AIR Modeller 66 2016-06-07

AIR 66 cover_Layout 1 10/05/2016 12:42 Page 1
66
JUNE/JULY 2016 6.50 UK $15.99
MENG AIR MODELLER
JUNE / JULY 2016
www.mengafvmodeller.com
FINN-TASTIC
Antti Lappalainens incredible Finnish Brewster Buffalo
AIR 66 June July 2016_AFV/26 Jan/Feb 06 10/05/2016 13:49 Page 222
CONTENTS
2
F-106
Mengs state-of-the-art Dart test driven by Franois-Regis Binder.
12
Short Sterling Part 3

Megas Tsonos continues to scratchbuild the heavy bomber in 1:48.
20
Brewster Buffalo Type 239

Antti Lappalainens six year project in 1:32 scale.
34
Dornier 355 B-2

HK Models recent 1:32 kit modelled by Sampson WS YU .
42
Grumman TBM-3 Avenger

Olivier Soulis takes on the huge 1:32 Trumpeter torpedo bomber.
48
Air Born
New releases.
58
Wooden Wonder
Tamiyas latest super-kit modelled by Albert Tureczek.
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Editor and Designer: David Parker
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Francois-Regis Binder discovers

MENGs new small-scale Convair Delta
Dart is pretty sharp straight
out of the box.
2
The F-106A was an American supersonic all-weather interceptor. It

is essentially an evolution of the F-102 with a new Pratt & Whitney
J75 Engine. It was designed in order to replace the F-86L Sabre.
The nicknamed Delta Dart it had the benefits of high speed and
various navigation methods, the U.S.A.F claimed that the F-106
was fully capable of automatic interception in any weather, the
only thing a pilot needed to do was to use their hands and brain at
take-off and landing. The armament included four AIM-4 missiles
and one AIR-2 Genie nuclear rocket. Later, in 1972 one 20mm
M61A1 Vulcan canon was installed. When the F-15 Eagle entered
in service, the F-106s were passed on to the Air National Guard.
MENG have promised a highly detailed and accurate F-106 in
seventy- second scale with brand new tooling and have certainly
delivered the goods, perfect for an out of the box build. The
surface detail is some of the best youll see in this scale and the
moulding beautifully crisp throughout.
State-of-the-art dart
Two types of seats and dash panel are

included. The cockpit is excellent for 1:72.
The front landing gear bay must be

fitted before closing the fuselage, be
careful not to damage the leg...
The instruction plans are very clear and
control details.
you feel encouraged to start
The forward wheel bay interior is
immediately with the cockpit.
partially detailed but will remain largely
The cockpit is complete and finely
invisible on the finished model so more
detailed. There are two types of seat
than adequate for most modellers
offered (Weber zero-zero and Convair
requirements.
rotational). Only the seat belts I felt
Its important to follow the instructions
should be redone, using foil this is the
and fix the forward landing gear at the
only improvement I made to this kit.
point stated otherwise it will be
The dashboard panel is supplied on
impossible to position it! On the other
the fret of photoetched parts and very
hand, you must be careful not to break
finely rendered. Both early and
the leg which protrudes (which is
standard instrument panels are
unfortunately exactly what happened to
included. Once painted the cockpit
me...)
looks superb in this scale with raised
The edges of the ducts are

moulded beautifully thin.
More delicate moulding on the

multi-part exhaust features full
internal detail.
An excellent feature of the kit is the complete air inlet

duct and also the afterburner and the exhaust nozzle.
All these sub-assemblies fit perfectly in the fuselage and
were fixed with Tamiya liquid cement whilst holding the
parts in position.
With the fuselage closed, the air
One very positive point is the
intakes can be fixed, I did find a
option to position the flaps down
small amount of filler was need for
(Meng provide two type of hinges).
a seamless joint here. At this step,
On the tailfin, the airbrake can be
the opened avionic compartments
fixed closed or opened. In each
in the nose should be painted if
case, it is important to follow the
you choose to display them.
instructions and fix them before
While the paint dried I assembled
positioning the tailfin on the
the wings taking great care at the
fuselage, If not, you will have
joints of the leading edge, the
difficulty attaching the airbrake at
engraving of this kit is particularly
the end of the build.
fine and is easily erased during

any sanding or clean up.
One major point of interest on the
As a bonus the unused AIM-4
Delta Dart is its huge weapons
missiles can be put in their
bay. The kit has the option of an
specific cases and the nuclear
open or closed display, all of the
rocket on a trailer which is
complex mechanisms are finely
included. A welcome addition for
represented. Meng offers a
those diorama builders amongst
complete weapons load like the
us.
classic red and white AIM-4 F or
The nose can be represent
G missiles, the AIR-2 nuclear
closed or opened with the radar
rocket and even a 20mm gun
exposed. For this build, I chose
pod.
to keep the nose closed in
Two types of drop tanks are also
order to preserve the
included (230 and 360 gallons).
lines of the aircraft.
Surface detail is excellent and very delicate and

fine meaning some careful filling at a few of the
joint seams of the main sections. The air intakes
look superb in position.
With the painting of the avionics bays and

cockpit complete they were carefully
masked ready for the all-over Gunze light
grey, a super-simple scheme requiring
only the anti-glare black and nose
requiring masking and spraying.
Three marking options are offered on the decal sheet, as wed

expect from Cartograf the quality is first rate. Detailed stencilling is
included. All of the schemes offered are light grey base colours A
is the option Ive chosen; F-106A 57-2463 186th FIS, Great Falls
International Airport in 1977.
The plain light grey was given some interest and

realism with some airbrushed panel highlighting
by adding Gunze white to the grey and gradually
building-up the heavily diluted mix. The panel line
and rivet detail is enhanced with an application
of Dark Wash from MIG. Alclad lacquer is used
for the touch of realism to the exhaust.
The interior green responds well to

MIG dark green washes which show
the detail to the full. The weapons
bay and weapons make up a large
proportion of the assembly.
The clear parts fit very well, but there are two
moulding lines on the canopy that require removing.
After careful masking the glazing was fitted along
with the weapons and fuel tanks.
A simple scene was created with the kits
photoetched access ladder and weapons trolley
adding a much needed splash of colour to the
monotone grey-on-grey.
Meng have brought us an excellent F-106 in
internals and weapons bay are all there ready
1:72. Looking at my final display its hard to
to use without the need for any surgery to the
believe this is a true out-of-the-box project
base kit- everything is designed to fit, and it
(except for my foil seat belts!). Features that
does with ease. I certainly look forward to
modellers would often look to the aftermarket
more new releases from Meng.
suppliers for such as the avionic bays, radar
SHORT STIRLING
The Wings
At this point of construction, one is normally focussed
on the finishing of the fuselage, a task already under
way and in this case the obvious next step should be
the cockpit. On the contrary, I decided to commence
the wing construction for two reasons: Firstly, it would
be unwise to work on the cockpit and then some
months later face a problem with the wings or
undercarriage, enough to cause a major setback or even worse, call a halt to the construction. Secondly,
it entailed the completion of the models basic shape,
enabling me to also focus my attention to the
notorious undercarriage which was the models most
intricate and complex aspect.
The wings of the real aeroplane were designed
around the Gottingen 436 (modified) airfoil, modified
10
meaning that the airfoil was designed thicker than

normal so the resulting wing could be made deep
enough to accommodate bombs, undercarriage and
fuel tanks. Exactly how deep? As the plans
on hand offered no solutions, I went
straight to AirfoilTools.com, picked
out Goe436 and plotted it in the
application provided by the site.
The result was the Stirlings root airfoil,
ready to be photo-etched in brass! As
the rest of the wings geometrical data is
already known, I made the necessary
drawings soon to be turned into etched
brass. Michael Skoularikos stepped in
once more and the wings started to
take shape in photo-etched form.
As can be seen in the illustrations kindly provided by Michael Skoularikos for

use in this article, the structure was made from flat pieces which were folded
upwards and between them were attached the frames that divided the wing
interior into the bomb cells and the undercarriage wells. This was a
representation of the Warren truss tubular construction of the real Stirling,
which allowed one to see into the bomb cells when looking from the wheel
wells and vice versa. There were no intermediate sidewalls and this is what
is achieved here, an unobstructed view through all the adjacent
compartments!
part three
MEGAS TSONOS SCRATCHBUILDS THE HEAVY BOMBER IN 1:48
Only the visible areas were made to simulate the tubular construction.
Just outside the wheel wells (towards the wingtips) the etched brass sides
were made solid, to add to the wing strength.
11
The visible portion of the fuel tanks sidewall was made of black styrene sheet.
The top skin, cut to shape and etched as well, is seen here just before
soldering to the rest of the assembly. The two pewter panels seen here were
inserted between the top skin and the fuel tanks. This was done to conceal the
brass visible through the wheel wells, as the interior of the wings outwards of
the wells was unpainted on the real aeroplane.
The top skin is now soldered on the framework and both assemblies are now
The undersurface openings of both wings were checked to

confirm that they are parallel using a jig that was cut to
the fuselage width.
12
Work continued with the soldering of the eight attaching points that would
accept the undercarriage structure. The attaching points are themselves
fitted to the front and main spars. With a ruler I checked that the front pins
were on the same line and horizontal (NO dihedral here!) in relation to the
horizontal level. I also checked that the rear attaching points were parallel
joined together and checked for correct dihedral with the aid of a jig that
was cut to the 2 25 top surface dihedral at the front spar.
Then the excess brass was cut and removed to make room for the flaps. The
area removed was a little wider than needed so as to allow the styrene top
layer to overlap towards the trailing edge, as it was easier to work on it than
on the brass.
to the front ones, as the main and rear spars are NOT parallel and are
converging towards the wingtips. In other words, each set of four attaching
points in each wing, formed a horizontal parallelogram, for the main
undercarriage leg to be correctly installed.
Wings
Using a spray can as a bending tool (!) I formed the ten flap tracks out of a length of solid rectangular section brass (KS Engineering)
These were then soldered into their respective places behind the main spar.
I used the Sanger kit wing undersides as their erroneous curves were in fact perfect for cementing them
instead as the topsides on my models wings!
The brass surfaces as well as the inside of the

styrene topsides were sanded so that they
became roughened.
13
I joined the styrene and brass surfaces together with CA glue.
The wings flat undersurface was also glued at this point using .040 sheet
styrene for this purpose. I also used Chemiwood high density tooling/
modelling board for the leading edges, the wingtips, and the exposed (rear)
fuel tanks, normally concealed by the retracted flaps.
14
I started detailing the wings interior with the primary structure. As I already
mentioned, the Warren truss framework was tubular. I had to do the same in
the structure of the model. I used Evergreens half round strips to good effect
gluing this onto the brass structure.
The primary structure detailing also included the interior behind the main spar
and over the flap tracks, an area which is visible at least from the wheel wells.
In the process I realized that one of the flap tracks on each wing should be
cut away and replaced by two smaller ones. That I did but I left its rear end
still attached to assist when gluing the flaps in place.
Evergreen strips were also used as stringers for the detailing of the bomb
cells and wheel well ceiling.
The area behind the rear (main) spar was painted with Alclad ALC-101
Aluminium.
Then it was masked along with the undersurfaces adjacent areas.
I painted the area of the wheel wells and bomb cells in a very dark grey matt colour.
15
Following the inevitable paint touch-ups, the area behind the bomb cells was
covered with a piece of sheet pewter...
16
...over which a piece of thin plasticard was added. The pewter was used
as a light reflecting surface to make the interior more visible. After all,
this area was left unpainted on the real Stirling.
I masked the wing openings for an

overall application of Mr. Surfacer 500
The wing was then carefully sanded to a smooth finish.
One more masking followed...
17
...and I sprayed three coats of White Surfacer 1000, to prepare the exterior surface for scribing and riveting.
The first details to be scribed on the wings were the outlines of the eight fuel
tanks. For this purpose, a template was drawn and cut out of thin plasticard.
The plasticard helped as I could use both sides of it to scribe the opposite
wing with exactly the same outlines; in doing so, I did not compromise the
much-needed symmetry. Using an old airbrush needle, I made the first
outlines. Then I rescribed with a Hasegawa Trytool modelling scriber, and
finished with an Olfa scriber. The latter usually helps in removing all excess
plastic off the line edges, something the round tools are not good at.
Above Although in these photos the scribing is

done already, the procedure followed is the same
as in the case of the fuselage. Here the front spar
and main spar lines were scribed first, along with
the rest of the spanwise panel lines.
Above Then I made

the chordwise lines
(leading-to-trailing edge) which
are positioned in a peculiar way as the
ones behind the main spar are vertical to the
spar while those at the front are parallel to the
aeroplanes center line, i.e. at an angle to the first.
18
left The reader can easily see the double riveting which took almost a month to
complete. The riveting was done even under the areas where the outer nacelle
fairings would later occupy.
Above The panel above the dinghy stowage compartment is

the only difference between the wings in this area.
The subtle angling of the rear chordwise lines in relation to the ones forward of the main
spar can be seen to advantage.
Below I cleaned and degreased the wing root airfoils carefully

with alcohol and toluene so as to remove all dirt, over-sprayed
Mr Surfacer residue and paint that was accumulated during the
wings construction and joined the wings to the fuselage by
soldering them on the fuselage bomb bay. Only the front (visible)
section was actually soldered on the bomb bay as I did not
want to overheat and possibly distort the fuselage in an attempt
to solder inside towards the airfoils rear end. I covered the
messy appearance of the soldering with a piece of plasticard
which was later painted matt black and went on with the rest of
the mating of the wings to the fuselage.
The project continues in the next issue
19
A six year project involving his own research

and creation of photoetch parts...
Antti Lappalainens
fantastic Finnish Brewster Buffalo
20
BREWSTER
A
chieving almost a legendary reputation
Wright R 1820-34 engines were replaced with
during the Continuation War (fought
G5 versions. The dismantled Brewsters were
between Finland and the Soviet Union
shipped from New York to Norway packed in
between 1941-44) the Brewster Model 239 was
wooden containers between January and
the backbone of the Finnish Air Force fighter
February 1940. The containers were then sent
units until they were superseded by the
by railway to Sweden and the aircraft were
Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-2 and G-6 fighters
assembled and test flown in the SAAB aircraft
during 1943-1944.
factory at Trollhttan. Unfortunately full combat-
On 16 December 1939, Finland acquired a total
readiness was not achieved before the end of
of 44 Brewster F2A-1 export versions from
the Winter War of 19391940.However in the
Brewster Aeronautical Corporation, 43 of those
Continuation War of 1941-1944 Fighter
were already prepared as F2A-1 configuration
Squadron 24 with their Brewsters achieved a kill
for the US Navy and therefore stripped of naval
ratio of 32:1, the highest in the Second World
equipment including carrier hooks and even
War.
armament, gun sights and instruments. Also the
21
The only available kit in 1:32 is the Special
original drawings from Smithsonian
built the hatch in a open position in the
Hobby kit from 2008. Basic dimensions
Institute via a fellow modeller.
correct place and fixed the wheel well
and shape are mostly accurate, but there
The whole project took me almost six years
location with styrene sheet and filler. Lots
are quite a few errors in the cockpit area,
to complete. I have to admit that it spent
of panel line engraving was done and
some panel lines and other surface details.
some time in a box too, waiting for
incorrect panel lines were filled and
Because there are virtually no aftermarket
inspiration to return. Researching the
sanded.
detail parts for this kit, everything had to be
surviving Brewster, war time photographs
Because I wasnt happy with the moulded
made from scratch including my own
and other documents was significant part
ones, I modelled longerons and frames
custom photoetched parts and some
of the project.
with styrene strips inside the fuselage. In
decals.
All the photo etched parts were designed
the cockpit area I used the kit parts for the
The only surviving Brewster fighter was
by my brother and made by Eduard. The
bulkhead behind the wheel well and fuel
found in 2008 so the reference material
30x30 cm fret contained a few hundred
tank housing, but I covered them with
before that has been very limited, which is
parts. I also cast in resin the correctly
photo etched parts. Also some detail parts
partly the reason the kit has its issues.
shaped main wheels, exhaust collector, tail
like handles were used from the kit parts,
Fortunately the aircraft BW-372, found in a
cone, engine cylinders, ailerons, horizontal
everything else in the cockpit were made
lake in Russia, was loaned to Finnish Air
stabilizers and elevators.
from photo etched parts and from scratch.
Force Museum from the National Naval
First of all I compared the fuselage halves
I wanted to build the canopy in an open
Aviation Museum in Florida. I had the
and wings to the scale drawings. Major
position, but the kit part was too thick, so I
fortune to measure and to photograph
issues were the location of the radio
vacuum-formed a new clear part and
every detail from the Brewster. In addition
compartment hatch on the right side and
finished it with photo etched frames.
to that, I managed to get copies of some
location of wheel wells in the fuselage. I
Much of the panel joins and inspection covers needed to be modified to be

completely accurate.
Working from original plan drawings and my reference from the museum
aircraft, masters were constructed and cast in resin where I wasnt content
with the kit parts.
In addition to my home-made photoetch panel detail, new fastener detail

was added in the correct positions. I first made a circular indent with a tube
held in a pin-vice...
the slot-head of the fastener was made with a fresh scalpel blade. The kit
detail was filled with Mr Surfacer.
From my plans it was evident that the tyres provided lacked the correct
profile which was re-sculpted and a pair cast in resin.
22
More photoetch detail was created for the landing gear including the
hydraulic pipes and connectors.
Inaccurate cylinder fins

were re-worked and
copies cast in resin.
I made openings and hatches for the
technique, but
fuselage machine guns, radio
with styrene sheet.
compartment and left the right side
The radio compartment
engine panel was opened. For the
hatch was made with five
inside of the radio compartment I
photo etched parts soldered
made the radio equipment, battery
together.
and the escape skis for the pilot
The Wright R-1820-G5 Cyclone
using my photo etched parts. The
engine provided in the kit was
fuselage gun compartment was also
quite basic, so I decided to
built with photo etched parts and for
reshape the cylinders to a more
the guns I used Aires Browning M2
accurate shape using the kit
.50 cal. resin pieces. The engine
part as a pattern and cast
panel was made using a photo
resin copies. Air deflectors
etched part, styrene strips for
and other detail parts were made
reinforcements and Masterclub resin
with photo etched parts. Copper
bolts for the Dzus-quick-release
wire was used for ignition harness.
fasteners. The gun compartment
Exhaust manifolds were made with
hatches were made with a similar
thick soldering wire and the exhaust
collector ring was scratch made and

then cast in resin.
23
24
The undercarriage compartment behind
used. Main wheels were scratch-built and
parts to model panelling and landing flaps.
the engine was the most complex and
resin cast, the profile of the original kit tyre
Wells for the landing gear legs were
difficult part to model. I had to scratch
was rectangular, although it should be
covered with etched parts and wheel brake
build the oil tank and cooler, sort out every
more rounded, also the weighted effect
cables were made from copper wire.
oil, fuel, vacuum and fire extinguisher line
was added.
Ailerons were cut out from the wing and
and other cabling and wiring. All the detail
The wing shape was quite accurate, there
replaced with resin parts.
parts for the landing gear actuating
was a hole for a landing light on the right
For the wing guns I added tubing and shell
mechanism were also scratch built. The
wing also, which I had to fill because there
extraction holes under the wing. The pitot
main landing gear legs were covered with
was a landing light only on the left wing.
tube was made from brass tube and
photo etched parts, wired and reinforced
Some panel lines needed engraving and
reshaped kit parts.
with aluminium and Masterclub bolts were
others filling in, I used some photo etched
25
26
The exact aircraft I wanted to model was
Side panels, instrument panels and bottom
Finnish camouflage and earlier aluminium
fighter ace, Sgt Heimo Lampis BW-354/
area behind the cockpit is satin black. I
delivery paint there was US Navy Insignia
White 6. It represents the layout with
used Alclad II White aluminium and black
yellow paint on some wing panels. The
Finnish camouflage, yellow Eastern Front
primer for the black areas. For the primer I
fuselage was aluminium painted overall. I
and victory markings from Spring of 1942.
used Alclad II grey primer. I had some
painted the same colours on the model in
Researching the original modification
issues with the grey primer and large
same order, so when I finally scratched
notices made by the State Aircraft Factory,
etched parts, the primer peeled off from
and sanded the surface away, I got the
I could add the correct details for the
some areas, so I had a painstaking
different colours to appear underneath the
chosen time period. I even added the
sanding and repainting session with them.
paint layers for correct weathering effects.
picture of Sgt Lampis fiance to the
After the disaster I got wise and primed all
Alclad II White aluminium and Xtracolor
instrument panel, when I found evidence of
the bigger photo etched parts with Tamiya
Insignia Yellow was used. At the same time
this personal decoration!
Metal Primer, that solved the problem.
I painted the yellow eastern front markings.
The overall colour for the cockpit and the
During the examination of the surviving
inner surface of the fuselage is aluminium.
Brewster, it was noticed that under the
The final Finnish green/black camouflage
Decals Finnish Air Force set and all the
pictures, I noticed these areas were most
was painted using printed paper masks
smaller text and individual markings were
heavily weathered as being the areas were
and airbrushed using glossy Xtracolor
custom made.
the mechanics mainly worked, loading
(BS298 green and lightened Night black)
After the decal work I pin-washed all the
guns and refueling the aircraft. To add
enamel paints. Usually I spray black pre-
panel lines using 502 Abteilung 015
some more weathering I added some
shading before adding the final surface
Shadow brown oil colour diluted in
green using Wilder Nitroline Vibrant green
colour, but because I wanted the exact
turpentine. For the black painted areas I
filter. I also add some colour chipping with
colours to appear after the weathering
used a light grey oil colour wash. Under the
a small brush to the wing leading edge and
sanding, I wasnt able to do that.
fuselage I sprayed exhaust stains and
nose area. After all the weathering I
Underside was left in an aluminium finish.
brushed oil leaks with brown oil colour. The
sprayed a satin finish using a Johnson
After the painting I glued the hatches,
underside was overall pin washed with oils.
Klear and Tamiya flat base mixture.
propeller, pitot-tube, landing gear and
The top side of the fuselage and areas
Final steps were adding the antenna wire
canopy in place.
around the machine gun hatches were
using EZ Line rigging thread, some thin
I added the decals after I had sprayed
scratched with a scalpel and step areas on
metal wire for tensioners and strip styrene
gloss varnish to the undersides. The
top of the wings were sanded and
rod for insulators.
markings were taken from the Techmod
scratched. When researching the war time
27
28
29
BREWSTER BW-372
Finnish
Air Force
Museum
Photographs by
Antti Lappalainen
30
31
1:32
D O R N I E R
HKs Arrow modelled by Sampson WS YU

34
uring the World War II, The Dornier-335 Arrow

(Pfeil) was one of the most unconventional
aircraft designs which featured a unique pull-
push engine configuration. With a maximum speed of

417 m.p.h at 26000 feet with full military equipment,
the Dornier-335 was one of the fastest propeller-driven
fighters of the war, with 37 built none of them never
had a chance proving themselves in actual combat.
In 1942, Claude Dorniers design was selected as the
winner after beating rival designs from Arado, Junkers,
and Blohm & Voss, the development contract was
awarded and the Do 335 was requested by the
Technical office of German Air Ministry for a high speed
bomber of twin engine design. As an warplane with
outstanding performance including long range, heavy
armory and high speed, the Arrow would no doubt
have been a formidable opponent for allied pilots to
confront.
35
Detailing the Dornier
The bolts on the top and

sides were replaced by
Masterclub resin versions.
The engines moulded details were
Masterclub provide
carefully removed using a motor tool with
various impressive resin
a cutter bit, make sure not to over sand
detailed fasteners such as
as repairs are difficult. Final sanding with
rivets, bolts and nuts,
fine grade paper allows new relief details
these little parts really
to be added to the bare block.
enhanced the engine.
This kit is manufactured by HK models in
impressive moulded-in details on the wheel
.Although the moulded-in details are
1:32, arrives in a huge box with beautiful
well and the bomb bay panels.
already very impressive and respond well
artwork. The quality of moulding is brilliant
Some mistakes can be found on the
to some high-contrast paint techniques I
with plenty of surface details, different
instruction sheet concerning the exhaust
wanted to push the detail further. I
sized rivets, fasteners and access doors.
pipe part numbers, but it doesnt effect the
removed much of the surface detail
No significant ejector pin marks on the
overall pleasure of the build. Ive always
plumbing and wiring throughout and
inner of the engine cowling but some on
loved large scale Luftwaffe projects and
replaced it with scratchbuilt details of my
landing gear bay door which can be
having heard good reviews about this kit
own; a lot of work but I feel the final level of
puttied and sanded. Two die-cast nose
(including AIR Modeller 59) I was excited to
finesse is worth it.
weights and photo-etch seat belts and
start!
intake grille are also included and also

The original parts already provide high quality detail on the
landing gear bay and bomb bay, however for even better
dimension, I decided to scratchbuild all the details. Removing
the moulded detail required extreme patience!
I replaced the plumbing and wires in the wheel well with

aluminim and brass tubes with various evergreen styrene
strip. Since there's metal parts, I applied Mr. Metal Primer
before the base coat of Mr. Surfacer. Compare the laborious
results with the original part, worth the extra work I think.
The same techniques and

materials also enhance the
bomb bay, again, compared to
the original part this has really
36
come to life.
Some details were added to the rear engine

compartment. This requires painting and
weathering at this stage before fitting the engine.
Then the process goes to the landing gear bay, i first thinned the
More detail was added to the landing gear bays and access
inner bulkhead. due to the injection moulding engineering
panels with plastic card and scale connector fittings from
restriction, the thickness of the part might usually be out of scale,
Madworks and Hobby Design.
this small step makes a great visual effect. note the right hand
side bulkhead is the result, compare to the left hand side, you can
sense the great difference.
Brass tube was used to re-make the front frame of the

seat base and the armrests (in the folded position) were
modified for a more scale appearance. The instrument
detail is excellent, only requiring careful painting. The
worn paint on the seat was done using the hairspray
method.
The internals all painted so assembly can progress.The bare aluminium

effect is done with a base coat of silver, when dry white acrylic paint is
randomly sponged on in thin applications. To finish, very diluted black is
airbrushed to enhance the shadows.
The kits landing gear and wheels are fine straight from the box. The
tyres have a very convincing weighted flat section. AK Interactive panel
line wash helps enhance the detail.
37
Paint Process
The joining of the upper and lower fuselage caused me a little trouble
and required some work to get a perfect fit. With all the detailing work
closed inside it was time for paint. The full surface was treated by
applying grey primer and I examined the surfaces for any defects.
After some pre-shading in black, the upper surface was painted in
according with the instruction sheet combining RLM 81 and 82. I first
painted the green mixed with some sand-brown reducing the
saturation since i want to create a weathered overall colour.
1
2
3
After the RLM81 green was airbrushed and the masking for
brown was ready it was time for the RLM82, unfortunately, I didn't
have any RLM 82 ready to use, I decided to mix the colour in
according with some reference photos. The first attempt I found it
too dull and too red, therefore I decided to make it more aged
and faded with some weathering.

When the two-tone camouflage was done, I faded the overall
finish with white acrylic. I moistened the surface and dabbed
some white on it randomly, letting the surface tension blend the
white into the background colours, thinning the white if necessary.
It might looks pretty messy now, but don't be too worried! When
the next layer of paint is applied, youll find the result is pretty
convincing.
The next step is to vary the tones of your
base colours, I added greys and sand

tones, and airbrush heavily diluted layers
until the effect builds into a realistic faded
and mottled effect. Further darker tones
helped add to the effect and depth.
38
I prefer to mask and paint insignia where possible. In large

scales like this, and with markings made of straight lines this is
made easier. A variation in tones helps to blend the markings
nicely with the paintwork.
More engine wiring details were then added after the front engine
was mounted on the bulkhead. I was quite worried about the
strength of only four attaching points supporting the whole
engine with the weights added. Make sure of the joint strength
between the engine firewall where it attaches to the left and right
fuselage panels. I would suggest using some epoxy putty on the
reverse of the bulkhead for more insurance.
The final weathering step was applying dark brown

or dark grey washes to enhance the fine surface
detail. I used AK Interactive panel liner and
streaking grime mixed together. The rivets and the
panel lines on this kit are very fine along with the
huge airframe size, this steps requires more
patience than usual. A thin layer of flat vanish was
airbrushed overall after applying the decals, some
of the markings would prove too difficult to mask
and spray. RLM 65 light blue was the base colour
applied to the undersides with the same
techniques employed as on the upper surfaces.
39
D O R N I E R
40
Happy Modelling?
For me, every project is a new challenge, in this case, its an opportunity for
practicing scratchbuilt plumbing details in the landing gear bay, the faded colours of
the green and brown camouflage and the rendering method for creating realism on
the airframe. Although I was presented some fit problems on the front engine
cowling and the upper fuselage, the overall fit was very good, Id very much
recommended this kit. Im looking forward to the future releases from HK Models.
41
GRUMMAN TBM-3
Olivier Soulis
When a subject of such size "drops" on the
a personal touch. Ive used the usual Evergreen
workbench, the first question that comes to mind
styrene sections and sheet with copper and
is if the kit can be painted with fuselage and
various diameter wire.
wings separated, and fortunately, this was the
Fearing the lack of consistency between the
case!
decals and paint, the decision was taken to paint

the markings using Montex masks whose quality
42
Then comes the analysis of the detail level of the
makes the operation a breeze. The three-tone
kit, especially the interior. With the help of the
paint scheme would require some careful hard-
acquired reference (Squadron Signal and Kagero)
edge masking, using Tamiya tape, and fine
which defines what aftermarket detailing sets
airbrush work at the edges of the colour
would be useful. I decided on an interior set from
demarcation.
Eduard and resin machine gun barrels from Quick
After ridding the sprues of unnecessary parts for
Boost. Such a large interior gives the modeller
my chosen version, it's time to invite you on-board
chance to scratchbuild detail of their own adding
this build of the Avenger!
43
CLEAR THE DECKS...
The basic engine detail is good but I made

some improvements. There are two sparkplugs per cylinder, the Wright Cyclone R2600 has 14 cylinders, so this makes a total
of 28 plug-leads to install using lead solder
wire. My reference showed various
The engine takes on added
realistic dimension with the addition
of a semi-gloss black wash.
aluminium and metal tones. The ignition

wires are light tan and the manifold is flat
aluminium.
Improvements to the fuselage interior is a mix of Eduard

photoetch and scratch-built elements (Plastruct, Evergreen,
solder wire ...). Good reference like Squadron Signal walk
around or Topshot from Kagero are essential for a detailing
job. The large hose running from front to back (perhaps a
heater duct?) was made with a guitar string.
The dorsal turret received

additional details and a
replacement 0.50 cal resin
barrel taken from a set for
the B-17 by Quick Boost.
44
The kit provides nice
The floor of the cockpit is actually the roof of
photoetch detail for the
the ventral torpedo bay (assembled later).
torpedo-bay doors. Careful
Many dry fits provided peace of mind that all
folding against the edge of
of the major components would fit together,
a steel rule was required
with extra detailing there is a risk of hindering
due to their length.
the assembly of the fuselage halves.
The US Green 42 from Prince August is sufficiently blue

to make a perfect base of interior green. The colour is
then highlighted and mottled with RAF Sky Type S highly
diluted. These paints are easy to use diluted with the
brands own thinner. All the interior elements are
brushed with a small amount of aluminium SNJ
powder. In addition, polished surfaces are obtained with
this powder technique including the previously painted
satin black gun barrels (Tamiya X-18).
The beautiful Eduard dashboard is pre-printed and
created in layers. Its almost impossible to paint the
instruments and gauges to the standard offered by preprinted photoetch. The head rests are dark brown on
which I rubbed some shoe polish with a cotton swab to
obtain a kind of aged leather effect. More Eduard work
enhances the radio operators station. The Avenger has
enough glazing to make the interior work quite
visible,the harnesses are made of strips cut from tin foil,
the buckles are my remainders from the Teknics brand,
sadly now out of production.
I did find when dry-fitting the busy interior the fuselage
walls appeared dark so the green was lightened further
to compensate
45
SINGING THE BLUES...

Work on the wings
Eduard pre-cut masks help a
started with detailing
great deal with the
the landing gear.
complicated glazing on the
Simple and satisfying
Avenger. Great care was taken
when working with
to mask the interior to avoid
good reference.
over-spray which would be
Bomb racks also
impossible to re-touch.
received the detailing

treatment.
The first stages of paint involved spraying the interior
Here, matt white has been applied with Eduards masks placed on
green on the canopy frames, this will be visible
top. Yellow zinc chromate primer is applied also to the wing roots
through the clear parts from the inside. Pre-shading
to be revealed later in the weathering stage by scuffing and
along panel joints and rivets was done in black-brown.
scratching the top coat of colour. Note that this effect will be kept
to areas of crew movement (in-board of the wing fold area).
The dark Navy Blue

follows a very particular
pattern, again with a
soft edge requiring
careful airbrush work.
The fuselage receives the first coat of

Intermediate Blue (Gunze H-56). The
demarcation between the
Intermediate Blue and U.S Non
Specular White has a soft edge.
46
Here were ready to remove the

masks for the markings and begin
the weathering.
Note the leading edge of the wing is
finished in the Intermediate Blue.
The markings represent an aircraft of

the VT-17 onboard the USS Hornet
Due to the size of the Avenger I had to
enhance the distressed surfaces of the
treatment as the fuselage and wings with
work on the fuselage and wings separately
airframe. This applies mainly to the front
realistic results.
whilst weathering and detail painting.
part of the fuselage.
Now the wing root, around the walkway
The work begins with darker and lighter
Exhaust stains were created in two steps.
strip, is scratched with a piece of steel
shades of the different blues, all airbrushed
First, I sprayed black, highly diluted,
wool to reveal the Yellow zinc chromate
to create subtle tones representing a
moving the spray pattern gradually away
previously applied.The surfaces are then
distressed and faded surface. Then, a
from the exhaust and fuselage. Replicating
polished with a Gunze polishing cloth to
wash of heavily diluted brown oil paint is
the flow this way results in stains which
obtain a smooth appearance.
flooded into the panels lines. For stronger
match period photographs. The second
The outlines of some of the maintenance
contrasts a black wash was used on the
step is to produce wetter oil stains with
hatches were highlighted with Yellow zinc
cowling and nearby areas.
satin black vertical air brushed streaks on
chromate to suggest damage to the top
Using oil paints, I recreated the two shades
surfaces near the exhaust pipes and small
layers of paint. Traces of ejected shells and
of blue, but darker. These colours were
traces touched in with a fine brush.
residue from the wing guns were added
used to produce small smudges which
The benefit of painting the markings is that
keeping in mind the air flow generated by
when blended into the base colours
they can be weathered with the same
the propeller.
47
The final assembly included a scratch-built pitot tube, wing MG
I followed this rule although lowering the flaps may have added
barrels (from brass tube) and the delicate antennas. The
to the dynamism. Posing the turret, opening the canopy and off-
Grumman flight manual states It is forbidden to leave the flaps
setting the rear wheel do help with the interest of the finished
lowered to the ground at the risk of hitting them with any type of
display. The rear access door opened helps to lighten the
rolling stock and thus distort the mechanism.
interior. The big-scale Avenger certainly makes an impressive

display piece. Thanks to my buddies Fifi and Nismo for their
encouragement with this project.
48
49
new releases
AMK 1:48 Mikoyan MiG-31 B/BS Foxhound
50
As featured on the cover of our previous Issue we have now

received a sample of the stunning new AMK kit and it is just such
an impressive box of parts we really felt it deserved another look!
As soon as you lift the lid you can see that this is something
specially and key mouldings like the lower fuselage, the nose and
the phenominal weapons are all invidually boxed to keep them in
pristine condition inside the bigger kit packaging. The kit comes
with 2 complete sets of canopy mouldings, one clear and one
tobacco tinted. Each clear sprue comes with optional open
segmented canopies or a single complete one if you want them
closed which is another thoughtful design decision. Across the
entire kit the quality of moulding is exceptionally high with some
unbelievable surface detail on the R-33 missiles and amazingly
thin fins moulded in-situ on the R-40 missiles. Some clever design
is evident with arrangement of the wheel bay assemblies married
to the air intakes and then fitted into the impressive single piece
belly moulding. Superdetailers will be pleased by the inclusion of a
pair of engines and there are other great touches like a choice of
slat and flap positions. The single piece front fuselage moulding is
designed to allow the cockpit tub to slide in from the rear, more
clever design, with crew seats slotting into the cockpit right at the
end of the assembly sequence. The seats themselves are detailed

with parts from the photoetched fret providing the belts and other
fine details. As you can see the quality of moulding on the
instrument panels, seats and other internal details is just as good
as the rest of the kit. Main gear legs have another clever design
feature with a central strut that is then sleeved with a pair of
collars to form the main strut. Wheels and tires are conventionally
handled and come without weighted tires. As we have already
mentioned the kit has some impressive weaponary and along with
the R-33 & R-40 missiles there are R-60s to hang from the
underwing pylons. There is a choice of three different marking
schemes with two quite large decal sheets provided to realise
these. The bigger of the two covers the myriad of different stencils
for the airframe which are all very crisp and sharp. On the smaller
sheet you have the colourful unit badges along with the cockpit
instrumentation and distinctive pink frames for the cockpit
windows. To sum up, this is one of the most impressive-looking
kits from a relatively new manufacturer and as Julien Haccoun
showed in his build article it assembles as good as it looks in the
box! For more info visit www.facebook.com/avantgardemodelkits
AK Interactive 1:48 Spitfire Mk.IXc Late 'Foreign Service'

World renowned for their modelling finishing products, AK
Interactive surprised us with a release of their first kits, the first of
which is the ever popular Spitfire. The packaging is very nicely
done and a quick peek inside reveals that these are in fact Eduard
kits with new decal options. It would seem pointless in hindsight to
try and better the Eduard late Spitfire which is held in high esteem
to this day. The moulding finesse and quality shows no change
from the Eduard releases, this is perhaps an even nicer package
with excellent full colour instructions and a beautiful Cartograf
decal sheet. This is a kit for the real aficionado of all things Spitfire
and there's plenty of spare parts for different versions on the
sprues including a selection of wing tips and tail parts with the
most excellent surface details and a set of photo etched precoloured seat belts that should keep most modellers happy as will
the extensive cockpit and wheel-well detail. The new markings will
be of interest, three options are offered: Spitfire LF Mk.IXc, MJ897,
GR 2/33 Savoie, French Air Force, Luxeuil-les-Bains, France,
January 1945, Spitfire LF Mk.IXc, flown by Capt. Garth Jared, CO
of 309th FS / 31st FG, USAAF, Italy, December 1943, Spitfire LF
Mk.IXc, PV119, Royal Egyptian Air Force, 1947. Fine generic
stencilling is also included. The same treatment has been given to
Eduard's Bf 109 E1/E3, have a look over at www.ak-interactive for
more details.
AK Interactive
Adding to their catalogue of handy collated sets, now available is set AK
2300 Soviet Aircraft Colours 1950 - 1970 with a selection of Air series
airbrush acrylics featuring three greens and cockpit grey. Also included
are the larger 30ml 'Extreme Metal' colours Aluminium and Dark
Aluminium which produce excellent finishes. Set AK 2320 is a set of four
Luftwaffe camo colours RLM 61, 62, 63 and 65 suitable for pre-war
subjects in the familiar 17ml 'dropper-style' bottles ready to spray.
51
Messerschmitt Bf 109
Jean-Claude Mermet &
Christian-Jacques
Ehrengardt
Published by Caraktre
Softback format, 191 pages
ISBN 9782916 403144
www.caraktere.com
We've previously looked at this superb guide to the life of the '109 in it's original French language
edition but were pleased to receive a sample of a new English language edition from our friends at
Caraktere. This book is a real gem for Luftwaffe modellers with the main focus on the model
developments with technical data and descriptive diagrams describing versions A to D, E and T, F,
G and K and special versions. The reference is very visual and easily digested with some beautiful
(many unpublished) period images of the '109 including some in colour. With the technical side of
things all sorted it's time to choose a suitable scheme and markings, and we're spoilt for choice
with a great selection of beautifully rendered colour profiles. As is always the cry when a new '109
kit hits the market "do we need another?" and some may think the same of reference on the
aircraft, but if the bar is raised for quality, accuracy and presentation the answer is surely yes.
Highly recommended reading, take a look over at www.caraktere.com at their excellent range.
RP Toolz. Punch & Die Trays and Roller Set
52
RP Toolz have some great new additions to their range of

modelling tools and for those who already use their excellent
Punch and die sets these dedicated trays are a really worthwhile
add on. Moulded in a strong black plastic the tray holds your
chosen punch securely but in a raised position which allows the
punched out discs or hexagons to drop down into the tray below.
This avoids the bunching of the plastic parts in the neck of the
punch which happens unless you clear the parts you have made
regularly from the neck. Failing to do this can mean the platic
parts are damaged as new parts are made. This tray means you
no longer need to keep clearing the neck and makes for a much
faster process when producing numerous parts. The tray also
conveniently holds the parts that you make ready for you to apply
them to the model. These are a great addition which really add to
the smooth operation of the tools and i would hate to be without

them now.
Next we have a Roller Set with a beautiful annodised finish and a
choice of roller sizes from 4mm to 16mm. The idea of this tool is
to assist modellers in rolling or curving photoecthed parts to
create curves or to roll a complete cylinder. The machined curved
troughs are matched to the six graduated roller sizes so that parts
can be accurately shaped or the rollers used one against the
other to help close your chosen cylinder. I have used a similar tool
before with excellent results and if you are working a lot with
photoetched parts or scratchbuilding this is a precision made tool
that you will want add to your workbench. Details of these and the
rest of the RP Toolz range can be found at: www.rptoolz.com
Tarangus 1:72 SAAB J32B/E Lansen

Quickly becoming one of the saviours of Swedish Air Force
modellers, Tarangus are steadily releasing kits of their homeland
aircraft. The Lansen is already in their catalogue, albeit in 1:48 so
this new release of the J32B/E should keep small scale builders
happy with the vintage Heller kit of the subject really showing it's
age. Tarangus describe this kit as being produced with 'short-run
technology' which is perhaps apparent looking over the two simple
sprues as the frames and connecting gates are rather heavy in
places requiring an extra degree of care removing parts. Not to
worry though; the parts themselves display some very sharp detail
and fine surface features with delicate panel lines. Assembly is
very straight forward without any fancy features such as separate
control surfaces, but what is there is well done and should prove a
solid starting point if you can't help but super-detail your models.
Decals are excellent quality and offer several options including
fighter and electronic jammer versions. As mentioned, this is a
short-run release so pick one up while you can, head over to
Tarangus' website: www.tarangus.se
48301
71124
48300
48302
48303
48304
32103
Scale Aircraft Conversions
Direct from Texas come the latest white metal landing gear
upgrades from the guys at SAC. Starting in seventy second scale
is 72124 for the Airfix He 111 and in 1:48 48300 for the lovely
Zvezda PE-2, 48301 designed for the Kinetic Su-33, 48302 for the
Skunk F-16 XL, 48303 for Gas Patchs Salmson 2A2 and 48304 for
Trumpeters Su-24.
32104
32105
In 1:32 some stable standing for the massive Wingnuts Gotha G.IV
with set 32103 and likewise with 32104 for the AEG G.IV. Finally
32105 is designed for the Kitty Hawk T-28B/D Trojan.
Youll find SACs full catalogue at
www.scaleaircraftconversions.com
53
Meng Vermilion Bird MTS-001 Airbrush

To go along with the new Meng range of modelling paints they
have now released this stylish-looking airbrush. We have had to
opportunity to take this one for a test drive to see how it performs
which is really what counts rather than looks. First impressions are
that this is a lightweight design, noticeably lighter than my usual
brushes as a result of an anodised aluminium alloy body. The
brush comes with a generously sized paint cup which can be
unscrewed to assist in cleaning and also has a clip-on lid to
prevent accidental spillage, something that I never bother with but
always wish I did when paint slops over the edge! The brush is
fitted with a 0.3mm needle which allows for some extremely fine
line work when used with a suitable paint mix. The needle cap can
be unscrewed in the normal way for those who like me prefer to
work with the needle exposed and there is a cut out in the handle
to allow the needle to be easily retracted to reset a blockage. The
trigger action has a little less resistance than I personally like to
pull against but this may well suit other users. I ran some MR
Paint through the brush to test its performance and as you can
see it was happy to produce some very consistent fine lines and
of course it will also cover larger areas quite happily! Price wise it
sits at around 80.00 according to the UK distributor making it an
attractive proposition as a useful general purpose airbrush.
Lifecolor Liquid Pigments Paint Sets
54
This new range of colours is something that I have been having a

great deal of success with and one I would highly recommend.
Lifecolor have now released six different boxed sets of these
Liquid Pigments tailored to different uses, with sets aimed at AFV
subjects, railway and ship modellers and this set for aircraft. They
are of course all interchangeable and can be used as you see fit.
These are all semi-opaque colours, much thinner than the regular
Lifecolor acrylic colours but what differentiates these is the ability
to lift them back off the model simply by brushing on the
transparent remover liquid supplied in each set. These colours
can be used to define panel lines but I think they offer fantastic
creative opportunities if sprayed to create exhaust stains for

example. It will be simple to then create scuffs or cleaned areas
within the exhaust stains simply by using the remover to clean up
the desired areas. Likewise a layer of dust across your Corsair
wing will be easy to apply and then clean away from the
walkways. I have included an example image (please excuse the
tank hull) to show the sort of effect where the dust on the floor has
been scuffed away simply by using a brush to clean away the
liquid Pigments. A great product that has found a permanent
place on my bench. More details to be found at
www.Airbrushes.com
The clean lines of the Mosquito have always

fascinated me. It is a beautiful aircraft, the very
image of it says power and speed. The Tamiya kit
has been eagerly awaited and the wait was truly
worth the while. It is a typical Tamiya kit, well
designed, well engineered and expensive! In fact, I
got a shock when I opened the Box, there are many,
many parts in this kit. The detail is superb and as
was the fit with a few dry-tests. I decided on an out
of the box model here. Modellers who know me,
know that is highly unusual but this kit seems to
have all the points of a perfect OOTB build. This
should be very straight forward, if it was not for the
sheer complexity of the kit. It features two highly
detailed Rolls Royce Merlin engines, a very accurate
internal bay with all weapons, a removable nose,
showing the four machine guns and three crew
figures (one navigator and a choice of two pilots;
one seated inside the cockpit or one standing on the
access ladder). The choice is yours. Furthermore,
there are etched parts, pre-cut masks, a
comprehensive manual with a colour booklet and a
colour profile supplied in the beautiful box.
58
Tamiyas latest super-kit modelled by
Albert Tureczek
59
The build starts with the cockpit and the
for the crews rank insignia and also a
the lower part of the nose. The nose part,
two crew positions. In the Mossie, the
map. I painted the Inside with interior
with gun camera and the service panel
navigator sits slightly to the rear on the
green and the aircraft cockpit set for British
completes the nose of the kit. The fit is
right hand side of the pilot. The whole
WWII aircraft from Ammo. This set also
outstanding, without any gaps.
cockpit is incredibly small and I wonder
included the wash and pigment for the
how a combat situation would unfold
weathering part. The same colours were
After I completed the cockpit, the tail
working in such confined space? The
used for the bomb bay and the nose bay,
wheel arrangement and the bomb bay, I
cockpit instruments are sandwiched with a
where the machine guns are mounted.
could sandwich them into the main

structure, which is made up of four
clear part, the decal and a photoetch

frame. This works very well and the results
The nose bay carries the four 7.7mm
sections. The cockpit consists of two
are stunning. The seats are fitted with
machine guns and adds the sting to the
halves, which overlap the two main body
either etched harness and / or pilots. Either
Mosquito. They are well detailed and the
sections. The wings are complex and
way, they are very sharp and the overall
gun barrels are hollowed already. The
feature separate wingtips, flaps and
impression of the cockpit parts, including
ammo box is mounted just above the guns
photoetched coolers. There is a choice of
radio, compass and other equipment, is
and comes with the ammo feed. There are
the position of the flaps between neutral or
very good. The figures are of a stunning
decals supplied to mark the four separate
dropped, when mounting. The wings come
quality. They have a very natural feel to
boxes for each gun. I used Uschi van
without engine nacelles, but they
their clothing and flight gear and the faces
Rosten polishing powder to polish them to
incorporate already the wheel wells and
are sculpted with convincing expression. In
a realistic metallic shine. The internal bay is
the slots into which the nacelles will slide.
fact, they are so good that I used my figure
a beauty as well. It contains the fuel cells,
The lower cover panels for the wing-
painting techniques, which I normally use
the four 20mm Hispano cannons, including
mounted coolers are detachable with the
on larger, single piece figures. I often paint
the ammo boxes and a bomb rack,
aid of small magnets. This solid
figures for the fun of it and not all figure kit
designed to carry two 250-pound bombs.
construction is then glued on the main
producers reach this quality level on their
The bay doors are an assembly from
structure and secured with screws. These
products, thats how good they are! The
several parts onto each other and therefore
screws are cleverly concealed; they come
crew come with flight goggles as a clear
they have the right thickness. They have
with the kit, including a screwdriver. The tail
part. I only changed the map board, on
ample detail and fit beautifully. The nozzles
wing, with the vertical and horizontal
which the navigator had his plotted route,
of the cannon have to be glued into the
surfaces are designed with separate
for a metal part. There are decals supplied
belly opening and this module makes up
rudders also and the fit is impeccable.
The cockpit detail is superb

straight from the box, as is
the quality of the figures.
60
Apart from the cockpit, the engines are
clear to enhance the transparency. It was
massive landing gear assembly with big,
where the main workload is to be found.
interesting, but I liked the painted parts
bulgy tyres. Tamiya has a very different
The Rolls Royce Merlin engines are more
better. The exhaust outlets were not deep
approach to the bulged tires. They consist
like two models within a model. The four
enough for my liking so I hollowed them
of an inner core, made of two halves, two
cover panels close perfectly without a gap
some more. For the painting of these, I
sidewalls and seven parts, which make up
around the engines. Of course, one does
used a combination of gunmetal paint,
the running surface of the entire wheel. I
not have to detail and paint both engines. I
pastels and Uschi van der Rosten metal
must admit I was a little sceptical when I
did, because I didnt want to hide any of
powder. The engines are built into the
first saw this, but it works perfectly! The fit
this beauty. I guess there is room here for
nacelles and the finished component can
is phenomenal and the structure of the tyre
the specialists to add all the wiring and
be easily attached into the wing, without
is clear. It is impossible to see just of how
plumbing, but I thought the kits detail was
any visible gap. For a stable and invisible
many parts these wheels consist, once
already at a very high level and after all,
gluing and sealing, I used the excellent
assembled. No filler needed and very
this build was supposed to be a quickie!
Touch and Flow liquid system from Albion
different from the rubber tyres which were
The export version of the kit, the one we
Alloys. The long syringe you use for the
a feature of these big kits. Even the brake
get in Europe, has all the engine panels
application of the liquid cement is also very
lines are supplied, I just had to glue them
supplied as clear parts. I decided to try
helpful in securing parts on the engine,
in place. The tail wheel looks very nice also
them out and I even painted one side with
which are hard to reach. The Mossie has a
and is poseable.
Pre-cut masks are always welcome,

these fit very well as youd expect.
Trust Tamiya to think of the best way to

create those huge tyres. Multi-part
wheels show no gaps when assembled.
61
The tried and tested putty masks

worked well on the large surfaces
combined with in-fills of masking tape.
Careful masking was required

to prevent any overspray onto
the painted internal areas.
Ammos WWII British Interior set

provided the base green, detail
wash and weathering pigment for
the cockpit and bay interiors.
62
Gunze colours are a first for me on

this project. I was very happy with
the performance and finish.
The Mosquito has a very simple but distinctive paint scheme. Mine
consists of a two-tone camouflage pattern of Dark green and
Medium Sea Grey. Tamiya provides references according to their
own paint colours. I had decided on a new approach (for me!) this
time. I discarded my beloved Humbrols and turned my attention to
the acrylic colour range of Gunze Sangyos MR Hobby series. My
choice was H 57 Aircraft grey and a mix of H 78 Olive Drab and
H58 Interior green. I started out with the primer Mr. Finishing
Surfacer 1500 grey. I diluted it with the airbrush thinner No. 110.
This turned into a nice, smooth surface. After the primer dried I
applied the lighter colour. The paint dries quickly, but there was no
real need to rush, I set the model aside for a while, giving it
enough time to thoroughly harden.
After that, I created the soft demarcation lines with UHU
Uschi polishing powders give superb metallic effects. I applied mine with a
cotton bud to the cannons and engine buffing to the desired finish.
Patafix (Blu-Tac). This is a well-known technique and it

produces great results if you work precisely. With a surface
as large as this one, a few patches had to be fixed and
some panels I did over again. I knew this may happen so
be warned, there is a lot of surface area to cover, make
sure you are well stocked with your chosen colours! The
large surface of the Mossie helped me to diminish that
stock rather quickly. I found the paint is easy to work with
and produces a nice smooth surface. The pigment in the
paints are very fine, with a good, strong, colour coverage.
Now it was time for the decals. Even though it is a large
model, there are not many decals on it, with the exception
of the stenciling, that is. The decals however did not
convince me. They seemed very stiff and even had a
tendency to crack and break. This is the first time I have
experienced this with Tamiyas decals. Quite unusual I
would say, considering that we are dealing with an almost
smooth surface. I used the Daco setting solution, which
did not help the problem significantly. Another unusual
discovery.
What I did find however is that the Gunze paint and the
Daco solution do not work well together. It has a tendency
to dissolve the paint surface. I tackled this by using the
solution very carefully only on the decal surface and wiped
off excessive fluid instantly. I might add that I did not cover
the surface with a clear coat prior to the decaling, but I
rarely do that. For the wash I used water based colours
and ink. In addition, a turpentine solution worked on the
Clear engine cowls are an option

to show off the Merlin magic!
paint surface. Again, I used this strategically and did not

expose the surface to long to the solvents. I brushed the
streaks and panel lines with pastels. This is how I got more
tones on my Mossie, important on such a large model to
avoid a monotone appearance. After weathering, the
model got a matt clear coat. The only thing left to do was
to remove the cockpit masks, thankfully they worked really
well.
63
The new Tamiya Mosquito Mk VI is a terrific kit. It is very easy to

build, fascinatingly well designed, engineered and beautifully
detailed. Three different versions can be built and there is no need
for update sets. I am sure that there will be aftermarket for this kit
to make it even more spectacular. However, I dont see a need. You
can build it into a beautiful model right out of the box. I really
enjoyed building mine. Nevertheless, now I have to find shelf space
for it... thats a different matter...
64
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making this book the ideal
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66
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AIR 66 cover_Layout 1 10/05/2016 12:42 Page 1

MENG AIR MODELLER

JUNE / JULY 2016

AIR 66 June July 2016_AFV/26 Jan/Feb 06 10/05/2016 13:49 Page 222

AIR 66 June July 2016_AFV/26 Jan/Feb 06 10/05/2016 15:23 Page 1

Short Sterling Part 3

Brewster Buffalo Type 239

Dornier 355 B-2

Grumman TBM-3 Avenger

Meng AIR Modeller is published Bimonthly by

We are now on Facebook, Like us to

Modeller ltd. cannot be liable in any way for errors or ommissions.

AIR 66 June July 2016_AFV/26 Jan/Feb 06 10/05/2016 11:38 Page 2

Francois-Regis Binder discovers

AIR 66 June July 2016_AFV/26 Jan/Feb 06 10/05/2016 11:38 Page 3

The F-106A was an American supersonic all-weather interceptor. It

AIR 66 June July 2016_AFV/26 Jan/Feb 06 10/05/2016 11:38 Page 4

Two types of seats and dash panel are

The front landing gear bay must be

The instruction plans are very clear and

you feel encouraged to start

The forward wheel bay interior is

immediately with the cockpit.

partially detailed but will remain largely

The cockpit is complete and finely

invisible on the finished model so more

detailed. There are two types of seat

than adequate for most modellers

offered (Weber zero-zero and Convair

rotational). Only the seat belts I felt

Its important to follow the instructions

should be redone, using foil this is the

and fix the forward landing gear at the

only improvement I made to this kit.

point stated otherwise it will be

The dashboard panel is supplied on

impossible to position it! On the other

the fret of photoetched parts and very

hand, you must be careful not to break

finely rendered. Both early and

the leg which protrudes (which is

standard instrument panels are

unfortunately exactly what happened to

included. Once painted the cockpit

looks superb in this scale with raised

The edges of the ducts are

More delicate moulding on the

An excellent feature of the kit is the complete air inlet

AIR 66 June July 2016_AFV/26 Jan/Feb 06 10/05/2016 11:38 Page 5

With the fuselage closed, the air

One very positive point is the

intakes can be fixed, I did find a

option to position the flaps down

small amount of filler was need for

(Meng provide two type of hinges).

a seamless joint here. At this step,

On the tailfin, the airbrake can be

the opened avionic compartments

fixed closed or opened. In each

in the nose should be painted if

case, it is important to follow the

you choose to display them.

instructions and fix them before