AIR Modeller - Issue 46 (2013 02-03).pdf

AIRModellerFebruary/March2013 46ISSUE February / March 2013 £6.50 UK $14.95 www.airmodeller.com SHOWCASING THE VERY BEST IN SCALE AIRCRAFT MODELLING AT THE MOON Building Revell’s Big Nightfighter Issue 46 cover_Layout 1 17/01/2013 14:53 Page 1

Printed Subscription to AIR Modeller UK 6 Months £20.00 1 Year £36.00 2 Year £64.80 3 Year £91.80 Europe/ROW 6 Months £26.00 1 Year £48.30 2 Year £91.20 3 Year £128.70 USA 6 Months $42.00 1 Year $78.00 2 Year $148.00 3 Year $208.00 Visa Cardholder’s name Card No. Expiry date Security Number Your details BLOCK CAPITALS PLEASE Name ................................................................................ Address ............................................................................ .......................................................................................... .......................................................................................... .......................................................................................... .......................................................................................... Post/Zip Code.................................................................... Country.............................................................................. Phone ............................................................................... E-mail ............................................................................... Please return your completed form to: AFV Modeller, Old Stables, East Moor, Stannington, Morpeth, Northumberland NE61 6ES E-mail: keith@afvmodeller.com Tel: +44 (0)1670 823648 Fax: +44 (0)1670 820274 www.afvmodeller.com Mastercard Visa Debit Maestro Cheques ( UK & USA only) send to to the address above. All cheques made payable to AFV Modeller Ltd. For subscriptions to the printed version go to www.afvmodeller.com then click onto shop and register/login and then go to magazine subscriptions. Recieve AIR Modeller direct to your doorstep or Subscribe digitally with the AIR Modeller App* *Available on Apple, Andorid, Kindle Fire and Blackberry Playbook devices. In-App Purchases Purchase individual issues (£5.99), a 3 issue bundle (£12.99) or a 12 months (6 issues) subscription (£23.99). More ways to Subscribe Today FREE SAMPLE You can now download the app FREE of charge, along with a sample issue to try before you buy! AIR_Subscriptions(plus app)_2011 2:Layout 1 17/01/2013 14:02 Page 1

1 2 Lynx AH7 Albert Tureczek builds Airfix’s latest 1:48 Lynx straight from the box. 10 Ditched Aitor Azkue Gracia concludes his stunning 1:32 Heinkel in the second part of this realistic crash landed He111 diorama. 20 ME109E7 Trop. Hasegawa’s 1:48 scale Messerschmitt modelled by Luca Piccini. 26 Lockheed Lightning P38 Michael Papadakis builds the 1:48 Hasegawa P38 kit. 34 Heinkel He219 A-7 The Editor builds Revell’s new 1:32 scale Heinkel He219 kit. 42 US Navy Aircraft: Their Liveries and Markings - Part One Hugh W. Cowin dips into the archives to look at the history of U.S. Navy aircraft markings. 48 Air Born New releases. 58 Vickers Wellington Mk1C Jean-louis Maupoint converts two 1:48 Trumpeter kits to produce a late Mk1C. CONTENTS AIR Modeller welcomes contributions from interested parties, but cannot accept any responsibility for unsolicited material. The contents of this publication including all articles, drawings and photographs originated by AFV Modeller ltd become the publishers copyright under copyright law. Reproduction in any form requires the written consent of the publisher. Whilst every care is taken to avoid mistakes AFV Modeller ltd. cannot be liable in any way for errors or ommissions. AFV Modeller is published Bimonthly by AFV Modeller ltd Old Stables East Moor Stannington Northumberland NE61 6ES Tel: 01670 823648 Fax: 01670 820274 email: david@afvmodeller.com Editor and Designer: David Parker Deputy Editor: Donald Campbell Sales Director: Keith Smith ISSN 1747-177X We are now on Facebook, ‘Like’ us to follow what we are doing and follow our build projects. AIR 46 Feb March 2013:AFV/26 Jan/Feb 06 17/01/2013 17:07 Page 1

2 LYNXAH7 AIRFIX 1:48 Lynx- Albert T (Q8):Layout 1 17/01/2013 10:32 Page 1

3 Airfix is a legend within the hobby; in fact they were one of the companies that created the hobby. Its beginnings can be traced back to 1939 but since 1949 Airfix have produced Plastic kits and became Britain’s leading model manufacturer. In the fifties Airfix produced the famous Spitfire and sold millions of kits worldwide and in the sixties Airfix took on an aviation artist named Roy Cross to illustrate the front of their boxes. He made a lot of the classic boxtops and modellers my age will recognise most of them still. Airfix has a tremendous importance in my modelling development and I still remember the magic boxes and even the small plastic bags on sale everywhere, a Christmas tree without an Airfix box under it was a dull one! But time moved on and other players began to make their impact on the market and slowly Airfix was loosing ground. The technical progress in manufacturing kits and especially the hi-tech kits arriving raised the stakes and sharpened the competition even more. At this time Airfix went through some turbulent times with changing owners. Hornby is now in charge and there is a new line and a new philosophy. Lately Airfix has introduced a series of new kits, which really raised some eyebrows. One of these kits is the just as legendary LYNX helicopter in quarter-scale. They have introduced a Navy and an Army version in British service and we wanted to see how good they really are. ALBERT TURECZEK BUILDS THE LATEST LYNX STRAIGHT FROM THE BOX Lynx- Albert T (Q8):Layout 1 17/01/2013 10:32 Page 2

4 NEW GENERATION AIRFIX The box is filled to the brink with grey Sprues containing an awful lot of parts for a quarter-scale model. There are several versions and configurations covered by the maker and so we intended to build one ‘out of the box’ using the relevant parts and decals supplied for it. No aftermarket products were used in completion of this model. The choice you have to make stands between three helicopters, all in British service. This is a new approach to kit design and it improves the detail and appearance of a model quite dramatically. No more two-fuselage halves which have to be joined with a floor containing the seats and bulkheads between it. The whole cabin section including the cockpit, seats, benches, sidewalls, rear wall, ceiling and bulkheads adds up to a nice square box. Now the airframe is basically built around this sturdy shape. My choice fell on a machine from the Army Air Corps, stationed in Afghanistan in 2006. I liked the door-mounted guns, the chaff and flare dispensers and the heat signature reduction exhausts, which are really nicely done. I thought this all looked cool and gave the LYNX a serious appearance. Construction starts straightforward with the cabin section, which is built as a separate unit and integrated into the airframe, very much like the latest helicopter kits from Academy. “THIS IS A NEW APPROACH TO KIT DESIGN AND IT IMPROVES THE DETAIL AND APPEARANCE OF A MODEL QUITE DRAMATICALLY” “THE FIT OF THIS KIT IS EXCELLENT- ONLY A TINY AMOUNT OF FILLER WAS NEEDED” Lynx- Albert T (Q8):Layout 1 17/01/2013 10:32 Page 3

5 FIT AND FINISH The parts are very smartly broken up with a right and left centre section, the tail, the nose the bottom and the engine compartment, which is different in layout according to the version you choose. The nose is built up with a top and bottom part and two side panels with a partial nose top. This sounds a little complicated but it is not really and keeps all of the contours correct. The biggest benefit of this way of assembling is that you will have a hard time spotting any joints because they’re not where they’re usually found. This works exceptionally well and I was pleasantly surprised by the tight fit. With the assembly coming so far the next thing on the to-do list was the placement of the cockpit, side doors and slide doors. Again here the fit is perfect. There is a different lay-out of the cockpit roof according to chosen version, which of course has to be taken into account. The same goes for the weapons configuration, as there are different hard points to be created and holes to be drilled depending on the chosen version. The landing skids can be pinned into the holes provided for them in the bottom plate. The fit is so good that you can do without glue if you wish, this is very helpful in the earlier construction stages. Airfix provides an in-flight or a transport configuration of the main rotor. I chose the folded version and it comes complete with all four blade supports. Last but not least: The decaling! There is a comprehensive (Cartograf) sheet provided with the kit. This sheet covers 3 versions in all, complete with generic stencil data and even the blade edges. The instruction sheet is very detailed and provides a colour print of the chosen machines as well. The quality of the decals is that good that you can use them directly on a matt surface, provided you use a good setting solution, as I did here. With the internals painted, this along with the glazing is masked and the base camo airbrushed following the kit instructions Weathering is applied by airbrush and colour washes enhancing the fine rivet detail and sharp panel lines which can be seen to excellent effect on the single piece belly panel. Decals are of the highest quality and very comprehensive. “THE QUALITY OF THE DECALS IS THAT GOOD YOU CAN USE THEM DIRECT ON A MATT SURFACE PROVIDED YOU USE A GOOD SETTING SOLUTION” Lynx- Albert T (Q8):Layout 1 17/01/2013 10:32 Page 4

6 Lynx- Albert T (Q8):Layout 1 17/01/2013 10:33 Page 5

7 CONCLUSION Airfix is definitely back in town! The LYNX is a popular topic and the new kit is of stunning quality and will surely find its followers. There is room to indulge in some extra detail for the experts, but you can build a stunning model right out of the box. Mine already won a bronze medal at the recently held IPMS Swedish nationals and was beaten only by two helicopter models, which are well known to AIR Modeller readers as they were also mine! There already exists a Navy version of the same kit and Airfix had a very strong appearance at this years Scale Model World, as a sponsor. The company arranged the participation of a real Lynx from the Royal Navy to be flown in and set on display for the weekend, with the flight crew on hand. Can find any weak spots? Sure I can: The Instruction sheet is not impressive and we’ve seen far better; in fact here we’re back to the sixties style Airfix! Lynx- Albert T (Q8):Layout 1 17/01/2013 10:33 Page 6

8 Lynx- Albert T (Q8):Layout 1 17/01/2013 10:33 Page 7

The Lynx helicopter was developed in the late sixties by Westland with the participation of Aerospatiale. The prototype flew for the first time in 1971. The initial customers were the Royal Navy with orders of 75 HAS 2 and the Army with a 100 AH 1 ordered. The design was an instant success and was exported to 14 countries. The Lynx is almost exclusively used in the naval role and operated by such important customers as the German, the Dutch, Norwegian, French and Danish Navy. The later has used their Airframes over the guaranteed 7000 hours and were the first to be put through an extensive overhaul, which included the exchange of the whole airframe and a major avionic and engine update program including the addition of the new Blade design with the broad tips, the BERP (British Experimental Rotor Program) this is a development between Westland Aircraft Helicopter Division and the Royal Aircraft Establishment. This latest addition greatly improved the Helicopters lifting and manoeuvrability performance and enhanced the speed significantly. The Lynx set a speed world record for helicopters in 1986 with a specially prepared machine reaching over 400 km/h, which still stands to this day. The Lynx has seen action in all major conflicts since it was introduced into service in 1977. It fought in the Falklands war, both Gulf wars and the newest version the AH 9 is still in service in Afghanistan. The Danish Navy has been using their helicopters in the anti-pirate role in the Gulf of Aden recently and the crews have marked their aircraft with the appropriate kill markings. The next generation is already lifting off in shape of the Super Lynx. Although there is a civil Version of the Lynx, the helicopter is considered to be too costly to be operated by private establishments. THE WESTLAND LYNX 9 Lynx- Albert T (Q8):Layout 1 17/01/2013 10:33 Page 8

THE SECOND AND FINAL PART OF THIS STUNNING ‘CRASH LANDED’ HEINKEL DIORAMA - DESCRIBING THE PROCESSES BEHIND THE BASE, FIGURES AND WATER.10 Norway 1943 'Crash Landed':Layout 1 17/01/2013 10:48 Page 9

11 DITCHEDAITOR AZKUE GRACIA’S DRAMATIC 1:32 HEINKEL HE.111 DIORAMA Norway 1943 'Crash Landed':Layout 1 17/01/2013 10:48 Page 10

12 THE OPEL The Opel comes from Bronco and is a fairly straight forward kit. Assembled leaving the body separate, it was airbrushed in the classic three-tone finish using Vallejo Air. In order to apply the mud effects I concocted a mixture of ‘Acrylic Resin’ and ‘Dry Mud’ from MIG, along with ‘Dust Effects’ and ‘Damp Earth’ from AK interactive. After mixing together, I dipped the tip of a brush in the mixture, and positioned this in front of the air stream of the airbrush blowing air through the brush and onto the model which gives realistic ‘splattering’ of mud in various tones. Norway 1943 'Crash Landed':Layout 1 17/01/2013 10:48 Page 11

13 THE BASE On a base of 1cm wood with raised walls of about 3mm thick, I reinforced inside the base with cross strips and proceed to cover the entire base plate with another layer. The first step is to add the main volumes, creating the river bank and bed and the road using polystyrene and Das clay. For the river bed a white glue coating is covered with a generous layer of small pebbles (used by railway modellers). The boulders have been made of putty "A + B Colour" two components in different sizes (you have to cover your hands because otherwise you’ll leave fingerprints on them.) Then I carefully placed these in both the bed of the river and on the shore in a logical manner using photo reference. The painting is very important in this stage. I painted the entire river and rocks in a khaki-green with acrylics. I enhanced the detail with a little more green between rocks, but not too much. In reference photos, I saw that the river beds have a predominant single colour. To ‘mess’ things up a little I proceeded to the shore with the same mixture applied to the Opel. I added puddles with the mixture of "still water" + "dark Herat" + "Light brown" to simulate where the mud has been removed by the water. Additional leaves and foliage from "Plus Model" were added and some mushrooms were also modelled for this area. "Mantis" are the producers of the hares. Norway 1943 'Crash Landed':Layout 1 17/01/2013 10:48 Page 12

14 Water is a prominent feature of the diorama and although its creation is simple there is the problem of getting the colour and order of the steps correct. The resin used is ‘Solid Water’ from Deluxe and the whole process took around two months due to the drying time. The best method I found is as follows: Pour 3-4 mm depth of resin as it is, without adding any colour, and after mixing it according to proportions recommended by the manufacturer. Let this dry 8-9 hours minimum, or even better - until the next day. Do not touch the resin. Pour a second layer of 3-4 mm, but add a mixture of acrylic turquoise (refer to photos to get the desired tones) add this colour drop by drop because once the resin becomes saturated with colour you lose the transparency desired, so only add a few drops before again allowing the resin to dry without touching. THE WATER Norway 1943 'Crash Landed':Layout 1 17/01/2013 10:48 Page 13

Pour the third and final layer of 3-4 mm and colour again, then allow to dry for about 6 hours. Once the resin is hardened enough to touch without sticking to a utensil, you can start shaping it with your fingers, but remember to wear gloves. Since the resin returns to its original shape, much like rubber, you must work continuously for an hour or so to see that the shape is maintained. Pay attention to different elements that would change the flow of the water. Once dry, I brushed Vallejo’s ‘Water Effects’ to simulate water flowing between rocks at different speeds. 15 Norway 1943 'Crash Landed':Layout 1 17/01/2013 10:48 Page 14

There are few figures of Luftwaffe crew on the market, so I had to ask a friend of mine for some advice. The figures are conversions using resin figure parts from the MIG and Alpine ranges, I modelled the uniforms, life vest, helmet, gloves and boots with two part epoxy putty. The soldier running to the bank is also another heavy transformation. The last figure is from Alpine with only the head being changed. 16 THE FIGURES Norway 1943 'Crash Landed':Layout 1 17/01/2013 10:48 Page 15

17 Norway 1943 'Crash Landed':Layout 1 17/01/2013 10:48 Page 16

18 Norway 1943 'Crash Landed':Layout 1 17/01/2013 10:49 Page 17

19 I DEDICATE THE DIORAMA TO MY WIFE ANA WITHOUT WHOSE HELP WITH THE RESIN WATER AND COLOURS WOULD JUST NOT HAVE BEEN THE SAME. Norway 1943 'Crash Landed':Layout 1 17/01/2013 10:49 Page 18

20 ME.109E7 TRop. Modelled by Luca Piccini Hasegawa’s trop 109 (Q8):Layout 1 17/01/2013 10:37 Page 1

21 The subject of this feature is a Me 109E7 Tropical, a fighter that was used in the initial part of the campaign in 1941 by German pilots, including the ace Hans Joachim Marseille. I have always been very interested in the war over the desert therefore when a good friend of mine gave me the 1/48 Hasegawa kit of the “Emil” I fell immediately in love with the tropical version of it and just had to build one. The kit represents the lines of the elegant fighter well and it is easy to assemble. I decided to present the aircraft during maintenance, showing the engine and the machine guns. This forced me to remove the engine cowling and all the other related panels. To reproduce the Daimler Benz engine, I used the AIRES resin set, although finely moulded, still needs a lot of additional details in order to be more realistic. In particular the Me 109 E7 Trop was using the DB601N which had specific details that I have scratchbuilt using plastic card and copper wire. Another key point is that if you decide to show the engine you need to rebuild the two MGs and all the related details. With good reference at hand it is possible to obtain a nice result without too much work. For the two barrels I used metal ones by Master Model with impressive levels of detail and finesse. Hundreds of books have been written about the history and the role of the Me 109 in World War II: this fantastic plane flew in all the combat theatres of the Luftwaffe and it played a key role also in the so called “War over the desert”. In the months that followed the deployment of the Afrika Korps in North Africa, the Luftwaffe was rapidly called into action in order to provide aerial support to the troops of Field Marshall Rommel. 1:48SCALE trop 109 (Q8):Layout 1 17/01/2013 10:37 Page 2

22 The wings and fuselage of the kit all go together very well. I decided to give a little personal touch to the model by riveting the panel lines. The tool I used was the ‘Rosie the Riveter’, this task can be tedious and timely but it increases the realism and detail, making it worthwhile. The next step was assembling and detailing the landing gear, and then adding the brake cable using lead wire. The Daimler Benz engine is from Aires with some scratchbuilt detail to represent the DB601N powerplant. Painting and weathering were completed fully before fitting into the kit. trop 109 (Q8):Layout 1 17/01/2013 10:37 Page 3

23 The Engine and MGs took up quite a lot of my time so I did not work on too much super-detailing of the cockpit for which I used an old photoetched Verlinden set I acquired few years ago. I am aware that this set cannot compete with the latest Eduard and Aires productions, but it has an interesting feature: it gives the opportunity to reproduce the radio compartment on the fuselage, a pleasureable part of the build with a nice result. trop 109 (Q8):Layout 1 17/01/2013 10:37 Page 4