104 OCT / NOV 2022 • £6.95 UK $16.

99
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ERLA
BIRD
Oliver Peissl creates a beautiful G-10 from
Eduard’s kit and a grainy war-time photo
 CONTENTS
2 Erla Bird
Oliver Peissl creates a Bf.109 G-10 using the 1:48 Eduard kit.

12 Rafale M
Dimitris Siolos builds Revell’s 1:48 kit of the French Naval fighter.

22 Pilatus PC-9A
Anže Zorko has his work cut out building the 1:48 L&M resin kit.

30 TSR2
Francesco Pigoli details and corrects the 1:72 Airfix kit.

44 Chipmunks are Go!

The 1:48 Airfix Chipmunk Trainer modelled by Matt Porter.

52 Legacy Hornet
Grega Krizman takes us through his build of Kinetic’s 1:48 kit.

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1
 Oliver Peissl creates a beautiful G-10 from
Eduard’s kit and a grainy war-time photo

As a self-confessed Bf 109 fan I was very pleased to receive the I still tend towards the dark green) and were gradually replaced by
Bf 109G-10 "Erla" from Eduard at the Spielwa-renmesse in these. Another difference were the larger tyres and the associated
Nuremberg last February. The kit with the number 82164 is, the elongated bulges on the wing tops, as was the case with the
last of the three variants of this subtype, which appeared from the WNF/Diana kit. After a lot of research I found a picture showing an
forge from Obrenice in 1:48 scale. If you want to build an early Erla Erla G-10, which was obviously used by the JG300, but has no
variant of the number blocks 49x xxx this is the best kit for it. If you indications that it belongs to this squadron. Especially interesting
go a little deeper into the Erla G-10 series you will quickly notice is the fact that the long bulges can be seen and the serial number
that there were also two number blocks with the numbers 15x xxx, 151562 is visible. This ensures that it is a late Erla featuring the
which were produced later and also had exterior changes RLM 80's colours in combination with 70's colours. Furthermore, a
compared to the early "Er-la's". light grey tone is visible on the upper wing surfaces and the
engine area seems to have been treated in a different colour than
These no longer had the colours RLM 74/75/76, which were the fuselage. All these indications finally led me to choose this
common until the end, but were also given the colours RLM model as a pattern.
81/82/83/84 (RLM 83 is given as a blue in various publications, but

2
 What do we need…?
In order to represent a late Erla aircraft, which was in
service with the JG300, we first need the wing upper
shells from the eduard kit 82161 - Bf 109G-10 WNF/
Diana, the tyres, however, are already included in the
kit. However, I took these from a Löök+ set, as these
were too simplistic for me in the kit. Furthermore the
engines of the JG300 had a variometer built in, which
I put together from leftover parts of an etched parts
sheet. The yellow 8 I took from an Aero-master decal
sheet, which contains numbers in various colours.
For the first time I used only colours from the AK Real
Colors series from AK-Interactive. The original picture
is in black and white, but the fact that different
colours were used for this number block is reason
enough to implement this in the model. I plan to
paint the engine covers in RLM 76/75 and 83 and the
fuselage in RLM 84/75/77/83. The wings, on the other
hand, will get various metallic tones from the Gunze
Supermetallic range including AK RC RLM76 on the
underside. On the upper side I will use the tones
RLM 77/83. Once I have gathered all the necessary
tools, I can start building this very interesting model.

Messerschmitt Bf 109G-10
ERLA BIRD 3
 The kit cockpit including the details I added Painted and treated according to my usual ageing
consisting of plastic sheet, lead wire and parts from technique, the cockpit has a very special charm.
Initially still appearing a little light...... .... It looks immediately darker when
a VectorCut set.
installed, but the details are still very
visible. The harnesses from the eduard
FABRIC series give the cock-pit additional
Of course, the cockpit from the Eduard kit is already elegance.
well reproduced, but by no means comparable with
the original. The base is correct but the late Bf 109s
were so packed in the cockpit that this is almost
impossible to reproduce in the injection moulding.
There is a kit for the Bf 109G-10, but I did not have
access to it at the time of assembly, so I decided to
detail the cockpit myself with the help of various
documents. For this I used lead wire in different
thicknesses, plastic sheet in different shapes and
sizes as well as etched parts from the sheet
The finished add-on parts of the cockpit at a glance: corrected cover of the
included in the kit. I also added parts from a
gun, brass dashboard including added variometer as well as valve of the
VectorCut set. spray supply and the control stick from a Verlinden set.

As base colour for the cockpit I used a mixture of RLM66, the To correctly depict a model like the late Bf 109G-10, some basic
original colour for the cockpit and RLM75 to make the area a bit research is necessary, because even a model manufacturer like
lighter. The reason for this is the fact that the cockpit absorbs very Eduard can miss something. Although the company from Obrnice
little light when closed and the colours it contains appear even usually does its homework very well, it is always possible that with
darker than they really are. Raised areas were painted in a lighter such a large variety of parts one or the other can be overlooked.
tone using acrylic paints and the edges were painted in light grey. For this reason, if you want to be as close as possible to the
Undercuts, on the other hand, I treated with a Panel Line Wash original, it is advisable to find out exactly what the original is. In
from the AMMO range, here PLW Blue Black. Switches, wiring, addition to type-related reading, I have also examined the image
knobs and instruments are painted in the typical colours with the of the original with great meticulousness. I noticed that the fin had
help of various cockpit photos from various publications. Last but an aerial attachment in the shape of a trapezoid on the upper
not least, the floor area gets a mixture of a dark wash with side. From the documents I found out that the bonnet of the type
pigments in light brown to give the cockpit area various traces of 110 had a vertical sheet metal joint in front of the supercharger air
use. intake on the left side and another vertical sheet metal joint on the
As mentioned before, the JG 300 aircraft had a variometer, which I right side of the nose under the muzzle indentation. Thus, these
glued to the brass dashboard with an etched part. As I did not small but fine details were added based on lengthy research
have a Quickboost stick at the time of building, I took one from a before the wings were assembled with the fuselage.
Verlinden detail set for the Bf 109G-2. The cover of the MG 151/20
engine gun was improved to show the correct shape. For this I The access flap of the compressed air connection for the MG17 or
glued a piece of plastic sheet at the front area on the right to get MK108 on the right side of the rear fuselage was omitted on the
the asymmetric shape of the front cover. Before the cockpit parts Erla machines, which is also correctly reflected in the plan. The
could be assembled I added straps from the eduard FABRIC wing assembly could be carried out without any problems and is,
range to the seat, which unfortunately are no longer available. If thanks to the very good fitting accuracy, as with all Bf 109 types
you still want to use them, you can get them from HGW. Such from Eduard, quickly completed. Of course, glued seams must be
harnesses give the cockpit the final touch and contribute filled, then sanded and especially in the area of the joint between
significantly to the fact that the nerve centre of this fighter looks fuselage and wing in the area under the cockpit must not be
much more realistic. Assembled, the cockpit now looks very neglected. After the entire model has been sanded and the
lifelike, which is also due to the brighter colours. engravings in these areas have been re-engraved, the cockpit is
masked off for painting.

As correctly described in the construction plan, the Erla's

did not have the access to the compressed air
connection positioned like the other G-10 variants.
Therefore it has to be closed on the fuselage.
4
 Another correction of the Erla's, unfortunately
not visible in the construction plan, are the two With the body shell
vertical sheet metal joints in the area in front of completed, the model can
the supercharger intake manifold on the nose now be prepared for

colours on both sides (one each) painting.

As mentioned at the beginning of this article, the

late Luftwaffe fighter aircraft were painted in
different shades. In the autumn of 1944, the
colours RLM74/75/76 began to be replaced by
shades of 80, which led to mixing of the colour
groups, especially at the beginning of these
conversions. In the beginning only single colours,
e.g. RLM74 were replaced by RLM83, which was
continued later with the replacement of RLM75
by RLM81 and RLM76 by RLM84. However, the
shade RLM84 is very controversial and is not
considered 100% established, as many also
identify it as late RLM76. In addition, the colour
RLM77, a very light grey, is repeatedly used,
which was often seen on Fw 190D aircraft.

This article however, is not part of the colour

discussions but is only intended to show how
such a late fighter aircraft can be painted. If one
looks more closely at the picture of the original
with regard to the colours, one recognises several
conspicuous features. The zig-zag patterns of the
colour gradients on the upper sides of the wings,
I have deliberately
which are typical for the production of the dispensed with the so
Erlaproduktion, are not continuously present here often highly praised
but are interrupted by gradients, as was usual preshading in order to
with MTT and WNF. Furthermore, the colour tones show the reader that a
good result can also be
on the upper wing surfaces show a strong achieved without this
contrast which could possibly indicate a light grey technique.
tone, possibly RLM77 as on the Fw 190D.
Especially the wingtip of the right wing is very
conspicuous in this respect. It is also noticeable
that the colours on the fuselage are different. In The basic colours of the
topsides at a glance, both
the area of the engine, other colours seem the "old" and the late
to have been used as on the rest of the shades are very well visible
fuselage, possibly a result of the here. The gradients of the
relocation of production of the Erla colour transitions as
well as the very untypical
individual assemblies and their transitions of this
different paintwork. The same production are well visible.
applies to the stern,
although it is now well known
that the fin and rudder come
from other factories, so it is very
likely that other colours were used.

Assuming that many of the fighter planes

in use at the time were finished in natural
metal on the undersides of the wings, this will
probably also have been the case with this
aircraft. Only the flaps and leading edge arches
were painted in RLM76. This information and
The undersides also show a
these assumptions led me to paint the machine wide variety of colours.
as follows. In the area of the engine RLM Unpainted sheet metal, as
76/75/83, at the tail RLM 76/84/75/83, the well as the areas painted in
RLM 76 and RLM 84 (76
fuselage RLM84/83/77 as well as some RLM74
late) are a typical feature of
and 81, the upper wing surfaces RLM 77/83 as the late Bf 109 aircraft.
well as some RLM74. The undersides of the
wings are painted in silver and iron from Gunze's
SuperMetalic range, and RLM 76 is used on the
flaps and leading edge arches
5
 (These colours are painted with an Evolution
from Harder&Steenback including a nozzle /
needle combination of 0.2mm and a working
pressure of about 0.8-0.9bar to be able to
paint the colour transitions freehand. After
that, but after sufficient hardening of the
colours of approx. 24h, a first colour wash
follows using highly diluted oil colours. As a
base for the decals I always use Gunze's Mr.
Metal Primer. It has the same properties as Except for the yellow 8 and the
serial number, all decals are
FUTURE, but is easier to get and harmonises
taken from the kit. The base for
better with the Gunze colours. The decals these is a layer of high-gloss
used are, except for the yellow 8 and the Mr.Metal Primer from the Mr.
factory number from the Eduard sheet and Color range. After applying the
decals, the entire model is
can be processed very well. I took the yellow 8
given a protective coating for
from an Aeromaster sheet, which has subsequent work using silk
numbers from 0-9 in different colours. The matt clear lacquer, also from
serial number was taken from different sheets, the Gunze range.
which I use as leftovers. After applying the
decals, the whole model gets a protective
coating of silk matt clear varnish to protect the
decals from the following work.

For this I use Gunze-Sangyo H102, which was mixed with the
original thinner and painted on in several thin layers. As is well
known, the machines from the Second World War did not have
shelters as is common today. Especially towards the end of the
war, the machines no longer received the care that was usual at
the beginning of the war. Accordingly, the weathering is also Sufficiently hardened, you can now
planned and is carried out by me as follows. continue with the washing of the
model. Due to the contrasting
colours, the washes should also
have a different tone.

weathering
The weathering of a model can basically be divided into three work I choose colours that do not stand out too much from the
large groups. Firstly, there is the soiling, i.e. the darkening of all background colours and do not give too strong a contrast. Thus, in
surfaces, sheet metal joints, maintenance-related areas, places this case, several colours were used, ranging from medium grey
where oil and dirt have accumulated. These are usually treated to dark grey and black. The following step involves the partial
with dark colours. The second group includes the lightening and lightening of all horizontal surfaces that might have faded the base
bleaching of all surfaces that have been exposed to direct colour due to sunlight. To do this, I paint a highly diluted light grey
sunlight. This type of weathering can be represented with light with a 90/10 thinner/paint ratio and a working pressure of less than
grey and cream colours. The third group includes the depiction of one bar, in this case 0.8bar, within all the sheet metal joints in
abrasion in the form of scratches and footprints. Furthermore, irregular intensity to achieve an inhomogeneous surface.
there are two different ways of applying the weathering. On the Depending on personal taste, this can also be done with a cream
one hand, there is the large-scale application, e.g. of a surface or buff colour. In addition to lightening, this step also includes the
wash or coating of a filter, and on the other hand, targeted ageing colour treatment of the exhaust pipes in rust tones as well as the
by means of pinwash or partial brightening with the airbrush, brush representation of the exhaust traces in several layers of paint. To
or pens, as well as the depiction of abrasion. After the entire do this, I paint several colours in progressively narrower layers on
model has been allowed to dry sufficiently, usually 24 hours, after top of each other, starting with sandy brown, then reddish brown,
the decals have been applied and then painted with silk matt clear dark brown and finally a thin layer of rich black
varnish, another layer of highly diluted oil paints is applied. For this
6
 The exhaust pipes as well as the
exhaust gas smog now get the
typical Daimler Benz colour
application in several layers of paint.
Various shades of brown and a rich
black are used here.

What follows now is partial soiling, which was caused by

the use of the ground staff and the pilot getting in and out,
but also due to lubricants. The basis for this is first a matt
surface, which is to be painted on in several layers using
Gunze-Sangyo H20 and must harden sufficiently before
the following steps can be started.

Dirt caused by the use of the

maintenance staff and the pilot
was removed with the help of oil
paints and then blended with a
dry brush.

This work was done with the help of oil

paints from the Ammo Oilbrusher and
Streaking series and is first applied
with a brush to all areas where dirt has
accumulated.After approx. five minutes
drying time, they are blended with a
dry synthetic hair flat brush in the
direction of flight (Figure 14). After
repeated sealing of all surfaces, the
weathering work is completed by the
depiction of scratches and oil streaks
using acrylic-based wooden pencils

The picture of
the original
shows that the
spinner has 1/3
white, which
was airbrushed
on by hand.

The Bronze Legs undercarriage

legs and Brassin tyres round off
Further oil streaks and
the final result of this fantastic
scratches are created by
model. Since a 100 octane
using weathering pencils. A
engine was installed, the landing
big advantage of these is the
gear legs are painted red for the
easy application and very
ground crew to easily recognise
realistic effects. The wear marks on the propeller blades
this.
were created with the help of a sponge and
various shades of green and light grey.

Once the model is ready, you can work on the landing gear, the factory number block with red undercarriage legs, I assumed that
propeller and canopy and the cockpit. First of all, I will work on the this machine also had a 100 octane engine. So I painted them red
propeller and the spinner, which will get their basic colours RLM70 before I mounted them with the tyres and flaps. In addition to the
and 71, the typical 1/3 white part on the spinner and in the other add-on parts such as the glass canopy, I also built the pitot
following step first traces of weathering. Afterwards, this section is tube, the aerial and the canopy tension wire myself.
matted like the model and, after sufficient drying, weathered with Messerschmitt's Bf 109G-10 from the Erlafertigung near Leipzig is,
the help of oil paints and acrylic wood pencils. On many pictures for me, the most beautiful un-ter variant of this legendary fighter.
from the last months of the Second World War numbers can be Perhaps, or precisely for this reason, I chose this synonym a long
seen on the propeller blades, which I think is absolutely possible time ago in forums and the World Wide Web.
on this model. These have been painted with white oil paint and a
fine brush. Since I discovered a photo of a machine of the same
7
 The last step, besides
shaping the antenna and
fixing the cockpit canopy,
involves attaching the
second strap, which I
always like to leave
hanging out of the cockpit.

The most distinctive sign of

the Bf 109G-10 produced at
Erla is the asymmetric-metric
engine cowling of the
Type110, which differs on the
port side from those of the
MTT and WNF production
facilities.

The chin dents behind the

propeller and in front of the
exhaust pipes are also not to
be found on the Erla version of
the G-10. This is also a sign of
the 110's bonnet, which was
used exclusively in Leipzig.
8
 With a matt background as a base, further
scratches can be depicted with acrylic
wood pencils. The deposition of the two
sheets of the spinner was done with the
help of rubbed oil paints.
When installed, the propeller and spinner
already look very bulky, which is due to the
large VDM propeller blades.

When installed, the parts for the

undercarriage look very realistic.
Unfortunately the late tyres from the
eduard kit are not to be used in my
opinion, remedy therefore these from the
Brassin series or however one still has a
Fujimi kit, where the late tyres are likewise
contained in a good quality.

The elegant lines paired with the seemingly massive

engine and its propeller contribute to the Erla G-10
being the most beautiful looking sub-variant for me.
The late RLM tones also contribute to the fact that
this model achieves a certain eye-catching effect.

I used Tamiya's Clear Red(X27) and Clear Green(X25)

for the position lights of the wingtips. The basis for
this is a silver tone, which is applied with a brush.

9
 The G-series of the Bf109 was the most built version of this
fighter type. For this reason, it also had the most sub-variants. The
actual reason for the G variant, which replaced the F, was the call
for a more powerful DB 605 engine. Due to the subsequent type
chaos, based on constant demands on this fighter, a type
adjustment and standardisation of all technical innovations to the
K variant followed at the end of 1944.

The Messerschmitt Bf 109G-10 was the link between the G and K

variants and, like its predecessors, was built in various factories.
These were Messer-Schmitt AG (MTT), Wiener Neustädter
Flugzeugwerke GmbH (WNF) and Erla Ma-schinenwerke GmbH.
The fact that the machines were built in different factories is also
the reason for various differences between the G-10 sub-variants.
The G-10, like various G-14s, had a MW 50 system installed in
order to provide short-term emergency power in dangerous
situations for the pilot.

10
Bf 109G-10

The Daimler Benz DB 605D was planned as the

engine, but for capacity reasons some were still
supplied with AS engines. These AS-equipped
aircraft differed visually from those of the D
version in one major detail. The front part of the
fuselage as well as the engine cowling of the
Type 110 was asymmetrical and had no "chin
dents" at the front part behind the spinner.
These two main features of the G-10 equipped
with AS engines are often associated with the
Leipzig Erla Maschinenwerke GmbH. This is also
the reason why one often speaks of a G-10 Erla.

11
 The Rafale is a French twin-engined, delta
wing multirole, or ‘omnirole’ as Dassault
refers to it, plane, designed when France
left the arrangement that later led to the
Eurofighter Typhoon. The maiden flight of
the prototype (Rafale A) which was also
used as a demonstration aircraft took
place in 1986, while the production
versions are coded ‘B’ for the two-seater,
‘C’ for the single seater, and ‘M’ for the
naval single-seat version, designed to
operate from aircraft carriers as a
replacement of an ageing fleet of Vought
F-8P Crusaders, Étendard IVP/M’s as well
as the Super Étendard. With their
currently updated status, Rafales are now
capable of conducting nuclear strikes
using the ASMP-A missile.

M
DASSAULT
RAFALE
Modelled by
DIMITRIS SIOLOS
12
13
 REVELL’S KIT

Revell released their 1/48 Rafale M in 1999, even before the Syhart Decals’ set, which provides decals for all the Rafales flown
French Navy received the first operational Rafale. Although the kit by either Aéronavale or Armée de l'air. I chose to replicate aircraft
is more than 20 years old, its detail and overall appearance are ‘No24’, which was allocated to Flotille 12F and operated aboard
still very good, however it needs some minor modifications to aircraft carrier FS Charles De Gaulle. The fighter sported a nuclear
replicate correctly an operational airplane, especially with the energy badge under its windscreen, as it was credited with the
updates they have received and apparently will keep receiving launch of an active missile, of course without a nuclear warhead.
during their operational life. A couple of decades later, Revell is still According to internet sources (www.aviation-safety.net), this
producing the kit, however the kit I used for this build is of the aircraft was lost in 12 July 2012 when it crashed into the
initial release, and therefore I cannot speak of the newer releases, Mediterranean Sea off the Spanish coast, about 70nm southeast
as to whether they have adopted the updates of the real planes on of Alicante, during a simulated dogfight with an F/A-18 Hornet
the kit. Despite the good level of moulding of this edition, the operating off USS Eisenhower. Fortunately, the pilot ejected safely
decals provided are unfortunately quite useless, both in aspect of and came down in sea where he was rescued by a U.S. helicopter
quality and accuracy, therefore I decided to use the better quality and airlifted to the French carrier FS Charles de Gaulle.

Τhe rear fuselage had to be

I started the build by gluing the spine to the converted to accommodate the
fuselage. The process required some filling with chaff/flare cartridges which are
Milliput White epoxy putty. I sanded the putty to Instead of using a resin seat, I preferred to use the one already included in a resin upgrading set
shape and I airbrushed a coat of Mr. Hobby’s Mr. provided in the kit, however it was upgraded with details from produced for the model by
Surfacer 500 which helped in obtaining the desired Eduard’s set. As for the oxygen hose, it was made of thin copper Wolfpack. Initial cutting was
finish. Needless to mention, the area around was wire wound around a length of a thicker wire. The details were performed with a rotary miniature
carefully masked so as to avoid marring the painted according to photos of the real seat and enhanced with power tool and the finishing was
surrounding details. lighter tones by drybrushing. done with a file.

The cockpit was painted using a mix of black

and RLM 66, while some areas were painted
only in black. Some drybrushing with grey tones
was enough to highlight the details, while the
cockpit panels are provided by Eduard in
coloured photoetched parts.

The trailing edges of the wings are rather

thick and therefore out of scale, and so they
required sanding, which was performed after
masking the detail close to the edge with
Tamiya tape to protect it from the sanding In order to achieve a good fit between the wings and
stick. This resulted in a scale thickness of the Using the power tool, I removed the wing tip fuselage I decided to deviate from Revell’s instructions and
trailing edge and retention of the crispness of missile launchers and replaced them with glue the upper parts of the wings to the upper part of the
the “stealthy” saw-tooth pattern Revell the correct parts contained in the Wolfpack fuselage, keeping everything straight and in place, by taping
provides on the flying surfaces. resin set. them on a piece of plexiglass.

14
Nevertheless, this method caused problems The join between the intakes and the fuselage required some treatment with plasticard glued in place
at the undersides, which I was able to with thin liquid cement and then trimmed and sanded down until the seam disappeared.
overcome by filling the gap with thin
plasticard, which eventually resulted in a
perfect fit.

Revell’s nose cone suffers from wrong panel

lines resulting in the radome looking very I simulated the raised details of the nose cone using Evergreen
small. All raised detail had to be sanded and strips; I aligned them with the help of a carton jig and I sanded
the two lines to be filled; in their place, a them down to scale thickness after the glue had set.
single line was eventually scribed at the
correct point.

The slats had some sink-marks I masked the windscreen with Eduard’s During its continuous updating, the Rafale was at some time fitted
which were filled with Hycote Primer masks and Gunze Mr. Masking Sol with an enlarged machine gun vent. As the Wolfpack upgrading
Filler and sanded flat. Neo, while some minor gaps were filled set contained an older version of the vent, I had to make one
with Milliput White epoxy putty. from scratch, using Milliput White epoxy putty to good effect.

It seems that the correct colour of the Rafale is a difficult

task for one to tackle. There is no Federal Standard
GREY MATTERS
equivalent and it differs from one photo to another,
depending on the lighting. As I had already chosen the
after-market decal sheet provided by Syhart Decals on the
subject, I tried various mixes based on the FS36231 which
is the opinion of Syhart Decals for the Rafale, mentioned in
the relevant decal instructions sheet.

I settled on a mix of five parts of Mr. Color C317 FS36231

and three parts of Mr. Color C035 IJN Grey. I airbrushed the
model in an overall coat of paint; the real ‘No24’ seen in the
photos available seemed to be uniformly painted, including
its radome. I did some additional painting in darker tones of
grey, around a number of access panels which are
probably treated so as to avoid corrosion on the real
aircraft. This was followed by a light overall
wash of the model in order to bring it
closer to the looks of an operational
machine.

15
 I treated the undersides using the airbrush to spray a mixture of black and
raw umber artists’ oil, diluted with Xtracolor XDTT quick drying thinners,
mainly at the rear fuselage which appears at the photos to be heavily
stained. The same mix was applied in some areas which suffer from oil
leaks using a thin brush for a more prevalent effect.

The walkways were sprayed with several thin layers of Modelmaster’s Flat
Clear Lacquer to replicate the rough texture of the real thing; then they
were stained with Tamiya Weathering Master Set pastels.

I used the Wolfpack upgrading set for the The exhausts were painted with Modelmaster Metalizer The arresting hook was partially
exhausts, which have much more detail and Titanium. Their rivets were highlighted with a silver painted with a mix of raw and burnt
scale depth than the kit ones. Prismacolor pencil, and they were stained with the Tamiya Sienna artists’ oils, to replicate a
Weathering Master sets of pastels. lubricant used in this part.

The ASMP-A missile came from Eduard’s 1/48 Just before the end of the build, I
Mirage 2000 Special Version kit; after airbrushed a couple of thin coats of Mr.
somewhat sharpening its minimal details and Color GX114 Super Smooth Clear flat
enhancing its inlets, I painted it using Humbrol’s varnish, and did an additional wash with a
147 Light Grey, the same colour I used for the highly-thinned mix of black and Raw Umber
MICA air-to-air missiles. artists’ oils to highlight the finely scribed
exterior details.

16
All in all, it was a nice and easy build of
one of the most beautiful airplanes of the
modern era. Revell’s kit, despite its age,
with its fine recessed external and more
than adequate internal details offers a
good headstart for one wishing to
achieve a realistic result.
When combined with the plethora of
aftermarket sets available, this kit can be
turned to a real attention getter despite
its rather dull low-visibility appearance.

I would like to thank my

friend Giannis Nakis for his
help with the photos of the
finished model

17
 Aftermarket sets used:
• Eduard 48986: Dassault Rafale C exterior (Only common parts to 'M' used)
• Eduard 49958: Dassault Rafale C interior (Only common parts to 'M' used)
• Eduard EDEX641: Dassault Rafale C masks (Only common parts to 'M' used)
• Wolfpack Design WP48032: Rafale M mass production update
• Wolfpack Design WP48190: SNECMA M88-2 engine nozzle set
• Reskit 48-0033 Dassault Rafale M wheels set

M
DASSAULT
RAFALE
18
19
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 PILATUS

EVER SEEN ONE OF THESE L&M 1:48 RESIN KITS

FINISHED BEFORE? NEITHER HAD WE...

22
 A few years ago, I received a 1/48 scale model of Pilatus PC-9 as
a gift, which I have been wanting for quite some time. I myself
Anže Zorko delayed the purchase and hoped for a better model, and in
addition, I was deterred by the price, which seemed a bit
SHARES THE STORY OF excessive. After a year of facing the model, however, I can only
confirm this opinion. The price of the model is around 60€, which
HIS PROJECT seems unrealistic to me in today's modelling standards,
considering what you get in the box. But if you want to have
Pilatus on your shelf at home then the options are limited. I can
say that, despite all the problems and obstacles that arose during
my work, I enjoyed it immensely. Certainly, the model is not for
everyone, which is probably why we don't see many of them
finished. I haven't actually seen any yet…

23
 I started a little bit differently than I’m used to with airplanes. The As I mentioned earlier, the entire fuselage of the aircraft is cast
cabin, which was cast in one piece with the fuselage, was in one piece, which means that from the end of the cabin to the
basically useless so I immediately decided to cut off the side walls tail of the model is full. Since, of course, I did not want the
and replace them with styrene. This also made it easier to work model to be a tail sitter it was necessary to hollow out the entire
out all the details I had imagined. I also decided to cut off the tail rear part of the plane, thus reducing the weight of the model
of the plane as the whole fuselage was twisted. First I tried to behind the main landing gear. In the picture, the hole I made in
straighten it with the help of hot water and a hair dryer, but such a the body of the model is already closed with styrene. Later, I
large piece of resin was too big a bite. designed the correct shape of the fuselage with the help of
Milliput and templates for the correct shape.

The model has very simplified wheel bays, practically

only holes are made. After hollowing out the entire
nose cone and filling it with lead, I glued the first two
larger pieces of the model together. As expected, not
everything went exactly according to plan. The
connection between the nose and the rest of the
fuselage takes place directly across the nose wheel
bay. It was immediately clear that the joint could not
be repaired well enough, so I decided to enlarge the
opening and make the wheel bay myself. It was also
necessary to make a new intake because the original
was of irregular shape.

Work continued inside the cabin. I decided to start

with the ejection seats Martin Baker MK.11. Again,
there is little left of the original parts, I only used the
seat and headrest. I made the base out of styrene, I
used copper wire for the wiring and buckles of the
seat belts, which are made of masking tape, the
back of the seat is made of MIlliput, and I added
some rivets from the Archer transfers set.

The basic colour for the seat is Mr. Paint black, to

which I later added some white for post shading. For
further painting, I used a Vallejo paint. In the end, a
wash followed and the seats were finished.

Of course, such a
complex project does not
go without testing, so I
put everything together in
Other interior components followed. The side walls, the plane several times
which, as I mentioned at the beginning, were cast along without glue to check
with the hull, were, like many details, useless due to where the corrections are
bubbles in the resin. Because of this, I decided to make needed.
them out of styrene, I also redesigned both the control
panels and the control stick.
24
And finally a bit of painting followed. Green is a mixture of
different greens, yellow and white. In truth, I don't even
remember which ones anymore. After I painted the base with
an airbrush, the painting of the details began, again with Vallejo
paints. At the end, I added some chipping and dirt with
pigments all over the cabin floor, and of course a wash to
emphasize the details even more. I carefully added a drop of
wood glue to each counter to create a glass effect.

On the right side of the fuselage, it was necessary to create

the grill on the panel where the battery is stored. The process
is fairly simple. First, I cut a larger hole than the size of the
panel itself. Then I formed the basic dimensions and close the
excess space with styrene. Next step wad to glue the thin
styrene tiles. For gluing, it is easiest to use plastic glue and not
CA glue to have the possibility of corrections. It will also be
easier if the tiles are larger than necessary and later sanded
enough to align them with the fuselage. Of course, styrene will
also move during sanding because it doesn’t have enough
contact surface, but that’s not too much of a problem as the
tile can be simply glued back to the right place.

I also prepared the lower

part of the fuselage to install
the wings and air brake.

Wings followed. Just like on the

fuselage, there were quite a few
bubbles in the resin on the wings, and
of course the lack of details at wheel
bays. Since I decided to create the
lowered flaps as well, I immediately cut
off the wings and prepared everything
together for further details. I then joined
the wings with the help of copper wire
and aligned them in the same plane for
easier gluing and a firmer later
connection with the fuselage.

It took me quite some time and nerves

to be able to combine the wings with
the fuselage. I drew a shape on the
bottom of the main wheel bays and
later glued styrene for the walls using
this same shape. The rest, of course,
had to be sealed with styrene and a
two-component putty. In addition, I had
to correct the shape of the air brake
compartment, which I had initially
designed incorrectly.

25
 Since I needed a little break from puttying and sanding, I decided the production, I used different diameters of tubes, which I
to tackle the wheels and landing gear. The main wheels were fairly soldered together to ensure a sufficiently strong joint. In addition, I
well moulded, and needed just a couple of details, unlike the nose used some styrene, and old PE parts for details. The root of the
wheel, which had a completely faulty rim. Again, I used styrene main landing gear is shaped from Milliput. For painting I used
and copper wire to make it. It was a bit more complicated with the Alclad aluminum paint, and later again Vallejo paint for details
landing gear, the parts that were originally cast were useless, so I finished by wash.
decided to make new ones out of Albion alloys brass tubes. For

I first made the base shape

I had no choice but to
with masking tape, which I then
continue with the wings
filled with Milliput and carefully
and puttying. First it
sanded. Finally, I added the
was necessary to align
fuselage and wing
the upper side of the
reinforcements made of
wings, above the flaps.
styrene.
Next step was to
create the root of the
wing.

Of the major works, all I had left was the tail of the plane. There’s not One last detail on the exterior of the model and it
much to add here other than, it again took some styrene scratch was finally ready for the primer.
building and plenty of sanding.

I went back to the wheel bays, flaps and air brake

interiors. I used styrene, lead and copper wires
and Archer transfers positive rivets. All was
painted with Mr. Paint white, and for details I, as
always, used Vallejo paint. In the end, of course, a
wash followed to highlight the details and add dirt.
Making an air brake was a little more complex
than I imagined. I cleaned all the excess resin
from the original air brake, and used it for the
basic shape. I reinforced the interior with styrene
and installed it on the plane. I opted for a closed
air brake because I didn’t have enough quality
26 images to make the mechanism.
 When I was satisfied with the
surface of the model, an application
of rivets followed. For the nose part
and part of the wings, I used Rosie
the riveter tool to deepen the rivets.
For the rest of the wings and the
fuselage, I used Archer transfers
positive decals.

The process itself is quite time For the final step it is

consuming, as it is necessary to necessary to repaint the
cut the decal into strips of entire model with the primer
desired length and then apply and smooth the "stairs"
them to the surface of the model created by the decals under
to represent the rivet lines. the paint. In the end I think
it's worth the effort.

Finally, painting followed. I

decided for the plane in the
colours that came to
Slovenia and not in the later
military, because I find it
more interesting. First I did
a preshading with Tamiya
XF-24 Dark grey and then
covered it all together in
several thin layers with Mr.
Paint white MRP-004. This
was followed by masking.

In the next step, I first covered the white colour with Tamiya I finished painting with Mr. Paint a black colour that was
XF-3 Yellow, as this provided me with a nicer base to slightly lightened with light grey to avoid too much
continue painting. This was followed by preshading with contrast between white and black. Most of the markings
Tamiya XF-7 Red and finishing with orange, which is a on the models are painted.
mixture of Tamiya X-6 Orange and a drop of XF-7 Red.
Along with the airplane, I also painted the flaps and
wheel bay covers, and of course finished them with a
wash and Mr. Paint MRP-126 Semi-matt varnish. So
everything was ready for installation.

27
 The problem arose when I put the model on its wheels. Although I
carved out the entire back of the fuselage and heavily weighed the
nose cone with lead, the model fell on the tail. Since I did not want
to attach it to the base due to further transport, as this could lead
to breaking the landing gear, I looked for other solutions.

The only part of the model where I could still weight was the The canopy that came with the model was unfortunately useless.
propeller cap. First, I tried to carve out the original propeller cap All I could make from it was a mould for a new vacuform canopy.
and make it as heavy as possible, but unfortunately it wasn't When it was done, I carefully cut, aligned and protected it. After
enough. Later I decided to make a new one using metal. I used an that, I applied a thick layer of Mr. Surfacer to create the cabin
extra piece of an old figure, roughly shaped it, and then used reinforcements, which I later painted to the desired colour.
Milliput and Mr. Surfacer to sculpt the correct shape. I used the I finished by adding various details such as cabin mirrors, wheel
original propeller blades. And luckily the weight was enough to bay covers, antennas, static dischargers and pitots. I would like to
make the model stand properly. thank everyone who helped me make this model, especially Uroš
Decals followed. All logos are home-printed decals, while for the Kovač, who provided the masks, stickers and help in making the
stencils I used the HGW wet transfers left over from previous canopy.
projects.

28
29
 FRANCESCO PIGOLI DETAILS AND CORRECTS THE 1:72 AIRFIX KIT
OF THE ILL-FATED BRITISH AIRCRAFT CORPORATION PROJECT

30
The TSR2 is one of my favourite 'What if' subjects, partly
because the pre-series aircraft that came out of the factory were boring
white, and because many enthusiasts still try to imagine what this beautiful
aircraft would have looked like if a series of political decisions, generated by
various technical troubles, had not led to the cancellation of the entire
program overnight, causing a degree of trauma for British aviation fans!
I decided that my subject model would be the first and only flying aircraft
(serial number XR 219), I didn’t want to represent an aircraft which had never
taken flight and because as the testing flights program progressed continued,
the initial “candid” white has given way to a progressive wear of all the
surfaces with weathering.

My presentation is from around the time of the fourteenth flight; the flight from
Boscombe Down to Warton, in which the TSR2 broke the sound barrier.
The Airfix Kit, the only injection moulded version in this scale, is dated, but
very faithful in shape. A lot of work must be done to refine practically every
part of the kit to do justice to one of the most elegant aerodynamic shapes
ever conceived, at least in my opinion.

I used all the aftermarket sets available, or at least what I thought was useful.
The best detail sets on the market are the CMK resin kits and the Eduard
photoetched set (not fully exploited, but still useful) and the beautiful turned
Master pitot tube.

31
 Air Intakes: Cockpit:
The CMK resin set provides good diffusers, but they need to be Buying the kit, I had received a complimentary Pavla cockpit resin
improved. First, the leading edges had to be thinned considerably. detail set. Initially, I was happy but after some evaluations I
Even the sharp corners on the inside must be sanded, making picked-up the CMK set, that in my opinion was another league.
sure that the external profile of the air intakes adjacent to the
fuselage is rounded like the inner profile and true to life. Once I found it convenient to saw off the cockpit tub, fixing the two
these parts have been firmly fixed (also using two-component cockpits separately. This also allowed me to work on the internal
putty to fill the large gaps), the extensive adaptation work to be bulkheads also positioning them in a convincing way. The only
done is immediately clear. For convenience, the finishing work and other adaptation work on this area was to eliminate the gap
the addition of the cones was carried out with fuselage closed and between the rear bulkheads and the kit using putty. For the centre
wings fixed in place. consoles I used the resin parts from the Pavla set for the rear
console although, later in the build, I regretted this choice for
Boundary layer bleeds: reasons of historical accuracy.
A good reproduction of this aircraft, in my opinion, can’t ignore the The windshield, carefully cut out, has received an internal
detailing of the dorsal boundary layer bleeds. The kit reproduces plasticard frame which required delicate work to obtain a
them poorly. Fortunately, I had good photos of this detail. The first symmetrical and centred result.
process on the area is to remove the plastic representing the rear
extractors, creating a flat surface for scratchbuilt parts to
represent the correct shapes. Finally, the thickness of the ‘slits’
was thinned from the inside with a sharp scalpel.

32
Moving onto the canopies, I had noticed in some photos that,
instead of the standard interior skin, they had only the bare
structure. This configuration was definitely eye-catching, and I
decided I would do this detail it in that way. I first fixed the internal
resin parts which also included the rotation pins. Then it was time
for the internal frame-work and, little by little, the internal ribs were
made with thin plasticard.

Unfortunately this work turned out to be inaccurate: Thanks to

documentation that, obviously, I discovered late in the
construction, was confirmed that this canopies internal
arrangement was only present in the initial stages of the program.

This will be one of the few historical inaccuracies that will plague
my model once finished. Things that typically happen when
researching these projects.
Since the TSR2 canopies (not the windscreen) had a yellowed
finish, I sprayed inside the transparent parts with Tamiya
transparent yellow well diluted.

Avionic Bay:
The avionic bay, from the CMK set, needs only to be adapted to
the fuselage.
The avionic compartment is probably another slight historical
inaccuracy of my model, in this case though calculated:
There is a certain probability that the 220 avionics suite was
different (or in any case with a different set) from the one present
on the XR219.

33
 Nose gear well: To correctly assemble the several frames that populate the bays
The compartment is quite crowded with plumbing connections it’s better to consult documents and photos. At the end of this
and cables, but the kit part is a good base. I detailed the bay and, phase, wires and plumbing were added. To manage these details,
at the same time, adjusted the coupling with the gear leg and its I found the CMK "Photo Hobby Manual", which contains an
related components. accurate walkaround of the preserved aircraft, very useful.

Main gear wells: Exhausts:

The main gear wells are commensurate with the dimensions of I arranged an “aftermarket mix”: I used all the CMK resin
the landing gear assembly. There are two ways to detail this space components, integrating two photo etched parts coming from the
(three, if we consider the total scratch building of it...): the CMK Eduard set: the afterburner rings and the perforated inner lining.
resin set, or the Eduard photoetched parts. I decided for the I found it prudent to reinforce the gluing both between the resin
second one. First, it’s necessary to "clean" the kit parts of the poor parts and in the final fixing to the fuselage, to avoid accidental
inner detail present then begin the reconstruction starting with the separations.
walls. The surfaces bordering the engine ducts are curved making
it necessary to pre-shape the photoetch parts to make them
adhere correctly. Then, it’s possible to proceed with the easier flat
etched parts that will cover the remaining walls.

From my reference I was unsure what

was inside the XR219 bomb bay at the
time of the 14th flight. Since I had the
CMK resin set available, I decided to
reproduce the same configuration as the
XR220.

Fuselage: fuselage, also because many of these panels needed to be made

The wing, divided longitudinally into two pieces required extensive from scratch and, in some cases, riveted. During this building
sanding, both on the outside and especially on the inside, to phase, I also finalized the air intakes, set up in the first stages of
dramatically reduce its thickness. The trailing edge had to appear assembly. Using the inevitable two-component Tamiya putty, the
very, very thin and the same for the leading edge. The other work primer, sprayed locally, helped to control the accuracy and
on this part is limited to the removal of the plates, typical on the symmetry on both sides.
aircraft XR220.
Once the wing and the main pieces that make up the fuselage The tail’s mobile surfaces (fin and tailerons) are quite good. The
have been fixed, the long work of filling, re-engraving and finishing vertical fin must be slightly modified at the root, as observed in
begins, always using both two-component and traditional putty, reference images and reconstructing the small air intake on the
smoothing the surfaces with sandpaper a little at a time. leading edge. To do it, I fixed a small piece of flat plasticard on the
edge in the correct position, then, I used Mr Surfacer putty to
The original engraved panels were in many cases remarkably thick conform it to the fin.
in my opinion. I decided to re-scribe, at least, those of the front

34
 Re-shaping of the
The completed thinned-out trailing edge tail root is required.

Small air intake made from

a small piece of plastic
card.

Airbrakes:
The airbrakes deserve a dedicated discussion. Never extended
to the ground, in countless images of the time they can be
seen slightly open. It is easy to discover that the four airbrakes
were controlled by a single actuator and that kinematic was
defective. Then, to prevent the risk of the airbrakes not opening
when they were supposed to, they were kept slightly open. In
fact, if they were closed, there was a risk that they would not
extend.
This particular feature was too tempting not to reproduce.
Representing the airbrakes slightly extracted is much more
complicated than having them closed, especially if the match
between the braking surfaces and its bays are not particularly
accurate. I modified both the profiles of the airbrakes and the
edges of the compartments on the fuselage. Due to the poor
results I obtained in the modifications around the lower
airbrakes and their simple shape, I replaced the original plastic
airbrakes with new ones, made of sheet brass.

Landing gear:
The TSR2 main landing gear is monumentally complex: Problems in the
retraction system and some strange behaviour of this undercarriage
during the landings plagued the entire testing program and certainly, in
the production aircraft, it would have been one of the most modified
systems.
The kit parts are quite accurate. The design of the kit parts means
you’re obliged to fix the two main legs before assembly of the rear
bottom fuselage, and that does not help the model handling in the
subsequent phases. I improved what is strictly necessary of the two legs
prior to the instalation. Airfix designed a very firm junction (not very
faithful to accuracy) but I still preferred to keep it as Airfix designed it to
maintain the robustness of the finished model.
The CMK resin wheels are moulded with the correct weight effect, if well
painted, they are light years from the wheels supplied by the kit. I
decided to reproduce all the details,including the visible marks on the
tires, probably used for any slip detection. To improve the rest of these
parts, any walkaround of the XR220 aircraft is very useful.

All the plumbing has been reproduced with 0.2 mm thick wire, a little
oversized, but adaptable to any curve or bend you decide. To improve
the nose gear, the resin wheels and the Eduard anti-torsion arms add a
lot of finesse to the small complex area. Finally, I added the usual
hydraulic pipes and landing lights, scratch-built and equipped with an
aluminum foil on the internal parables to give these details a realistic
look [complete nosegear].
The well doors are quite decent, only a little thick. However, I decided to
use them all. All the doors were detailed with retraction jack
attachments, always by Eduard.

35
 Painting:
For this subject, I had a nice set of period photos
available from which to draw inspiration to give "three-
dimensionality" to the model and to weather it
consistently with the images of the time. For this
reason, fortunately, the painting of the TSR2 was not an
ordeal like the construction phase.
Once the building process was finished, the model was
a sort of ‘battlefield’ a patchwork of materials that
needed a zero point.
A layer of Tamiya Primer was the usual basis for the
subsequent pre-shading, made with different effects: on
the panels that I noticed were more defined I used
black ink, removing the excesses with alcohol. Some
other panels were treated in dark grey or with sand. On
the wing leading edge and on the back of the fuselage,
where there were more worn surfaces, I sprayed dark
grey in patches, trusting that this effect would help
create the effect observed in the photos.

The resulting model was ready for the next layer of

white (Gunze H11), which was sprayed very diluted in
successive layers until the model reached the shade I
thought was correct. The aim was a "dirty" white with
the underlying differentiations having the correct
appearance. Between each white layer I provided a
light sanding with Alclad micromesh to preserve the
surface finish smooth and uniform.

Some parts of the model surface (radome, vertical fin tip) have been
airbrushed with a much more marked white colour to create further
surface variety, always trying to be faithful with the period photos. This
phase, which is decisive for defining the character of this "monotonous"
model, was finally finished with small adjustments using some Tamiya
buff on some sections of the model, in particular on the air intakes
upper area, on the fin, on the mobile surfaces and on other some
panels.

36
Decals and Weathering: Decals in place, I tried to make weathering to match the photos
With the painting phase finally finished, it was the turn of the that portrayed it quite scuffed and dirty in places after the first ten
decals, preceded by the usual glossy transparent coat. For this flights. The processes started with the usual selective washes to
work, I used Tamiya XF-12. The decals supplied with the kit are highlight the panel lines. By mixing oil colours, I created mainly
practically the only possible choice: I didn’t find any aftermarket two shades of grey, one rather dark and the other lighter, to
available for the first prototype markings: manufacturers have highlight the first the panels most subject to wear (the usual
focused exclusively on "what if" decals sheets. avionics and engine panels) and the control surfaces using the
The decals have a very visible printing texture. For this problem, I medium grey for the rest of the panels where I wanted their
didn't have many solutions, but when I desaturated the decals, presence to be noticed, but with discretion.
using very thinned white to tone down the overly intense blue, I
also toned down the visibility of print ‘dot’.

37
 The weathering process continued with the simulation of dirt For this particular effect, a medium grey dry oil paint was
around the panels and the yellowing of some areas, with the aim distributed by tapping with a brush with short bristles, in order to
of rendering the model three-dimensional. For this type of effect, I create a “speckled” effect.
used the dry oil technique creating different shades of colour, To simulate the accumulation of dirt that had been created due to
mixing white zinc, dark mud, faded white and buff, using mostly the presence of FOD I created masks using Tamiya tape that
Abteilung 502 paints. reproduced the FOD triangular sections. Then, I reproduced the
Once ready, the various tones were used to differentiate the dirt, always with dry oil paint blended.
various panels, using the lighter shades for the lighter effects and
the darker ones where I noticed the greatest wear. I concentrated The final result was satisfactory, the model appeared worn but
on the avionics panels (both the closed one and the one shown with particular feel of the actual aircraft images in which the TSR2
open), in the area of the air intakes, around the airbrakes and was just in the transfer process to Warton where it would have
trolley panels in the usual areas in correspondence with the conducted the last flights of its unfortunate story.
access side panels to the engine’s gearboxes. At the end of this
process, it was the turn of the final touch: some stains, quite
visible on the leading edge of the wings and on the area of the air
intakes.

38
Base: the most representative ones. The ladders were certainly the most
The model is set on a reproduction of it’s "pearl drop area”, a laborious details: The big one, a standard RAF adjustable aerial
space set aside at the runway at Boscombe Down. I used platform is completely scratchbuilt. The A-shaped ladder, also
Autocad software for this job. After drawing the plan view of the scratch-built, is another standard RAF equipment piece.
TSR2, I drew the base around it. The drawing software allows very For the cockpits access ladders, I got the photo etched parts from
quick changes to the dimensions and the "calibration" process of “Ground Equipment”. These parts are accurate in their dimensions
the measurements involved. The base material was first coated but quite coarse in detail. Due to that, I used only the steps and
with Tamiya Texture paste, spread over the entire surface. After a the etched part as a benchmark, I realized the two shoulders with
layer of primer (useful to prevent weathering processes from being stretched sprue.
absorbed by the porous surface), I proceeded to inscribe the
concrete sections, the inspection manholes and then painted the Figures:
whole surface with Tamiya Medium grey. For the figures the first problem was to find civilian subjects. In
Once dry I set out to reproduce the bitumen between the concrete fact, the TSR-2 was constantly surrounded by BAC technicians
sections, it’s very peculiar the way these black streaks extended and engineers.
from the joints. I had many photos available, from different angles, The search moved towards new generation figures, printed with
of the space around the parked aircraft, so I enjoyed faithfully 3D technology. I managed to purchase two Mudelu figures
reproducing practically every blot, using a fine brush and Vallejo (designed for railway modelling) and a Shapeways set dedicated
panzer grey. to engineers. The quality of all these figures was very good, with
The lines on the ground were masked with Tamiya tape, using the natural poses and with clothes which suited perfectly the scene I
most flexible one to reproduce the demarcation line of the no wanted to reproduce.
entry zone, for when the engines were running. The figures give a sense of proportion, and considering the size of
The warning text on ground was made by printing decals to be the TSR2 this I felt was an important point to portray to the viewer.
inserted in the already painted rectangular boxes.
I added some accessories to enrich the base setting, trying to add

39
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 CHIPMUNKS
ARE GO!

44
MATT PORTER BUILDS THE AIRFIX ‘POOR MANS’ SPITFIRE’

When Airfix announced their 2021 kit releases the model extended oleos on the main gear struts is a very nice
that immediately caught my eye was the 1:48 scale de touch and will be appreciated by many modellers. I’m
Havilland Chipmunk, the iconic and beautiful all metal spoilt for choice for marking options as the beautifully
monoplane trainer dating from the late 1940’s and still in printed decal sheet contains options for 5 individual
current RAF service with the Battle of Britain Memorial aircraft including two classic red and white RAF
Flight. There have been several iterations of the ‘Chippie’ machines, one camouflage British Army Air Corps
in 1:72 scale and until now the only 1:48 scale option aircraft, a light aircraft grey and red finished Royal Navy
was a very basic early 90’s kit so this new tool quarter Historic Flight Chippie and finally a lovely early all over
scale offering from Airfix will be welcomed by many silver RAF Scheme. The red and white options are for
modellers as I’m sure it has been on a lot of modelling civilian owned and restored aircraft and it is a shame
wish lists. that a purely civilian scheme wasn’t also included as
there are several very eye catching ones to choose from.
Inside a surprisingly large box adorned with some
excellent artwork you find three grey and one clear As my workbench is clear it’s time to start construction. It
styrene sprues, a colour A4 instruction booklet and a very is said that good things come in small packages and for
nice and comprehensive decal sheet.. The main airframe the diminutive Chippie first impressions seem to bear this
components are beautifully moulded, with crisp panel out but only when I start the kit will I know for sure!
lines and faithfully reproduced delicate raised rivet detail. With the rain steadily falling from a grey overcast sky on
The kit includes a fully detailed cockpit, though I now a dank and miserable Saturday morning I made the short
realise that the main cockpit colour is black so a bit of journey across the garden to my modelling room to start
thought will be needed regarding how to paint this area the Chipmunk. After re- familiarising myself with the
to show off as much of the excellent cockpit and instructions and looking over the styrene sprues again
fuselage sidewall detail as possible. A real highlight of work began on the cockpit. The main tub and seats are
the kit is the detailed and delicately moulded Gipsy Major made from 10 pieces which goes together very easily,
engine and the option to display the finished model with though a good tip Is to use one of the fuselage halves as
open engine cowlings, though unfortunately these last a jig to ensure both of the seats are perfectly aligned
items have some prominent injector pin marks on the whilst the glue dries. If I was being critical a few of the
inner surfaces, though not very difficult to rectify are a items feel a little out of scale such as then control
little annoying. Looking over the plastic components and columns, but this is probably unavoidable given the size
leafing through the instruction booklet you can tell that of the components. Typical of aircraft of this era the main
this model was created by enthusiasts with real thought, cockpit colour is black, which is unfortunate as in the tiny
care, attention to detail and with the modeller in mind. confines of a scale model cockpit black allows very little
Two good examples are the styrene frame supplied to light to escape so much of the detail a kit contains in this
align the three pieces of the main cockpit canopy whilst area can be very hard to see.
the glue dries and the inclusion of both compressed and
45
 Conventional modelling wisdom has it that confines of the front and rear offices I thought that has gone into making sure
when painting anything black the only finished the seat cushions as worn leather the model go’s together as logically and
colour not to use is black but rather to use and painted the straps light grey, this final easily as possible and also the fit of the
very dark grey to achieve a more realistic touch introduces light deep inside the parts themselves. Here the Airfix
scale effect. I took a slightly different view cockpit and really helped to brighten the Chipmunk really shines and its no more
and initially painted everything black and whole area and brought things nicely visible than in the construction of the main
then modulated the base colour with post together. I was surprised that shoulder fuselage and wings. It starts before the
shading and the use of grey oil paint to straps were not provided as these are a fuselage halves are joined as the
add extra highlights and depth and prominent feature on the real aircraft, I’m completed cockpit module locates very
interest to the paintwork. Detail painting sure aftermarket companies will address securely on several sturdy locating points
using a brush and a wet pallet brings the this omission in due course but it’s a and fits so snugly that it is worth removing
cockpit tub and sidewalls to life. The shame an option wasn’t included with the any paint that has worked its way onto any
cockpit sidewalls are worth a particular kit. of the fuselage mating surfaces. When the
mention as they are full of excellent detail Front and rear instrument panels have fuselage is closed the application of extra
which really add to the overall effect of the simple raised dial details and I think they thin cement renders all of the seams
front and rear offices. I used quite a bit of would respond well to painting but Airfix virtually invisible, though clamps and tape
artistic licence as in reality most things have included instrument decals, which are needed to keep it in position whist the
would be black, but the majority of the are a little fiddly to locate accurately but glue dries. No filler was necessary on any
lovely detail would be lost under such a settle into the detail readily with the of this lovely little model and all that is
uniform finish so I introduced red, silver, application of decal setting solution and needed to tidy things up is a simple rub
brown and grey where I thought it looked with the panels finish in satin varnish and with a fine sanding stick. A nice design
right. Several small placard decals are the dial faces picked out in gloss the final feature is the lower front edge of the
included on the decal sheet and show a effect is very convincing. fuselage wraps over the underside of the
commendable attention to detail by Airfix, One of the aspects of a kit that can make cockpit tub to produce a super strong join
the devil really is in the detail and small the difference between taking pride of and also forms one of the substantial
items like this do raise the look of a kit to place in your display cabinet or gathering location points for the lower wings…I did
a new level and help to break up a tricky dust languishing on the shelf of doom is say this kit was designed with care,
area. To inject even more light into the tiny good engineering. By this I mean the thought and ease of construction in mind!

You don’t need a logo on the box to guess this There is a fairly large parts break down in the
kit is from Airfix. There is a little flash and a small cockpit.
surprising number of injector pin marks some
of which are in fairly prominent positions like
here on the inside of the engine cowling.

The cockpit tub sits snugly in the fuselage,

and its worth using the fuselage as a jig to
keep the cockpit bulkheads aligned whilst
the glue dries.

With a little care and patience the

cockpit paints up nicely.
Unfortunately when the fuselage is
closed its difficult to see much of
the cockpit detail, which is not
helped by the dominant colour
being black!

I’ve never been a big fan of

instrument decals, but in this
instance they work well.

46
The lower one piece wing has a separate spar to ensure rigidity Thoughtfully both earl and late rudders were included in the kit.
With the separate control surfaces it would have been rude not
to offset them a little, a characteristic feature of a parked
Chippie
The wing is constructed from three main away around the periphery where it and peace once again restored It was
pieces, a full span lower one piece wing, mounts to the rear fuselage it falls into time to tackle the beating heart of the
incorporating the lower fuselage centre place. Looking at reference photographs little Chippy, its Gipsy Major engine. Airfix
section and port and starboard upper when the aircraft is parked the rudder is have done a superb job of creating this
outer wing panels. Airfix have thoughtfully often seen offset and the elevators are iconic little powerplant in miniature and 7
provided an internal spar to stiffen the characteristically angled down, crisply moulded parts make up the main
flexible lower panel and give it the correct presumably as the crew move the control engine, carburettors, exhaust, heat shield
dihedral. This panel did take a little column forward to allow them to more and mounting frame. After construction
careful trimming at the back and front to easily exit the aircraft. I modelled my the unit was painted ocean grey and
get it to fit accurately against the lower Chippie in this configuration and it was a details picked out in silver, black and
fuselage and was glued in place and simple job to angle and offset burnt iron before further highlighting
allowed to fully cure before the upper the separate elevators and rudder surface details with a dark brown enamel
wings were attached. The fit of the wings provided. Full marks for Airfix for providing wash. The engine is only half of the story,
at the root with the fuselage is excellent an early skinny and a later broad rudder as the kit has a very nicely detailed
but did require a taught piece of tape to reflect changes in the airframe over its firewall and oil tank, which were painted
from wingtip to wingtip to make sure development. cockpit green before picking out details in
everything remained aligned whilst the Modelling can be a solitary pursuit and silver and black, less is often more when
glue cured. things such as a radio or listening to one detail painting and restricting your pallet
The construction of the horizontal of the many excellent modelling podcasts can avoid things looking too cluttered
tailplane is the inverse of the wings as are great for the many hours spent alone which is especially important with smaller
this time there is a full span upper at the bench, but today it was nice to scales. I added a small decal from my
surface and 2 separate left and right have our two miniature dachshund for spares box to represent and engine
lower halves. This component probably company, at least until they heard the placard to provide a little more interest.
took the most trimming to fit, but once a treat cupboard opened in the house! With The engine wasn’t mounted at this stage
small ridge of styrene had been scraped them scurrying back across the garden to help with handling and painting.

he little Gipsy Major engine contains 5 nicely The little gipsy Major engine is beautifully The engine was painted Tamiya Ocean Grey
moulded components, not including the 2 moulded and a real highlight of the kit. (XF82) and a dark brown wash was used to bring
component firewall with its own lovely details. out the detail.

47
 A prominent part of the aircraft is its large pieces was always going to be With the little trainer really staring to take
canopy which allows excellent visibility for challenging even using the provided shape and all of the major construction
the student and instructor. Airfix provide canopy jig as unfortunately this jig doesn’t finished my thoughts turn to painting and
this component in three separate clear hold the pieces securely and there is which of the four options provided on the
styrene pieces which allows for different some inevitable bending of these large decal sheet to choose, with such different
side panels to be used if you choose to components, together with the difficulty of and eye catching schemes Airfix don’t
model a late of early production aircraft. A determining how flush clear pieces are make the decision easy! In the end I
good tip when removing clear pieces from sitting made for a very frustrating process. chose to finish my kit in the Army Air
their sprues is to use a razor saw as clear In the end everything worked out well but Corps wrap around camouflage scheme
styrene is very brittle and using a pair of the potential for a canopy ruining incident and aircraft finished in these colours were
clippers can often lead to shattering and was always there and I wish Airfix had given the nickname ‘Spitmunk’ which I
crazing where the sprue gate joins the chosen to produce this very prominent think suits it very well!
main clear part. The joining of these piece as a single moulding.

The jig didn’t quite work as well as I

was expecting and there was still
The canopy comes with a choice of side window styles. considerable play in the canopy pieces
A jig is provided to help alignment of the main canopy pieces making construction frustrating.

Almost ready for paint, just masking and painting the

windscreen black first.

Another thoughtful feature is the option

of extended or compressed oleos on
the main gear.

Painting is a real milestone in any build and Tamiya tape. It is always tempting to skip cotes of gloss varnish (AK Interactive
the key to a good paint finish is the masking tape and rely on careful Gauzy Agent) in preparation for the decals.
preparation, which includes accurate painting around the white-tack but
building, seam clean-up and of course invariably the extra time is worth the effort The large and comprehensive decal sheet
masking to prevent the dreaded overspray as overspray easily happens and invariably is nicely printed and all colours look good
if you choose to paint your model with an takes longer to correct than careful to my eye. The decals perform very well
airbrush. The little Chippie goes together masking. and come loose from the backing sheet
very nicely with virtually no seam clean-up I added the black anti-glare panel which after a few seconds in Luke-warm water
necessary but masking was a step back in was a small departure from the kit and readily settle into the kits details with
time! Like many modellers I have been suggested scheme but correct for the the help of decal setting and fixing
spoilt in recent years by having access to reference pictures I had and think it was solutions. This is actually no mean feat as
pre-cut masks to make this job easier, added later in this aircrafts service life. To many of the markings are laid down over
unfortunately no such masks exist for this add a little depth and interest to the paint It the delicate raised rivet details found on
kit at the time I built it, so I had to go back was post shaded with the base colour large sections of the model. The decals
to basics which is no mean feat given the lightened with 20% white or yellow were sealed with another coat of gloss
number of glazed panels in the large depending on the colour. I prefer post to varnish before a dark brown enamel wash
canopy. pre shading as you have more control over (AK Interactive AK045) was used to bring
the final finish and I tend to over lighten the out the surface details on the airframe.
I didn’t prime the model, but painted the base paint for the post shading as I can Finally artists oils were used to add more
canopy black to colour the internal framing then spray a highly thinned coat (80% depth to the paintwork by enhancing
and also sprayed a thin layer of black over thinner) of the original colour to tone down highlights and shadows. A final gloss coat
all of the seams as one final check of the the post shade to the exact look I’m after. sealed in all of these layers and was in-fact
finish. The camouflage was Dark Earth (Mr Its never an exact science though and an the models final finish as these aircraft
Hobby C72) and RAF Green (Tamiya XF58) added complication is the level of contrast were gloss in service, the only exception
and I masked the camouflage using white- can be further reduced if you use a final was the anti-glare panel which was
tack strips to give a soft demarcation and matt varnish. Once I was happy with the sprayed with an ultra matt varnish and
48 filled in the areas to be left brown with paint the whole kit was sealed in two good produces a nice contrast with the rest of
 RAF Dark green was applied with
the help of white tack snakes and
lots of masking tape to avid the
dreaded overspray.

dark Earth was applied

first with the base
colour post shaded.

Artist oils were used to

gently weather the
paintwork and add more
depth to the finish

After a couple of gloss

coats the kit decals
were applied which
performed flawlessly

After unmasking final

construction was very quick
and included mounting the
engine and associated
panels, the wheel and finally
the canopy which took a little
persuasion to finally fit in the
correct position. The only
thing left to do is to sit back
with a cup of tea in hand and
admire the finished product!

49
 Well the little Chipmunk is finished and this was a project Finally patience is the key with the canopy, I struggled to
that I didn’t want to end as I enjoyed it so much. There are get everything lined up even with the supplied jig as there
two aspects to this build, the first is the kit which is is a little flex in the parts but in the end everything went
fantastic, beautifully thought out, excellent engineering, together but during the struggle I managed to get a little
delicate and accurate details and I especially liked the thin cement on the clear panels so the finish isn’t as clean
option to have the lovely Gipsy Major engine on show. as I would have liked. If I had to do it again I would glue the
long edge of the side panels first, let then dry thoroughly
A particularly nice surprise that I didn’t notice till a little later before joining the rear section, there is also an internal
in the construction is Airfix have thoughtfully provided stiffener at the rear of the canopy and would leave this till
spares for some of the small parts, for example, aileron after the canopy is glued rather than try to mount it at the
hinges or canopy handles which are very visible on the same time.
finished kit but a favourite to be swallowed by the dreaded A modern tooling 1/48 scale Chipmunk is long overdue
carpet monster! Details like this show the model was and this one from Airfix was worth the wait and
designed by enthusiasts and modellers. doesn’t disappoint. Its got great detail and goes
The second aspect of the kit is how it went together in my together easily and would make it a very worthwhile
Amateur modelling hands! My advice is be familiar with the addition to any collection or perhaps the perfect
instructions and know which version you want to make and MOJO boost to get you ready for your next big
which options you will choose, for example will you display project. I have enjoyed building this kit so much
the model with the engine cowlings open or closed. The that I’m sure it wont be my last, especially as there
tolerances are so fine and the fit of parts is so good that are so many eye catching civilian colour schemes to go
dry fitting and thorough clean up of the part before with this airframe.
assembly is really important and adds to the pleasure of
putting this little kit together.

50
CHIPMUNKS ARE GO!

51
 GREGA KRIZMAN
TAKES US THROUGH HIS
BUILD OF KINETIC’S KIT

I have a soft spot for US Navy airplanes and having built F-14 recently it was time to
have a go at another one. Another legendary Navy aircraft, this time the most potent
single seat airplane of the past 30+ years; F/A-18C landed on my desk.

There are multiple different manufactures producing this kit but the latest offering from
Chinese brand Kinetic ended up in my shopping cart. Reviews on the web were more or
less praising so I had really high hopes when the box (along with some extras) arrived.
Armed with tons of photos I gathered on the internet and Daco “Uncovering the Boeing
F/A-18” book I was ready to stop dreaming and start building.

54
55
 THE INGREDIENTS

Details on the kit

cockpit were so good
that there was no need
for complete resin tub. I
dissected kit cockpit
and detailed it with
Aires resin cockpit
parts.

Cockpit was painted

with acrylics and
weathered with oil
washes. At this stage it
was ready for
installation.
Completed cockpit tub
simply slots into the lower
fuselage. Because I
combined resin parts with Kit wheelbays were
kit cockpit, this task was additionally detailed with
super easy . some Eduard PE, lead
wires and brass tubing.

After careful detail brush

painting and weathering
the wheelbays easily pop
into the fuselage.

After quick dry-fit assembly there Undercarriage was upgraded with wires,
wasn’t too much that worried me, the some punched out styrene “bolts” and
few PE parts from spares box. Resin
parts are crisp with fine details with just wheels came from Res-kit.
some flash on smallest parts, but nothing that
couldn’t be cleaned with a pass of the scalpel blade.
Build started with the fuselage internals.

Kit cockpit is really good, and although I had resin one I’ve
decided to combine the two of them. Seat and “hellhole” top plate behind
the pilot seat came from Aires set, all the rest came from the kit.
Wheelbays are also well detailed, but there is always room for
improvement so a couple of wires and Eduard PE-parts were added just
to make it look busier. The fit of parts so far was superb, but all this
changed when I tried to install the full depth intakes into the fuselage. No
matter how hard I tried there was no way I could fit them properly, not
even with the help of Dremel tool. After three evenings of hopelessly trying
to install them they ended in the trash bin and eventually the intakes were
closed with covers sculpted from milliput epoxy putty.

56
Fortunately Aires resin exhaust nozzles were much easier to wheels as they were way to narrow and replaced them with resin
install, I just had to make supports from styrene in the fuselage in ones from Res-kit. When fuselage halve joints have disappeared
order to align them properly. With internal fuselage components after many layers of putty, PE parts from Eduard were glued onto
completed it was time to paint and weather them before installing the fuselage and landing flaps were attached.
them and closing the fuselage halves together.
Surprisingly, as complicated as they are they are really simple to
It was impossible to get a decent fit of the top and bottom assemble as long as you don’t go overboard with glue. With most
fuselage halves and the nose cone, so I had to fill, sand and of the model now assembled and ready for paint, a quick wipe
rescribe all the panel lines and details lost in the assembly with degreaser followed and a coat of primer was sprayed to
process. There were prominent steps at the back of the fuselage show any possible mistakes still on the model.
joints too, where again, two part filler was needed. While putty
was drying undercarriage was built. Kit instructions on how to There were some (as always), which were filled and sanded
assemble gearlegs failed catastrophically. Part numbers were smooth. I’ve also noticed that some of the rivets on the model are
incorrect, the logic of assembly was horrible and I could only rely a bit soft on certain areas so they were deepened using MRP
on the Daco reference book so I somehow managed to scribing needle. Along with fuselage, all other components
assemble them correctly . Gear legs received hydraulic lines (pylons, ordnance, fuel tanks) were also glued together and
made from lead wire and Albion alloy tubes and I ditched the kit prepared for paint job later on.

The fit of air intakes was frankly speaking terrible. … and lots of sanding. I used the toothpick to widen
The only way I could fit them was by using superglue … fuselage so the upper fuselage fit snugly to the
lower one.

As the full length intakes ended in the bin, I had Covers were sculpted by using epoxy putty. I also Intake covers come in all sorts of colours, but I’ve
to make intake cowers. First a piece of styrene painted the hard to reach areas with camouflage decided to paint them in red just to add some
was shaped, placed and glued over the air paint as it would be impossible to paint them bright colours to the model. They were masked
intakes. later in the build. prior to the airbrushing.

Lower fuselage all the internal components

before the upper fuselage was attached. Note
the supports for the resin exhausts.

I can’t remember when I used so much putty on 3M flexible masking tape is used as a guide for Windshield was masked, painted and attached at
the model. Refueling probe housing was filled scriber. I also glued Eduard’s PE cover on the this point. I recommend Tamiya super thin
with milliput two part epoxy as the cover included model and used it as scribing template. It was cement as it won’t fog up clear parts.
in the kit was unusable. later removed.
57
 Fit of the windshield wasn’t perfect, but with water Panel lines and rivets were a bit soft on Ultra glue from Mig is perfect for attaching
soluble putty gaps disappeared. Layer of primer same of the parts. I used MRP scribing PE parts. It dries slower than CA glue and it
over it is essential, especially if you are using
water based acrylics. needle to deepen them. gives you enough time to position PE’s to
desired place. Excess of glue can be
removed with water before it dries up.

PE ladder was the trickiest part to

assemble. It’s housing also doesn’t match
the PE parts, so it was corrected with some
styrene.

DIFFERENT GREY-VY
US navy aircraft can be pretty boring with light ghost grey over walkway areas, applied texture paste with sponge and sprayed it
dark ghost grey scheme but boring grey airplane wasn’t on my with grey colour. With major paint job completed, a coat of MRP
mind. Instead of just spraying camouflage colours I sprayed an gloss clear was laid and left to dry overnight. I choose not to use
underlying coat of white and black over primer using texture any of the kit decals (although the kit ones are superb) but opted
templates. I proceeded by laying down really light coats of for aftermarket decal sheet from CAM Decals representing VFA-34
camouflage colours until “splatters” were just barely showing “Blue Blasters” F-18 with “Joker” markings. The decal job was
through the paint. Minor details were painted next and as I didn’t easy as decals are super thin and reacted well with decal
like the walkway decals from the decal sheet I masked the solutions.

Good cleanup with degreaser (MRP-DG) and layer of MRP surface I used texture templates and sprayed black and white paint over
primer serves as a proper base for camouflage colours and also primed model. I tried to achieve disrupted base for camouflage
shows all the imperfections that have to be fixed. colours that would follow.

58
 Standard US navy camouflage was sprayed
in light coats so that until textured base
coat was barely visible. I used MRP-097
Dark ghost grey and MRP-038 light grey as
primary camouflage colours. They were
significantly lightened with white.

I prefer to paint the smallest details (if

possible) first as there less masking The colour of fin tails was matched to dark Exhaust rings and burner cans were
involved. Tip of the nose cone was painted blue tone of the decals. Mr.Color 326 painted in various shades of metallic
with MRP-394 Radome tan shade. FS15044 was perfect straight from the

Walkways on the wing fillets should be

textured as on a real aircraft.
After masking, anti-slip paste from Ammo
was dabbed with the sponge.

Cam-Pro decals are incredibly thin, in perfect register and they

literally melt onto the surface once touched with decal solution
from Ammo. After sealing decal work with MRP semi-matt
clear, panel washes were applied. 59
 DIRTY BUSINESS
Grey camouflage was perfect playground for weathering and there Next I prepared different hues of washes and dabbed them onto
are tons of photos of F-18’s varying from reasonably clean to the model with a stiff brush.
super dirty examples. My chosen airplane was not extremely dirty
and was well taken care of, but there was still enough room for You shouldn’t rush this procedure and must allow the layers of
some serious staining. weathering allow to fully dry before another layer is applied. It took
I always apply a coat of semi-matt clear coat although most of the me almost two weeks before I was satisfied with the result. Oil
modelers would freak out hearing this. The reason for this method paint was used for more prominent stains and for final touch some
is that the washes adhere to entire surface of the models and not of the panels were highlighted with white in order to add even
just creep into panel lines. It is a bit more tedious as you have to more tonal variation. I didn’t bother to seal the weathering with
work in segments in order to prevent the washes biting onto the varnish as I don’t see any point of it and I really don’t like the look
surface too much so if you wish to try my method, you have been of uniformly shiny model.
warned. First a pin wash was applied and blended with soft brush.

I prefer to blend pin washes with soft brush moistened with More prominent streaks are done with Oilbrushers. They can be
thinner. Try to work in segments as washes can be tricky to later blended with flat brush lightly moistened with thinner.
remove when left for too long on semi-matt surface.

Different hues of washes were made and stippled on the Don’t forget to weather other components as well. You can’t go
model with the stiff brush. overboard with heavy weathering on fuel tanks.
And don’t worry, if the oils get to dry, you can always
reactivate them with some oil
thinner sprayed with airbrush.

F-18’s ordnance came from different manufacturers,

GBU-12 Paveways came from Tamiya spares box,
Sidewinder is from Brassin range and the rest is from
60 the kinetic box. RBF tags are from HGW.
 More washes help the detail
pop on the landing gear.

Canopy had a mold seam across the center so it

had to be polished with superfine sanding sticks
and polishing cloth. Canopy frame is mostly
assembled from PE parts.

NEARLY THERE...
I thought the path to the finish line was clear and close,
but I spend another week finding parts that should be on
the model still patiently waiting on the sprues as the
instructions didn’t mentioned them at all! I had to repeat
the build procedure on them from the start. While paint
on them was drying, I completed the pretty tricky PE
boarding ladder, canopy, pylons and ordnance.

I expected a lot more from Kinetic offering but there were

too just many things in this kit that drove me insane so I
probably won’t buy anything from Kinetic again. Yes, the
details are there, I guess they are accurate as well, but
some of the build solutions and especially instructions are
things that put me off. Building models should be fun but
in this case that wasn’t true. But I guess this is something
to be expected from a company that releases a new kit
almost every week.

61
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