sequence is from another planet: the landing gear, a couple of wing
pylons and engines exhausts are to be fixed to the lower fuselage even before the top half
is added. Then the pitot, the canopy, the refueling probe, the airbrake (shown only in
extended position and many other fiddly parts are to be added even before the wings...
Who builds a model this way? I understand this is to be used more like a technical guide
than build instructions, but still, the less experienced modelers can be fooled a number of
times. In addition, there are various mistakes, some parts appear from nowhere during
construction (intake missile rails) and there aren’t enough missile pylons/rails for a heavy
(yet operationally highly unlikely) configuration. Finally, the colour callouts are vague
although a table give paint equivalents in an extensive range of manufacturers. All of this
gives a pretty bad feeling of rushed production accomplished by a non-modeller
technician. Now thankfully, Kinetic have eventually provided – over a year after the kit was
first released – a set of more decent instructions for download on their website.

JULIAN HACCOUN’S KINETIC FLANKER-D

56
OUT-FLANKED!

57
 I decided to build the kit in one of the cleanest
configurations possible, not even offered in the
instructions, i.e. in flight or more exactly during take-off.
To me it is this way the Flankers look best, and from a
modelling stand point, it is a good way to check how
well engineered the kit is and how well the parts fit. To
save you any- unnecessary suspense: not well… at all.
58
In fact, if you want to avoid more troubles than
necessary, I’d recommend to build the model with all
options, i.e. extended control surfaces, folded
wings and stabs, open tail cone and
refueling probe, and so on…
Cockpit
The cockpit is quite impressive due to clever engineering with
separate console and sidewall details. A resin kit wouldn’t add
much here except for the instruments dials (which are desperately
empty) and the seat which I found to be very unpleasant to build:
the numerous parts are quite fiddly to assemble and the original
instructions are of very little help, here...
One word of caution, in step 3, make sure to put part E27 before
E7 or you won’t be able to add it afterwards (it is the rudder
pedals support).
Pilot
Since no pilot is provided in the box (this could have been a good
addition to all the options offered by the kit), I had to look around
to find a suitable one. I found it in Aires range – “Soviet Fighter
Pilot with ejection seat for Su-27” - but although it looks rather
nice in the box, it is quickly obvious that it is ridiculously
undersized. In position, its feet barely reach the base of the
instrument panel and its head is not great. In the end I had to
combine its body/seat parts with elements of the very nice PJ
Production Russian pilot seated (80s-90s). The Helmet was
modified by deleting the large visor and adding the large holes on
top. It was painted with acrylic paints to replicate the
characteristic orange integral flight suit of Soviet/Russian Su-33
pilots for maritime operation.
Fuselage
The fuselage halves are probably the best parts of the kit: their
level of detail is excellent and they don’t suffer from the sink mark
issue unlike many other parts. However care – and persuasion in
the form of small clamps - is necessary to ensure a tight fit,
especially if you chose to add the intakes to the underside first.
Minimum filling is required to blend them together smoothly. The
airbrake was carefully mated to the dorsal spine early during
construction to limit any potential fit problem as much as possible.
The intakes must be at least partially painted before or during the
construction sequence. They are pretty well done and benefit from
PE parts for the inner grilles. The engine compressor faces are
also detailed with PE parts to be bent into shape. Careful handling
and painting is a prerequisite to achieve a clean result but it looks
very good in the end.
I experienced a case of pretty bad intake trunks-fuselage fit. It
required extensive sanding and rescribing to blend the parts
together. My mistake, perhaps?
Mating the LG door is a case of “I should have thought twice
about it”. The time you will save by avoiding the landing gear will
have to be re-invested in extensive filling/sanding/rescribing
sessions to properly integrate the various doors to the
fuselage/intake area.
Wings
The wings are better assembled as complete top and bottom
sets. However, the folding mechanism offers little contact surface
so it is recommended to work on a large flat surface to position
the outer panels properly and let the glue set thoroughly before
handling the components for further work. The same goes for the
lower parts.
As they are designed, the flaps and slats are supposed to be
posable in virtually any configuration from fully extended to fully
retracted. However, fit is so mediocre – especially for the slats –
that I’d recommend to put them in the extended configuration (the
same goes for most options in the kit).
All the control surfaces are therefore best built, painted and
weathered separately to be added to the airframe at the very end
since their mounting tabs are very delicate and wouldn’t stand
repeated manipulations during an overall painting/weathering
session.
59
 Tail surfaces
Tail fins are disappointing unfortunately: although they are nicely
detailed with fine panel and rivet lines, they suffer from large sink
marks due to their size and thickness. This is rather difficult to
correct as it would require extensive filling and sanding and the
loss of many fine details. I humbly closed my eyes on the problem.
Another issue that has to be handled is the fit with the fuselage:
the latter top curve is significantly different to that of the fins' base.
This requires a modification of the base line of the fins with thin
plastic strips and careful sanding to recover the proper curvature.
The stabs are made of two parts that can be set folded or
extended. There is no real issue here but it is also recommended
to paint them separately to make things easier: the Flanker is
definitely a big model with many protruding and easily broken
details.

Canopy
The clear parts are very – almost too – thin. The
canopy has a small mould line that must be sanded
smooth and polished. It’s not difficult as long as you
take your time and use very fine sand paper. I
managed to fracture mine at the very end of the
process, leaving a tiny and luckily not too visible–
crack at the rear portion. When a model is cursed
things just keep happening!
For an in-flight configuration, the tricky part is to
mate these clear parts with the fuselage. You’ll have
to discard as many details of the canopy sill as
possible and carefully sand the edges after
cementing so as to have a smooth transition with the
fuselage flanks. A little rescribing is needed as well
but in the end it is not as difficult as one might
expect.

Engines
The exhaust parts are very nice. The
afterburner sections are detailed with PE parts.
Be careful, they are very delicate and must be
bent to shape before being cemented with CA
glue. The contact points are very small so the
resulting assemblies are very fragile.
The exhaust are painted with a base coat of
MRP-147 Burnt Iron followed by MRP-149 Gun
Metal touch-ups on selected areas and a
selected overspray of Tamiya X-23 Clear blue.
A dark wash (such as Tamiya black or dark
brown enamel wash) is carefully run into the
details taking great care not to spill it onto the
surrounding surface to avoid marring the
metallic finish. Alternatively, China inks can be
used as they are much less aggressive.

Weapons
Operational Su-33 are most often seen with a combination of only
four, sometimes six, air-to-air missiles. The four-missile
configuration is chosen, here. The wing pylons and missiles are
built and painted separately. No unpleasant surprises here, except
for the fact that the AA-10/R-27 Alamos are the wrong variant for a
regular loadout: they are the ER (extended range) models with
fatter body, a model I have yet to see fitted to an operational Su-
33… They are therefore best replaced with Brassin versions which
are very nice and accurate if only a bit more time-consuming. The
AA-11/R-73 Archers are from the box. They are a bit tedious to
build due to the very small PE parts for the front control surfaces
but in the end they look very good. Too bad no stencils are
provided for both types of missiles.
Obviously all these parts have to be added at the end of the build
along with the control surfaces and smaller details to preserve
them as much as possible.

60
Paintwork
After a protracted and tedious construction process, the paintjob
comes as a relief. There are two options for the Su-33: the very
well documented “late scheme” with very bright colours and sharp
edges or the “early scheme” adopted in the late 90s which was
very similar but with a slightly different pattern with somewhat
more feathered edges. I chose the latter as a few pictures show
extremely weathered and touched up examples which offer
extensive weathering opportunities!
The paints come from MRP’s range, namely the MRP-043 Light
Blue SU-27, MRP-044 Blue SU-27, MRP-045 Dark Blue SU-27 and
MRP-046 Light Gray SU-27 colours, keeping in mind that they
have to be altered during the process by mixing and fading them
extensively to replicate the heavy beating endured during the
operational cruises.

the undersurfaces are sprayed with MRP-043 followed with a At the end of the painting and weathering process some more
random overspray of different darker and lighter shades with more touch-ups are added with MRP-044 to add even more contrast.
or less white and blue in the mix.

The top surfaces are painted with MRP-044. For a battered

Flanker, it is too bright a colour but a good base coat nevertheless
as it will be toned down with various applications of lighter shades
later. Next comes the dark blue sprayed according to several
pictures: its pattern differs a bit from the latest one. The optical
The light grey is sprayed next to complete the basic pattern. The
density of MRP-045 is much too strong for the targeted scheme
colour is spot on.
so it will be strongly altered afterwards.

Some panels are painted in aluminium and dark grey to replicate

the look of some aircraft.
Highly thinned light grey is also used to tone down the whole More fading is applied with an even lighter and thinner mix of the
upper surfaces and apply the first “operational overspray” MRP-043 & 046. The effect is visible by comparison with the
according to the photographic references. engine fairings in the original blue 61
 the natural metal areas are painted after the camouflage starting
with quite extensive masking to protect the blue finish. It’s not
difficult as long as the vertical surfaces are not in the way. This is
the reason they haven’t been set at this point, even though fitting
problems are anticipated…
A black basecoat is first applied to smooth – if necessary – the
finish and provide a unified basecoat for the metal paints. Black
primer & microfiller has been used here as it has a nice satin finish
and provides the necessary grip to the metal paints.

Next MRP-147 Burnt Iron is sprayed in light coats.

it is then re-worked selectively with streaks and
random overspray of Alclad Pale burnt metal to add
depth and contrast,the same process is repeated with
a mix of Alclad Pale burnt metal and MRP-82 Titanium
for a lighter shade.
Finally various applications of Clear blue and then
Smoke give the overheated look to the metal
parts. It is all important to work with highly
thinned colours (10-20% paint) to build up the
effect gradually and avoid too stark
contrasts. Upon close examination, the
available pictures show very little - if
any - pink/purple discolouration so I
deliberately stuck to blue/black
shades for this model.

At that point the kit

starts to look like a
Flanker. A good
motivation booster
for the final steps
Decaling
which include the
P1110511: given the extensive NMF areas, the model wasn’t
dreaded tail surface
sprayed gloss overall. Only the spots due to receive the decals
integration.
were glossed. The very smooth finish of MRP paints makes this
almost unnecessary but in case…
P1110530: the decals designed by Cross Delta are very nice: thin,
in perfect register, with dense and accurate colours, they react
perfectly to MicroSet & Sol solvents and are a pleasure to work
with as long as you give them ample time to separate from the
backing paper/carrier.

62
 The AA-11/R-73 Archers are
Eduard Brassin upgrades;
very much worth the time
and effort to represent an
accurate payload.

What? no landing gear? I

feel the Flanker is at it’s
most beautiful when in
flight so from the outset
I’d decided to display
mine this way.

Tail surfaces – the return

With most of the paint work done, the vertical surfaces
can eventually be added to the rear area. This was done
here with Tamiya Extrafluid (green cap) which allows
precise cement infiltration and dries very quickly. As
anticipated, the seams had to be filled. I used Perfect
Plastic Putty as it dries quickly and is easy to sand. After
several hours I touched up the paint where needed to
blend all the components together. This was easier than
anticipated, actually…

Last bits
As usual, all the most fragile bits are added at the end: missiles, static
dischargers, pitot, nose probes and the like. They add a lot to the finished
model but once you put the m on, try to avoid as much as possible to
handle the model: there are very few areas free of these items…

63
 Weathering

As a first step, a coat of Mig Satin varnish is sprayed

over the airframe and control surfaces taking great care
to avoid the NMF areas.
Once this coat has dried various shades of AK/Mig
Paneliner/washes (mostly dark greys and browns) are
applied into and around the various surface details to
make them stand out. On this occasion I had a nasty
experience as the satin coat eventually peeled and was
removed as I cleaned the excess wash whether I used
the prescribed Odorless thinner or regular lighter
fluid. Eventually the camouflage was not affected
and the washes remained mostly where they
should but this was a close call…

The underside is also touched up with various shades

of light and darker blue to compound the patchwork
look of fresher paint to the finish.
Finally, after another flat coat, some areas are treated
with paint dabbed with a sponge in yellow
zinchromate then aluminium to reproduce the chipped
worn look seen on some a/c.

64
Finally
The essence of this build was to display the aircraft
during take-off. An acrylic rod (1cm diameter) is
used as a pole stuck into a rather heavy wood
base. A red star and a small plaque bring the
colourful touch and voila! A beautiful Flanker
climbing off the workbench…

All in all, what can I say? First, I should thank the

Editor for his patience over the too many months it
took me to build this kit. Although I have built my
share of difficult kits, some of them short run, resin,
conversions, kitbash, you name it, I hated building
this one throughout up until the painting/weathering
stages. I know some talented modelers out there
have built it and really enjoyed it, but that was
definitely not the case for me.

The outrageous instructions may be one of the

main reasons, but it may also be due to myself,
because I was too ambitious trying to pose it in
take-off configuration. This being said, I had to fight
the kit at nearly every step, nevertheless. It’s all the
more frustrating since the level and quality of
details is very high. But fit is far from perfect in too
many areas (especially the engine intake plugs…),
so much so that I had to be careful with nearly
every part I worked on.

Now if you love the Sea Flanker it’s the only game in town unless
you want to hurt yourself even more with SOL conversion for
Academy Su-27. But be prepared: it’s a long and winding road.

65