ALL THE INFORMATION YOU’LL EVER NEED

TO CREATE THE BEST AIRCRAFT MODELS 7 NEW BUILDS

INSIDE

FR E E HARRIER

T
MADE FOR TWO

GI F
WE CONTINUE WITH
OUR MAMMOTH 1:24 T.2
CONVERSION…

December 2016
S
IBER £4.50 / Issue 137
S U BSCIRNSIDE
FOR TAILS
DE

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FLY LIKE
A DEMON
GET THE BEST FROM
HASEGAWA’S 1:32
NAKAJIMA TYPE 2
“SHOKI”

14
THE ACE
MAKER
EDUARD’S 1:48
HELLCAT IS THE
PERFECT OUT OF THE
KIT BUILD BOX BUILD…
FIGHTING

WE TAKE AN IN-DEPTH LOOK AT TAMIYA’S

STUNNING 1:48 TOMCAT

PRIMED & READY TO FLY…

37

ZVEZDA’S 1:144 AIRBUS A321 9 7

771747 504052

MAI COVER 137.indd 1 04/11/2016 10:09

MAI137 P02.indd 8 03/11/2016 15:05
 How to contact us:
Tel: 01525 222573

Contents
Fax: 01525 222574
Model Airplane International. Doolittle Mill, Doolittle Lane,
Totternhoe, Bedfordshire, LU6 1QX, England

VOLUME 12. ISSUE 137. DECEMBER 2016 VOL.12 ISS.137 DECEMBER 2016
Editorial:
Editor: Spencer Pollard
spencer@doolittlemedia.com
Publisher: Alan Harman
REGULARS P22 A HARRIER MADE FOR TWO Group Editor: Marcus Nicholls
The editor converts the ancient Airfix 1:24 Harrier Administration Manager: Hannah McLaurie
Office Manager: Paula Gray
P04 - EDITORIAL Gr.1 into the T.2 trainer. This month we look at the
Advertising Manager: Sean Leslie
P06 - NEWSLINE cockpit interior.
P78 - EVENTS DIARY Art:
P79 - CONTACTS DETAILS P28 FIGHTING 14 Editorial Design: Peter Hutchinson
P81 - NEXT ISSUE Mike Williams takes a detailed look at Tamiya’s Advertising Design: Peter Hutchinson & Alex Hall
P82 - FINAL THOUGHTS… extraordinary 1:48 F-14 Tomcat.
Advertisement and circulation:
Model Airplane International, Doolittle Mill, Doolittle Lane,
REVIEWS P40 FLY LIKE A DEMON Totternhoe, Bedfordshire, LU6 1QX.
Chris McDowell builds Hasegawa’s Tel: 01525 222573 Fax: 01525 222574
P72 NEW RELEASES KITS 1:32 Ki-44 “Shoki” E-mail: sean@doolittlemedia.com
The latest kit releases assessed
P48 THE ACE MAKER Distribution:
Seymour Distribution, 2 East Poultry Avenue,
P76 NEW RELEASES BOOKS Nick Shuttleworth shows that Eduard’s 1:48 Hellcat London, EC1A 9PT.
Some of the latest aviation and modelling titles is the perfect out of the box build… Tel: 020 7429 4000

FEATURES 54 MIDGET MIG Newstrade:

Vitor Costa tackles Eduard’s diminutive Select Publisher Services, 3 East Avenue,
Bournemouth, BH3 7BW.
P8 PRIMED AND READY TO FLY! 1:72 MiG-15 UTI
Tel: 01202 586848 E-mail: tim@selectps.com
Marcus Jellyman builds Zvezda’s Airbus A321 in a
very unusual colour scheme… P62 KWIK BUILD - RAFALE Subscriptions:
Alan Price takes a quick look at Revell’s 1:48 kit. Model Airplane International, Doolittle Mill, Doolittle Lane,
P16 REFERENCE FEATURE Totternhoe, Bedfordshire, LU6 1QX. Tel: 01525 222573 Fax:
We take a look at the Airbus A321 and the P66 IN COLOUR! 01525 222574 Rates: UK £44, Eire and Europe £56,
Worldwide Air £69.
operators that fly this attractive aircraft Alan Firbank photographs the gorgeous Website: www.modelairplaneinternational.com
Dassault Rafale.

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Model Airplane International is published monthly by Doolittle Media, Doolittle Mill, Doolittle Lane, Totternhoe, Bedfordshire, LU6 1QX. Entire Contents © 2016 Doolittle Media, Reproduction
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Doolittle Media’s standard terms of acceptance of advertising, copies of which are available from the advertising sales department of MAI.

Issue 137 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 3

Contents 137.indd 3 04/11/2016 11:50

 EDITORIAL
TAMIYA; CONTINUING TO RAISE THE BAR WITH EACH NEW RELEASE…
R
e cently I had the singular
pleasure of building a pre-
release copy of Tamiya’s new
Tomcat. As a build it’s easy to
run out of superlatives for this
model. I have used every one I can think
of - awesome, eyewatering, stunning,
unbelievable, near-perfect etc., etc. And I
mean every single one of them. It is, without
doubt, the finest 1/48th model I have ever
built - and not by a small margin. In the
best traditions of Tamiya it is addictive
modelling - a quick sit at my desk to do
something minor would easily turn into a
session lasting a few hours. I literally had
to force myself to leave it alone sometimes.
And once finished? I was a little bit sad.
Had I had access to a second, and no prior
commitments to satisfy modelling wise, I
would have happily started it straight away.
For the sheer pleasure of modelling. You
know the last time I felt that about a model?
“ Tamiya don’t just raise the bar - to all intents and
purposes they ARE the bar.
4 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - December 2016
EDITORIAL 137.indd 2
Last year, when I built Tamiya’s 1/32nd scale
Mosquito for the importers.
You see, Tamiya has that effect. They
raise the bar EVERY SINGLE TIME. People
have looked at the outwardly conventional
assembly of the Tomcat, and compared it
to the latest slide moulded wonders coming
from others (Chinese, mainly) , usually
unfavourably. “Two part forward fuselage?
How very 1990’s, others are slide moulding
those in one piece now!” I’ve heard more
than once. I’ve seen it implied, and outright
said, that Tamiya are not using slide moulds,
which accounts for the more complex break
down. It’s rubbish - this model is loaded
with slide mould technology, Tamiya have
just used it differently, and on the back of
many decades of experience in raising the
bar. In addition to slide moulds being used
for clever assembly touches, one of its
main uses is in achieving undercuts and in
maintaining detail which would otherwise be
04/11/2016 11:51

lost or partially scrubbed out by mould draw
angles and the like. Where Tamiya excel is in
tolerances. I caught most of the minor seams
slide moulding leaves, but Tamiya’s precision
is such that I also missed a few, only noticing
them after the model had been built. And
those that I did find were the work of seconds
to fix.
Slide moulding is used extensively these
days, and is also usually easily spotted -
tolerances mean that often it leaves very
visible seam to be dealt with, and occasionally
that is to the detriment of the very detail it was
meant to preserve. Clumsily used it’s a double
edged sword. It’s all about the tolerances,
an area Tamiya always have, and continue
to lead the pack. Their engineering is quietly
brilliant, not ostentatiously showy. Check out
the wheels on the Mosquito - with each tyre
being made of around 18-20 interlocking
tread pieces. People were practically lighting
torches and sharpening pitchforks over this
when it was first shown. Whereas those of us
who knew a bit about the Mosquito, and a
bit about engineering, were able to look, and
nod our heads in appreciation. Without a resin
casting, or a 3D print there is absolutely no
way you’d preserve a perfect tread pattern on
those tyres any other way. Factor in Tamiya’s
incredible tolerances and the end result was
a wheel and tyre that looks complex but took
no more than a few minutes to assemble,
and fitted absolutely perfectly, leaving a
staggeringly nice result. The Tomcat takes
that theme and runs with it. Never have I
been able to keep such a complex shape in
so many sub assemblies right to the point of
final assembly (yes, after the paint scheme
had been done). . the fit is so perfect, the
EDITORIAL 137.indd 3
‘Europe’s Number One Model Shops’
www.hannants.co.uk
tolerances so tight that it didn’t just make it
POSSIBLE, it made it PREFERABLE, knowing
that there would be no issues with it later.
The knock on effect of Tamiya’s approach is
in tool life and quality. Their 1/48th Spitfire is
nearly 25 years old now. Now, this model has
significant shape issues to be sure (source
material for design was somewhat lacking and
inaccurate), but it built perfectly, I never used
a drop of filler back in 1993 on mine. But the
thing is, were I asked to build another now, I
am completely confident that my experience
of a fresh pressing of that tool would be the
same as the one I had in 1993 - pretty much
perfect. The tolerances were so tight in the GWHL1002 1:144
first place that the mould has practically Avro Vulcan K.2 Tanker £29.99
protected itself from wear issues, and flash
and detail loss and the like. How many times
do people talk of an older kit and recommend
“finding an early boxing - it’ll fit better and
have less flash” . . . that doesn’t happen with
Tamiya. Their tools suffer the ravages of time
far less than others , and let’s be honest,
some manufacturers have tools that barely
last to a second edition without showing
significant wear issues these days. Not so the
“Big T”.
So the next time someone criticises Tamiya
for lacking innovation, take a step back and
look at the evidence carefully. Because while
others are making big showy “innovations”, GWHL1003 1:144
Tamiya are just getting on with being quietly BAC TSR.2 £24.99
brilliant, and repeatedly near perfect. There
is a reason any new release from them is a
major event. And this Tomcat just proves it.
Tamiya don’t just raise the bar - to all intents
and purposes they ARE the bar.
(Drewe Manton)
GWHL1004 1:144
Handley-Page Victor B.2 £29.99
GWHL1005 1:144
Handley-Page Victor K.2 £32.99
H.G.Hannant Ltd,
Harbour Road, Oulton Broad, Lowestoft, Suffolk, NR32 3LZ, England.
Open from 09.00 to 17.30 Monday to Saturday.
Phone: 00 44 (0)1502 517444 (8 lines)
0845 130 72 48 local rate
from UK phones only (NOT mobiles)
Fax: 00 44 (0)1502 500521
E-Mail: sales@hannants.co.uk
04/11/2016 11:51
 Newsline
NEW SQUADRON SIGNAL BOOKS AVAILABLE FROM
DOOLITTLE MEDIA!
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Originally created as an attack aircraft, with the
designation A-26, the Invader was designed to
replace the A-20 Havoc, North American B-25
Mitchell and the Martin B-26 Marauder for the
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prevented the aircraft from reaching the field until
June 1944.
With as many as 14 forward-firing .50 caliber
machine guns as well as bombs and rockets, the
Invader was well-suited for ground strikes when the
Korean War broke out in 1951.
The Invader flew into combat and carried the
markings of the U.S. Air Force as the
re-designated B-26.
Later, the French used the Invader during their war in
Vietnam. Shortly after the United States entered the
conflict, Invaders returned to the sky over Vietnam in
the hands of American as well as South
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In order to base the aircraft type in Thailand, which
prohibited USAF bombers, the Invader was once
more classified as an attack aircraft, and the A-26
designation returned.
This new title is profusely illustrated with more than
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Price: £14.99
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AND THERE’S MORE..!

Along with the A-26 title seen above, we have stocks of all of the new Squadron Signal titles, covering a whole raft of diverse subjects. If you’d like to see more, please
visit our online store where you will find details of each one and how you can order them for your library:
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The latest arrivals are as follows:

10243 Messerschmitt Bf-109 In Action (Softcover)
10216 F6F Hellcat In Action (Softcover)
10210 B-26 Marauder In Action (Softcover)
10239 B-58 Hustler In Action (Softcover)
10240 V-22 Osprey In Action (Softcover)

KITTYHAWK MODELS
www.kittyhawkmodel.com
RUSSIAN HEAVY METAL TO PLEASE MODERN AIRCRAFT FANS…
Kitty hawk has used their popular Facebook page to announce two new Russian jet kits that
will be released over the new few months or so, both of which are iconic Sukhoi designs: the
Su-17/22 M3/M4 and the Su-34 “Fullback”. Modelled in 1:48, the images released so far reveal
plenty of fine detail and given the size of both of these aircraft (especially the Fullback!), the
resulting models will be large and impressive in the display case! We have no more details as we
go to print, but will bring you more details when we have them.

6 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - December 2016

NEWSLINE 137.indd 2 08/11/2016 14:26

 AIRFIX
www.airfix.com
MODELS ARE LIKE BUSES: YOU WAIT FOR ONE AND TWO COME ALONG
AT THE SAME TIME…
Following the announcement last month that MENG Models would be releasing a new kit of the North
American P-51 Mustang in 1:48, Airfix has announced that they will also be releasing a 1:48 kit of this
iconic aircraft. Here is what Airfix has to say on the release of this kit, next year:

“The new 1:48 North American P-51D Mustang (A05131) will feature the impressive levels of detail
associated with this slightly larger scale and will also incorporate a number of different build options for
the modeller to consider. As you would expect, the model will be able to be finished in either flight, or
static configuration, with the latter providing the modeller with a number of alternative options, such as
canopy position, flaps and undercarriage door positioning. The kit will also allow the modeller to build
different versions of the ‘D’ model Mustang, from the first machines introduced into service, to the later
aircraft which featured a number of improvements - this will very much appeal to fans of this magnificent
aeroplane. There will also be a number of weapon and under-wing drop tank options available, which will
allow the modeller to produce a great many of the attractive Mustang schemes we will all be familiar with.
This exciting new 1:48 P-51D Mustang is due for release in August 2017 and we look forward to bringing
you regular updates over the coming weeks. To receive notification of when this Magnificent Mustang is
available for pre-order, please sign up for the Airfix e-mail newsletter and be at the head of the pack.”

More news when we get it!

NEWSLINE 137.indd 3 08/11/2016 14:55

 ★
KIT BUILD
SKILL LEVEL: BEGINNER/INTERMEDIATE

BUILT AND WRITTEN BY MARCUS JELLYMAN

SPECIFICATION:

PRIMED AND
Zvezda 1:144 Airbus A321
Kit No: 7017
Material: IM
Availability: Zvezda Stockists

BEFORE STARTING:
● Tamiya Extra Thin Cement
● Tamiya masking Tape: 6 mm/10 mm/18 mm
● Gunze-Sangyo Mr.Cement S We build Zvezda’s Airbus A321, finishing it in a
very unusual colour scheme…
● Gunze-Sangyo Mr.Mark Setter
● Gunze-Sangyo Mr.Mark Softer
● Gunze-Sangyo Mr.Surfacer 500

H
● Squadron White Putty
● Flory Models Sponge sanders
● Anderson Models Curved scissors aving already built Zvezda’s cemented in place for an aircraft in the
● Expo Tweezers excellent Airbus A320 and cruise. Unlike the Revell kit, both current
● GS Hypo Cement
● Olfa-P Cutter Ilyushin IL-62 kits before, engine options are also included, but only
● 3M Scotch Tape No: 471/06404 3mm I was pretty confident that build instructions for the CFM equipped
● UNI PIN Fine Line Marker Pen 0.05 mm
● Evergreen stripe
their Airbus A321 would also aircraft on the box (future releases will
● Lion Roar scribing template be a winner. Box art is in the form of no doubt change). Another nice addition
● ZAP Thin CA an Airbus Industries liveried A321 lifting is a complete cockpit and forward galley
off at night, and inside are three sprues area which allows the modeller to leave
AIRBUSH USED: moulded in grey plastic and one for the the forward L1 door open and add detail
Harder & Steenback Evolution
clear parts. The sprue mouldings and inside. To show off all your hard work
PAINTS USED:
Mr Hobby Acrylic:
detail are very good indeed and are up in the cockpit, the clear cockpit window
H21 Off White there with the top manufacturers. Zvezda parts come as a crown-type affair which
H51 Light Gull Grey have included parts to allow the modeller is by far a better design than struggling
H308 Grey FS:36375
218 Mr. Metal Color Aluminium to build the aircraft in no less than four to fit and make good, the old style of
Mr.Color Leveling Thinner different configurations. Two sets of glazing.
Tamiya Acrylics: flaps and landing gear allow the model
X-14 Sky Blue to be built either posed on the ground The aircraft to be modelled
X-25 Clear Red
X-27 Clear Green
or landing/taking off. There are also With my main interest being aviation
XF-2 Flat White landing gear doors supplied that can be photography, I like to generally build aircraft
XF-4 Yellow Green
XF-21 Sky
XF-60 Dark Yellow
XF-69 Nato Black
XF-71 Cockpit Green
X-20A Acrylic Thinner

Vallejo:
71.005 Azul Intermediate Blue
71.023 Hemp
71.025 Amarillo Panzer Dark Yellow
73.601 Grey Primer
73.602 Black Primer
77.701 Metal Color Aluminium
77.704 Metal Color Pale Burnt Metal
77.713 Metal Color Jet Exhaust
77.720 Metal Color Gunmetal

8 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - December 2016

PRIMED AND READY TO FLY.indd 2 04/11/2016 11:53

★★
ND READY TO FLY…
I have seen or photographed. The Royal Air
Maroc (RAM) A321 featured here was seen
on a trip to the Airbus factory at Hamburg
Finkenwerder in October 2003 and is seen
back tracking the runway for another test flight
before delivery. The aircraft wore a German
test registration D-AVZS, with the number
‘2079’ next to it being the manufacturer’s serial
number, meaning the 2079th aircraft built.
Delivered to RAM a month later as CN-RNY,
it flew with the company until 2012 before
being stored at Casablanca for over a year.
S7 Airlines of Novosibirsk, Russia bought the
aircraft in late 2013, and she continues to fly
with them.

Cockpit Area
From the offset, the quality of the Zvezda
A321 comes through with the well thought
out design of the cockpit and its glazing.
There is no doubt exposing the interior of the
cockpit adds realism to the finish of the model,
and Zvezda have made this an easy task to

PRIMED AND READY TO FLY.indd 3

achieve. Gone are the days of ill-fitting glazing
which had the transparency of a mud bog and
that took an age to fit and make presentable.
Zvezda use a crown type affair of glazing that
when carefully fitted requires minimal work
to make good. Having the joints away from
the glazing also reduces the chances of them
being scratched when sanding. A good tip is to
mask them before installation which will further
reduce the chances of damage.
Before painting the the cockpit I first primed
all parts with Vallejo Grey Primer 71.601
and once dry, I then masked the numerous
avionics panels around the cockpit. Main
colour for the cockpit was Vallejo 71.005 Azul
Intermediate Blue which is a good match
for the Airbus cockpit. To add the instrument
details to the avionics panels I used a fine 0.05
mm black fine line marker from Uni Pin. Using
the pen method is so much easier than trying
to paint them, on. Both crew seats were left in
Grey primer, and to add some detail to them, I
cut up small pieces of 800 grit wet & dry paper
for the seat cushions and cemented them into
place. With the cockpit parts bought together
it was set aside until the fuselage halves were
ready to be joined.

Fuselage & Wing Unit

Zvezda supply strips of clear windows for the
cabin which look great; however using these
would require them to be individually masked
before painting. Most airliner decal sets come
with windows to replace the glazed parts
anyway, and they are of such good quality that
all the effort needed to use the kit parts would
be wasted. Using the decal route requires

Issue 137 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 9

04/11/2016 11:54
 KIT BUILD
SKILL LEVEL: BEGINNER/INTERMEDIATE

As I would be using decals for the windows, the build began

with blanking these out. Evergreen Styrene Strip (0.5 - 4.0
mm) was cut to length and cemented into place. I brushed
the cement onto the strip before placing it in the fuselage
halves as to avoid any glue running through the window
openings and marking the model.

the window recesses to be filled and sanded
flat before painting. To achieve this I first
cemented lengths of Evergreen Strip Styrene
along the inside of each fuselage halves,
taking care not to apply too much cement so
that it runs through the window openings and
marks the fuselage. Applying the cement to the
strip before laying it into the fuselage will help
keep everything nice and tidy.
With the fuselage halves curing I moved
onto the wing section. This is another area
that Zvezda have assisted the modeller with
their design which has greatly reduces the
workload. The bottom halves of the wings are
incorporated into the centre wing box of the

Setting out sub-assemblies that can be cemented together will Zvezda designers have helped the modeller with the fit of the Before filling the windows, masking tape was laid over all the
save you time waiting for parts to cure. Here the tops of the wing box and belly of the aircraft. They have used existing panel adjacent panel lines to avoid any damage when sanding the
wings are being cemented onto the large wing/belly section. lines as joints, and so require very little work to gain a good fit. model smooth.

Squadron White putty is my preferred product for filling. Try not The cockpit parts were primed with Vallejo and the instrument Both crew seats are a little bland, so I added seat cover
to use too much as it will only take longer to sand and will also panels masked before painting the whole thing with Vallejo fashioned from small pieces of 800 grit Wet & Dry before setting
increase the risk of damaging the model by over sanding. 71.005 Intermediate Blue. the seats into place.

10 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - December 2016

PRIMED AND READY TO FLY.indd 4 04/11/2016 11:54

 aircraft that fits snuggly into the belly of the
fuselage. Both upper and lower surfaces
of the wings were then cemented together
and small clip attached to keep everything
in line, ready for mating to the fuselage.
Moving back to the fuselage, I applied
thin strips of masking tape over the panel
lines to give them some sort of protection
during the sanding process. To fill the
window recesses I used Squadrons White
Putty applied with an old steel rule acting
as a putty knife. When using the putty
method, a couple of applications may be
needed due to the putty shrinking as it Sadly no decals are included in the kit for the cockpit The assembled cockpit is now ready to be installed into the
instruments, so I used a Black 0.05 fine line marker pen to pick fuselage halves.
dries. Before mating the fuselage halves
out the display screens and associated instruments.
together I added a small roll of lead behind
the cockpit as ballast to reduce the risk
of a tail sitter. There is no call for any
weight in the instructions but it’s better to
be safe than sorry. During the last couple
of airliners I have built, I experimented
with various ways of bringing the fuselage
halves together to get the best possible
fit. For this, I first place a small amount of
superglue (Cyanoacrylate) on the nose of
the fuselage and let it cure, and then do
the same at the rear. I then use a scalpel
blade and prise the two halves apart and
run Tamiya extra thin cement along the
open seam. The blade is removed allowing The instructions do not state that any counter weights are With the nose and tail of the fuselage super glued together, a
me to manipulate the joint and get the needed to prevent a tail sitter but it’s always a safe option to scalpel blade is used to gently prize the two halves apart and
best possible fit possible. Taking your time add a few grams just in case. Tamiya Extra Thin cement run along the joint.

Once the fuselage halves had been bought together the fit
of the cockpit section was excellent.

Issue 137 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 11

PRIMED AND READY TO FLY.indd 5 04/11/2016 11:54

 KIT BUILD
SKILL LEVEL: BEGINNER/INTERMEDIATE
To remove the fuselage seam lines, various grades of Flory
Models sanding pads were used to gain a super smooth finish.
When sanding the seam lines on any model you are inevitably
going to remove the delicate panel line from the kit. These will
need reinstating, so I use lengths of 3mm Scotch tape as a
guide and run my Olfa-P cutter through the panel lines.
over this process will save you time and effort
when sanding the joint for that super smooth
finish required on airliners. After an hour or
so to let the cement cure I set about sanding
the windows smooth using various grades of
Zvezda designers have helped the modeller with the fit of the
wing box and belly of the aircraft. They have used existing panel
lines as joints, and so require very little work to gain a good fit.
For the metallics on the CFM 56 engines, I decided to try the
new Vallejo Metal Color range for the first time and wasn’t
disappointed. Colours used were Aluminium, Burnt Pale Metal,
Jet Exhaust and Gun Metal.
12 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - December 2016
PRIMED AND READY TO FLY.indd 6
Cockpit glazing has always been the problem area of airliner kits, often being of a poor fit or very thick, making the job of getting a
good finish without damaging it almost impossible. Zvezda has chosen the ‘crown’ type fit which eradicates of all the previous short
comings. Here I have used GS Hypo watch makers glue to set it in place before masking the windows with Tamiya tape.
Flory Models sanding pads. This can get a perfectly into position and to lessen the risk
little messy with the amount of dust produced, of fogging, watchmaker’s glue was used to
so a quick wash of the model was necessary secure it. Wanting the cockpit visible, I then
to remove any particles before attaching the masked the glazing with Tamiya tape ready
cockpit glazing. The cockpit glazing fitted for priming. I used Halfords Grey primer to
Here the wing fairings have been cemented into place. The Tamiya masking tape and a new sharp scalpel blade were
extended flaps with eventually be mounted on these. used to mask the cockpit windows. Burnishing the tape onto
the windows will show up the frames and where the cuts are
required.
With the fuselage sanded smooth, a couple of light coats of Mixing the colours for the main fuselage would require plenty
Halfords Grey Primer from a spray can were applied and left to of colours, so I trawled my collection of Greens & Browns and
dry for a few hours. picked anything I thought would be of use.
04/11/2016 11:54
 give the model a light dusting; this will show
up any seams and blemishes that require
further work.
There is the option to have the flaps and
leading edges in their deployed state, so
I decided to model the aircraft as it would
look vacating the runway after landing. Two large sheets of plasticard were used for colour test cards. Tamiya’s Fine Surface White Primer is ideal for airliner ‘white’
No assembling is needed for these parts, I mixed various colours and shades which were airbrushed and is now my preferred method of painting them. It sprays
and after a study of the instructions, the onto the card and notes made next to each one with details of beautifully from the can, leaving a super smooth satin finish that
relevant parts were removed and set aside colours and quantities of the mix. needs no further work.
for priming. To ease painting at a later stage
I also left the horizontal stabilisers off the
model until the end of the build.

Engines & Landing Gear

The Airbus A32X family of aircraft are
available to customers with a choice
of engines from two manufacturers,
these being CFM International and IAE
(International Aero Engines). Both engine
types are included in the Zvezda kit;
however there are only instructions for the
CFM type. If you decided to build an aircraft
with the IAE engines it is not difficult to
piece the remaining parts together without
the aid of instructions. For my build I would
be using the CFM type, and once the parts
were removed from their sprues I set about
cleaning them up ready for painting. At the
time of the build, Vallejo had just released
their new range of Metallic Color range of
paints so decided to give them a try, and
I have to say they airbrushed beautifully
The first shade of green was a mix of XF-4 Yellow Green and XF-21 Sky and was airbrushed over the entire fuselage.
with no issues whatsoever. For the engines
I used a range of colours that included
Aluminium, Pale Burnt Metal, Jet Exhaust
and Gunmetal. Reference pictures showed
the intake area colours to be a range of
colours depending on the age of the engine
and as the aircraft would be modelled as if it
were just off the production line, I settled on
Gunze Mr.Color H-51 Off-White. Studying
reference pictures also showed a ring of a
Yellow/Brown composite material that runs
around where the fan blades spin. I made
some simple masks by looping a piece of
paper into a tube that follows the internal After masking the fuselage and still using the mix of XF-2 Yellow The tailplane, antennae’s and areas of over spray from the
shape of each engine and then simply Green and XF-21 Sky, I mix lighter and darker shades using manufacturing process were masked and airbrushed with H-21
Gunze Mr Hobby Off White and Tamiya XF-58 Olive Green. Off White.
airbrushed Tamiya’s XF-60 Dark Yellow
over the masks. Once the engines cowlings
had been cemented together and cleaned
up, the exteriors were then painted Grey
with Gunze Aqueous H308 (FS363750).
To complete the engines, the pylons were
painted Gunze Aqueous H51 Light Gull
Grey. Zvezda also supply decals for the
metallic areas of the pylons which is a great
help to the builder.
Two sets of landing gear are included
in the kit, one with extended oleos for an
aircraft off the ground, and one standard
set. I first prepared the wheels by removing
the mould seam down the centre of each
one and then removing a small amount of
plastic off the bottom to represent a tyre
under load. Tamiya XF-69 NATO Black is
a good choice for painting tyres, so this
was airbrushed over the tyres and wheel
hubs. To paint the white wheel hubs I tried
a new technique using a scribing template
To paint the nose section of the aircraft I used a mix of Vallejo 71.025 Amarillo Panzer Dark Yellow and 71.023 Hemp.

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 KIT BUILD
SKILL LEVEL: BEGINNER/INTERMEDIATE
Numerous composite materials make up the fairings on the belly of the aircraft and are again supplied in a range of colours from different manufacturers. The Brown shades were again from the test
cards I had produced prior to the build, with the others being Vallejo Black primer and Tamiya’s X-14 Sky Blue.
for circles. The template was offered up to the
wheels and the correct size hole noted. This
was then masked off leaving only the required
size hole exposed; it was then placed over the
hubs and airbrushed Tamiya XF-1 White. For
the landing gear struts I used Gunze’s superb
Mr Color Aluminium, this can be handbrushed
with great results.
Paint
Without doubt the most interesting and difficult
part of the build would be the painting and
matching of the many shades of colour the
aircraft was painted in. With Airbus Industries
being a multi-national company, many of
the components to build the aircraft are
manufactured in different countries. These
include the sub-assemblies for the fuselage,
Reference shots show the composite nose cone painted black
with some white randomly sprayed applied.
14 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - December 2016
PRIMED AND READY TO FLY.indd 8
which are then shipping to the production
lines, either by air, sea or road. One visual
indication of this is the different shades each
fuselage section has been primed in. I first
began by gathering together all of the paints
I thought that would be needed out of my
collection, and then began the long process
to mix and match colours to achieve what was
needed. When mixing colours it is so easy to
just chuck paint into the colours cup and spray
away, but nine times out of ten your cup will
run dry before you’re finished and then you
have the task of trying to match it once again
(I have done it many times!). So for this build
I cut a couple of large pieces of plasticard to
use as colour charts and began mixing, all the
time making a note of what was being added.
I then airbrushed each mix onto the card and
Studying reference pictures also showed a ring of a Yellow/
Brown composite material that runs around where the fan
blades spin. I made some simple masks by looping a piece of
paper into a tube that follows the internal shape of each engine
and then simply airbrushed Tamiya’s XF-60 Dark Yellow over
the masks.
wrote down the ratios for each section of the
fuselage.
Before beginning the painting process, the
fuselage was first given a coat of Tamiya Fine
White Primer from a spray can, which gave
me a good smooth, uniform coloured base
to start from. I began with the lightest shade
of Green/Yellow, giving the whole airframe a
coat of Tamiya XF-4 Yellow Green mixed with
XF-21 Sky. The lighter centre section was
the same mix of XF-4/XF-21 lightened with
Gunze Aqueous H-21 Off White. Moving to
the nose section of the aircraft I used a mix
of Vallejo 71.025 Amarillo Panzer Dark Yellow
and 71.023 Hemp. Each colour was also
lightened during the painting process to add
some variation as seen on the real aircraft.
The doors were then masked and airbrushed
The wings were painted with a mix of Gunze Aqueous H-51
Light Gull Grey and H-308 (FS36375). These were thinned with
Gaia Notes ‘Moderate’ thinner with a couple of drops of Gunze
Mr Retarder Mild to slow the drying time of the paint and reduce
clogging of the airbrush.
04/11/2016 11:54
 With the painting process now complete, the model was given a couple of coats of Johnsons Klear and set aside to dry for a couple of days.

Tamiya XF-71 Cockpit Green, and the model
set aside for a day or to fully dry.
From my photos of the aircraft, it shows
areas of over spray over the top of each door
and the fairings around the wing spare area.
Each door was masked and these painted
Gunze Aqueous H-21 Off White. I also painted
the two antennae on the roof of the fuselage
as well as the tail. Numerous composite
materials make up the fairings on the belly
of the aircraft and are again supplied in a
range of colours from different manufacturers.
The Brown shades were again from the test
cards I had produced prior to the build, with
the others being Vallejo Black primer and
Tamiya’s X-14 Sky Blue. With the fuselage
completed I moved onto painting the wings
and horizontal stabilisers. I first airbrushed the
flaps, speed brakes and elevators with Gunze
Aqueous H-51 Light Gull Grey, and after
masking painted the rest of the wing areas
with Gunze Aqueous H-308 FS 36375 Grey.
The entire model was then given a gloss coat
of Johnsons Future Floor polish to produce a
glossy finish for the decalling process.
Decals
After deciding on a colour scheme for the
build, I had trouble finding the Royal Air
Maroc tail markings so made the decision to
print them myself. I already had to print the
registration and manufacturers serial number
details, so all I had to find was a decent
high resolution image of the tail markings.
Before committing to print on decal paper, I
first selected the correct font for the aircraft
registrations and small manufacturer’s serial
numbers that are stencilled on the fuselage
sections, and printed these on regular paper.
Once happy with the size and style of the text
I printed a line of each type, again on regular
paper and noted the position of the text. To not
waste decals paper I cut enough to cover the gear, as any misalignment will without doubt
text on the printed sheet and fixed the decal spoil the look of the model. For the anti-
paper over the top with masking tape, making collision lights, I cut small pieces off the clear
sure the tape was well stuck down. The sheet sprue and shaped them into domes; these
was then passed through the laser printer were then painted with Tamiya X-25 Clear Red
once again this time printing on the decal and then attached to the model. Finally, the
paper. I did exactly the same the tail markings, wing fences (winglets) were fitted to the wing
with the only difference being I had to invert tips. ■
the image to produce the tail markings for
either side of the tail.
For the aircrafts cockpit and cabin windows
I had a spare set of screen printed decals
from TwoSix. The photograph of the aircraft
at Hamburg also shows what appear to be
labels stuck to each of the cabin windows, so
a quick look in the spares box produced a set
of thin white lines that were wing walk areas
on a BAC Lightning. These were cut into small
squares and patiently added to the windows.
To aid the application of the thick laser printed
decals, Gunze Sangyo’s Mr Mark Setter and
Softer were utilised, making the process and
breeze. The ‘Setter’ allows you to move the
I decided to print my own decals for the build, and began by
decal into position with ease; a cotton bud finding the correct font and size required before committing to
(q-tip) is then rolled across the decal to remove print on to decal paper.
any fluid and air from below the decal that may
cause silvering. After a few minutes the ‘Softer’
solution is applied which softens the decal,
pulling it into any panel lines or contours it may
be covering.
Finishing Off
Without doubt my favourite part of any build,
adding all the small parts that make the model
come to life. Attaching the slaps and slats
was an absolute breeze; the fit of these parts
was exceptional, needed no trimming at all.
The landing gear and gear doors then were
assembled and cemented into place, taking The Royal Air Maroc tail markings were also laser printed. I
care to get all the wheels in line and touching only had one image of the markings which were re-sized and
inverted to achieve both sides.
the ground. Using a slow cure Cyanoacrylate
glue will help with the positioning of the landing

FINAL VERDICT
Having previously built their Airbus A320 and Ilyushin IL-62, Zvezda has again produced a little gem in their
A321. From the separate flying surfaces to the quality of the mouldings and the ease at which it builds, it
certainly is a great airliner kit that is a pleasure to build. With both engines variants included, too, and
with the vast array of decals available, the choice of aircraft to build is endless. I thoroughly recommend
the kit, and with the release of several new kits this year, including the Boeing B777-300 and B787-900, I
will be building more in the future.

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 REFERENCE FEATURE
THE AIRBUS INDUST
WRITTEN AND PHOTOGRAPHED BY MARCUS JELLYMAN
A
s the hugely successful A320 went into service in
1988, and with commitments for 1983 aircraft from 10
customers, the designers at Airbus were already putting
pencils to paper, designing the first of what would be
four derivatives of the A320. The new A321 would be a
stretched version of the standard A320 with a fuselage extension
totalling 6.94 metres (22ft 9 in). Four plugs, two in front of the
wing at 4.27 metres (14ft 0 in) and two aft at 2.67 metres (8ft 9 in),
would be inserted to achieve the new length of 44.51 metres. Other
modifications were an increased wing area and double slotted flaps
to maintain performance.
16 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - December 2016
REF FEATURE AIRBUS.indd 2
The maiden flight of the aircraft (F-WWIA) took place on the 11th
of March 1993 and deliveries began to the two launch customers
Germanys Lufthansa and Italy’s Alitalia just under a year later in
January and March 1994 respectively. Like the A320, the A321 would
be offered with a choice of engines that included the International Aero
Engine (IAE) V2500, which powered prototype aircraft No.1, and the
CFM56-5B which powered prototype No.2. However the basic A321-
100s would have a reduced range compared to the A320 due the fact
that extra fuel tanks were omitted because of extra weight penalties.
To overcome this, Airbus soon launched the ‘200’ series which would
benefit from higher thrust engines, increased maximum take-off weight
04/11/2016 11:55
 Airbus A321-231SL msn 5546 of Turkish Airlines was delivered new to the airlines base at Istanbul Ataturk airport in
January 2014 and named ‘Van’ is seen departing Dusseldorf, Germany in March 2015. The aircraft is sports Airbus’
‘Sharklet’ winglet system and is powered by the IAE V2533-A5 option.

STRIES A321
and additional fuel tanks for greater range. The ‘200’ first flew in
December of 1996 with the first aircraft entering service with the UK
airline Monarch in April 1997.
Built in Hamburg, Germany, the A321 would be the first Airbus to
be built outside of France, and following the A321, the A319 and A318
would also be built there. As of the end of September 2016, nearly 1400
A321s had been delivered with around 350 still to be delivered.
The Airbus A321neo (New Engine Option)
In 2006 Airbus began research and development into improvements
to the A320 family. They included improvements to the aerodynamics,
engines and cabin. The most noticeable of these was the addition of
large winglets (Airbus name Sharklets). These modifications would
increase either payload of the aircraft or add an additional 100 nautical
miles range. Known as the A320ceo (Current engine option) deliveries
of these aircraft began in December of 2012. The future for the A320
is the NEO (New engine option). Two brand new engines options have
been developed, and with new interior layout, will provide airlines with
a further 20 per cent improvement in fuel consumption and an extra
500 nautical miles range. The first aircraft flew in September 2014 and
deliveries began at the end of 2015.
The Airbus A321neo first took to the air in February 2016, but suffered

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 REFERENCE FEATURE

Airbus A321-211 msn 0970 in the colours of German carrier, Germania. Delivered to Sabena, the national airline of Belgium in February 1999 she flew with them until their bankruptcy
in 2001. The aircraft then flew in Tunisia until joining Germania in May 2014. Photographed leaving Dusseldorf in March 2015, and has the CFMI CFM56-5B engines powering it.

Airbus A321-231
msn 2536 of
British Airways is
seen departing
Dusseldorf on
a return flight
to its base at
London Heathrow.
Delivered new
to the airline in
August 2005
and uses the IAE
V2533-A5 engine.

Airbus A321-232
msn 3462 of Greek
Airline, Aegean.
Based at Athens’
International
Airport since
delivery in 2008,
the aircraft is seen
departing London
Stansted for the
Greek capital.

REF FEATURE AIRBUS.indd 4 08/11/2016 14:56

 a tail strike soon after, requiring a few weeks of
repairs causing several weeks of delays to the
certification programme. The airframe shares
over 95% of the parts of the current A321, but
improvements with composites and alloys and
a reconfiguration of the cabin that will optimise
cabin space, the ‘neo’ is quickly becoming the
leader in its market. Aiding the A321neo success
is Boeing stop producing the B757 which would
have been a direct competitor the A321neo, and
their replacement, the B737-900MAX is basically
an update of a 1960’s design. Airbus have further
enhanced the aircraft with the A321LR, a new

Airbus A321-211 msn 2117 of KTHY Cyprus Turkish Airlines is seen arriving at London Stansted
on a summers evening in August 2008. Delivered new in 2004 and flew with the airline until their
failure in 2010, she now flies with Ural Airlines of Russia.

Airbus A321-211 msn 0684 of CSA Czech Airlines is seen departing London
Stansted on the 20th December 2008 for Prague. Originally delivered to Air
France in June 1997, the aircraft has had a number of operators and currently
flies with Germania based in Munich.

Airbus A321-232 msn 2730 is seen in the striking colour scheme of Royal
Jordanian Airlines on approach to London Heathrow’s runway 27 Left
on the 6th November 2007. The aircraft now flies with Monarch Airlines
based at Luton.

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 REFERENCE FEATURE

The IAE V2500 was offered soon after the CFM International engine and it different in appearance to the CFM. It is a collaboration of several large aero engine manufacturers including,
Rolls Royce and Pratt & Whitney.

CFM’s 56-5B engine powered the first of the A320 family of aircraft and is a joint venture between Safran Aircraft Engines (Formerly SNECMA), France and General Electric of the US. There are currently
10,000 of these engines powering Airbus’ around the world.

variant of Airbus’ A321neo, deliveries of which

will begin in 2019, and will have the longest
range of any single-aisle jetliner, able to fly
routes of up to 4,000 nm. It is ideally suited to
transatlantic routes, and enables airlines to
tap into new long-haul markets that were not
previously accessible with current single-aisle
aircraft.
To date 1,310 A321neos have been ordered
by the world’s airlines giving the aircraft a
significant share of the market in its class. ■

Airbus A321-211 msn 2270 in the classic colours of the national airline of Spain, Iberia. Delivered new to the airlines in late 2004 and named ‘Palmeral De Elche’. She is seen here taxiing for departure
from its base at Madris Barajas on a bitterly cold day in December 2008.

Airbus A321-211 msn 1994 in the great

colour scheme of German tour operator
LTU International Airways is seen taxiing for
departure from Madrid Barajas on the 15th May
2007. Following their takeover of LTU, the aircraft
retains the same registration but flies in the
colours of Air Berlin.
20 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - December 2016

REF FEATURE AIRBUS.indd 6 04/11/2016 11:56

 BUILT AND WRITTEN BY SPENCER POLLARD

A HARRIER
MADE FOR TWO
This month we take a look at the construction and detailing of the cockpit.

With the nose complete and set (I left it for two weeks to start to settle down - time would show This picture gives you some idea of the number of pieces I cut before I had parts that were
that it would need several more months to begin to fully dry out…), the formers for the cockpit accurately shaped! Much trial and error was needed before the complex pieces had been cut - this
floors and bulkheads could be created from 1 mm plasticard. little lot taking almost a full day to sort out. When doing this, never be afraid to remake parts if they
are not correct; all you are wasting if you get it wrong is some plasticard and a little time.

Test-fitting the seats and windscreen. The windscreen turned out to be a really poor fit, needing much filling and sanding before it
would — eventually — blend in with the upper nose. The kit seats, unmodified, can be seen in this shot.

HARRIER MADE FOR TWO PART 2.indd 2 04/11/2016 11:56

 The cockpit was detailed with plasticard, rod and strip, following closely not only the pictures that I
took at the Jet Age Museum, but also those taken by Andy King and also supplied by David Haggas
of far more complete examples! When contemplating a build like this, it’s best to try and plan what
you are going to make and how each piece will fit together, before you start to cut plastic - doing so
after, will, as we will see, often end badly…
With the front cockpit done, I could move on to the rear station. In order to make the lining up of the
various bits and pieces as accurate as possible, the floors and bulkheads were glued in place and
then all detail built around those structures - everything being painted in situ.
…That being so, there was no option but to rip the
cockpit apart, remove the floor and bulkhead and
start again. To say I wasn’t happy, is something of an
understatement!
HARRIER MADE FOR TWO PART 2.indd 3
The front cockpit was the first area to be fully detailed. This is, like the rest of the Harrier’s cockpit,
something of a Heath Robinson affair, the layout being dictated seemingly by need, rather than
ergonomics and appearance! Here, the console is in place as are the gauges for the oxygen and
cockpit control gauges and the plumbing and control for the anti-G gradient selector and control
switch. Note the split console and it’s angled shape.
This is when things started to go south. When building the central windscreen, I couldn’t get
everything to line up properly and it was only then that I noticed that the rear cockpit bulkhead and
thus the ejection seat, was 5 mm too far forward…
Issue 137 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 23
04/11/2016 11:57
 Here are the new parts in place, correctly located
to allow the major cockpit features to fit accurately
against each other. What’s that about measuring
twice and cutting once?!

Though rebuilding the rear cockpit was a pain, the resulting detail was actually neater and more
accurate than my first attempt. Unlike the front cockpit, where there is plenty of detail and the
look is rather cramped, the rear cockpit is somewhat empty and bare. Some features are repeated
though, such as the oxygen gauges. The bundles of cabling were created with fine electrical and
lead wire.
The lefthand wall of the rear cockpit features a simple console that carries the throttle and engine
nozzle controls. As with the other details within the cockpit, I tried to copy as closely as I could
(constrained by my levels of skill!) the details that I could see in my reference pictures. You can see
here that I have fixed the console to the sidewall; this was simply an easy way to ensure that these
items were in the correct location and then allow other details to be built around them - odd I know,
but it worked in this instance!

The lefthand console in the front cockpit was similarly built and detailed. Note the odd shape of this Test-fitting the seat. There’s not much room to play with inside a Harrier’s cockpit!
feature; as this was a rather distinctive design aspect of the cockpit, I wanted to mimic the split
look of the console accurately, which in turn created some ‘interesting’ measurements and shapes
to cut… Once again, the console was built and then superglued to the cockpit wall, the floor being
used to ensure it was in the correct place.

HARRIER MADE FOR TWO PART 2.indd 4 04/11/2016 11:57

 To ensure that everything was neat and tidy
and the all details and cables within the cockpit
flowed seamlessly together, the plan was always
to glue the whole thing together and then join
the nose permanently. Once done, I could prime
everything, check for flaws and then paint the
cockpit through the large openings - initially
daunting, but in practice, not that difficult.

If the cockpit is difficult, the seats are a nightmare! This is what Airfix offer to replicate the Harrier’s
Martin Baker Type 9 seat - hardly detailed, is it?! So, there is no choice but to either scratchbuild the
seats, or modify those supplied. I chose the latter and lived to regret it…

I began by removing the lower internal part
of the seat, leaving just the sides, rear panel
and headrest. This was then detailed with
plasticard, rod and strip.
The sides and headrest were plated with very
thin plasticard, a riveting tool being used to
emboss delicate rivets though each piece.
Happy with the detail, each panel was VERY
carefully glued in place with Gunze Sangyo Mr
Cement S, ensuring that only the edges were
fixed so that the plastic was not deformed by
too much adhesive.
The larger details around the headbox were
added with Evergreen plastic strip and rod and
then the seat cushions made from Magic Sculp,
detailed with silicone sculpting tools and plenty
of baby talc.
The upper surfaces of the headbox were
perhaps the most demanding area to detail,
the numerous features that decorate this part
of the seat needing to be correctly sized and fit
together accurately. Once again, Magic Sculp
was used to create the soft parts, Evergreen
being used for all remaining details.

There is a guard rail that runs around the
righthand side of the headbox, this being
careful shaped from fine brass rod and then
fixed in place with superglue.
Test fitting the seats. This was done before
the rear cockpit had been modified, hence the
rather cramped look! The rear seat is also too
low down in this shot, the completed part being
raised up within the cockpit of the completed
model.
The front and rear seats differ in the use of
canopy breaker extensions that rise up from
the head box of the front one. This was actually
a tricky little detail to get right, several attempts
being made to create that illusive shape. Even
now, I’m not sure that I have it right…
Though virtually invisible save for the upper
section, the rams that sit inside the seat rails
were modelled using telescoped lengths of
Albion Alloys’ aluminium tubing.

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 With the primer dry, the interior of the cockpit could be painted and weathered. The first task was
to replicate the Admiralty Grey finish, this being done with a basecoat of Tamiya Neutral Grey,
oversprayed with cloudy patterns of that grey, mixed with increasing layers of white. Happy that the
colour was close to that seen in my reference photos, the details were carefully defined with thin
washes of Raw Umber and Paynes Grey oil paint thinned with white spirit.
The rear cockpit is certainly simpler than the front, but needed no less care to paint. Smaller
features were picked out with Vallejo acrylics copying exactly the colours seen in my reference
shots.
The completed cockpit painted and weathered and the nose fixed
to the rest of the fuselage. Next month we’ll take a look at how the
airframe came together, including the construction of those very
tricky intakes. See you then!
26 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - December 2016
HARRIER MADE FOR TWO PART 2.indd 6
I wanted to create a worn looking cockpit without it being too overdone, so added some subtle
paint chips using Vallejo Yellow mixed with a drop of green and then applied with a small piece of
sponge. Further chips were then added with a fine brush using the same yellow/green mix as well
as pale grey and metallic shades.
The use of bright reds and oranges in the rear cockpit certainly help liven up one in miniature!
These areas were first basecoated in white and then overpainted with Vallejo red and orange. Note
the warning placards created with stencils from the spare decal collection - just don’t look too
closely!
04/11/2016 11:57
MAI137 P27.indd 8 03/11/2016 15:09
 KIT BUILD
SKILL LEVEL: BEGINNER

★
SPECIFICATION:
Tamiya 1/48 Grumman F-14A Tomcat
Kit No. 61114
Materials: IM
Availability: The Hobby Co
Price £69.99

BEFORE STARTING:
Tamiya Extra Thin Cement
Tamiya masking Tape
Swann-Morton Scalpel No.3 handle with no.11 blades
Wilder pointed tweezers
Mastercasters sponge sanders
Deluxe materials Perfect Plastic Putty
Micro drill and bits
Roket Rapid Super glue
Zipkicker

AIRBRUSH:
Iwata Revolution CR

PAINTS USED:
Vallejo Model Color:
70889 US Olive Drab
70862 Black Grey
70953 Flat Yellow
70947 Red
70951 White

GSI Creos Aqueous:

H77 Tire Black
H307 FS36320 Gray
H308 FS36375 Gray
H337 FS35237 Grayish Blue
H338 FS36495 Light Gray

Tamiya:
X-1 Gloss Black
X-2 Gloss White
X-7 Gloss Red
X-10 Gun Metal
X-11 Chrome Silver
X-23 Clear Blue
X-25 Clear Green
X-26 Clear Orange
X-31 Titanium Gold
XF-1 Flat Black
XF-2 Flat White
XF-4 Yellow Green
XF-5 Flat Green
XF-7 Flat Red
XF-19 Sky Grey
XF-20 Medium Grey
XF-49 Khaki
Fine White Primer aerosol

Humbrol Enamels:
85 Satin Black
64 Light Grey

Alclad II lacquers:
Aluminium
Steel
Exhaust Manifold
Jet Exhaust
Hot Metal Blue
Hot Metal Red
Hot Metal Sepia
Hogwash Dirt & Grime
Hogwash Dark Liquid streaks & stains

Winsor and Newton artists oils:

Paynes Grey
Burnt Umber
Burnt Sienna

FIGH
28 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - December 2016

FIGHTING 14.indd 2 04/11/2016 11:58

 W
hen the Tomcat was
announced by Tamiya at
the Shizuoka Hobby Fair as
their all new tool 1/48 aircraft
model, it raised as many
eyebrows as it furrowed, as is always the way
with a big release from a big company of a
somewhat ubiquitous subject.
But, as with all new Tamiya releases it is a high-
end kit that just oozes quality from the moment
you open the box. The finesse of the mouldings is
very hard to see until you get some paint or primer
onto the plastic, details such as panel lines and
rivets not showing up that well in the raw plastic
form. The first time I noticed this was when I
sprayed the cockpit component parts in their base
colour of Tamiya XF-19 Sky Grey which although
being the colour as called out in the instructions,
also acts as a primer for the subsequent colours
when picking out the details such as the canvas
covers and black consoles and instrument panels.
The design of the cockpit interior parts is
such that everything fits perfectly and
you cannot get the parts in the
wrong place as most parts
in this kit are handed and
will only fit where they are
supposed to. If you find fit
issues or anomalies when
building this Tomcat, the error
will undoubtedly fall on the builder.
If something doesn’t fit, you are
doing something wrong, it is as
simple as that! To that end, close
adherence is needed to the instructions
throughout the entire build lest you get something
in the wrong place. As with all Tamiya releases,
the instructions are probably the best drawn
and most comprehensive you will find in
a model kit.
The cockpit and nose
wheel bay are two
superb little
subassemblies
and will fit

BUILT AND WRITTEN BY MIKE WILLIAMS

GHTING 14 The Tomcat has been one of my favourite fast jets since I first saw the movie Top Gun as an
impressionable teen. As it probably did for countless others, it left an indelible image in
my mind of being big, fast and loud and given lots of Hollywood shine. Since my entry into the
hobby I have built more Tomcat models than probably any other aeroplane, in various scales and
from various companies - I just had to build Tamiya’s!

Issue 137 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 29

FIGHTING 14.indd 3 04/11/2016 11:58

 KIT BUILD
SKILL LEVEL: BEGINNER

The nose wheel bay is cleverly designed and the moulded Once painted and detailed, it can be assembled via interlocking Optional parts allow the flight refuelling probe to be displayed
details react very well to an enamel wash to add some depth joins. Just apply glue sparingly to the outer edges for invisible open if you wish. Note the round locating points for the cockpit
and make the details ‘pop’. joins. and nose wheel bay inside the fuselage.

This small panel locates onto the left lower forward fuselage Before I could apply the glue, I had to really look to see where Here you can see how the cockpit/nose gear bay units all fit
and has the early gun gas vents. My guess is Tamiya will the join lines were, so precise was the fit! together and slot into the nose fuselage section. The black side
release a later mark with a differing panel containing the later walls were probably overkill; however, I did err on the side of
NACA style gun vents. caution to save any grey plastic being seen.

★
The cockpit is excellent straight from the box. All side consoles are moulded
separately from the tub to make painting easier (there are over 20 in the
cockpit alone!). All that is required is careful painting and weathering.

30 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - December 2016

FIGHTING 14.indd 4 04/11/2016 11:58

 together before slotting into the fuselage
nose sections. You will find throughout the
instructions little illustrations showing where
the removal of the sprue attachment points
is needed - a helpful inclusion, as they are
so small it is not always obvious if they are
locating pins once the parts are off the sprue.
While some of the cockpit and nose wheel
bay parts were drying, I looked through the
instructions to see what — if anything — I
could assemble, such as the wings, tails and
undercarriage legs, for example.
The wings seem to be a contentious point to
the baying masses who frequent the Internet
forums and Facebook modelling pages, given
the decision by Tamiya to model the wings
slats and flaps all in the closed (or parked)
position. Unlike a lot of US Navy (USN) aircraft
the flaps and slats simply do not droop or fall
open on the parked aircraft and are rarely — if
ever — seen opened or deployed, unless that
Tomcat is being readied for launch on a ship’s
catapult, or when coming in to land. The wings
are normally stowed in the fully swept position
with all slats/flaps closed, especially when in
the confines of a crowded aircraft carrier deck,
simply as a space saving measure. Search
for a picture of a parked Tomcat and 99.99%
of the time you will see the wings fully swept
(what is often referred to as oversweep) to
save space both on carriers and indeed on the
ground. So, based on fact, Tamiya followed
the obvious direction to mould the wings with
flaps/slats closed. As a modeller, this is by far
To install the moving swing-wings they first slot over conical
shaped pins at their pivot point. Ensure they are lined up
symmetrically. The White panels sprayed here are the wheel bay
roof panels.
Following the instructions for your chosen weapons loadout,
there are various holes that will need drilling out. I circled the
ones I needed with red marker to ensure I drilled the correct
ones.
FIGHTING 14.indd 5
H
the best solution, as having the parts opened
up is all well and good, but most builders will
want them shut so Tamiya have saved us the
hassles of having to carefully close everything
up and not have any misaligned parts and/or
panel lines. Thus, the wings were assembled
in a matter of minutes with no issues
whatsoever and can be put to one side until
much later in the build.
The nose wheel bay fits so perfectly that
when it is viewed from the outside of the
fuselage you cannot see any gaps or join lines,
it is a perfect fit just like the cockpit sills too
along the top. There is a cockpit surround part
that fits over the completed fuselage section,
but I would recommend you leave it off until
after the main painting of the fuselage has
been done as it will save you having to mask
it off. Don’t worry about it not fitting properly:
it will. Once the forward nose section of the
fuselage is joined around the cockpit tub and
nose wheel bay, no more than a light sanding
is needed to eliminate the seams on the nose
radome. There is a small panel that fits into
a recess on the forward lower fuselage just
aft of the gun muzzle panel, with moulded in
gun gas vents. This hints at further late model
Tomcats that may be released in the future as
these vents differed on later variants having
what are known as NACA vents. This panel
drops onto place so well that I had to remove
it again to see where I should apply the glue.
The joins all fall along panel lines so there is
no need to worry about any filling or sanding,
Once aligned, the moving parts are secured with small washers
and screws. Ensure these are hand tight, don’t overtighten
them!
The main wheel bays were sprayed with decanted Tamiya
Fine White primer. I masked off the fuselage edges to avoid
overspray and fear of adding too much paint into the delicate
surface details.
Issue 137 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 31
as is the case with every single join/seam on
this kit aside from the nose radome.
Wings And Things…
Moving onto the wing and rear fuselage
assembly, an ingenious design comes to
the fore: the variable-sweep wing units.
Traditionally in kits with swing-wings, there
are the usual toothed cogs allowing wings
to move in unison when they are swept, and
there is no real change here in Tamiya’s
kit. With the exception that they include
screws and washers to ensure everything
falls into alignment and the cog teeth cannot
misalign and end up with the wings having
asymmetrical lines. First the wing pivot points
have small cone shaped units that the moving
parts fit onto and are secured in place with
washers and screws keeping them true
and straight whilst allowing them to move
together in a smooth motion. The actual wings
themselves will slide onto these moving spars
much later on allowing you to build, mask
and paint, without any awkward masking and
painting issues arising along the way. Like I
said, ingenious.
With the spars secured to the top rear
fuselage panel, attention turns to the main
undercarriage bays which need painting before
you assemble the fuselage. I say they need
painting, that is not technically true it is just a
lot easier to paint the internals Flat White now
rather than when assembled. The wheel bay
roof surfaces can be sprayed on the upper
With everything lined up the cross brace can be secured to hold
the moving wings; four small screws are supplied and make
this a simple task.
Tricky to see, but the main wheel bays have four parts each for
their sidewalls, also note the intake ramps fitted here with the
hydraulic rams.
04/11/2016 11:58
 KIT BUILD
SKILL LEVEL: BEGINNER
Poly caps are supplied to for the horizontal stabilisers to fit onto.
They are fitted small housings which are usefully noted as “L”
and “R”. No glue is needed for the poly caps, just apply very
sparingly around the housings.
The locating tabs for the upper fuselage panels can be seen
here. They interlock with a click fit. Also, note the chunky tubular
locating pins for the fuselage, these ensure everything is held
together properly.
fuselage panels just forward of the wings
sweep sections along with the panels on the
lower fuselage.
Before bringing the upper and lower rear
fuselage sections together there are some
locating holes to be opened for the preferred
When ready, secure the upper and lower
fuselage halves together. They click very
positively together, just apply glue to all
seams paying special attention to the forward
joins near the wings.
32 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - December 2016
FIGHTING 14.indd 6
Painting the main gear bays before assembly, paid off. As
can be seen here, they could prove difficult to get to with the
airbrush once installed. Note the clean edges obtained by the
previously applied masking.
Once secured together, the joins create a small step along the
top of the fuselage. Don’t be tempted to try and sand this away,
it is supposed to be there.
weapons load out. Three options are given
in the kit with a selection of AIM-54 Phoenix,
AIM-7E Sparrow and AIM-9G/H Sidewinders in
varying configurations. Once again, the sheer
effort expended in Tamiya’s design comes
to the fore when assembling the fuselage
The upper fuselage section is made up from two large pieces
which join here. Once again it falls onto a natural panel join line
so no need for fling or sanding.
The compressor fan faces and intake trunking units just ned
careful painting and assembling. The completed one on the left
here shows just how neat the joins are.
including the upper intake ramps and their
hydraulic rams; these are handed so that they
simply cannot be put into the wrong sides. The
internal structure for the wheel bay side walls
all fit perfectly and can be slotted into place
and fixed with sparing amounts of liquid poly
★
04/11/2016 11:59

The intakes were sprayed flat white inside before being
masked off following my references to allow the Light
Ghost Gray to be sprayed on the insides. The inside panel
of the intake ramps were also painted at this point.
before being painted Flat White.
At this point I veered into unknown
territory for me (always a worry on a
brand new kit build!) and used an aerosol
Fine White Primer from Tamiya that was
decanted into the airbrush. It was not
until I saw some youtube videos from
MAI colleague Drewe Manton and editor
Spencer Pollard that I saw how easy it is
to do this; simply attach a length of plastic
drinking straw around the aerosol spray
nozzle with some masking tape and shake
thoroughly as you would if spraying direct
from the can, then using gentle pressure
I sprayed directly into the colour cup of
the airbrush and let the bubbles dissipate
for a minute or two (this is simply the
propellant de-gassing) and then I was
left with a colour cup of airbrush ready,
perfectly thinned fine white primer. I took
the precaution of masking off the external
airframe around the wheel bays to save
more layers of paint than necessary going
onto the airframe and the fear of losing
any of that fine panel line/rivet detail.
The last job to do before closing up
the fuselage is to fit the unique poly caps
Tamiya include for the attachment of the
rear stabilisers, they are marked both L
and R for each side ensuring you cannot
get them wrong. These allow you to leave
the stabilisers off until the last minute just
like with the wings. The upper fuselage
is made up from two large parts which
join carefully along a natural joint on
the Tomcat fuselage, a recurring theme
throughout this build as you can probably
tell. There is a slight step at the join line,
don’t fret; it is meant to be there.
★
Moving On…
When bringing together the upper and
lower main fuselage panels make sure the
seams along the leading edges forward
of where the wings attach are securely
glued, this is mentioned in the instructions
and I assume is to ensure the integrity of
FIGHTING 14.indd 7
★ The insides of the intakes were carefully
airbrushed Light Ghost Gray taking care
to avoid any overspray onto the previously
painted white areas.
the join allowing the wings to move freely
without the fear of the seams
popping open.
With the main fuselage assemblies
put to one side, I concentrated on other
subassemblies like the air intakes,
wheels, undercarriage and tails.
The undercarriage legs took a little
time to sort and assemble such is their
complexity, that said they all fit perfectly
and have exacting locating points and
are brilliantly accurate depictions. The
wheels are lacking in some tyre tread
details if that bothers you, but the hubs
are excellently detailed and reacted well
to a wash to make the details ‘pop’. If you
wanted to trade the wheels for aftermarket
resin replacements, then take care as the
attachment points are square so could
cause fit issues. A dry fit of the painted and
unmasked intakes shows a neat
The air intakes were removed from demarcation inside of the grey
the sprue and dry-fit to check how they and white. I also painted outsides
would attach; yet again the fit was just of the intakes, again, to avoid
astonishingly good, each one clicking into overspray when painting the rest
of the model.
place with ease. I sprayed the interiors
with the decanted white primer before
checking my references and masking off
the insides and spraying the Light Ghost
Gray on the inside which goes back about
half way up the intakes, but check your
references for the specific aircraft you are
modelling. The very front titanium lips of
the intakes are easily left off to be painted
separately and added later. I thought I
had found a fit problem here when fitting
these, but it turned out (again) these
parts are handed and will fit only
perfectly on their correct
intake side.
I also painted the white
wheel bay wall and the
surrounding areas before
fitting the air intake units.
With the nose section dry fitted it becomes clear the
This made things so intakes being painted first makes things a lot easier when
much easier when it came it comes to painting the rest of the lower fuselage.
to panting the main fuselage areas. The
accompanying photos will show this far
Issue 137 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 33
04/11/2016 11:59
 KIT BUILD
SKILL LEVEL: BEGINNER
easier than I can explain it.
Before I started the main painting of the
airframe I had a thorough check through
the instructions to make sure I had not
missed anything. I also made sure all the
subassemblies and peripheral parts had been
removed from the sprues and sorted out
ready for painting. Things like the crew access
ladder and steps, the arrestor hook and its
housing, the undercarriage doors and cockpit
canopy and windscreen parts. These were
attached to croc clips, toothpicks and wooden
coffee stirrers in readiness for painting and
weathering in situ.
Painting And Weathering
I now had to choose some markings for my
Tomcat. There is an almost endless amount
The Flat White panels of the main wheel bays on the intakes
were painted and masked off as were the wheel bays
themselves in the lower fuselage for me to paint the outsides
with Light Ghost Gray.
34 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - December 2016
FIGHTING 14.indd 8
★
of aftermarket decal sheets available for the
Tomcat in 1/48 scale that have been released
over the years covering most marks and
squadrons. My model was a pre-release
sample and was lacking decals so the world
was my oyster as the editor had more or less
given me carte blanche with this build. I chose
a lo-viz scheme, which lends itself to some
heavy weathering and interesting paint effects,
but with a splash of colour on the tails in the
These are the
completed ejection
seats as supplied.
I left off the decals
supplied for the seat
belts as they never
look particularly
convincing.
form of the cartoon Tomcat design with the
“Fighting 14” legend printed on it representing
the famous VF-14 Tophatters squadron.
After a bit of research, I found that the
F-14A I intended to model was a slightly later
version than that in the kit, so needed a slight
modification of the nose chin pod. I found an
old F-14 kit that had long since seen better
Once unmasked and dry fit, it becomes clear that this was the
best option as it was much easier to paint the wheel bays like
this, giving a far neater edge.
This is the part I wrenched off an old Tomcat wrecked
kit I had in my loft. The chin mounted TCS unit was
salvaged by adding a slice of plastic card and removing
the old paint before being sanded and scribed.
On the left: a completed main gear leg. On the right:
the parts needed for each leg. Very detailed an easily
assembled.
The assembled weapons and their component parts
below show just how simple the breakdown of parts
can be. Differing heads are supplied for the earlier and
later Sidewinders also.
The ejection seats were base coated in Flat Black
before receiving a light dry-brushing to lift the details.
The ejection pull handles were picked out in Yellow too.
days in my loft so cannibalised the TCS unit
from the chin pod and mounted it to the Tamiya
kit along with the supplied ECM unit that was
fitted to earlier marks of F-14A. A small, but
significant addition to change the profile of
the Tomcat and a useful reminder of the need
to keep checking your references as there
are quite a lot of variables on the airframe
The wing and tail tips for my chosen scheme needed to be
Black. I was airbrushing Gloss Black as an undercoat for the
Alclad n the leading edges so sprayed them all in one go.
04/11/2016 11:59
 Tomcat wing leading edges have a metallic corroguard coating
them. I represent this with Alclad Aluminium sprayed over a
Gloss Black base coat. This then in turn needs masking off.
I painted the base coat of Light Ghost Gray before adding
some weathering powder from Humbrol. I made a start on the
wing sweep stains and adding some streaking on the fuselage
undersides. These powders react well on paint that has just
dried to the touch.
Next I add some touch up patches with light grey and dark
blueish grey through the airbrush. Reference photos are vital to
make sure you do not get things too messy or uniform.

The patchwork effects can then be blended back with heavily The same techniques I used on the lower surfaces were applied The cleverly moulded one-piece windscreen unit is easily
thinned overspray of the base colours. I find it best to spray this to the upper surfaces when painting and weathering. Just masked and painted while still off the model. I basecoated it in
coat in a random cloudy fashion to add to the patchy look. substitute the Light Ghost Gray for the Dark Ghost Gray. flat black to make sure the insides would be seen as such.

The centre panel of the windscreen needs to painted clear blue, This panel can then simply be airbrushed clear blue. Using Mr. The crew access door panels and ladder recess needed some
so with care I removed this piece of masking tape. Color Leveling Thinners makes this job easier. careful masking before being painted flat white.

throughout the early marks of Tomcat.

Such was the phenomenal fit of parts I
opted to leave the major components of the
front and rear fuselage halves separate along
The finished ejection seats
with the horizontal stabilisers, wings and tails with straps added from
to make thing easier when painting, though I painted strips of masking tape,
would need to assemble them for weathering decals from the Furball sheet
to ensure continuity. and a wash to add some depth
finished with a generous coat
The tactical paint scheme (TPS) has of flat varnish.
become somewhat synonymous with dirty,
heavily weathered USN aircraft and makes
for some interesting painting and weathering
techniques. I am no big fan of the pre-shading
technique as it never really looks too good and
you will have far more control if you do some
post shading and touch ups as you will see on
the real aircraft happens all the time and really
adds to the effect of the patchwork panels and
dirty look.
I masked up the windscreen and canopy
parts, both of which are beautifully moulded
and crystal clear, so I could paint them in situ
with the rest of the airframe. The windscreen is
moulded with a section of the nose fuselage,
which when attached falls along natural
panel lines and it is impossible to see the join

FIGHTING 14.indd 9 04/11/2016 11:59

 KIT BUILD
SKILL LEVEL: BEGINNER
The scorch marks inside the afterburners were added using
Humbrol Smoke weathering powder. You can see the before and
after here with the unweathered can on the right.
Don’t forget to mask off and paint the gun muzzle surround. I
used Alclad Aluminium.
line. The wingtips and tail tops needed to
be black on my chosen scheme so I sprayed
them in Gloss Black and sprayed the wing
leading edges at the same time in order to
give a reflective background for the Aluminium
★
which would be sprayed first to represent the
corroguard coating. These sections were all
then masked off in readiness for painting.
I have developed a tried and tested method
36 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - December 2016
FIGHTING 14.indd 10
The flame rings of the afterburners are very deep inside the The AIM-9 Sidewinders were painted white with Gun Metal tips.
jet exhausts, but can be seen. There they benefit from being The rollerons on the tails are easily masked off and painted with
painted in Titanium Gold and received a wash of Dirt & Grime. Dull Aluminium. It takes a little time, but is ultimately worth it.
Very effective.
Though decals are supplied for the wing tip formation lights, The small fuselage mounted AOA and antennae were sprayed
it proved difficult to get them to settle on the curved edge with Gun Metal and then had the tips touched in with Chrome
(Tamiya’s fit perfectly, I am told). I masked and sprayed mine. Silver. These were added at the last minute.
for representing the TPS finish which is pretty
foolproof and starts with a base coat of the
main colours needed. In this case the colours
which are commonly referred to as Light
and Dark Ghost Gray or FS36375
and FS36320. I then applied some
streaking and staining straight
onto the just dried paint
using some weathering
All major fuselage and wing components are here ready for
weathering having had their decals applied a light sealing
Gloss Clear sprayed on. Note the break in the fuselage, quite
unconventional, but it makes things easier.
04/11/2016 12:00
 powders from the Humbrol range. Then some
patchwork panels can be applied in lighter,
darker and blue-grey shades (I used FS36495
and FS35237). Here, is where it is necessary
to have some good references to hand as it
can be easy to get carried away with it and just
start spraying random areas. They are usually
near hatches and panels that are removable
for maintenance, so get a lot of wear and
touch ups when the paint work gets scratched
or damaged. I then take the base colours
again and using a very thin mixture, airbrush
the whole model again to blend the patches
and lessen their starkness. How far you go
with these patchwork touch ups and blending
is entirely up to you. Some of the late model
F-14A Tomcats got absolutely filthy, especially
when on deployment and towards the end
of their career. The more localised wear and
tear and stains and streaks, can be added
later but the patchy looking paintwork is best
The undercarriage legs all received a Dark Grey wash and had
their oleos covered with Bare Metal Foil which looks so much
better than trying to paint these sections.
H
With the best will in the world, no stripy decal is ever going to
conform to this arrestor hook. So, it was out with the masking
tape again.

applied with the airbrush, and when spraying

the base colours, I keep the airbrush moving
in a random fashion to break up the monotony
rather than in a back and forth motion as you
normally would. I cannot stress enough just
how important it is to have some reference
photos handy when doing this sort of paint
job, they will help you no end to achieve that
realistic look.
Whilst the paintwork was drying and curing,
I masked off the crew access step panels and
airbrushed them flat white and sprayed the
undercarriage legs and door interiors at the
same time using the decanted primer method
I described previously. The interior of the jet
exhausts also received some white paint while
I was at it, these can them be weathered with
some Smoke shaded weathering powders
to represent the scorch marks from the
afterburners, along with the insides of the
exhaust nozzles. The nozzles are worth
mentioning too as Tamiya supply a pair of
opened and a pair of closed exhausts which
can be used in any combination as there are
also a pair of seated crew figures to paint up
and stick in the cockpit if that is your preferred
look. The norm for parked Tomcats is to have
one opened and closed nozzle as they used
to shut down one engine when taxiing after
landing (usually the left one as the right engine
powered the hydraulics systems) so the left
All undercarriage doors were sprayed flat white and had their
edges painted in flat red. A task made easier by the sharply
defined mouldings, thinned paint will flow with capillary action
along these edges.
nozzle would close itself up and the right hand
one would stay opened once shut down. The
metal areas of the exhausts all got the Alclad
treatment using various shades including
Aluminium, Jet Exhaust, Exhaust Manifold and
Steel, with some shading done using their Hot
Metal colours.
Underwing Stores
The weapons and fuel tanks were tackled
next. Once again, Tamiya employ some very
clever mouldings to get the best from these
without the need to do any major sanding
or cleaning up and losing any detail in the
process. I chose a pretty standard fleet
intercept load of three AIM-7E Sparrows and
a pair of AIM-9 Sidewinders and a pair of
the AIM-54 Phoenix missiles that are unique
The grimy wing sweep marks were adding with neat oil paints
smoothed on curving arcs away from the masking tape which
was applied to define the edge of the wing sweep boundary.
to the F-14. As a side note, the F-14 rarely
flew with a full complement of six Phoenix as
they caused too much drag and weight for
normal carrier operations and landings, so
were usually carried in pairs to complement
the smaller, shorter range missiles. These all
assemble without issue and are simply painted
in their respective colours before getting an oil
wash to add some depth and staining and then
their multiple decals are applied for all their
warnings and stencils so they can be put to
one side until later.
The airframe decals were applied without
issue and I could get on with some washes in
the panel lines and some streaks and stains
using artists oil colours. I chose to use Furball
decals for a mid-production F-14A Tomcat of
VF-14 Tophatters, Bu.No.159863 aboard the

Alclad enamel Hogwashes were used to define the panel lines The nose undercarriage leg fits positively into its locating The main undercarriage legs look very nice once installed with
and rivets as well as adding some general weathering; Dirt & point. Note the amount details that become apparent after the the wheels. The hub details are impressive, but the tyres lack
Grime and Dark Liquid Streaks & Stains were the two main weathering washes are added. depth for the tread.
shades I use for this task.

Issue 137 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 37

FIGHTING 14.indd 11 04/11/2016 12:00

 KIT BUILD
SKILL LEVEL: BEGINNER
The Alclad system works brilliantly
on the jet exhausts, imparting a
realistic metallic look. Note the fuel
dump pipe picked out in Red.

The black cockpit surround is fitted here along with

the instrument panel covers and HUD display unit. The
windscreen unit and main canopy can be fitted now. Note
the wings are still missing here also.

★
USS John F Kennedy in 1996.
It wasn’t until now that I realised that the model I
wanted to depict had the wrong gun gas vents and
it would be far too much effort to try and correct
or scratchbuild them now (so I won’t tell, if you
don’t!) the only other difference was the TCS chin
pod which I had previously added. This Tomcat
had been seen in the UK from what I could find
in an internet search, it was diverted to RNAS
Yeovilton after it couldn’t return to the carrier
while on exercise in the Irish Sea due to
bad weather.
Tamiya supply a fair
representation of the GRU-7(A)
ejection seats although
supply decals for the
seatbelts as is their
way. I am not a
fan of these
and never
have

38 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - December 2016

FIGHTING 14.indd 12 04/11/2016 11:59

 ★
been, they just don’t look right and are the and sealing plates all of which can be fitted main canopy and its retraction jack, so you
single let down in this astounding model. without glue and removed and replaced at can have the canopy opened or closed, once
your leisure. They’ve even moulded into again the fit is just perfect in either pose. With
Finishing Off the undersides of these parts the correct the weapons fitted and a matt varnish applied I
With the airframe weathered and washed (see silhouette of the Tomcat with wings swept back just added the touch ups and navigation lights
photos and associate text) it was just a matter or forward so you know which is which. The and I could get this cat off the bench and into
of getting all the small parts fitted, along with other parts that can be left unglued are the the display cabinet. ■
the larger subassemblies like he tails and
wings. The nose and rear fuselage sections
were joined before weathering and washes
had been applied, but the tails were fitted now
as I had left these off to ease the masking
when spraying the Alclad areas around the
exhausts. The undercarriage doors needed
their edges painted red which is always a
tedious job but the way Tamiya have moulded
them makes it a lot easier with some thinned
acrylic paint and a fine brush it was done in
a matter of minutes. The undercarriage legs,
wheels and doors all fit brilliantly and precisely
into their respective holes and recesses.
The same can be said for the crew step
doors and ladder, the step doors have their
locating tabs moulded off centre on each of
them so you cannot put them into the wrong
step panel, brilliant!
All the small aerials and bits and pieces are
fitted in a matter of minutes and then the wings
and horizontal stabilisers can be pushed into
place.
Some of the cleverest parts Tamiya include
are alternative parts for the wings to be
displayed fully swept or fully forward with
differing parts for the wing sweep air bags
FINAL VERDICT
This is a sublime model of the famous big cat from Grumman. There really are no words to describe just how
good this model is, unless you build one, you will never know. If I had to be picky? The seats and wheels
could possibly benefit from being replaced with detailed resin aftermarket units from the likes of Aires and
Wheeliant. Otherwise what you get in the box is just amazing. In fact, it is probably the single best 1/48 jet
fighter model I have ever built. Full stop.

Issue 137 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 39

FIGHTING 14.indd 13 04/11/2016 12:00

 KIT BUILD
SKILL LEVEL: INTERMEDIATE

BUILT AND WRITTEN BY CHRIS MCDOWELL

SPECIFICATION:
Hasegawa 1:32 Ki-44
Kit No: FLY LIKE A
Materials: IM
Availability: All good model shops
Price:

BEFORE STARTING:
● Tamiya Extra Thin Cement
● Gunze Sangyo Mr.Cement S DEMON
● Tamiya Masking Tape

We take a detailed look at Hasegawa’s 1:32

● Swann-Morton Scalpel No.3 handle with no.11 blades
● Pointed tweezers
● Sponge sanders
● Micro drill and bits Ki-44 “Shoki”

T
● Superglue
● Kristal Klear he Nakajima Type 2 “Shoki” was a single-seat fighter used by the Imperial
● Mr Surfacer 500
● Microsol Japanese Army Air force during the later parts of the Second World War.
In February of 1942 and after two years of development the officially
PAINTS USED: named Ki-44 finally entered service. The IJAAF had commissioned
White Ensign Enamels: the Nakajima aircraft company to build a heavy fighter with the
Nakajima Interior Green
Yellow emphasis on speed. The original design specs called for a top speed
of 600 km/h at 4,000 meters, a climb rate of five minutes to 5,000
Tamiya Acrylics:
Sky Blue meters, an operational area of 600 kilometres, and armament
Flat Earth consisting of two 7.7 mm and two 12.7 mm machine guns.
Flat Brown
Flat Black
These specs were intended to equal or surpass any aircraft
of the time. The demand for high speed though resulted
Gunze Sangyo Mr Hobby: in the design being fitted with small, thin main wings,
Blue Green Metallic
one unfortunate consequence of which was a
Vallejo Acrylics: very high landing speed. When introduced the
Tank Brown
Flat Black “Shoki” received mixed reviews from its
Medium Grey
Aluminium
Matt Varnish
Gloss Varnish

AK Interactive:
Brown For Green Vehicles Wash
Brown Earth Deposits

Mig Productions:
Dark Wash

Alclad II:
Aluminium
Dark Aluminium
Duraluminium

40 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - December 2016

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 Issue 137 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 41

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 KIT BUILD
SKILL LEVEL: INTERMEDIATE

Construction begins with

the wings. Fit is superb
and detail, excellent.
The centre sections of the inner wings were painted in White Ensign
Nakajima Interior Green.

pilots, and it was decided that due to the

fast landing speeds that only the more
RB
experienced among the squadron should Productions The interior is finely detailed and fun to paint. Careful weathering also
fly them. This of course changed as the war seat belts helps to bring out the detail.
progressed, and the Ki-44 went on to prove add a
its worth against the advancing Allies, with finishing
touch.
more than 1200 models of all marks being
produced. The completed cockpit floor,
wall and seat, ready to be fixed
In Miniature
in place.

Hasegawa’s 1/32 Ki-44 was first released in

2009 and is the only kit of this iconic aircraft
in this scale. It’s a typical Hasegawa release
moulded in light grey plastic with nicely
moulded detail and fine panel lines. The
cockpit has been well designed, although
there are several aftermarket replacements or
upgrades if you'd prefer to go the extra mile.
I will say that the only disappointing aspect of
the cockpit for me was the pilot’s seat. It's a
little basic, but with a bit of work thinning the
sides and drilling out the lightening holes a
workable seat is definitely obtainable. It's also
tempting to cut out the small access doors on
both sides of the cockpit to help show off the

The instrument
panel, though small,
is finely detailed.

All together: time to fix this in

place and close the fuselage.

Hasegawa’s
cockpit is
superb,
42 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - December 2016 straight from
the box.

FLY LIKE A DEMON.indd 4 04/11/2016 12:01


cockpit interior, but according to my references
the only time these were used was for the
ground crew to get access to the 7.7 mm
cowling machine guns. So I left them closed,
but there's nothing stopping you if you wanted
to open them up. In fact I believe Eduard offer
a great photo etch replacement for them in one
of their interior set.
Getting Started: Cockpit
All of the cockpit parts were removed from
the sprues and were cleaned up before
being separated into their different colours.
Using White Ensign Models Nakajima Interior
Green (AC J 04), the respective parts and
fuselage interiors were airbrushed with light
coats building up into a solid colour. Some
Humbrol matt white and more enamel thinner
were introduced to the paint cup to add some
highlights. A heavily thinned mix of Vallejo Tank
The airframe has been
primed, ready to be
painted in its Alclad
II finish.
As with most of
Hasegawa’s 1:32 kits, this
one takes little effort to
create an almost complete
airframe.
FLY LIKE A DEMON.indd 5
Careful assembly and
painting creates a very
realistic engine.
Kit exhausts painted and weathered.
Brown and black was also airbrushed around
the larger details to add some shadow. If you
find the difference between the shades too
much, then a light misting of the original colour
heavily thinned will help to blend the shades
together. Once this had dried I airbrushed
a coat of Future to protect the paintwork.
When working with acrylics I would normally
skip this step, but as I was going to be using
AK Interactive Brown For Green Vehicles
wash next, I had to make sure the paintwork
was protected due to them using the same
thinner. I added the wash to help pick out the
details and after about ten minutes removed
the excess with a brush dampened with AK
Interactive's Odorless Thinners. The details
were then picked out using various Vallejo
Model Color shades mixed with distilled
water. For the instrument panel, I cut out the
dials from the decal sheet using Tamiya's
Issue 137 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 43
The Ki-44’s distinctive
propellor painted in
its distinctive brown
colour.
The cowling
is a certainly
a major
feature of this
impressive
aircraft.
punch set. These were carefully set in place
using Microsol decal solution to ensure they
snuggled down nicely over the raised details.
Once these had time to dry, I carefully painted
the outside of the dials using Vallejo's Medium
Grey (70.987).
I added some chipping by using a small
sponge and Vallejo’s (71062) Aluminium. Most
of the paint was removed before applying
it lightly around areas of high use. Some
staining, dust, and dirt deposits were also
added using various AK Interactive and Mig
products to give it that lived-in look. Everything
was then given a light coat of Testors matt
varnish. The final touches to the cockpit
were made by adding micro Kristal Klear to
the dials to simulate the glass, and to add
RB Productions Japanese Army Seat Belts.
This is the first time I've used these belts, but
it will definitely not be the last. Unlike other
04/11/2016 12:02
 KIT BUILD
SKILL LEVEL: INTERMEDIATE
An aftermarket canopy masking set was used as
part of this build.
The canopy masks in place.
…As were the rudder
With the masks in place, the canopy was first
sprayed with a layer of interior green paint…
…Before spraying the frames with the exterior
aluminium colour.
aftermarket belts, these are made from paper
which when dampened with water take on
a very natural shape. Of course the buckles
etc are supplied as photo etch and they do
need assembled first, but they are incredibly
accurate and look fantastic once completed
and fitted to the aircraft. Using a little gloss
varnish on the belts themselves, gives them a
leather look that I haven't found in any other
product. Check out their website for a full list
of the belts and other tools they have on offer.
You'll not regret it.
Airframe Construction
Closing up the fuselage was relatively stress
free. Using Tamiya Extra Thin Cement and
working my way around the seam ensured a
good join. The two halves were held in place
44 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - December 2016
FLY LIKE A DEMON.indd 6
Happy with the primer
layer, the model was
sprayed with Alclad II
Aluminium.
The undersides were
similarly masked and
sprayed.
and elevators.
using clamps and Tamiya tape. A quick swipe
with a sanding stick after the glue had set was
all that was needed to finish the job. There are
two inserts that are needed on the sides of
the fuselage below the guns that just didn't fit
right for me. They required quite a bit of work
to get a smooth finish between the parts. To
be honest I’m not overly happy with how this
part turned out, but I knew if I was to continue
to work at them I’d probably only make them
worse so I left them as they were and carried
on with the build. This is definitely an area
that I would be more aware of next time. I also
added the top of the cowling which thankfully
fitted a lot better. Setting the fuselage to
the side for the time being, I then turned my
attention to the wings.
Like most aircraft builds, the wings are
Panels were masked off and
then sprayed with different
shades of Alclad.
The ailerons
were painted to
reflect their fabric
construction…
All of the main markings were
masked and airbrushed on - a
far neater appearance being
possible using this method,
instead of using the kit decals.
made up of two halves. The lower wing section
stretches the full width of the wingspan, while
the top halves are added leaving a gap to fit
the fuselage between later. Before assembling
the wings though there are several holes that
need to be drilled for the fuel tanks and other
installations. Additionally there are a couple
of parts to add that make up the back of the
wheel wells, and a box like section that
adds some strength and
rigidity to the build. Like
the fuselage, Tamiya
Extra Thin Cement was
used to glue the wing
assembly together. Clamps
were again used to hold
everything together while
the glue had time to cure.
04/11/2016 12:03
 Close-up of the painted national insignia.
Some careful sanding around the leading edge
of the wing removed any evidence of a seam
line. So with both of the main subassemblies
constructed and cleaned up, it was time to
bring them together.
The wings and fuselage joined together
painlessly leaving just a small gap at the join
on the underside of the fuselage. This was
easily taken care of with some Squadron white
putty. Once the putty had been applied it was
left to dry for a few hours before sanding and
polishing smooth. The horizontal stabilisers
were added next and required just a small
amount of Mr Surfacer 500 around the mating
surfaces to fill the gap and smooth out the
transition between fuselage and stabilisers.
Any excess was removed with some Mr Hobby
lacquer thinner and a cotton bud. With the
main assembly completed for now, I checked
for any gaps and restored any lost panel lines
and rivet detail before setting the fuselage to
one side for the time being.
Engine Detail
The ki-44's engine is well-moulded with plenty
of detail and would probably be good enough
on its own for all that will be seen
of it once construction has been
completed. I just couldn't help myself
though, and added the ignition wires
to the cylinders to create a much
more realistic and busy look. I drilled
a small hole with a pin vice in each of the
cylinders just large enough to fit some
salvaged electrical wire in. Then
a corresponding hole
was drilled and the
electrical wire
glued to the
ring fitting
(part D29)
that
feeds
the
The interior of the undercarriage and
flap bays were painted in metallic blue, a
distinctive feature of WWII Japanese aircraft
such as this.
FLY LIKE A DEMON.indd 7
Wherever you look on this model there is plenty of colour! The unit insignia was also masked and sprayed - a challenging
job, but a worthwhile one…
The cockpit interior,
seen through the small
cockpit opening.
ignition wires. The engine was then airbrushed
with a couple of different shades of Alclad II.
The engine was then treated to a coat of gloss
varnish before applying some Mig Productions
Dark Wash to bring out the details. The wires
and the tops of the cylinders were hand
painted with Vallejo model color acrylics before
adding some metallic tape strips to join the
wires into pairs. Finally some AK Interactive
Engine Oil Stains were added randomly The painted and decalled undercarriage doors.
around the assembly. While I was detailing the
engine with wire, I also took the opportunity
to add the break lines to the undercarriage
legs as well. Using some reference photos
these were glued in place using superglue,
and detailed with the same metallic tape to
represent the clips used to keep the break
lines in place.
The instructions would have you attach
the engine, exhausts, nose cowl and flaps
(you have a choice of two here, either open
or closed) at this stage. To make it easier for Almost there! The painted and weathered
myself though, I left these sections separate undercarriage legs and wheels ready for installation.
for the time being as they would be easier to
paint and fit later. So with the main assembly
complete everything was given a coat of Mr
Surface Primer and all edges were checked
for gaps and loss of panel lines. Once I was
happy and any touch ups had been done,
it was time to start adding some colour to
proceedings.
Painting And Weathering
Before starting with the Alclad II’s paints I
The well-detailed tailwheel.
04/11/2016 12:02
 KIT BUILD
SKILL LEVEL: INTERMEDIATE
In order to make things a
little easier to finish, the
cowling was kept separate
from the rest of the model.
made sure to polish the primed
surfaces with a polishing sponge
and cloth to ensure as good a
surface as possible was obtained.
As I’m sure you’re all aware by now,
when working with Alclad lacquers, the
surface preparation is everything as it
will show up any scratches or scores a mile
away. So ensure your surface is as good as
you can get it before starting any airbrushing.
I used the Aluminium (101) colour as the
main base spraying with a relatively low 12
PSI. This was given 24 hours to dry before
masking up several panels and adding some
Dark Aluminium (103). Again this was left
to dry for another day before repeating the
process on different panels with Duraluminium
(102). Once the masking had been
removed and the paints had dried, I
gave everything a light misting of the
original aluminium colour to bring
the different shades together. While
airbrushing the main assembly, I also
painted any of the separate parts that
would require the same metallic finish.
With the main painting done I moved onto
the markings. I decided to mask and airbrush
All weathered!
Lovely!
46 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - December 2016
FLY LIKE A DEMON.indd 8
Panel line washes helped to define these important features.
as many
of the
markings
as possible
as the
finished kit
always looks
better with these
painted rather than using
the decals. So I started with the white bands
around the wings and fuselage. Once these
were dry, the hinomarus were masked and
painted using White Ensign Models enamel
paint (AC J 20). Next up was the blue band
around the fuselage and the top of the vertical
stabiliser. For this I used Tamiya’s X-14 Sky
Blue which seemed a good match with the
color of the decals. The leading
edges on the wings were
masked up and sprayed
white first before
adding the
Washes were also
applied beneath the
airframe.
The airframe has
been completely
painted and decalled.
Colourful, eh?
yellow (White Ensign Models AC J 19). The
antiglare panel on the top of the fuselage
was also painted using WEM paints (AC J
08). This was lightened with Humbrol matt
white before adding a few highlights. Finally,
the internal sections of the wheel well were
airbrushed with Mr Hobby’s H63 (Blue Green
Metallic). Once the majority of the airframe
had been painted I sealed everything with a
coat of Vallejo varnish for metal finishes to seal
everything in.
I was going to use the decals for the unit
insignias on the tail and the specific aircraft
numbers as by this stage in the proceedings
04/11/2016 12:03
 I’d had enough of masking. Unfortunately, I
had a bit of an issue with one of the decals
(my mistake, nothing wrong with the decals),
and it ended with some quite obscene
profanities being shouted and lot of childish
stomping around the house. I must say I’m
not particularly proud of my actions, but I got
over it and resigned myself to masking and
spraying the unit insignia instead. To be honest
I’m glad I did as the end result was definitely
worth it. I did still use the unit numbers (66)
on both the vertical stabiliser and landing
gear doors though. In fact except for 4 small
stencils and the instrument dials from earlier
in the build, these were the only decals that
were used in the entire project! I used Microsol
decal solution to ensure the few decals I’d
used had conformed to the surface okay.
Again, I gave everything a light coat of Vallejo
gloss varnish to seal the decals before starting
the weathering process.
First up I used AK Interactive’s Paneliner
2071 For Brown And Green Camouflage
(maybe not quite what it was intended for, but
I like the shade and use it for most of my panel
line washes regardless of the camo color).
I did this one section at a time, making sure
to leave it for about fifteen to twenty minutes
before removing the excess with a paper towel
and cotton bud slightly moistened with AK
Interactive’s odorless thinners. I then moved
onto the next section and repeated the process
until the whole aircraft had been completed.
Once this had time to dry I airbrushed a very
thin mix of Tamiya X-19 Smoke around all
of the panel lines and any areas I wanted to
create a slightly dirtier look. I then took a 50:50
mix of Tamiya XF-10 Flat Brown and XF-1
Flat Black which had been heavily thinned to
create the main exhaust stains and around
the guns ports. This was added to by using
Humbrol’s Smoke Weathering Pigments
(AV0004) using a blending brush to feather
and blend the powders. Various chipping
effects were then added using a small sponge
held with tweezers and Vallejo’s Aluminium
(71062).
With the majority of the weathering
completed, I masked up the metallic airframe
leaving the painted area’s exposed. These
were then given a light coat of Vallejo’s matt
varnish. It is essential to make sure that you
don’t spray any of your metalwork with the
matt varnish as it will totally kill off the metallic
look of the Alclad paints. To continue on with
the weathering I used some AK Interactive’s
Streaking Grime here and there to add a bit
more life to the model. As usual this is left to
dry for a short period of time before streaking
and blending the product with a moistened
brush. Using a silver Prismacolor pencil,
further chipping was added around the cowl
and along the antiglare panel on the top of
the fuselage. Finally using a combination of
Tamiya XF-52 Flat Earth and AK Interactive’s
Brown Earth Deposits (4063) a dirty look was
achieved along the bottom of the landing gear
doors and on some of the lower surfaces.
Final Details
With the Painting and weathering completed it
was time to start putting everything together.
I added the butterfly flaps to the lower wing
surface in the open position. To be honest, my
research had indicated that these were never
usually extended when the aircraft was on the
ground. They were used to extend the wings
surface area to create more lift for landing,
talking off and during combat if needed by the
pilot. I thought they added such a different
look to the finished aircraft that I couldn’t help
using a little artistic license, and adding them
opened. Using small amounts of Superglue,
the landing gear, bomb mounts and fuel tanks
were added along with the engine, exhausts,
nose cowl and propeller. The smaller finer
parts were added next like the guns, Pitot tube
and antenna mast. The canopy was added last
using canopy glue to secure in place before
finally removing the canopy masks and giving
the clear parts a light polish. Using Uschi Van
Der Rosten flexible thread I added the antenna
wire to finally complete the Ki-44. ■

FINAL VERDICT
I have to be honest and admit this was not only my first 1/32 aircraft, but also my first attempt at creating a
metal finish. So any issue that I did have, were more with myself than problems with the kit. My only complaint
was the fit of the inserts on the fuselage, but in general this was a great introduction into a larger scale.
The fit of the parts was very good and the surface detail was typical Hasegawa, fine and nicely detailed.
Although there is always room for improvement if you wanted to go that extra mile with photo etch and resin
sets available. With a relatively small part count for a 1/32 aircraft, I’d definitely recommend this kit to
anyone of any skill level wanting to build a Ki-44. With the finished kit sitting beside me I’ve definitely
fallen for the overall shape and design of the Shoki, it’s a slightly unusual looking aircraft with the
horizontal stabilisers sitting slightly further forward than with most aircraft. It’s that huge radial engine,
short wingspan and the big shoulders where the wings join the fuselage though that really sets it apart. It
looks like a FW190 on Steroids, and that can only be a good thing!

Issue 137 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 47

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 KIT BUILD
SKILL LEVEL: BEGINNER
BUILT AND WRITTEN BY NICK SHUTTLEWORTH

THE ACE
MAKER
SPECIFICATION:

★
Eduard 1:48 F6F-5 Hellcat ‘Weekend’
Kit No: EDK8434
Materials: IM
Availability: All good model shops
Price: £16.30

BEFORE STARTING:
● Tamiya Extra Thin Cement
● Gunze Sangyo Mr.Cement S
● Tamiya masking Tape
● Swann-Morton Scalpel No.3 handle with no.11 blades
● Pointed tweezers
● Sponge sanders

We build Eduard’s F6F-5 Hellcat

● Micro drill and bits
● Superglue
● 3M Vinyl Tape
● Humbrol Clearfix

PAINTS USED:
Tamiya:
Flat White
NATO Black

Color of Eagles Acrylics:

Navy Blue
Intermediate Blue

Gunze Sangyo Mr Color:

Super Clear Gloss

Alclad Flat Varnish

48 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - December 2016

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 T
he Grumman Hellcat is an
aircraft that needs little
introduction. Entering
service in 1943, the Hellcat
was a successor to the F4F
Wildcat and became the US Navy’s
main carrier based aircraft with better
landing characteristics than the Vought
F4U Corsair despite the Corsair being
a faster aircraft. The Hellcat was a
tough yet simple and straightforward
design which led to over 12,000
aircraft being manufactured in 2
years and over 5,000 kills credited.
Remarkably the Hellcat remained in
THE ACE MAKER.indd 3
service with some operators as late as 1960 which is a
further credit to its iconic design.
The Kit
Being a well recognised and famous warplane the Hellcat has
been kitted in 1/76 and 1/48 by a number of manufacturers over
the years with perhaps some of the nicest kits coming from
Hasegawa and ARII/Otaki. The Eduard Hellcat is a relatively
new tool as opposed to a reboxed upgrade of an existing kit and
shows the capabilities of this manufacturer in that it matches the
quality of any Far Eastern manufacturer and in many respects
beats it on account of the Eduard ‘goodies’ included.
The kit is moulded, somewhat unusually, in a mid olive
coloured plastic as opposed to the grey we’re used to from
many manufacturers. The surface detail is wonderful with
H
Issue 137 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 49
04/11/2016 12:25
 KIT BUILD
SKILL LEVEL: BEGINNER

The kit’s surfaces are covered in wonderful fine details such as

★
The parts are sharply moulded with very little flash and Along with markings for several aircraft and a pre-cut mask
rivets and panel lines. reasonably sized sprue gates for easy removal of components. set for the canopy and wheels, a pre-coloured etch brass fret
is included.

The kit seat was replaced with an Ultracast part which has the The cockpit was assembled and painted using Tamiya and The etch brass fret included in the kit gives a wonderfully
seat belts moulded in place. Vallejo Acrylics. detailed instrument panel which brings the cockpit to life.

carefully reproduced rivets and subtle panel

lines. The kit shows little signs of flash or sink
The cockpit was test fitted in the fuselage before
marks, and the breakdown seems logical and
the fuselage halves were joined.
uncomplicated. The kit is produced in both
‘Profipack’ and ‘Weekend’ versions with the
‘Profipack’ including extras such as etch brass
frets, paint masks and multiple markings, and
the ‘Weekend’ being a cheaper version with
exactly the same plastic parts but minus the
brass and mask extras.

Let’s Get Started

As with almost all aircraft kits, construction
starts with the cockpit which is provided
as a bulkhead, floor, instrument panel and
side consoles. The parts are well detailed
with excellent fit, although it does seem
that between the different ‘Profipack’
releases some have pre-coloured etch brass
instruments for the side consoles whereas
others, such as my kit, only had etch brass for
the instrument panel. For those who prefer to
paint their dials, or the ‘Weekend’ version, a
plastic instrument panel is provided but this
is still well detailed. I prefer not to work with
etch brass seat belts, with Ultracast seats
being some of my favourite accessories, so
the kit seat was swapped for an Ultracast
one which drops in easily. The cockpit was
painted with a mix of Tamiya acrylics, with
the seat belts and small details being painted
using Vallejo acrylics. The etch brass placards
were added once the painting was completed,
with the same approach being applied to the
fuselage interior.

50 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - December 2016

THE ACE MAKER.indd 4 04/11/2016 12:26

 Moving On
With the fuselage sides ready to join, after a few
dry runs the fuselage sides were assembled.
I found the fit to be good, but as ever I faced
the challenge of finessing the join in the halves
whilst preserving the lovely surface details. As a
start I masked off the areas away from the join
to protect them whilst I blended the join using
a scalpel and sanding sticks. I then gave the
areas of the join a gentle dusting with Tamiya
Flat White from the airbrush to see if the join
had been corrected sufficiently. Once I was
happy to proceed, I then used 3M Vinyl Tape
A light coat of Tamiya Flat White was sprayed on to check whether the cleaning up of the join in the fuselage halves had been sufficient.
and a scribing tool to replace the areas of panel
line lost, before using a rivet tool freehand to
replace the lost rivets.

Wings and tail surfaces

With the fuselage complete, my attention then
turned to the wings and tail surfaces. Again the
kit components feature lovely surface details
and the fit of the parts is good. When joined to
the fuselage there is no gap around the wing
root for the main wing – the fit is absolutely
perfect which is a first for me. At this point the
wonderful tough chunky character of the Hellcat
starts to take form on the workbench and 1/48
is a great scale for this aircraft, it’s big and has
presence, whilst being easy to handle.
At this point the kit’s engine cowl was
assembled. Eduard’s offering has a number of
options for painting and decals, and the kit gives
different configurations of engine cowls to suit.

Painting and decals

With the main airframe assembled, the build
then progressed to painting, decals and
weathering. The kit masks were applied to the Panel lines and rivets were replaced using scribing and riveting tools.
windshield, before a coat of Interior Green was
applied for the cockpit framing. The model was 3M Vinyl Tape was
then given a coat of primer for the base colours. used to guide the
Once the model had been checked for any scribing tool.
defects or gaps, pre-shading was applied to the
panel lines using a thinned mix of Tamiya NATO
Black. With this in place, I then applied several
thin coats of Tamiya Flat White to the underside,
leaving just enough so that the pre-shading
showed through. My plan then was to apply
the Navy Blue, and then ‘cut in’ freehand with
the Intermediate Blue. For a number of years
I have had in my paint collection some Color
of Eagles Acrylics which I’ve kept for US Navy
Builds. I found they’d kept well with the passage
of time, but the Navy Blue was slightly heavy

The wings Different options

and fuselage are offered for
assemble the engine cowls
together easily to match the
with no filling decal versions
required. available. An
etch brass grill is
provided for the
chin intake.

The kit engine

is nicely
detailed and is
complemented
by a set of brass
ignition leads.

Issue 137 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 51

THE ACE MAKER.indd 5 04/11/2016 12:26

 KIT BUILD
SKILL LEVEL: BEGINNER

The canopy was masked off using the masks provided in the With the model primed, pre-shading was added using Tamiya Pre-shading was also applied to the undersides of the model,
kit, before Interior Green was sprayed on for the canopy frame NATO Black. with the areas around the cowl and exhaust getting extra
interior. attention.

The model was painted using AeroMaster and Mr Color The kit decals settle down nicely, with the national insignia With the decals sealed in place the model received a Flory
Acrylics, mixed and applied to give the appearance of wear and appearing somewhat stark. Models wash to pick out the panel lines and recesses.
shadows.

★ The national insignia

markings were toned
down using thinned
mixes of Vallejo Acrylics
applied by hand.

52 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - December 2016

THE ACE MAKER.indd 6 04/11/2016 12:26

 Exhaust stains were sprayed onto the model using different
mixes of Lifecolor Acrylics, with the effect being built up with
different shades.

and obliterated all my careful pre-shading!

Undeterred, I added the Intermediate Blue,
then worked in wear and fading patterns using
Mr Color Acrylics until I was happy with the
finish. I then applied a coat of Mr Color Super
Clear Gloss from an aerosol ready for
the decals.
The decals were applied using the Micro
Set/Sol system and settled down relatively
well into the kit details, however, I thought
the blue of the National Insignia looked very
stark and a little bright. This was addressed by
over-painting by hand very thin coats of Vallejo
Acrylics carefully mixed from different shades
of blue to tone down the appearance of the
decals. A Flory Models wash was then sprayed
on from an airbrush, before the excess was
wiped off, and once dry the model given a coat
of Alclad Flat Varnish, again sprayed on.

Finishing Off
With the airframe completed, attention
then turned to the engine, propeller and
undercarriage. The kit parts are really well
detailed – the engine on my kit had a set of
etch brass HT leads for the engine spark plugs
and the undercarriage legs bristle with details.
I took the decision to replace the wheels in
my kit with a set in resin from CMK which
feature a nice diamond tread pattern. As with
The engine was painted
the rest of the kit the parts were painted with separate to the model,
acrylics, with Flory washes applied to bring using Tamiya acrylics
out the details. The kit canopy is also provided with post shading to pick
with a set of masks, and following painting the out the details.
canopy was fixed in the open position using
Humbrol Clearfix. The kit gives the option of The kit wheels were
open or closed canopy parts. The model was replaced with a set from
completed by adding the navigation lights and CMK which fitted with
very slight adjustment.
aerials. ■

FINAL VERDICT
The Hellcat is an aircraft that stirs the imagination and provokes images of allied naval aviators with steely
determination attacking Japanese Bombers and dog fighting Kamikaze’s over the Pacific as the war in the Far East
drew towards VJ day.
Eduard’s kit is a wonderful rendition of this classic World War Two fighter and shows their capabilities as
a world class manufacturer. The quality, detail and fit of the parts is superb and I struggle to find fault
with the kit, additionally the strategy of having ‘Profipack’ and ‘Weekend’ versions of the kit opens up
possibilities for modellers on tighter budgets in terms of money or time. Several times during the build I
found myself shopping for another kit so I could build another variant as I was enjoying the build so much.
Thoroughly recommended.

Issue 137 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 53

THE ACE MAKER.indd 7 04/11/2016 12:26

 KIT BUILD
SKILL LEVEL: INTERMEDIATE

MIDGET M
SPECIFICATION: BUILT AND WRITTEN BY VITOR COSTA
Eduard MiG-14 UTI
Kit No: EDK7055
Materials: IM
Availability: All good model shops
Price: £16.30

BEFORE STARTING:
● Tamiya Extra Thin Cement
● Gunze Sangyo Mr.Cement S
● Tamiya Masking Tape
● Swann-Morton Scalpel No.3 handle with no.11 blades
● Pointed tweezers We take a detailed look at Eduard’s MiG-15 trainer
● Sponge sanders
● Micro drill and bits
● Superglue Gel
● AK Decal Adapter
● AK Odorless Thinner
● Uschi fine size ‘Rig That Thing’

PAINTS USED:
AK Interactive:
AK2071 Brown and Green Paneliner
AK479 Aluminium
AK484 Burnt Metal
AK486 Jet Exhaust
AK041 Burnt Jet Engine
AK2042 Dark Rust
AK759 White Primer and Microfiller
AK758 Grey
Engine Oil
AK Ultra Matt

Tamiya Acrylics:
Semi-Flat Clear
X-22 Clear
XF-4 Yellow Green

Gunze Sangyo Mr Hobby:

H308 Gray FS36375
H314 Blue FS35622
H45 Light Blue
H27 Tan
H11 Flat White
H313 Yellow FS33531
H80 Khaki Green
H77 Tyre Black

Sennelier Oil Paints:

Bright Yellow Green
Titanium White
Buff
Naples Yellow

54 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - December 2016

MIDGET MIG.indd 2 04/11/2016 12:27

MIG
History
The two seat MiG-15UT1 trainer (known as
the “Midget” by NATO) was introduced soon
after the standard MiG-15 entered in service
and served as the standard Soviet advanced
trainer for many years. The initial prototype,
the I-310, made its first flight in December
1947. The MiG-15 went into production and
entered front line service in 1949. Shortly
after its introduction, the MiG-15 entered
combat over Korea where it saw combat for
the first time.
The Mig-15 was operated by more than 40
countries, the UTI variant flying in Romania
until 1992. In the North Korea the Chinese-
built Shenyang FT-2 is still flying as a trainer!
Even today this small jet is still
respected for its characteristics. Its speed,
manoeuvrability and firepower made it a
worthy adversary of the North American F-86
during the Korean War.

The Kit
Being my first 1/72 Eduard kit, I confess I
was somehow surprised by the quality and
detail on the parts. When I removed the
sprues from the plastic bags, it looked like a
Tamiya kit! Very impressive.
For such a small kit, there are plenty

Issue 137 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 55

MIDGET MIG.indd 3 04/11/2016 12:27

 KIT BUILD
SKILL LEVEL: INTERMEDIATE
A cocktail stick was used to place some to the small photo-
etched parts within the cockpit.
Many of the smaller parts were painted and weathered on the
runners - including these delicate little undercarriage doors.
of parts distributed over the four runners,
including the clear parts. You’ll also find very
good, coloured photo-etch and a set of canopy
masks. Unfortunately, the grey colour on the
photo-etch is a bit off when compared to the
paint that is recommended for the cockpit.
The parts are crisply moulded with many
56 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - December 2016
MIDGET MIG.indd 4
The cockpit detail is fine and well-moulded.
The cockpit and jet pipe has been fixed in place ready for the
fuselage to be joined together.
delicious recessed surface details - some of the
finest I’ve seen in a 1:72 kit. Without care, some
may disappear during the putty/sanding process.
The engineering is also very good and the
fit, except for the wings and nose, is near
perfect; in these two cases putty and sanding
work is going to be needed.
A dark wash helps to bring out the finer features within the
cockpit.
In order to ensure that detail would not be lost during the
sanding process, the panel lines and rivets around areas that
would be sanded, were deepened.
BUILDING THE MODEL
The Cockpit
As usual, the build starts with the cockpit,
and here there is a lot to do. Being a two seat
aircraft we have the double of the work. There
are some nice details on the side walls of
All done! The cockpit is beautiful from
the box, coloured etch helping to raise
the detail levels.
04/11/2016 12:27
 the cockpit — which are curved like the real
thing — and once finished, this effect is visible
through the air intake opening.
With the use of a toothpick and some water,
I added the smallest photo-etched parts.
Here, I like to use superglue gel on this stage
because it allows any necessary correction if
we have to readjust the parts’ positions.
The wing root needed filling, so the area around it was With the Milliput in place, the masking could be removed.
As mentioned before, the colour on the masked and then the gaps filled with Milliput Superfine White.
painted photo-etched parts doesn’t match the
colour suggested for the rest of the cockpit; I
used Gunze Mr acrylics 308 and the difference
is quite noticeable. So to cut down this
contrast I painted the largest PE parts to get
a better blend between the pre-painted parts
and those finished by me.
Once all the main colours had dried, a pin
wash was applied using AK Brown and Green
Paneliner. For the highlights and to get an
even better blend of all the colours, AK Grey
oil paint was drybrushed over the detail. Some
dark earth pigments were used to simulate the
dirtiness caused by the pilot’s boots near the Having sanded the Milliput, the panel lines could be carefully The canopy was held in place during the painting and
instrument panels. The cables were picked out reinstated. weathering with PVA glue. Note the kit-supplied masking on
the canopy glazing.
with black acrylic paint.
The seats are very well represented for the
scale and the beautiful PE seat belts increase
the detail no end. Using superglue gel and the
same painting methods used in the rest of the
cockpit, it was easy to finish the ejection seats.
The instrument panels are the finishing touch.
There are so many details printed on the
panels, they look sensational in place. After
gluing the panels together and spraying them
with a layer of matt varnish, I applied some
drops of Tamiya Clear to the instrument faces
to create the illusion of glass.
It was now time to close the cockpit, so
an almost matt varnish coat was applied, the The undersides airbrushed in their attractive pale blue colour. A pale stone shade was mixed for the upper surfaces from
Gunze Sangyo Mr Hobby acrylics…
instrument panels being fixed in place later in
the build.

Closing The Fuselage

With the cockpit and the exhaust pipe in place,
the two halves of the fuselage were glued
together. The exhaust parts were previously
painted using AK products. I started applying
a base colour of AK479 Aluminium, then once
dry, AK484 Burnt Metal was used outside the
pipe exit and for the interior, I used the AK486
Jet Exhaust. To give some texture, a mix of
AK041 Burnt Jet Engine and AK2042 Dark
Rust pigments as used. …That colour being seen here. The green, disruptive camouflage, was first mapped out
Like I said before there are plenty of details and then the borders filled in. Note the mismatched upper
in this kit; to keep them on the kit and before nose panel.
I started with the sanding process, I rescribed
the lines and rivets near the areas where the
sanding work was going to be more intense.
This way we can sand the putty without
concern of loosing those details, believe me
some, are really tiny!
The fit between the two halves of the
fuselage is good so only a little bit of filler is
going to be needed. The air intake is not that
perfect, so some attention is needed to get a
perfect finish (once again, it is better to deepen
all of the rivets before we start sanding it). The
interior is going to need some work too, so
Finely misted Tamiya Yellow Green was used to fade the With the camouflage done, the model was coated in several
with tweezers and sponge sanding paper it is upper colours and blend them together. thin layers of varnish, ready for the decals to be applied.

Issue 137 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 57

MIDGET MIG.indd 5 04/11/2016 12:28

 KIT BUILD
SKILL LEVEL: INTERMEDIATE
Decalling! AK’s decal adapter was used to help the individual
decals settle down over the model’s surface detail.
…And then buffed away to leave the wash within the delicate
panel and rivet detail.
Here’s the model with all of the panel lines defined with several
layers of wash.
not easy to remove the excess of putty, but it
must be done if the finish is to be smooth and
flaw-free.
Wings And Things…
This is the most demanding part of this build:
the fit of the wings to the fuselage. This is
far from being perfect and the way I choose
to deal with it was to use Milliput Superfine
White to allow me to scribe a new line without
breaking the putty used to correct the joints.
So with the help of this wonderful tool, the
tooth pick, Milliput was applied using Tamiya
tape to mask the areas where we need to
apply it. Milliput is better in my opinion for
this kind of job because is harder than other
materials, being easy to scribe it when needed
(like in this case) and it doesn’t shrink. Before
it is dry, we need to remove the tape along
with any excess putty.
Once dried and sanded, the line that we
58 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - December 2016
MIDGET MIG.indd 6
Flats were added to the tyres using a fine razor saw.
Compare the washed wing on the right, with the untreated
panel on the left.
The camouflage was further muted with dots of oil paint that
were applied and then blended in with thinners.
erased with the Milliput was rescribed. This
must be done several times and very gently,
the first two passes being done using only the
scribing tool weight to make the line, with a
couple of more intense passes, the line was
near perfect. Since all the lines are so tiny we
don’t need to engrave the line too much to
make it look like it was already on the plastic.
To check if the line was okay, a light coat of
a mix of AK759 White Primer and Microfiller
and Grey AK758, was applied. I opted to use a
mix because the colour of the plastic is a little
bit dark, so a lighter colour will reveal more
easily any mistakes.
The interior of the wheel wells was painted
with Gunze H308. I applied a pin wash using
AK2071 Brown and Green Camouflage
Paneliner. Since I applied a generous coat
of Tamiya Clear, it was easier to remove the
wash using a cotton stick moistened with white
spirit. This was done with gentle passes. Once
An oil paint wash was added to the undersides of the wings…
With the lower surfaces washed, the upper surface camouflage
was similar treated.
The random effect of adding the oil paints can be seen here.
dry and using a light grey oil colour, I applied
a drybrushed layer, finished off with a coat of
Tamiya Flat Clear.
Painting The Beast!
As a break from traditional natural metal MiGs,
I decided to build and paint the camouflaged,
Algerian version.
There aren't many colour photos of these
aircraft (I only found one), so working out
exactly how they looked, is somewhat tricky.
I didn’t trust the suggested colour in the
instructions for the undersides, so based on
the picture I found, I decided to make it lighter
than seen in the instructions.
To prevent the scale effect where every
colour looks darker that it is in fact, I always
apply a lighter shades, allowing the weathering
to darken the colours to a more
acceptable tone.
I started using Gunze acrylics H314 Blue
04/11/2016 12:28
 AK weathering products were used to degrade the belly of the
model.
The mounting point for the aerial wire was carefully opened up
with a fine drill.
Having completed the painting and weathering the canopy could
be removed. The use of PVA glue makes this step, easy.
FS35622 to add some lighting effects on the
plastic, this way all the areas sprayed with this
light blue would look lighter once the darker
blue was applied. The colour used was a mix
of H314 with the H45 Light Blue also from
Gunze in a ratio of 30% of H314 to 70% of
H45. This produced a much lighter blue than
that indicated in the painting instructions,
where the H45 is the colour mentioned.
Over the panel lines I applied several coats
of heavily thinned H45 to darken each one,
thus removing the need for any preshading.
Inside all of the avionics bays, white was
applied to give a look of faded paint.
Over the upper surfaces I used a mix of
Gunze H27 Tan with H11 Flat White for the
base colour mixed 70/30.
To create highlights and the faded paint
I used H313. I concentrated more over the
areas that are more exposed to sunlight and
human intervention. When done, I blended
MIDGET MIG.indd 7
More work with oil paints. This is one weathered model!
The main undercarriage leg in place.
Touching in the canopy sill with metallic paint.
everything in with heavily thinned layers of the
original colours used for the basecoats.
For the green, I mixed H80 Khaki Green
and H11 White. I don’t like to apply masks so
I always paint camouflage, freehand. First I
painted the outlines of the patterns and then
once done, I filled in the patterns trying to give
it a random look, varying the intensity of the
coverage, thus making the weathering effect
much easier to achieve.
To make the paint look faded by the sun and
elements, I used Tamiya XF-4 Yellow Green.
Avoiding the lines, it’s easy to simulate the
faded effect on the plain surfaces of the kit. I
was looking for a faded look trying to blend the
two colours, a really thinned (90/10% thinner/
paint ratio) layer of paint was applied to cover
any overspray since no masks were applied.
At this point a layer of Tamiya gloss paint was
applied preparing the kit for the decals.
The decals are very good, being well-printed
Issue 137 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 59
The drop tanks were carefully painted and then weathered with
oils, enamels and acrylics!
On her feet at last!
Pencils were used to add fine scratches and chips onto the
surface of the model.
in perfect register and easy to work with. There
are no more than 10 decals to apply for this
scheme. AK Decal Adapter was used to fix
the decals, and in less than one hour the job
was done. The decals follow all the surface
characteristics and even the smallest decals
were filled by it and they are visible once the
decals are dried.
Weathering
Time to make it look dirty and old! Using a mix
of oil colours, white 80%, black 10% and Raw
Umber 10%, a dark grey is obtained. Since
the colours on the kit are all very light it is not
recommended to use a very dark wash like
the black, otherwise the lines are going to look
very pronounced.
With a flat brush the entire model was
covered with the mix. Its important to assure
that all surfaces are well-covered with acrylic
gloss varnish. When the mix loses its shiny
04/11/2016 12:28
 KIT BUILD
SKILL LEVEL: INTERMEDIATE
A final layer of dirt was added with pigments.
look, is time to remove it.
With a clean cotton cloth we can start to
remove the majority of the wash, but not all,
then we remove the rest until we obtain the
desired look. The best way to do this, is as if
you are polishing the surface of the model,
working in the direction of the airflow. If too
much is removed, we can always add a little bit
more in the desired areas. It is recommended
to let the kit dry for some hours before moving
on, usually one day being enough (there is no
need to take a risk so it is better to give it a
little bit more time if we suspect it is not dry).
I started the next stage by applying a coat
of Tamiya Semi-Gloss, since we are going to
work with oil paint.
I started by filling the avionics hatches with
Buff. Without thinner I spread the paint, to
make these areas look more weathered than
the rest of the surfaces. Some dots of Bright
Yellow Green, Sennelier oil paint, were applied
to the green areas of the paint and with the
help of some AK Odorless Thinner, the colour
was spread and faded. Over the Tan areas I
used Sennelier Titanium Buff, repeating the
previous steps and concentrating on the areas
that would have undergone the most use and
wear. The bottom part of the kit was weathered
with white using the same method.
This is not a kit for beginners. Though exhibiting an astonishing level of detail, with some of the best panel
lines I’ve seen, it can be a little bit tricky in some areas. The wings junctions require much more putty than
60 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - December 2016
MIDGET MIG.indd 8
Uschi’s fine rigging thread was used to add the aerial wire…
I wanted to make some areas a little bit
darker due to the leaking of fluids and to
maintain operations. Using a very thinned
coated of Gunze acrylic H77 Tyre Black this
area was darkened and then using a tooth
pick some previously applied liquid mask
was removed, making visible some different
shades of blue. Using AK084 Engine Oil and
AK 025 Fuel Stains some leaks of fuel and
other fluids were applied using a sharp brush.
Returning to the upper surfaces that were now
dry, a general filter was applied to blend all the
colours and effects to give an even more faded
look to the paint.
Using Van Gogh 620 Olive Green and
105 Titanium White, Sennelier Titanium
Buff, Naples Yellow and Bright Yellow Green
some dots were applied randomly. Using a
flat brush and white spirit, as the filter takes
form following the wind flow direction, a more
realistic look was achieved.
Once dry, another coat of Tamiya Semi-Flat
Clear was applied.
Finishing Off
With the paint job done it was time to finish
the last details. The two drop-tanks received
a mix of oils and AK Engine Oil. The
oil was applied over the panel
I was expecting, but it looks amazing once finished!
…As can be seen here.
lines and faded with white spirit. Once dry, it
was the time to randomly apply the engine oil
near the place where its filled with the fuel,
once more, white spirit was applied to fade it.
By now all the smaller parts were ready to be
put on place.
A drill was used to make a hole into which
a small part of a needle was stuck to hold the
antenna cable.
Now with all work done, the last coat of
varnish was applied. I used AK Ultra Matt
and Matt mix for the effect. Before the coat
was completely dry, it was time to remove
the clear parts. Using a hobby knife I gently
removed the rear part, as expected the white
glue having done its job. The interior was
completely sealed and it was easy to remove.
Using a brush, some shipping were
simulated with silver colour paint. Some
scratches on the paint were made using
Aquarelle pencils. Dark earth pigments were
applied to simulate dirtiness in the areas
where pilots and crew movement were more
constant.
Clear parts were glued in place along with
the antenna wire. I used Uschi fine size ‘Rig
That Thing’ for the effect,
using tweezers and super
glue it was an easy task. ■
FINAL VERDICT
04/11/2016 12:28
 Scale Aircraft
Conversions
White Metal & Resin Aircraft Parts Since 1990

32111 Sopwith Pup Landing Gear (WW) 48316 P-40C Landing Gear (Bro)
(replacement for 1/32 Wingnut Wings) (replacement for 1/48 Bronco)

MSRP $16.95 MSRP $14.95

48317 F2H-2 Banshee Landing Gear (KH) 48318 F-14 Tomcat Landing Gear (Tam)
(for 1/48 Kitty Hawk) (for 1/48 Tamiya)

MSRP $16.95 MSRP $18.95

72132 Fw 190 Landing Gear (Edu)

(replacement for 1/72 Eduard)

MSRP $11.95

www.scaleaircraftconversions.com

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MAI137 P61.indd 8 08/11/2016 12:06

 RAFAL
KIT BUILD
SKILL LEVEL: BEGINNER
BUILT AND WRITTEN BY ALAN PRICE

SPECIFICATION:
Scale: 1:48
Kit No: 04517
Materials: IM
Available From: Hannants
Price Guide: £19.99

BEFORE STARTING:
● Humbrol Liquid Poly
● Tamiya Masking Tape
● Sprue Cutters
● Tweezers
● Swann Morton No3 Scalpel & 10A Blades
● Plasti-Zap Cyanoacrylate Glue Dassault’s Rafale is one of the current
crop of European 4th generation fighter
● GSI Creos Mr. Cement S
● GSI Creos Mr. Surfacer 500
● Microscale Micro Set and Sol Decal Solution aircraft which is currently vying for
international sales with the Swedish
● Microscale Micro Kristal Klear

PAINT USED: Saab Gripen and the RAF’s Eurofighter

Microscale Micro Gloss
Microscale Micro Flat
Typhoon.
Tamiya Color Acrylics
X- 27 Clear Red
X-23 Clear Blue
XF-1 Flat Black
XF-64 Red Brown

Gunze Sangyo Mr Hobby:

H317 Gray FS36231
H-11 Flat White
H-8 Silver

Humbrol:
33 Matt Black
34 Matt White
11 Silver
56 Aluminium

Flory Washes:
Black

AIRBRUSH USED :
Iwata HP-B Plus

ACCESSORIES USED
Eduard Rafale EDS 359

REFERENCES:
● Internet – very few books available

62 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - December 2016

KWIK BUILD RAFALE 137.indd 2 04/11/2016 12:29

LE
T
here are currently a number of kits available
of Rafale and I built the Hobby Boss 1:72 kit
for MAI a few years back however here today
we have the larger 1:48 Revell kit. This kit
apparently is the same as the one sold under
the Hobby Boss and Heller labels. The kit is available
in four versions (A – demonstrator, B – twin seat, C,
single seat and M the maritime version) and our kit is
for the Rafale M. This particular kit has been hanging
around my modelling bench for ages, not helped by the
fact that it arrived minus the front section of the canopy
and the replacement had to be sourced from Revell.
The kit is supplied in the usual end-opening flimsy box
favoured by Revell. The parts were swiftly decanted to a
spare box saved from another kit. Moulded in a mid-grey
plastic the parts are of good quality with very good surface
detail in the form of fine engraved panel lines & rivets
plus raised fixtures where appropriate. The clear parts are
bagged separately and are again of very high quality, the
large canopy being crystal clear. No flash was evident and
the quality of the parts really makes you want to break out
the sprue cutters and start assembly. A very nicely printed
decal sheet which has its research credited to Syhart
Issue 137 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 63
KWIK BUILD RAFALE 137.indd 3
Decals is provided so we can be sure of accuracy with this.
A typical Revell instruction book is included and while large
in format it is, as usual, not very clear and can be difficult
to follow. I had purchased Eduard’s small photo etch sheet
EDS359 which provides interior details including seat belts
and while this is only a small set, it does help to add a bit of
extra detail to the build.
Getting Started…
Construction began conventionally with the cockpit. The
cockpit is quite small but reasonably detailed, the ejection
seat though is excellent and the Martin Baker MB16 is
made up from several parts. Once the Eduard seatbelts
were added and the seat painted, the end result was
excellent. Revell give colour call-outs to their own range
of paints and use generic names rather than FS codes
for most paint so one has to decide exactly what ‘light
grey –silky’ or ‘mouse grey’ might actually be. I was also
puzzled as to what the difference between ‘black’ and
‘tar black’ might be…. References on the internet helped
with the cockpit colours and various shades of grey were
used along with a thin black was to help bring out the
details. The completed cockpit, minus the seat, was then
04/11/2016 12:29
 KIT BUILD
SKILL LEVEL: BEGINNER/INTERMEDIATE
glued into the underside of the top half of the
fuselage. The main undercarriage bays were
then painted next before installing these in the
lower half of the fuselage along with the nose
gear bay. The upper and lower halves of the
fuselage were then glued together. There is
not much in the way of seams to deal with as
the wings hide the bulk of them however the
join along the nose is not particularly good
and took a few sessions of filling and sanding
until I had something I was happy with.
Moving On
With the fuselage complete, the wings and fin
were added along with spine which runs along
64 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - December 2016
KWIK BUILD RAFALE 137.indd 4
the fuselage to the fin. This needed quite a bit
of careful filling and sanding to blend it into
the fuselage and then the engraved detail had
to be re-done where it had been sanded
away. I now had a pretty complete
airframe, the canards were not
added when the fuselage was
glued together (as per the
instructions) so I cut these
off the rod which joined
them together
and test fitted
these to the
airframe.
I was
04/11/2016 12:29
 pleased to find they were a good tight fit
and would require no glue. They were then
removed and put aside till painting. As I had
decided to build this aircraft with the full
complement of stores, I next decided to tackle
these. Six Paveway bombs were assembled
along with two fuel tanks and a pair of MAGIC
missiles. For some reason, the tanks had
raised panel lines so where the seams were
sanded, the lost detail was replaced with small
sections of stretched sprue. Undercarriage
came next with all the parts being cleaned up
and assembled. This was not without issue,
the Revell instructions are not very clear and
the small jack on the main gear legs did not
seem to fit the way Revell indicated.
Painting And Decals
After a final cleanup of the airframe the front of
the canopy was glued in place and the cockpit
and wheel wells were masked. The build was
then primed with GSI Creos Mr. Surfacer
and the panel lines pre-shaded with black.
The colour scheme is very simple – overall
grey FS36231 is indicated by Revell This is a
surprisingly dark grey but having seen some
Rafales lined up next to Eurofighter Typhoons,
I knew the colour was a lot darker than the
RAF Barley Grey. A solid colour is always
a problem to paint; there is a danger of the
aircraft looking boring with a solid monotone
finish. However, the Rafales in service show
quite a bit of wear to the paint so preshading
helped get things heading to a more interesting
finish. After the initial grey was airbrushed
Other than the dodgy instructions this kit is hard to fault. It builds well, like most Revell
kits it’s a great price and the resulting build looks great. I really enjoyed this build, I need
KWIK BUILD RAFALE 137.indd 5
using GSI Creos H317 Grey FS36231 I then
masked and airbrushed a number of panels
in a lighter shade of grey. This same grey was
also used to lighten the centre of some panels.
I finished off with a darker shade of grey, going
over some panel lines and wear areas on the
upper fuselage.
With painting complete, a polish with
Micromesh ensured a smooth finish which was
sealed with a coat of Microscale Gloss. Now it
was time for one of my least favourite parts of
building modern aircraft – decals – specifically
all those stencils! It took three evenings to
apply all the decals, that’s about four and a
half hours. A lot of the stencils were almost
invisible on the grey paintwork with them being
also grey. The Revel decals were ok, settling
down well with Microscale setting solutions
however they were prone to silvering and it
took a bit of work to fix this, scoring decals
and applying more setting solution. Once the
decals had been completed I airbrushed on a
coat of Klear to seal everything. A wash was
then applied using Flory Models Black to all
the panel lines. A bit more post shading was
now applied as I wasn’t happy with the upper
surfaces, these looked a bit to clean compared
to photos of the real aircraft. I used a thin black
and red-brown mix to achieve this.
Details, details…
With the build nearing completion I next
painted and weathered the undercarriage,
this was then glued in place which was not
without its issues. The Revell instructions are
Revell’s Typhoon to go along side it now!
Issue 137 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 65
very poor here and fail to show accurately how
the parts fit for the main gear. In particular,
the fitment of a small retraction link that fits
under the main drag link seemed impossible
until I realised the drag links actually had
location points on them which contradict the
instructions. These suggest only one end of
the jack fits into the drag link when it appears
it attaches fully under it. In comparison, the
nose gear fitted without drama. With the
undercarriage in place I could now apply the
finishing coat of Microscale Flat varnish and
remove the masking. As I had painted the
pylons and tanks with the airframe these were
now attached. The fixing points for these were
rather poor so I drilled and pinned them with
brass rod, making a much stronger joint.
All that remained now was to paint the
Paveway bombs, with there being six of these
and a quite complex colour scheme, this
took quite a while and several evenings of
work ensued. This was followed by another
evening of decaling but finally the bombs were
complete and attached to the build. The last
job was to attach the canopy and I decided to
fit this closed as to fit it open left some large
holes around the hinges which I wasn’t happy
with. For some reason this build seems to
have taken ages but it’s not because of any
problems with the build. I think for me it’s
because of the extra work involved with decals
and stores that I’m not used to with my usual
WWII builds. However, the finished build does
look rather impressive and I have to say it’s
made a nice change to my usual subjects. ■
FINAL VERDICT
04/11/2016 12:29
 REFERENCE FEATURE
Smoke Winders on the wing-tip pylons help show off a spirited
routine by the French Air Force Rafale C at RIAT 2016.

IN COLOUR!
WRITTEN AND PHOTOGRAPHED BY ALAN FIRBANK

We take a look at the wonderful Rafale

A French Air Force Rafale C performs a

lovely top-side pass at RIAT 2016.

66 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - December 2016

REF FEATURE IN COLOUR.indd 2 04/11/2016 12:30

 The Rafale C take
a bow at the end
of its display at
RIAT 2013.

The two seat

Rafale B appears
only rarely at air
shows in the UK.
This one is at the
RNAS Yeovilton
Air Day in July
2009.

A specially
marked Rafale
C at RIAT 2013
celebrated
30,000 flying
hours.

REF FEATURE IN COLOUR.indd 3 04/11/2016 12:30

 REFERENCE FEATURE

A great underside view of the Rafale C at RIAT Fairford, July

2016. Note the different grey shades on the panels.

We don’t see
the French
Navy Rafale M
very often at
UK shows. This
one performs
at RNAS
Yeovilton’s Air
Show in 2011.

The French Air

Force Rafale C
departs RIAT
2016 at the end
of the show.

The French Air

Force Rafale C
makes a high-g
turn into its
display at RIAT
in July 2013.

A Rafale C in special markings does not often appear in

the UK. This pass by the Rafale marking 30,000 Hours
came to Fairford in 2013.

68 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - December 2016

REF FEATURE IN COLOUR.indd 4 04/11/2016 12:30

 Canopy open on a warm July day, the Rafale C arrives for the 2013 RIAT.

A dull arrivals day at Florennes in June 2016 sees the arrival of a French Rafale C for the Belgian Air
Force’s Show Weekend.

Belgium for the 2016 show.

Back on the
runway, the
30,000 Hour
Rafale C at
Fairford in French gallantry turns into French
2013. embarrassment when the Rafale’s nose wheel
steering locks at ninety degrees on Fairford’s
runway during the 2013 show.

The French Air

Force Rafale
C’s pilot waves
to the farmer’s
field spectators
when arriving at
Fairford for RIAT
2013.

Issue 136 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 27

REF FEATURE IN COLOUR.indd 5 04/11/2016 12:30

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P68-69 MAI SUBS SPECIAL.indd 3 11/10/2016 13:56


FIRST LOOK!
MENG’s 1:48 P-51 Mustang will soon hit the model shop shelves. Brett Green brings us an appraisal of a very early
sample, of what looks to be a very fine kit…
T
he prototype NA-73X Mustang
was designed and rolled out by
North American Aviation a mere
102 days after the specifica-
tion was issued by the British
Purchasing Commission. The initial op-
erational Mustang variants were powered
by the Allison V-1710 engine, which was
optimised for low-altitude performance.
The P-51 Mustang flew its first opera-
tional missions with the Royal Air Force
in the reconnaissance and fighter-bomber
roles.
The combination of a Rolls Royce Merlin
engine with the innovative airframe and
laminar flow wing design of the A-35/P-
51A resulted in one of the best fighter
aircraft of World War Two. However, the
P-51B/C series (Mustang III) was somewhat
72 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - December 2016
NR KITS 137.indd 2
NEW RELEASE - KITS
hampered by poor visibility through its
heavily framed canopy. It was also difficult
to bail out in an emergency due to the
multi part canopy. The Malcolm Hood was
a sliding, one-piece canopy designed by
the British to be fitted to the Mustang III to
address the bailout problem. However, this
was a stopgap measure.
The airframe was therefore redesigned
with a cut-down rear fuselage and a large,
bubble-topped sliding canopy. This would
become the P-51D - the definitive version
of the Mustang, and perhaps the classic
American fighter of the Second World War.
A total of 7,956 P-51Ds were produced.
North American’s Inglewood factory could
not keep up with the pressing demand for
this high-performance fighter, so production
was also undertaken at Dallas. There was
also a shortage of Hamilton Standard
propellers. The “P-51K” designation was
applied to a further 1,500 machines built
at this Dallas facility. The P-51K was
almost identical to the P-51D except for the
propeller.
The P-51K was equipped with a four-
bladed Aeroproducts propeller assembly.
This could be distinguished from the
Hamilton Standard prop on the P-51D by
the lack of the characteristic “cuffs” at the
root of each propeller blade and a narrower
chord.
The P-51D Mustang In 1/48
Scale
Most major model companies have had a
go at the P-51D Mustang in 1/48 scale at
some time or other – Monogram, Revell,
Fujimi, Arii/Otaki, ICM, Hasegawa, Tamiya
and more.
The consensus is that Tamiya’s 1995
offering is the best 1/48 scale P-51D
Mustang at this stage, although it is not
without its minor issues. These include
stepped landing flaps, separate clear
bubble section and canopy frame (making
it difficult to get a clean join) and incorrect
configuration of the main undercarriage bay.
Let’s see what MENG has in store for us.
In The Box…
A cement-free MENG Mustang? Really?
Yes, really. And it’s very nice. In fact,
despite the connotations that “Cement Free
Assembly” might conjure up, there are very
few compromises to this model in terms of
detail or parts breakdown as a result of its
04/11/2016 12:33
 snap status. It will make the model easier and faster
to build though, which will appeal to new or less
experienced modellers without detracting from the
delight of the plastic veteran.
Meng’s all-new 1/48 scale P-51D Mustang
comprises 102 parts in grey plastic, six parts in clear
and decals for two marking options. With the inclusion
of both Hamilton Standard and Aeroproducts propeller
assemblies, you’ll be able to build this as either a
P-51D or a P-51K Mustang. The parts breakdown
is quite conventional although there are a number
of fuselage and wing inserts to provide for various
options, some of which apply to this release and
others that suggest future versions.
The main parts are secured by pressing small
circular locating artefacts into larger circles on the
opposite mating surfaces. Once the parts are pressed
together there is nothing stopping you from running a
line of liquid glue along the join seam. Smaller parts
are a press fit using locating tabs, slots, pins and
holes. Surface detail is very nicely done with crisply
recessed panel lines and selected rows of rivets.
Panel and rivet detail is present on the wings, so if
you want to depict an aircraft with puttied wings, you
might prefer to fill and sand these.
Construction gets underway in the cockpit with
a six-part pilot’s seat, instrument panel with raised
bezels, rudder pedals, batteries, fuel tank, clear
gunsight, armoured glass and coaming. All you need
to add is a set of harness straps. Sidewall structure
is moulded to the inside of the fuselage halves, and
there is an additional sidewall part for the port side
with throttle quadrant and other details. The tail
undercarriage leg is fitted between a dedicated bay
and a lower fuselage insert that features open doors
moulded in place.

Issue 137 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 73

NR KITS 137.indd 3 04/11/2016 12:34

 NEW RELEASE - KITS

Both Hamilton Standard and Aeroproducts
propeller blades are included. These are moulded
in pairs, with the front pair including the hub. Two
subtly different propeller spinner assemblies are also
included. The kit also offers the choice of shrouded or
exposed exhausts. These are moulded as one piece
per side and the ends of the stubs are hollowed out.
The main landing gear bay is well detailed and
the shape is correct. I believe this is a first for any
1/48 scale P-51D Mustang. The instructions indicate
that the main gear legs should be fitted before the
undercarriage bay is glued to the inside of the lower
wing, but I’ll be checking to see if this can be done
later in the assembly sequence. The diamond tread
tyres and wheel hubs are separate parts.
Ailerons and landing flaps are separate parts held
in place with tabs. The ailerons are in the neutral
position while the flaps are dropped. A moderately
experienced modeller should be able to easily adjust
the pose to their own taste. By the way, the flaps
do not suffer from the lengthwise step found on the
Tamiya kit. The rudder is also a separate part but
the elevators are moulded flat with the horizontal
stabilisers.
The kit also includes the following options:
● The machine gun panels on the wing leading edge
are separate inserts. This avoids the tricky seam/join
that would otherwise run through the centre of the
gun muzzles.
● The radiator flap may be posed open, and MENG
offers the choice of perforated or plain lower side air
intake panels.
● Other options include two 108 gallon paper drop
tanks
● Two 75 gallon metal drop tanks
● Two 100 lb bombs
● DF loop.
● Two styles of sliding canopy are included –
Inglewood and Dallas. The clear bubble section
is moulded with the frame, so you won’t have
any trouble getting a nice clean painting line. The
windscreen is moulded with a small section of the
upper fuselage, once again ensuring a clean join and
painting demarcation. All transparencies are clear,
thin and free from distortion.
● A canopy mounted rear view mirror is also moulded
as a clear part. This is the only part the instructions
direct you to glue in place!
Markings
Decals are supplied for two aircraft. Both are in
overall natural metal:
● “American Beauty” P-51D Serial No. 44-15459.
308th FS 31st FG USAAF, Capt. John Voll.
● “Short Fuse Sallee” P-51D Serial No. 44-15622.
356th FS 354th FG 9th AF USAAF. Capt. Richard
Turner.

VERDICT
MENG has taken an interesting and innovative approach with their new 1/48 scale P-51D Mustang. Their philosophy reminds me of 21st Century Toys’ later 1/32
scale releases, although this new MENG kit features a higher level of detail and much better surface finesse even in this smaller scale.
This is a great way to encourage new and younger modellers while still offering a well-detailed and attractive kit of a very popular subject to the experts.
Regardless of its glue-free status, in my opinion MENG’s P-51D has now snatched the title of best 1/48 scale bubbletop Mustang available today. Of course, we’ll
need to build the kit to confirm this, but I guarantee that you won’t have to wait for long! Highly Recommended!

74 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - December 2016

NR KITS 137.indd 4 04/11/2016 12:34

 NEW FROM DOOLITTLE MEDIA

The Modeller’s Guide

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

Aleksandar Pocuc

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

ORDER NOW: regardless of their experience.

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

FOR ONLY

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DOOLITTLE MEDIA, Doolittle Mill, Doolittle Lane, Totternhoe, Bedfordshire, LU6 1QX. United Kingdon.
TEL: +44(0)1525 222573. FAX: +44(0)1525 222574. ONLINE: www.adhbooks.com

P001 - WWII AIRCRAFT BOOK copy.indd 1 04/11/2016 11:46

 Books
SPITFIRE IN SWEDEN
■ By Mikael Forslund
■ Published by Mikael Forslund Produktion AB via Mushroom Model Publications
■ Guide Price £40.00
■ ISBN: 978-91-977677-8-1
■ 208pp hardback, 220 x 305 mm
M
ikael Forslund’s latest book is a
celebration of 80 Spitfire years
from the first flight of the Spitfire
in 1936 and of the use of Spitfires
in Swedish Air Force service.
Looking to more recent times, the author looks at
Swedish Warbird Spitfires and museums, etc.
The first couple of pages give a useful list of Spitfire
versions from the first prototypes to the last, the
Seafire Mk.47 that saw action in the Korean War. An
interesting note at the end of the list is the fact that
there are 236 Spitfire/Seafires remaining in various
stages of preservation around the world with (at the
time of writing) 54 in flying condition. We are lucky to
have over half of these in the UK.
Only one Spitfire made it to Sweden during WWII
and that was unintentional. A Spitfire PR.IV was on
a mission from Wick in Scotland, searching for the
Tirpitz, hiding in Norwegian waters when it was caught
by anti-aircraft fire. The pilot of the damaged plane
decided against attempting to cross the North Sea and
flew inland. When the Spitfire became uncontrollable,
the pilot baled out and was surprised to find that he
had landed in Sweden and not occupied Norway. His
plane crashed a short time later and PO Whitaker
spent the next few months in custody in Sweden.
76 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - December 2016
BOOKS 137.indd 2
Samples for review
Please send all items for review to the following address:
Model Airplane International, Doolittle Mill, Doolittle Lane,
Totternhoe, Bedfordshire, LU6 1QX, United Kingdom.
Companies in the European Union should also add our VAT number,
which is GB 789 7020 84
SPOTLIGHT ON F4U CORSAIR IN WORLD WAR 2
■ By Zbigniew Kolacha
■ Published by Mushroom Model Publications
■ Guide Price £19.00
■ ISBN 978-83-65281-17-3
■ 42pp hardback, 305 x 217 mm
W
e are seeing regular released in MMP’s excellent ‘Spotlight On’ and
this is another in the growing reference series. The Chance-Vought
Corsair was the US Navy’s best carrier-based fighter of WWII and
continued in service throughout the Korean War and into the 1950s.
The Corsair was big and heavy but very powerful and could outclass
the opposition in almost every respect. It was also popular on the ships, being the first US
Navy fighter with a wing-fold mechanism activated by the pilot and not needing a number
of deck crew on hand to reduce the aircraft to its compact on-deck dimensions.
This book, portrait on the outside and landscape on the inside, illustrates schemes used on
Corsairs until the end of the war in 1945. The book opens with a page of text briefly covering
the development and introduction into service of the Corsair. The following page of copy goes
into the ‘whys and where-fors’ of the red outline around the fuselage-side US Navy insignia. We
have seen the red border on some decals and in many instances these should not be present.
Any aircraft arriving in the Pacific with a red border on its insignia had them over-painted very
quickly. Even this small amount of red was enough to confuse defending gunners.
Then follows the rest of the text pages showing mainly side profiles of Corsair version and
in the various colour schemes. Early ‘Bird Cage’ canopy Corsairs were in a two-tone scheme
of NS Blue Grey with NS Light Grey undersides. A tri-colour scheme of Sea Blue, Intermediate
Blue and White followed but most Corsairs appeared in overall Sea Blue with some spectacular
unit markings. The last few pages show schemes used by the Royal Navy and the Royal New
Zealand Air Force.
There are dozens of Corsair kits, in all the scales with the two Corsair versions in 1:32 by
Tamiya at the top of the list. Anyone with a kit on the shelf will find loads of inspiration between
the covers of this excellent new Spotlight On book.
The author goes on to describe Sweden’s abortive
attempts to buy Spitfire for the air force. Looking for
late marks, the Swedes were offered obsolete Mk.IXs
at an astonishing price of £4,000 each, a fortune in
1946. In 1948, an agreement between Sweden and
the Britain was made to purchase 70 Spitfire P.R.
Mk.XIXs. After the agreement was made it was only
possible to find 50 machines to send to Sweden.
This book tells the story of the introduction of
the photoreconnaissance Spitfires into service and
their operation. The book covers all aspects of the
Swedish Spitfires including maintenance as well as
flight operations. Each section is richly illustrated with
pictures and diagrams. The profiles and reminiscences
of the men who worked with the Spitfires make for
fascinating reading.
Towards the end of the book, we find scale
drawings, colour profiles and photos of preserved
Spitfires. The book concludes with a description of the
restoration of Spitfire P.R. Mk.IV (BP923) to airworthy
condition showing the continued Swedish interest in
the Spitfire.
There is plenty of interesting information in this
book for those modellers interested in Spitfires
and Swedish aviation, etc. This book comes highly
recommended from several points of view.
04/11/2016 12:36
 CROSS AND COCKADE INTERNATIONAL
■ Quarterly Journal Autumn 2016 Vol. 47/3
■ By Various Authors and edited by Mick Davie

C
■ Published by Cross and Cockade International
■ Guide Price: See Cross and Cockade’s web site for subscription rates ross and Cockade Interna-
■ ISSN: 1360-9009 tional is an Aviation Society
■ 80pp softback, 297 x 210 mm with a collective interest in
all aviation topics from the
WWI period. We have a copy
of their Autumn quarterly journal for review
this month. Any modeller whose interest is
principally WWI aircraft will find member-
ship of the society useful and interesting. A
normal annual subscription is great value,
currently at £27. As well as the quarterly
journal meeting of members are held in
various places during the year. The next
ones are held in pubs in York and Romford
and are open to guests too.
This autumn issue includes chapters
on WWI seaplanes, featuring the Sopwith
Schneider Seaplan, the birth of the Serbian
Aviation Command and Morane Saulnier
Aircraft on the Western Front 1914-1917, to
mention a few. Each article is illustrated with
many photos of aircraft of the time, technical
diagrams and profiles of those operating the
aircraft. The back cover is illustrated with a
variety of aircraft shown in colour.
WWI modellers will gain much from a
subscription to Cross and Cockade, if only for
the four journals each year. At only around a
quarter the price of a Wingnut Wings kit, the
cost of an annual subscription looks to be a
good deal to us.

T
he Miles Aircraft company are
known for their mild-mannered
aircraft such as the Gemini and
Magister so it came as a great
surprise to receive this book and
learn about the M.52 project.
Miles were involved in the top-secret
programme to build a supersonic aircraft,
using many ground breaking materials, design
and technology. Frank Whittle was involved in
producing a jet engine with an early attempt
at a reheat/afterburner that would boost the
power of the engine. Following the capture
of a German engineer who brought reports
of Germany developing an aircraft capable of
1,000 mph plus, the British government set up
a team at Miles with the intention of producing
an aircraft capable of a similar performance.
The sensitive nature of the work made this a
very hush-hush project.
This book tells the full story, using
declassified material, of how the team was
formed and how the M.52 was progressed.
Many photos and diagrams illustrate the text
that concludes with the astonishing revelation
that all of the research and development MILES M.52 - BRITAIN’S TOP SECRET
information was handed to the Americans ‘on
a plate’. There is little doubt that much of the SUPERSONIC RESEARCH AIRCRAFT
Miles team’s hard work helped the Americans
■ By Tony Buttler
develop the Bell X-1 that would be the first
■ Published by Crécy Publishing
aircraft to break the sound barrier. We see that
■ Guide Price £24.95
there are several similarities between the M.52
■ ISBN: 978-1-91080-904
and the X-1, apart from the power plant. In the
■ 160pp hardback, 290 x 225 mm
case of the M.52, a jet and the X-1’s rocket
engine. The use of a rocket engine negates
the need for an air intake. Unless information
emerges to counter the belief that much data
passed to the Americans helped Bell produce
the X-1, one can only conclude that they would
not have had the success that they did without
Miles’ input.
This is a fascinating read and highly
recommended to those with an interest
in aviation history and the intrigue of the
authorities at the end of World War II. We
can’t help but wonder at the thinking of the
government of the time, so willing to hand over
the M.52 information to America and jet engine
technology to the Russians.

T
MIKOYAN MIG-17 his is another astonishing
publication from Hikoki, taking
■ By Yefim Gordon and Dmitriy Komissarov an in-depth look at everything
■ Published by Hikoki Publications Ltd/Crécy MiG-17. The authors have an
■ Guide Price £39.95 amazing reputation for past
■ ISBN: 978-1-8578-0372-3 work in Russian aviation literature. We can
■ 480pp hardback, 290 x 225 mm only marvel at the amount of work that will
have gone into producing this two-kilo plus
book of almost five hundred pages. Those
of us, of a certain age, can remember the
very indistinct photos we used to see of
Russian aircraft during the early days of
MiG-17 operations. The book contains hun-
dreds of excellent photos of the MiG-17,
its variants, with many in colour and many
colour profiles showing MiG-17s in export
country’s national markings and many
camouflage schemes.
After taking a look at the origins of the
aircraft, a much-improved MiG-15, we see the
MiG-17 in production and sub-types that came
along. Many of the Warsaw Pact countries,
Arab and African nations operated MiG-17s. A
home-built MiG-17 was used in large numbers
by China. The list of MiG-17 operators is a long
one, spanning much of the globe. Although too
late to take part in the Korean War, the MiG-17
played a large part in fighting in Vietnam and
the short wars in the Middle East. We see
many accounts of the MiG-17 being used in
combat. Tactics are described and camera gun
and reconnaissance photos are used to help
describe the action. The book is not just ‘dry’
facts and figures by any means containing
hours of interesting reading.
From the modelling point of view, anyone
looking for reference for a MiG-17 project will
find this book the ‘one stop shop’. The depth
of coverage of the type is just astonishing. The
aircraft is covered in great detail, inside and
out with detailed photos and diagrams of just
about every part of the plane. The cover price
is not cheap but represents excellent value
for money. Highly recommended to anyone
with even the slightest interest in the subject.
The more I look through this book, the more
I take off my hat to the authors. One for your
Christmas list? (Alan Firbank)

Issue 137 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 77

BOOKS 137.indd 3 04/11/2016 12:37

 EVENTS DIARY
Model shows for 2016
November 12th/13th 2016
Scale Modelworld 2016 at the
International Centre, Telford - the
world’s greatest model show
presented by IPMS (UK). Car parking,
disabled access, refreshments,
club displays, trade stands, model
competition (IPMS members only),
demonstrations, talks and full-scale
exhibits.
Organiser: IPMS(UK).
Email:
scalemodelworld@ipmsuk.co.uk
Website:
http://ipmsuk.org/ipms-scale-
modelworld/
November 20th 2016
The Shuttleworth Collection have
teamed up with IPMS Brampton
Scale Model Club to set a new scale
modelling related Official Guinness
World Record on Sunday 20th
November 2016. The official record
attempt is ‘Most people constructing
aircraft models’ and we aim to get
over 250 people to break the world
record.
78 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - December 2016
EVENT & CONTACTS 137.indd 2
Organiser: Shuttleworth Collection /
IPMS Brampton.
Email: enquiries@shuttleworth.org
November 27th 2016
Bugle Call 2016 at Nailsea School The
Link, Mizzymead Rd , Nailsea, North
Somerset, BS48 2HN United Kingdom
from 9.30am - 4.30pm. Bugle Call
has moved to a brand new and very
accessible location from all major
routes. FREE parking for all, disabled
access, café style catering on site, very
close to local facilities, great displays
and traders for all modelling interests,
demonstrations, competition tables,
all in a very friendly atmosphere and
as always an enjoyable day. Open
09:30-16:30 Admission price: Adults
£5, children under 12 £2, OAPs £4,
Family £9
Organiser: Bristol BMSS & South West
Figure Modellers, Kevin Peart.
Email: slenderboy0247@gmail.com
Website:
www.bmssbristol.org.uk/
December 4th 2016
IPMS Coventry & Warwicks Midland
Air Museum Winter Fair at Midland
Air Museum, Rowley Road, Coventry,
CV3 4FR from 10am ’til 4pm. Many
trade stands and displaying clubs,
Refreshments available all day. Normal
museum admission applies and free
parking.
Trader bookings please contact
midlandairmuseum@btconnect.com
January 22nd 2017
IPMS Bolton Model Show at St
Joseph’s RC High School, Chorley New
Road, Horwich
Bolton, BL6 6HW from 10:00.
Trade Stands, Club Displays,
Model Making Demonstrations,
Refreshments, Disabled Access & Free
Parking. Adults £4, OAP £3, Children
(Under 16) £2 Families (2 adults and 2
children) £10.
Contact Rob Monfea:
hawksig@gmail.com
February 12th 2017
Huddersfield Model Show 2017 at
Huddersfield Leisure Centre, Spring
Grove Street
Huddersfield, HD1 4BP from
10.30am ’til 4.30pm.
Model displays, competition, trade
stands, refreshments Admission -
£4.00 Concessions - £2.00. Please
not the new opening times For further
information please
Contact: Geoff Milnes on
01132893132 or 07879446544 or
Alan Paul on 07811358355.
04/11/2016 12:38
 CONTACTS
✆ ✉
Contact details for companies featured in MAI this month...

Azur/Frrom Hasegawa Corporation Lela Presse S.A.R.L. Revell GmbH

**See Special Hobby Ltd** 3-1-2 Yagusu Yaizu,
Shizuoka 425-8711,
Albion Alloys Japan
518 Wallisdown Rd, Bournemouth, Tel: 81 54 6 28 82 41
Dorset BH11 8PT Fax: 81 54 6 27 80 46
www.albionhobbies.com
Tel. 0044 1202 511232 Historie & Collections
Fax. 0044 1202 539967 5 avenue de la Ræpublique
F-75541
Creative Models Ltd Paris Cédex 11
Unit 6/10, Honeysome Road Industrial Tel: 01 40 21 18 20
Estate, Fax: 01 47 00 51 11
Honeysome Road, www.historieetcollections.fr
Chatteris,
Cambridgeshire The Hobby Company Limited
PE16 6TG Garforth Place,
Tel: +44 (0)1354 760022 Knowlhill,
Fax: +44 (0)1354 760037 Milton Keynes
Email: info@creativemodels.co.uk MK5 8PH
www.creativemodels.co.uk Tel: 01908 605 686
Fax: 01908 605 666
Eduard M.A., Email: sales@hobbyco.net
170 Obrnice, or enquiries@hobbyco.net
Obrnice, www.hobbyco.net
435 21,
Czech Republic ICM Holding
Tel: 420 35 6 11 81 86 Borispolskaya 9, Building 64,
Fax: 420 35 6 11 81 71 Kiev 02099,
Email: info@eduard.cz Ukraine
Tel/Fax: (+380 44) 369 54 12
Hannants Email: icm@icm.ua
Harbour Road,
Oulton Broad, Italeri S.p.A
Lowestoft, Via Pradazzo 6/B,
Suffolk I-40012 Calderara di Reno,
NR32 3LZ (Bologna),
Tel: 01502 517444 Italy
Fax: 01502 500521 Tel: +39 051 72 60 37
www.hannants.co.uk Fax: +39 051 72 64 59
Email: italeri@italeri.com
29, rue Paul Bert, Unit 10, Old Airfield Industrial Estate,
62230 Outreau, Cheddington Lane,
France. Tring
Tel: 03 21 33 88 96 HP23 4QR
Fax: 03 21 32 00 39 Tel: 0845-459-0747
www.avions-bateaux.com. Fax: 01296-660041
Email: info@avions-bateaux.com. Email: ukbranch@revell.de
www.revell.de/en
MARK I Ltd.
PO Box 10, Revell GmbH & Co., KG
CZ-100 31 Prague 10 – Strasnice, Abteilung X,
Czech Republic Henschelstr 20-30,
Tel: +420-241 765 158 D-32257 Bünde,
Fax: +420-241 765 158 Germany
Email: mark1@cmail.cz
Special Hobby Ltd
Master Model Mezilesi 718,
71-126 Szczecin, Prague 9 193 00,
ul. 26 Kwietnia 49/44, Czech Republic
Poland www.cmkkits.com
Tel: +48 0 503 072 624
Email: info@master-model.pl Wydawnictwo Stratus s.c.
www.master-model.pl PO Box 123,
27-600 Sandomierz 1,
Mushroom Model Poland
Publications Tel: 0-15 833 30 41
3 Gloucester Close, Email: office@stratusbooks.biz
Petersfield, www.stratusbooks.com.pl
Hants.
GU32 3AX Trumpeter
Tel: +44 (1)1730 265014 Wa San Development (Macau) Ltd
Email: rogerw@mmpbooks.biz Rampa Dos Cavleiros No.9,
www.mmpbooks.biz Block 5, Floor 16, Flat AS EDF,
Jardim Sun Yick Garden,
POCKETBOND Macaua
Bachmann Europe PLC China
Moat Way www.trumpeter.com
Barwell
Leics LE9 8EY Wingnut Wings Ltd
Tel 01455 841756 PO Box 15-319,
info@pocketbond.co.uk Miramar,
Wellington 6022,
New Zealand
www.wingnutwings.com

Issue 137 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 79

EVENT & CONTACTS 137.indd 3 04/11/2016 12:38

DEBUYERSGUIDEBUYERSGU
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p 80 Buyers Guide 136.indd 81 04/11/2016 11:15

 Subscribe
ay
SEE PA

70

s c r i b e To d

To d
GE

ay Subs
NEXT ISSUE

ub

c
rib
e To d a y S
SO WHAT’S PLANNED FOR THE NEXT ISSUE?

STUKA ON A SHOESTRING THE MIGHTY ’88

Jonathan Mock goes back to basics as he builds Zveda’s new 1/72 snap-fit Ju Alan price converts the impressive ICM Junkers 88 into the very
87B/R Stuka using some very simple and cheap, tools and materials attractive A-5 variant

TROJAN
WARRIOR
Greg Phillips build Roden’s 1:48
North American T-28D Trojan

Issue 137 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 81

NEXT MONTH 137.indd 3 04/11/2016 12:39

 FINAL THOUGHTS
ROCKWELL X-31 - A PERFECT SCRATCHBUILT PROJECT?
T
he Rockwell-Messerschmitt-
Bölkow-Blohm X-31 Enhanced
Fighter Manoeuvrability program
was designed to test fighter thrust
vectoring technology. Thrust
vectoring provides additional control authority
in pitch and yaw, resulting in significantly
more manoeuvrability than most conventional
fighters. An advanced flight control system
provides controlled flight at high angles of
attack where conventional aircraft would stall
or lose control.
The X-31 design was essentially an all-new
air-frame design, although it borrowed heavily
on design elements and sometimes actual
parts of previous production, prototype, and
conceptual aircraft designs, including: the
Experimental Airplane Program (choice of wing
82 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - December 2016
FINAL THOUGHTS 137.indd 2
type with canards, plus underfuselage intake),
and the German TKF-90 (wing planform
concepts and underfuselage intake), F/A-18
(forebody, including cockpit, ejection seat, and
canopy; electrical generators), F-16 (landing
gear, fuel pump, rudder pedals, nosewheel
tires, and emergency power unit), F-16XL
(leading-edge flap drives), V-22 (control
surface actuators), Cessna Citation (main
gear’s wheels and brakes), F-20 (hydrazine
emergency air-start system, later replaced),
B-1 (spindles from its control vanes used for
the canards). This was done on purpose,
so that development time and risk would be
reduced by using flight-qualified components.
Given that a lot of this aircraft features
off-the-shelf components and having
learned a lot from my Harrier conversion, I’m
leaning towards tackling tis aircraft as a full
scratchbuild, using some spare kits to provide
the detailed bits and pieces.
But why, given that there are so many
cool kits, would I want to build something
from scratch? Simply put, the challenge.
Over the years it’s been fun to push my skills
and see where they will take me. I’ve made
other models from scratch, but never had the
confidence to build an aircraft from the ground
up. Now, I want to see if I can do that and the
X-31 seems to be the perfect choice.
If this model ever sees the light of day,
I’ll chart its progress and then let you see
the results. All I have to do is get the Harrier
finished, first! ■
(U.S. Marine Corps photo)
04/11/2016 12:39
 B-52
B-52 Stratofortress (1378)
The B-52G played a crucial role in ‘Operation Desert Storm’, flying from air-bases in
Britain, Spain and the Indian Ocean to free Kuwait of Saddam Hussein’s forces, dropping
the first bombs of Operation Desert Storm. Italeri’s B-52G kit is a very large production!
It comes moulded in grey polystyrene and the big airframe features engraved panel lines
and lots of detail on the airframe and inside the cockpit. Air Launched Cruise Missiles
are provided for the Gulf War version, as well as four markings options; 1708th BW, King

STRATOFORTRESS
Abdul Aziz AB, Jeddah Saudi Arabia, March 1991, 801st BW, Morón AB, Spain, February
1991, 4300th BW, Diego Garcia AFB, January 1991 and 379th BW, Wurtsmith SAC AFB,
Michigan, USA, 1977.

TORNADO Tornado GR.1 Gulf War 25th Anniversary (1384)

To commemorate the
25th anniversary of the
1991 Gulf War, Italeri
have released a special
edition of the Tornado
GR.1 in 1:72. The model
comes with a decal sheet
that provides markings
for four Royal Air Force
aircraft, all in the overall
sand colour used on
these machines during
‘Operation Desert Storm’
in 1991. All the schemes
feature colourful and
varied nose-art that give
such strong individuality.
The injection-moulding
polystyrene parts feature
fine detail, capturing
the aggressive look of
this multirole combat
machine. Underwing
munitions and drop-tanks
are provided in the box.

HOBBY COMPANY ITALERI 137.indd 25 08/11/2016 14:57