AIR Modeller - Issue 60 (2015 06-07).pdf

AIR 60 June-July 2015_AFV/26 Jan/Feb 06 11/05/2015 12:23 Page 222

1 Meng 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. Meng AIR Modeller is published Bimonthly by AFV Modeller ltd Old Stables East Moor Stannington Northumberland NE61 6ES Tel: 01670 823648 Fax: 01670 820274 email: david@mengafvmodeller.com Editor and Designer: David Parker Deputy Editor: Mark Neville 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. 2 Big Bird B-17, Part 11 The Editor completes his build of HK Models spectacular 1:32 Flying Fortress 12 B1-B Lancer Romain Flechon builts the mighty 1:48 Revell kit 22 Slingshot Super Hornet Andrea Paternieri prepares his F/A-18F Super Hornet for take off from a scratch-built section of the USS Kitty Hawk. 32 Me 262 A1a Armour modeller Liejon Schoot tackles the 1:32 Trumpeter kit. 42 Air Born New releases. 56 Spitfire Mk.IX Maciek Zywczyk works his magic with Tamiya’s sublime 1:32 Spitfire CONTENTS Welcome to Issue 60 of Meng AIR Modeller, the Issue which marks the tenth anniversary of the magazine! We cannot quite believe that it has been ten years since we launched Issue 1 back in 2005. If you have been a reader since Issue 1 we hope that you have enjoyed the preceeding 59 Issues as much as we have enjoyed putting them together. This really has been a golden age for all model makers with the quality and size of kits both increasing dramatically over the decade. New kit manufacturers have entered the hobby with companies like Wingnut Wings for example opening up a whole new area of interest and similarly, who would have expected that we would see 1:32 kits of the B-17 Flying Fortress? Old favourites have also continued to thrill us with Tamiya’s new range of large scale kits taking everyones breath away. The decade has also seen Airfix reborn and rejuvenated and reviving their 1:24 scale range to acclaim whilst still expanding their 1:72 range. As the kits have got better so have the modellers and we still aim to reflect this with the most inspirational scale aircraft models from around the world. The team here at AIR Modeller would like to take this opportunity to say a big thank all our readers, our sponsors Meng Models and all our contributors who have been so important in making the magazine what it is and share our passion for astounding scale models! 2005-2 01510YEARSO FTHEBESTINA IRCRAFTMODE LLING• 10 AIR 60 June-July 2015_AFV/26 Jan/Feb 06 11/05/2015 12:26 Page 1

2 It is pehaps fitting that my B-17G build project should conclude in Issue 60 after ten years of the magazine. Removing all the masking from the clear parts was the first task after the last Issue and this relevead a couple of unpleasant surprises which had to be overcome. After this with a few finer details left to be added in order to complete the model it was a relatively pleasant stress-free run in to completion with antenna cables, navigation lights and weapons being fitted and some crew figures as a finishing touch. AIR 60 June-July 2015_AFV/26 Jan/Feb 06 11/05/2015 10:02 Page 2

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4 It is always an exciting moment when you remove the masking from the glazing but on this occasion I had a couple of unwelcome surprises. Despite my best efforts some overspray dust had got inside the radio room glass and the static charge of the clear parts had caused it to collect resulting in this effect. I knew from experience that it would simply wipe away but the problem was how to get inside to do this! I tried to see if I could remove the glazing without success but eventually I was able to push a pipe cleaner into the fuselage through the gap between the .50 Cal mount and the window frame and wiped it clean. The big nose glazing was also affected in the same way and also presented a similar problem of access. I wanted to avoid removing the whole glazing so I tried to drill out the circular port in the glazing to use as a point of entry. This only generated more debris inside the glazing so I was forced to remove the whole glazing. Fortunately it popped off far more easily than I expected. I cut a new disc of clear plastic to repair the open port, cleaned the whole thing and refitted the nose glazing. Something I should probably tackled earlier was the formation lights along the top of the tail fin spine. I shaved off the moulded lights to leave a flat base. I had a few small gaps around the nose canopy to fill and these were retouched with some aluminium paint. Another problem that I had to address was refitting the sliding cockpit window which had been dislodged at the start of the painting process. The sliding window is taller than the window frame making it very difficult to get back inside and then wedged between the armoured seat back. Just as I was beginning to think that it was impossible to do I did somehow manage to juggle it into position! At the same time I made a new antenna mast from plastic card with a brass rod pin for added strength. AIR 60 June-July 2015_AFV/26 Jan/Feb 06 11/05/2015 10:02 Page 4

I made my own formation lights by sanding some clear plastic sprue to the required shape and then applying some AMMO transparent blue acrylic paint. Once this was dry the three lights were glued into position along the spine. The antenna mast was painted to match the rest of the fuselage and I added a small photoetched bracket taken from a spare military vehicle detail set to the base of the mast. Right I added a pair of clear navigation lights to each side of the tail fin using parts from a Quickboost light set. On the edge of the fin I fitted a small copper wire loop to rig the aerial wires. I also added the porcelain insulators and tether points for the aerials on each side of the fuselage next to the radio room. The insulators were shaped from plastic and the tethers were spare pieces of photoetch. These parts are positioned differently on each side of the fuselage to allow them to connect with the equipment inside the radio room. 5 AIR 60 June-July 2015_AFV/26 Jan/Feb 06 11/05/2015 10:02 Page 5

6 A pair of tiny springs were made by wrapping copper wire around some micro aluminium tube and these were fitted to the tail fin loop. Below An overall view of the completed antenna lines showing the different arrangements for each side. EZ Line was used to make the antennae wires as the elasticity of the line allows you get a taught line. Here it has been anchored to the fuselage The fuselage insulator was painted gloss white and the connector in a deep red brown colour. EZ Line was also used to add the connecting wire. The right hand wire was tethered to the mast with more EZ Line and PVA glue was used to add the insulator where the two connect. The completed lines on the left side of the fuselage. At the tail the springs and tethering fittings were painted with Mr Metal Color Chrome Silver and a pair of insulators were added to the lines using PVA glue which was painted gloss white. AIR 60 June-July 2015_AFV/26 Jan/Feb 06 11/05/2015 10:02 Page 6

I was finally able to install the stunning Master gun barrels which I treated with a burnishing liquid before painting with Mr Metal Color Dark Iron. The fragile sights come from the Eduard Brassin gun set and I soldered these in place to try to give them more strength but they remain very prone to accidental damage. The tail guns had their flash suppressors fitted and these are provided in the Master set. Final touches now with the addition of the pitot tube and antennaes to the nose. I added brass pins to all the fitments for a stronger fix. This tiny probe was made from Albion Alloys micro aluminium tube and a disc of clear plastic. I had to make this twice after the first one was accidentally knocked off when handling the model. After two years working on the B-17 I felt that it deserved to have some crew figures to finish it off and I selected three figures from the Wings Cockpit Figures range. I swapped the heads for 1:32 examples from Hornet and I added a lip to the front of the M-3 steel helmet. The figures were painted almost entirely in Lifecolour acrylics with a glaze of Vallejo Model Air brown applied over the leather elements to give the very slight satin finish. 7 AIR 60 June-July 2015_AFV/26 Jan/Feb 06 11/05/2015 10:02 Page 7

8 Sliding the big wings onto their substantial location lugs they snap into alignment forming a great joint with the fuselage. Likewise the horizontal stabilizers can be fitted onto the big pair of pins for an excellent dry fit. The ball turret and chin turret both have twist lock fittings to hold them in place too. This all means that the finished model can be broken down into a much more manageable size for storage or transportation. When it all comes together there is no denying the impressive presence of this model with its 99cm wingspan and 72cm long fuselage. After 23 months of work It was at last time to take some photographs of the completed model. AIR 60 June-July 2015_AFV/26 Jan/Feb 06 11/05/2015 10:02 Page 8

9 Moving the waist window was something that I was nervous about so I was plased that there is no indication that the window has been moved on the finished model. AIR 60 June-July 2015_AFV/26 Jan/Feb 06 11/05/2015 10:02 Page 9

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11 When I started this project I had a mental image of just how this impressive kit could look even though I had yet to settle of a subject aircraft. Looking back now I am pleased that the finished model has lived up to the image that I had in mind all those months ago. The HK Models kit has been a delight to work with and cleverly engineered. Even if you build it straight from the box you will have a very impressive model and I have to commend their approach to the interior. I spent much time in enhancing the interior but in retrospect what the kit supplies is fairly good considering what can be seen on the completed model. The areas where the extra detail work paid off were the nose, cockpit and top turret. The project became a huge test bed for me when using the new AK Interactive True Metal finish for the unpainted areas of the airframe and I remain impressed with the realism of the finish this has given to the model. I need to thank Neil Yan of HK Models for the stunning kit, Mal Mayfield of Miracle Masks for his help with the markings, AK Interactive, Les Venus for his generous help and to all the B-17 enthusiasts who have provided me with those key bits of information that have allowed me to finish this model. AIR 60 June-July 2015_AFV/26 Jan/Feb 06 11/05/2015 10:02 Page 11

L A N C E R The B1 “Lancer (nicknamed “Bone”) nearly missed entering service. The program was aborted in 1977 and finally launched again in 1981 in order to bring the USAF a low level supersonic Bomber. First designed for nuclear strike, the main task of the Bone became conventional bombing. Despite its size the plane shows some stealth abilities and can deliver an amazing weapon load in its 3 huge bays: 24 nuclear or cruise missiles, or 32 tons of conventional bombs. Current Lancers are painted overall Gunship Grey, but before 1993 they wore more attractive 3 tone camo scheme. It is still active and was engaged in Kosovo, Afghanistan, Lybia and Iraq. 12 AIR 60 June-July 2015_AFV/26 Jan/Feb 06 08/05/2015 17:12 Page 12

ROMAIN FLECHON BUILDS THE REVELL 1:48 KIT Many modellers are afraid of larger scale models in 1:32 or 1:24 scales. Some are put off by too many details, others lack the storage place, but some subjects present similar problems because of the size of subject. This is certainly the case with the B1B Lancer - no need for a large scale to get a large model! The Kit I remember seeing this box at my local hobby shop when I was young. Since then, I had not considered building one, but when a friend of mine purchased one, I must admit something happened in my ‘modeller’s head’. Firstly, the B1 is a very elegant bird, then, you are impressed by the size of the main parts. At this very moment you know this kit is far from sensible, and this is why I needed to get mine! Revell has recently re-released this kit again, but before that, it was not so easy to find one at reasonable price. I found my kit on a second hand website. The price was pretty good, and I was even happier when I opened the box to find Cutting Edge exhausts and Eduard PE sets inside! The decal sheet was not in good shape so I found the FOX ONE decals “Early Bones” to use instead. The kit itself is from 1983 but to be honest, it has still got what it takes. We have recessed panel lines (however to wide and deep), nice landing gear, some nice base details in the bays and the shapes are well rendered. I just may have hoped for updated exhausts and weapons in the re-released boxings. This kit will need some extra work to reach modern standards. 13 AIR 60 June-July 2015_AFV/26 Jan/Feb 06 08/05/2015 17:12 Page 13

1 4 5 6 8 7 2 3 Cockpit will barely be visible. I just added seat belts from the Eduard PE set Another of the bays enhanced with the photoetched parts. 7 The auxiliary fuel tank will take place the rear bay. It is detailed using reference pictures. The bays are detailed again by adding additional plumbing made with lead wire of different diameters. Details are painted using Acrylics from Vallejo/Prince August. all the bays are painted using Tamiya white paint, then covered with Microscale satin varnish. A sepia oil wash is applied. The many bay parts show some ejector pin marks. They are filled with Citadel Liquid Green stuff putty The bays are detailed with the help of Eduard PE. 14 AIR 60 June-July 2015_AFV/26 Jan/Feb 06 08/05/2015 17:12 Page 14

10 12 1615 17 13 14 11 The rotary weapons launcher is made from scratch apart from the 2 parts from Revell. Plasticard and lead wire a great help again. I could now glue the bays into the lower fuselage. You will need to do several dry fits before the final gluing. Cyano instant glue was useful in securely joining the parts. painting the ducts was done using the “latex paint pouring” method. The bottom is closed and the paint is poured in. Then the bottom is opened and you have to let the paint flow to coat the inner surfaces. Some of the internal sanding in process. The front intake is first glued to the lower nacelle half. Then the ducts are set. Along with the bays the engine nacelles were the other major work of the build. A lot of filling/sanding was needed to erase the gaps and sink marks in the air ducts. Splitter plates were added using plasticard. 15 AIR 60 June-July 2015_AFV/26 Jan/Feb 06 08/05/2015 17:12 Page 15

19 20 21 18 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 The exhausts provided by Revall are from a prototype plane. Cutting Edge resin exhausts depict the operational engines and the kit parts are cut off using a fine saw blade. 25-27: the cockpit assembly is pretty fastforward. The base coat is done with grey. Control panels are brush painted with acrylics. 28- 30: With the wings opened, the wingroot boxes are pretty visible. Moreover, the upper panel is lifted off in this configuration. To increase realism, you can entirely rework this area. First I cut the upper panel and then built the inner walls before adding details using leftover parts and lead wires. The side covers are made from fine plasticard. The nacelle bottoms are too short. They are lengthened with a ring cut from the resin exhaust set. After 2 applications of putty the burner cans are glued and the exhaust parts are primed with black. 22-24 The outer exhausts are painted with Humbrol Metalcote 27003 and polished after drying. Some dark washes are applied and metallic blue touches are added using Tamiya pastels. 16 AIR 60 June-July 2015_AFV/26 Jan/Feb 06 08/05/2015 17:12 Page 16

31 34 35 37 32 33 Now It is time for the big assembly! The fuselage is split in three sections: front fuselage, main body and the tail. While having no major troubles with the front assembly, the rear joint needed some patience and putty. 34 - 36: the panel lines are preshaded with black and we can spary the first colour: Gunship grey FS 36118 on the underside. It is a mix of Gunze H305 FS36118, with H56 "intermediate blue" and grey H307. This color is painted area by area, in an irregular manner. Then, surfaces are lightened in the same way to create some contrast. Next lines are darkened. Finally, the whole surface is toned down with an overspray of the base colour. This is followed by Dark Gunship grey. A mix H301 (FS36081), intermediate blue H56 and black H77. Vortex generators are supplied by Eduard After some scribing and riveting, the whole model is primed with Tamiya grey Primer, direct from the can. 36 17 AIR 60 June-July 2015_AFV/26 Jan/Feb 06 08/05/2015 17:12 Page 17

38 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 39 37-38: Green drab FS 34086 color is a mix of H304 and H420, At the end, the whole surface is toned down with thinned coat of base colour The overall finish of the wings which were painted separately. After polishing again we can set the decals. The wings walkways are painted using masking tape. The panels lines are washed using “Paynes Grey” and some “Sepia” oils. After the paint job is finished, the whole model is polished with Micromesh cloths. Not too much, or you risk degrading the paintjob. I then sprayed several layer of Microscale gloss varnish. 42-43: Some areas of darker oil wash are also applied selectively. 44-45: oil streaks are done by painting them with pure oil paint. Then the streaks are wiped with a brush. Some finer streaks are done on the tail base and on the top fuselage, using reference pictures. Some chipping is done with acrylic on the large side panels. Scratches and marks are done with watercolor pencil 48-49: Further oil streaks are added acro5s the airframe 18 AIR 60 June-July 2015_AFV/26 Jan/Feb 06 08/05/2015 17:12 Page 18

50 53 56 57 58 54 55 51 52 The wheels are very well rendered by Revell. The nice details just need a careful paintjob. The seam lines on the the rubber tires are erased by plugging the wheel axle in a mini drill. spinning them on sand paper will erase the nasty seam. The resin pilots from Plus model will bring some life to this big beast. Moreover they will add some important scale effect. Painting is done with acrylics. 56-58: all the surfaces are enriched with oil spots then faded with a brush. This wil add some interesting contrasts on the wide surfaces. Weathering continues on the Bone with subtle metal chipping on the rivets, concentrating especially on the front fuselage. The undercarriage itself is pretty nice too with just some minor PE parts and wiring added. Weathering is done with a sepia oil wash. Attaching the gears to the model may be a bit tricky. Several dry fits were required. 19 AIR 60 June-July 2015_AFV/26 Jan/Feb 06 08/05/2015 17:12 Page 19

59 60 Three small pitots must be added on each side of the nose. Eduard photoetch is a great help here. The static dischargers on the radome are made from with stretched sprue. The canopy clear parts are very smooth but tinted too much. Fitting is quite good for the front windshield, a bit less so for the side windows. 20 AIR 60 June-July 2015_AFV/26 Jan/Feb 06 08/05/2015 17:12 Page 20

The thing I remember the most is when the 3 sections of the fuselage were assembled together. I realised how big this model would be. Usually I keep my completed models in their storage/transportation boxes. I have no place to display them at home. There are no exceptions with this one! To help with storage I decided from the beginning of the build to make the wings dismountable. Revell does not offer this option, but after some plastic surgery, I managed to make this possible. Now I have just one (big) box of 90x30x25cm. Easier for storage and transport to model shows. This build took me 7 months to reach completion. I started it on an impulse and despite all the work that seemed to be long at the end, I must admit I had a lot of fun building it. Moreover, this is the kind of build you carry out just one time in your modelling life, so I am really happy to have made all those enhancements. Now I must admit I will build some more ‘simple’ builds before starting another big project like this! Finally, I decided to display the B1 on a simple diorama. The base is made on a mirror in a frame. The tarmac is painted onto a thick textured paper sheet with Gunze using an airbrush. A rectangle is cut in order to let the mirror appear so that you can see into the open bays under the fuselage. Some dust is added, using pigments and oil stains. The Humvee is the very nice Tamiya kit, while ground support carts are from Hasegawa. 21 AIR 60 June-July 2015_AFV/26 Jan/Feb 06 08/05/2015 17:12 Page 21

Andrea Paternieri prepares his F/A-18F Super Hornet for take off from a scratch-built section of the USS Kitty Hawk slingshot super hornet 22 AIR 60 June-July 2015_AFV/26 Jan/Feb 06 08/05/2015 15:27 Page 22

1:48 hasegawa 23 AIR 60 June-July 2015_AFV/26 Jan/Feb 06 08/05/2015 15:27 Page 23