Model Airplane International 137 2016-12

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
www.modelairplaneinternational.com
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
[email protected]
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: [email protected]
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: [email protected]
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.
s c r i b e To
b
Su da
GE
SEE PA
70
To d a y
y Su crib
bs
ibe
cr
s e
To d
ay Sub
Model Airplane International is published monthly by Doolittle Media, Doolittle Mill, Doolittle Lane, Totternhoe, Bedfordshire, LU6 1QX. Entire Contents © 2016 Doolittle Media, Reproduction
in part or whole of any text, photograph or illustration without written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited. While due care is taken to ensure the content of Model Airplane
International is accurate, the publishers and printers cannot accept liability for errors and omissions. Advertisements are accepted for publication in Model Airplane International only upon
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 Last year, when I built Tamiya’s 1/32nd scale
pleasure of building a pre- Mosquito for the importers.
release copy of Tamiya’s new You see, Tamiya has that effect. They
Tomcat. As a build it’s easy to raise the bar EVERY SINGLE TIME. People
run out of superlatives for this have looked at the outwardly conventional
model. I have used every one I can think assembly of the Tomcat, and compared it
of - awesome, eyewatering, stunning, to the latest slide moulded wonders coming
unbelievable, near-perfect etc., etc. And I from others (Chinese, mainly) , usually
mean every single one of them. It is, without unfavourably. “Two part forward fuselage?
doubt, the finest 1/48th model I have ever How very 1990’s, others are slide moulding
built - and not by a small margin. In the those in one piece now!” I’ve heard more
best traditions of Tamiya it is addictive than once. I’ve seen it implied, and outright
modelling - a quick sit at my desk to do said, that Tamiya are not using slide moulds,
something minor would easily turn into a which accounts for the more complex break
session lasting a few hours. I literally had down. It’s rubbish - this model is loaded
to force myself to leave it alone sometimes. with slide mould technology, Tamiya have
And once finished? I was a little bit sad. just used it differently, and on the back of
Had I had access to a second, and no prior many decades of experience in raising the
commitments to satisfy modelling wise, I bar. In addition to slide moulds being used
would have happily started it straight away. for clever assembly touches, one of its
For the sheer pleasure of modelling. You main uses is in achieving undercuts and in
know the last time I felt that about a model? maintaining detail which would otherwise be
“ 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 04/11/2016 11:51

‘Europe’s Number One Model Shops’
www.hannants.co.uk
lost or partially scrubbed out by mould draw tolerances so tight that it didn’t just make it
angles and the like. Where Tamiya excel is in POSSIBLE, it made it PREFERABLE, knowing
tolerances. I caught most of the minor seams that there would be no issues with it later.
slide moulding leaves, but Tamiya’s precision The knock on effect of Tamiya’s approach is
is such that I also missed a few, only noticing in tool life and quality. Their 1/48th Spitfire is
them after the model had been built. And nearly 25 years old now. Now, this model has
those that I did find were the work of seconds significant shape issues to be sure (source
to fix. material for design was somewhat lacking and
Slide moulding is used extensively these inaccurate), but it built perfectly, I never used
days, and is also usually easily spotted - a drop of filler back in 1993 on mine. But the
tolerances mean that often it leaves very thing is, were I asked to build another now, I
visible seam to be dealt with, and occasionally am completely confident that my experience
that is to the detriment of the very detail it was of a fresh pressing of that tool would be the
meant to preserve. Clumsily used it’s a double same as the one I had in 1993 - pretty much
edged sword. It’s all about the tolerances, perfect. The tolerances were so tight in the GWHL1002 1:144
an area Tamiya always have, and continue first place that the mould has practically Avro Vulcan K.2 Tanker £29.99
to lead the pack. Their engineering is quietly protected itself from wear issues, and flash
brilliant, not ostentatiously showy. Check out and detail loss and the like. How many times
the wheels on the Mosquito - with each tyre do people talk of an older kit and recommend
being made of around 18-20 interlocking “finding an early boxing - it’ll fit better and
tread pieces. People were practically lighting have less flash” . . . that doesn’t happen with
torches and sharpening pitchforks over this Tamiya. Their tools suffer the ravages of time
when it was first shown. Whereas those of us far less than others , and let’s be honest,
who knew a bit about the Mosquito, and a some manufacturers have tools that barely
bit about engineering, were able to look, and last to a second edition without showing
nod our heads in appreciation. Without a resin significant wear issues these days. Not so the
casting, or a 3D print there is absolutely no “Big T”.
way you’d preserve a perfect tread pattern on So the next time someone criticises Tamiya
those tyres any other way. Factor in Tamiya’s for lacking innovation, take a step back and
incredible tolerances and the end result was look at the evidence carefully. Because while
a wheel and tyre that looks complex but took others are making big showy “innovations”, GWHL1003 1:144
no more than a few minutes to assemble, Tamiya are just getting on with being quietly BAC TSR.2 £24.99
and fitted absolutely perfectly, leaving a brilliant, and repeatedly near perfect. There
staggeringly nice result. The Tomcat takes is a reason any new release from them is a
that theme and runs with it. Never have I major event. And this Tomcat just proves it.
been able to keep such a complex shape in Tamiya don’t just raise the bar - to all intents
so many sub assemblies right to the point of and purposes they ARE the bar.
final assembly (yes, after the paint scheme
had been done). . the fit is so perfect, the (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: [email protected]
EDITORIAL 137.indd 3 04/11/2016 11:51

Newsline
NEW SQUADRON SIGNAL BOOKS AVAILABLE FROM
DOOLITTLE MEDIA!
www.doolittlemedia.com
A-26 INVADER IN ACTION

The Douglas A-26 Invader served the United States machine guns as well as bombs and rockets, the In order to base the aircraft type in Thailand, which
with distinction in various combat roles during World Invader was well-suited for ground strikes when the prohibited USAF bombers, the Invader was once
War II, Korea and Vietnam. Korean War broke out in 1951. more classified as an attack aircraft, and the A-26
Originally created as an attack aircraft, with the The Invader flew into combat and carried the designation returned.
designation A-26, the Invader was designed to markings of the U.S. Air Force as the This new title is profusely illustrated with more than
replace the A-20 Havoc, North American B-25 re-designated B-26. 175 photos, 35 of which are in vintage colour, as
Mitchell and the Martin B-26 Marauder for the Later, the French used the Invader during their war in well as two colour profile illustrations and 10 line
U.S. Army Air Forces. However, production delays Vietnam. Shortly after the United States entered the drawings. 80 pages. ISBN: 978-0-89747-818-2.
prevented the aircraft from reaching the field until conflict, Invaders returned to the sky over Vietnam in Price: £14.99
June 1944. the hands of American as well as South http://adhpublishing.com/shop/store/products/10242-
With as many as 14 forward-firing .50 caliber Vietnamese crews. a-26-invader-in-action-softcover/
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:
http://adhpublishing.com/shop/store/books/in-action/aircraft-in-action/aircraft-in-action-world-war-ii/
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.
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
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
04/11/2016 11:54
KIT BUILD
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 that it runs through the window openings and onto the wing section. This is another area
flat before painting. To achieve this I first marks the fuselage. Applying the cement to the that Zvezda have assisted the modeller with
cemented lengths of Evergreen Strip Styrene strip before laying it into the fuselage will help their design which has greatly reduces the
along the inside of each fuselage halves, keep everything nice and tidy. workload. The bottom halves of the wings are
taking care not to apply too much cement so With the fuselage halves curing I moved 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.

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.

KIT BUILD
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 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
going to remove the delicate panel line from the kit. These will good finish without damaging it almost impossible. Zvezda has chosen the ‘crown’ type fit which eradicates of all the previous short
need reinstating, so I use lengths of 3mm Scotch tape as a comings. Here I have used GS Hypo watch makers glue to set it in place before masking the windows with Tamiya tape.
guide and run my Olfa-P cutter through the panel lines.
over this process will save you time and effort Flory Models sanding pads. This can get a perfectly into position and to lessen the risk
when sanding the joint for that super smooth little messy with the amount of dust produced, of fogging, watchmaker’s glue was used to
finish required on airliners. After an hour or so a quick wash of the model was necessary secure it. Wanting the cockpit visible, I then
so to let the cement cure I set about sanding to remove any particles before attaching the masked the glazing with Tamiya tape ready
the windows smooth using various grades of cockpit glazing. The cockpit glazing fitted for priming. I used Halfords Grey primer to
Zvezda designers have helped the modeller with the fit of the Here the wing fairings have been cemented into place. The Tamiya masking tape and a new sharp scalpel blade were
wing box and belly of the aircraft. They have used existing panel extended flaps with eventually be mounted on these. used to mask the cockpit windows. Burnishing the tape onto
lines as joints, and so require very little work to gain a good fit. the windows will show up the frames and where the cuts are
required.
For the metallics on the CFM 56 engines, I decided to try the With the fuselage sanded smooth, a couple of light coats of Mixing the colours for the main fuselage would require plenty
new Vallejo Metal Color range for the first time and wasn’t Halfords Grey Primer from a spray can were applied and left to of colours, so I trawled my collection of Greens & Browns and
disappointed. Colours used were Aluminium, Burnt Pale Metal, dry for a few hours. picked anything I thought would be of use.
Jet Exhaust and Gun Metal.

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.

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

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

REFERENCE FEATURE
THE AIRBUS INDUST

WRITTEN AND PHOTOGRAPHED BY MARCUS JELLYMAN
A
s the hugely successful A320 went into service in The maiden flight of the aircraft (F-WWIA) took place on the 11th
1988, and with commitments for 1983 aircraft from 10 of March 1993 and deliveries began to the two launch customers
customers, the designers at Airbus were already putting Germanys Lufthansa and Italy’s Alitalia just under a year later in
pencils to paper, designing the first of what would be January and March 1994 respectively. Like the A320, the A321 would
four derivatives of the A320. The new A321 would be a be offered with a choice of engines that included the International Aero
stretched version of the standard A320 with a fuselage extension Engine (IAE) V2500, which powered prototype aircraft No.1, and the
totalling 6.94 metres (22ft 9 in). Four plugs, two in front of the CFM56-5B which powered prototype No.2. However the basic A321-
wing at 4.27 metres (14ft 0 in) and two aft at 2.67 metres (8ft 9 in), 100s would have a reduced range compared to the A320 due the fact
would be inserted to achieve the new length of 44.51 metres. Other that extra fuel tanks were omitted because of extra weight penalties.
modifications were an increased wing area and double slotted flaps To overcome this, Airbus soon launched the ‘200’ series which would
to maintain performance. benefit from higher thrust engines, increased maximum take-off weight
REF FEATURE AIRBUS.indd 2 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
engines and cabin. The most noticeable of these was the addition of
large winglets (Airbus name Sharklets). These modifications would
airline Monarch in April 1997. increase either payload of the aircraft or add an additional 100 nautical
Built in Hamburg, Germany, the A321 would be the first Airbus to miles range. Known as the A320ceo (Current engine option) deliveries
be built outside of France, and following the A321, the A319 and A318 of these aircraft began in December of 2012. The future for the A320
would also be built there. As of the end of September 2016, nearly 1400 is the NEO (New engine option). Two brand new engines options have
A321s had been delivered with around 350 still to be delivered. been developed, and with new interior layout, will provide airlines with
a further 20 per cent improvement in fuel consumption and an extra
The Airbus A321neo (New Engine Option) 500 nautical miles range. The first aircraft flew in September 2014 and
In 2006 Airbus began research and development into improvements deliveries began at the end of 2015.
to the A320 family. They included improvements to the aerodynamics, The Airbus A321neo first took to the air in February 2016, but suffered

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.

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.

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.

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 The front cockpit was the first area to be fully detailed. This is, like the rest of the Harrier’s cockpit,
took at the Jet Age Museum, but also those taken by Andy King and also supplied by David Haggas something of a Heath Robinson affair, the layout being dictated seemingly by need, rather than
of far more complete examples! When contemplating a build like this, it’s best to try and plan what ergonomics and appearance! Here, the console is in place as are the gauges for the oxygen and
you are going to make and how each piece will fit together, before you start to cut plastic - doing so cockpit control gauges and the plumbing and control for the anti-G gradient selector and control
after, will, as we will see, often end badly… switch. Note the split console and it’s angled shape.
With the front cockpit done, I could move on to the rear station. In order to make the lining up of the This is when things started to go south. When building the central windscreen, I couldn’t get
various bits and pieces as accurate as possible, the floors and bulkheads were glued in place and everything to line up properly and it was only then that I noticed that the rear cockpit bulkhead and
then all detail built around those structures - everything being painted in situ. thus the ejection seat, was 5 mm too far forward…
…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!

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 The lefthand wall of the rear cockpit features a simple console that carries the throttle and engine
accurate than my first attempt. Unlike the front cockpit, where there is plenty of detail and the nozzle controls. As with the other details within the cockpit, I tried to copy as closely as I could
look is rather cramped, the rear cockpit is somewhat empty and bare. Some features are repeated (constrained by my levels of skill!) the details that I could see in my reference pictures. You can see
though, such as the oxygen gauges. The bundles of cabling were created with fine electrical and here that I have fixed the console to the sidewall; this was simply an easy way to ensure that these
lead wire. 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.

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 The sides and headrest were plated with very The larger details around the headbox were The upper surfaces of the headbox were
of the seat, leaving just the sides, rear panel thin plasticard, a riveting tool being used to added with Evergreen plastic strip and rod and perhaps the most demanding area to detail,
and headrest. This was then detailed with emboss delicate rivets though each piece. then the seat cushions made from Magic Sculp, the numerous features that decorate this part
plasticard, rod and strip. Happy with the detail, each panel was VERY detailed with silicone sculpting tools and plenty of the seat needing to be correctly sized and fit
carefully glued in place with Gunze Sangyo Mr of baby talc. together accurately. Once again, Magic Sculp
Cement S, ensuring that only the edges were was used to create the soft parts, Evergreen
fixed so that the plastic was not deformed by being used for all remaining details.
too much adhesive.
There is a guard rail that runs around the Test fitting the seats. This was done before The front and rear seats differ in the use of Though virtually invisible save for the upper
righthand side of the headbox, this being the rear cockpit had been modified, hence the canopy breaker extensions that rise up from section, the rams that sit inside the seat rails
careful shaped from fine brass rod and then rather cramped look! The rear seat is also too the head box of the front one. This was actually were modelled using telescoped lengths of
fixed in place with superglue. low down in this shot, the completed part being a tricky little detail to get right, several attempts Albion Alloys’ aluminium tubing.
raised up within the cockpit of the completed being made to create that illusive shape. Even
model. now, I’m not sure that I have it right…

With the primer dry, the interior of the cockpit could be painted and weathered. The first task was I wanted to create a worn looking cockpit without it being too overdone, so added some subtle
to replicate the Admiralty Grey finish, this being done with a basecoat of Tamiya Neutral Grey, paint chips using Vallejo Yellow mixed with a drop of green and then applied with a small piece of
oversprayed with cloudy patterns of that grey, mixed with increasing layers of white. Happy that the sponge. Further chips were then added with a fine brush using the same yellow/green mix as well
colour was close to that seen in my reference photos, the details were carefully defined with thin as pale grey and metallic shades.
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 The use of bright reds and oranges in the rear cockpit certainly help liven up one in miniature!
features were picked out with Vallejo acrylics copying exactly the colours seen in my reference These areas were first basecoated in white and then overpainted with Vallejo red and orange. Note
shots. the warning placards created with stencils from the spare decal collection - just don’t look too
closely!
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!

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

KIT BUILD
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.
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.
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
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.
While some of the cockpit and nose wheel whatsoever and can be put to one side until Traditionally in kits with swing-wings, there
bay parts were drying, I looked through the much later in the build. are the usual toothed cogs allowing wings
instructions to see what — if anything — I The nose wheel bay fits so perfectly that to move in unison when they are swept, and
could assemble, such as the wings, tails and when it is viewed from the outside of the there is no real change here in Tamiya’s
undercarriage legs, for example. fuselage you cannot see any gaps or join lines, kit. With the exception that they include
The wings seem to be a contentious point to it is a perfect fit just like the cockpit sills too screws and washers to ensure everything
the baying masses who frequent the Internet along the top. There is a cockpit surround part falls into alignment and the cog teeth cannot
forums and Facebook modelling pages, given that fits over the completed fuselage section, misalign and end up with the wings having
the decision by Tamiya to model the wings but I would recommend you leave it off until asymmetrical lines. First the wing pivot points
slats and flaps all in the closed (or parked) after the main painting of the fuselage has have small cone shaped units that the moving
position. Unlike a lot of US Navy (USN) aircraft been done as it will save you having to mask parts fit onto and are secured in place with
the flaps and slats simply do not droop or fall it off. Don’t worry about it not fitting properly: washers and screws keeping them true
open on the parked aircraft and are rarely — if it will. Once the forward nose section of the and straight whilst allowing them to move
ever — seen opened or deployed, unless that fuselage is joined around the cockpit tub and together in a smooth motion. The actual wings
Tomcat is being readied for launch on a ship’s nose wheel bay, no more than a light sanding themselves will slide onto these moving spars
catapult, or when coming in to land. The wings is needed to eliminate the seams on the nose much later on allowing you to build, mask
are normally stowed in the fully swept position radome. There is a small panel that fits into and paint, without any awkward masking and
with all slats/flaps closed, especially when in a recess on the forward lower fuselage just painting issues arising along the way. Like I
the confines of a crowded aircraft carrier deck, aft of the gun muzzle panel, with moulded in said, ingenious.
simply as a space saving measure. Search gun gas vents. This hints at further late model With the spars secured to the top rear
for a picture of a parked Tomcat and 99.99% Tomcats that may be released in the future as fuselage panel, attention turns to the main
of the time you will see the wings fully swept these vents differed on later variants having undercarriage bays which need painting before
(what is often referred to as oversweep) to what are known as NACA vents. This panel you assemble the fuselage. I say they need
save space both on carriers and indeed on the drops onto place so well that I had to remove painting, that is not technically true it is just a
ground. So, based on fact, Tamiya followed it again to see where I should apply the glue. lot easier to paint the internals Flat White now
the obvious direction to mould the wings with The joins all fall along panel lines so there is rather than when assembled. The wheel bay
flaps/slats closed. As a modeller, this is by far no need to worry about any filling or sanding, roof surfaces can be sprayed on the upper
To install the moving swing-wings they first slot over conical Once aligned, the moving parts are secured with small washers With everything lined up the cross brace can be secured to hold
shaped pins at their pivot point. Ensure they are lined up and screws. Ensure these are hand tight, don’t overtighten the moving wings; four small screws are supplied and make
symmetrically. The White panels sprayed here are the wheel bay them! this a simple task.
roof panels.
Following the instructions for your chosen weapons loadout, The main wheel bays were sprayed with decanted Tamiya Tricky to see, but the main wheel bays have four parts each for
there are various holes that will need drilling out. I circled the Fine White primer. I masked off the fuselage edges to avoid their sidewalls, also note the intake ramps fitted here with the
ones I needed with red marker to ensure I drilled the correct overspray and fear of adding too much paint into the delicate hydraulic rams.
ones. surface details.
FIGHTING 14.indd 5 04/11/2016 11:58

KIT BUILD
Poly caps are supplied to for the horizontal stabilisers to fit onto. Painting the main gear bays before assembly, paid off. As The upper fuselage section is made up from two large pieces
They are fitted small housings which are usefully noted as “L” can be seen here, they could prove difficult to get to with the which join here. Once again it falls onto a natural panel join line
and “R”. No glue is needed for the poly caps, just apply very airbrush once installed. Note the clean edges obtained by the so no need for fling or sanding.
sparingly around the housings. previously applied masking.
The locating tabs for the upper fuselage panels can be seen Once secured together, the joins create a small step along the The compressor fan faces and intake trunking units just ned
here. They interlock with a click fit. Also, note the chunky tubular top of the fuselage. Don’t be tempted to try and sand this away, careful painting and assembling. The completed one on the left
locating pins for the fuselage, these ensure everything is held it is supposed to be there. here shows just how neat the joins are.
together properly.
fuselage panels just forward of the wings weapons load out. Three options are given including the upper intake ramps and their
sweep sections along with the panels on the in the kit with a selection of AIM-54 Phoenix, hydraulic rams; these are handed so that they
lower fuselage. AIM-7E Sparrow and AIM-9G/H Sidewinders in simply cannot be put into the wrong sides. The
Before bringing the upper and lower rear varying configurations. Once again, the sheer internal structure for the wheel bay side walls
fuselage sections together there are some effort expended in Tamiya’s design comes all fit perfectly and can be slotted into place
locating holes to be opened for the preferred to the fore when assembling the fuselage and fixed with sparing amounts of liquid poly
★
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.
FIGHTING 14.indd 6 04/11/2016 11:59

★ The insides of the intakes were carefully
airbrushed Light Ghost Gray taking care
to avoid any overspray onto the previously
painted white areas.
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. the join allowing the wings to move freely
At this point I veered into unknown without the fear of the seams
territory for me (always a worry on a popping open.
brand new kit build!) and used an aerosol With the main fuselage assemblies
Fine White Primer from Tamiya that was put to one side, I concentrated on other
decanted into the airbrush. It was not subassemblies like the air intakes,
until I saw some youtube videos from wheels, undercarriage and tails.
MAI colleague Drewe Manton and editor The undercarriage legs took a little
Spencer Pollard that I saw how easy it is time to sort and assemble such is their
to do this; simply attach a length of plastic complexity, that said they all fit perfectly
drinking straw around the aerosol spray and have exacting locating points and
nozzle with some masking tape and shake are brilliantly accurate depictions. The
thoroughly as you would if spraying direct wheels are lacking in some tyre tread
from the can, then using gentle pressure details if that bothers you, but the hubs
I sprayed directly into the colour cup of are excellently detailed and reacted well
the airbrush and let the bubbles dissipate to a wash to make the details ‘pop’. If you
for a minute or two (this is simply the wanted to trade the wheels for aftermarket
propellant de-gassing) and then I was resin replacements, then take care as the
left with a colour cup of airbrush ready, attachment points are square so could
perfectly thinned fine white primer. I took cause fit issues. A dry fit of the painted and
unmasked intakes shows a neat
the precaution of masking off the external The air intakes were removed from demarcation inside of the grey
airframe around the wheel bays to save the sprue and dry-fit to check how they and white. I also painted outsides
more layers of paint than necessary going would attach; yet again the fit was just of the intakes, again, to avoid
onto the airframe and the fear of losing astonishingly good, each one clicking into overspray when painting the rest
of the model.
any of that fine panel line/rivet detail. place with ease. I sprayed the interiors
The last job to do before closing up with the decanted white primer before
the fuselage is to fit the unique poly caps checking my references and masking off
Tamiya include for the attachment of the the insides and spraying the Light Ghost
rear stabilisers, they are marked both L Gray on the inside which goes back about
and R for each side ensuring you cannot half way up the intakes, but check your
get them wrong. These allow you to leave references for the specific aircraft you are
the stabilisers off until the last minute just modelling. The very front titanium lips of
like with the wings. The upper fuselage the intakes are easily left off to be painted
is made up from two large parts which separately and added later. I thought I
join carefully along a natural joint on had found a fit problem here when fitting
the Tomcat fuselage, a recurring theme these, but it turned out (again) these
throughout this build as you can probably parts are handed and will fit only
tell. There is a slight step at the join line, perfectly on their correct
don’t fret; it is meant to be there. intake side.
I also painted the white
★
Moving On… wheel bay wall and the
When bringing together the upper and surrounding areas before
lower main fuselage panels make sure the fitting the air intake units.
With the nose section dry fitted it becomes clear the
seams along the leading edges forward This made things so intakes being painted first makes things a lot easier when
of where the wings attach are securely much easier when it came it comes to painting the rest of the lower fuselage.
glued, this is mentioned in the instructions to panting the main fuselage areas. The
and I assume is to ensure the integrity of accompanying photos will show this far
FIGHTING 14.indd 7 04/11/2016 11:59

KIT BUILD
easier than I can explain it.

★
of aftermarket decal sheets available for the
Before I started the main painting of the Tomcat in 1/48 scale that have been released This is the part I wrenched off an old Tomcat wrecked
airframe I had a thorough check through over the years covering most marks and kit I had in my loft. The chin mounted TCS unit was
the instructions to make sure I had not squadrons. My model was a pre-release salvaged by adding a slice of plastic card and removing
missed anything. I also made sure all the sample and was lacking decals so the world the old paint before being sanded and scribed.
subassemblies and peripheral parts had been was my oyster as the editor had more or less
removed from the sprues and sorted out given me carte blanche with this build. I chose
ready for painting. Things like the crew access a lo-viz scheme, which lends itself to some
ladder and steps, the arrestor hook and its heavy weathering and interesting paint effects,
housing, the undercarriage doors and cockpit but with a splash of colour on the tails in the
On the left: a completed main gear leg. On the right:

the parts needed for each leg. Very detailed an easily
assembled.
These are the

completed ejection
seats as supplied.
I left off the decals
supplied for the seat
belts as they never
look particularly
convincing.
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.
canopy and windscreen parts. These were form of the cartoon Tomcat design with the days in my loft so cannibalised the TCS unit
attached to croc clips, toothpicks and wooden “Fighting 14” legend printed on it representing from the chin pod and mounted it to the Tamiya
coffee stirrers in readiness for painting and the famous VF-14 Tophatters squadron. kit along with the supplied ECM unit that was
weathering in situ. After a bit of research, I found that the fitted to earlier marks of F-14A. A small, but
F-14A I intended to model was a slightly later significant addition to change the profile of
Painting And Weathering version than that in the kit, so needed a slight the Tomcat and a useful reminder of the need
I now had to choose some markings for my modification of the nose chin pod. I found an to keep checking your references as there
Tomcat. There is an almost endless amount old F-14 kit that had long since seen better are quite a lot of variables on the airframe
The Flat White panels of the main wheel bays on the intakes Once unmasked and dry fit, it becomes clear that this was the The wing and tail tips for my chosen scheme needed to be
were painted and masked off as were the wheel bays best option as it was much easier to paint the wheel bays like Black. I was airbrushing Gloss Black as an undercoat for the
themselves in the lower fuselage for me to paint the outsides this, giving a far neater edge. Alclad n the leading edges so sprayed them all in one go.
with Light Ghost Gray.
FIGHTING 14.indd 8 04/11/2016 11:59

Tomcat wing leading edges have a metallic corroguard coating I painted the base coat of Light Ghost Gray before adding Next I add some touch up patches with light grey and dark
them. I represent this with Alclad Aluminium sprayed over a some weathering powder from Humbrol. I made a start on the blueish grey through the airbrush. Reference photos are vital to
Gloss Black base coat. This then in turn needs masking off. wing sweep stains and adding some streaking on the fuselage make sure you do not get things too messy or uniform.
undersides. These powders react well on paint that has just
dried to the touch.
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
The scorch marks inside the afterburners were added using The flame rings of the afterburners are very deep inside the The AIM-9 Sidewinders were painted white with Gun Metal tips.
Humbrol Smoke weathering powder. You can see the before and jet exhausts, but can be seen. There they benefit from being The rollerons on the tails are easily masked off and painted with
after here with the unweathered can on the right. 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.
Don’t forget to mask off and paint the gun muzzle surround. I Though decals are supplied for the wing tip formation lights, The small fuselage mounted AOA and antennae were sprayed
used Alclad Aluminium. 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.
line. The wingtips and tail tops needed to for representing the TPS finish which is pretty
be black on my chosen scheme so I sprayed foolproof and starts with a base coat of the
them in Gloss Black and sprayed the wing main colours needed. In this case the colours
leading edges at the same time in order to which are commonly referred to as Light
give a reflective background for the Aluminium and Dark Ghost Gray or FS36375
★
which would be sprayed first to represent the and FS36320. I then applied some
corroguard coating. These sections were all streaking and staining straight
then masked off in readiness for painting. onto the just dried paint
I have developed a tried and tested method 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.
FIGHTING 14.indd 10 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, All undercarriage doors were sprayed flat white and had their The grimy wing sweep marks were adding with neat oil paints
I masked off the crew access step panels and edges painted in flat red. A task made easier by the sharply smoothed on curving arcs away from the masking tape which
defined mouldings, thinned paint will flow with capillary action was applied to define the edge of the wing sweep boundary.
airbrushed them flat white and sprayed the along these edges.
undercarriage legs and door interiors at the
same time using the decanted primer method nozzle would close itself up and the right hand to the F-14. As a side note, the F-14 rarely
I described previously. The interior of the jet one would stay opened once shut down. The flew with a full complement of six Phoenix as
exhausts also received some white paint while metal areas of the exhausts all got the Alclad they caused too much drag and weight for
I was at it, these can them be weathered with treatment using various shades including normal carrier operations and landings, so
some Smoke shaded weathering powders Aluminium, Jet Exhaust, Exhaust Manifold and were usually carried in pairs to complement
to represent the scorch marks from the Steel, with some shading done using their Hot the smaller, shorter range missiles. These all
afterburners, along with the insides of the Metal colours. assemble without issue and are simply painted
exhaust nozzles. The nozzles are worth in their respective colours before getting an oil
mentioning too as Tamiya supply a pair of Underwing Stores wash to add some depth and staining and then
opened and a pair of closed exhausts which The weapons and fuel tanks were tackled their multiple decals are applied for all their
can be used in any combination as there are next. Once again, Tamiya employ some very warnings and stencils so they can be put to
also a pair of seated crew figures to paint up clever mouldings to get the best from these one side until later.
and stick in the cockpit if that is your preferred without the need to do any major sanding The airframe decals were applied without
look. The norm for parked Tomcats is to have or cleaning up and losing any detail in the issue and I could get on with some washes in
one opened and closed nozzle as they used process. I chose a pretty standard fleet the panel lines and some streaks and stains
to shut down one engine when taxiing after intercept load of three AIM-7E Sparrows and using artists oil colours. I chose to use Furball
landing (usually the left one as the right engine a pair of AIM-9 Sidewinders and a pair of decals for a mid-production F-14A Tomcat of
powered the hydraulics systems) so the left the AIM-54 Phoenix missiles that are unique 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.
FIGHTING 14.indd 11 04/11/2016 12:00

KIT BUILD
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
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.
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:
● 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
FLY LIKE A DEMON.indd 2 04/11/2016 12:00


KIT BUILD
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.

Careful assembly and
painting creates a very The Ki-44’s distinctive
realistic engine. propellor painted in
its distinctive brown
colour.
Kit exhausts painted and weathered.
The cowling
is a certainly
a major
feature of this
impressive
aircraft.
cockpit interior, but according to my references Brown and black was also airbrushed around punch set. These were carefully set in place
the only time these were used was for the the larger details to add some shadow. If you using Microsol decal solution to ensure they
ground crew to get access to the 7.7 mm find the difference between the shades too snuggled down nicely over the raised details.
cowling machine guns. So I left them closed, much, then a light misting of the original colour Once these had time to dry, I carefully painted
but there's nothing stopping you if you wanted heavily thinned will help to blend the shades the outside of the dials using Vallejo's Medium
to open them up. In fact I believe Eduard offer together. Once this had dried I airbrushed Grey (70.987).
a great photo etch replacement for them in one a coat of Future to protect the paintwork. I added some chipping by using a small
of their interior set. When working with acrylics I would normally sponge and Vallejo’s (71062) Aluminium. Most
skip this step, but as I was going to be using of the paint was removed before applying
Getting Started: Cockpit AK Interactive Brown For Green Vehicles it lightly around areas of high use. Some
All of the cockpit parts were removed from wash next, I had to make sure the paintwork staining, dust, and dirt deposits were also
the sprues and were cleaned up before was protected due to them using the same added using various AK Interactive and Mig
being separated into their different colours. thinner. I added the wash to help pick out the products to give it that lived-in look. Everything
Using White Ensign Models Nakajima Interior details and after about ten minutes removed was then given a light coat of Testors matt
Green (AC J 04), the respective parts and the excess with a brush dampened with AK varnish. The final touches to the cockpit
fuselage interiors were airbrushed with light Interactive's Odorless Thinners. The details were made by adding micro Kristal Klear to
coats building up into a solid colour. Some were then picked out using various Vallejo the dials to simulate the glass, and to add
Humbrol matt white and more enamel thinner Model Color shades mixed with distilled RB Productions Japanese Army Seat Belts.
were introduced to the paint cup to add some water. For the instrument panel, I cut out the This is the first time I've used these belts, but
highlights. A heavily thinned mix of Vallejo Tank dials from the decal sheet using Tamiya's it will definitely not be the last. Unlike other
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.

KIT BUILD
Happy with the primer
layer, the model was
sprayed with Alclad II
Aluminium.
Panels were masked off and

then sprayed with different
shades of Alclad.
An aftermarket canopy masking set was used as

part of this build.
The undersides were

similarly masked and
sprayed.
The canopy masks in place.
The ailerons
were painted to
reflect their fabric
construction…
…As were the rudder

and elevators.
With the masks in place, the canopy was first
sprayed with a layer of interior green paint…
All of the main markings were

masked and airbrushed on - a
far neater appearance being
…Before spraying the frames with the exterior possible using this method,
aluminium colour. instead of using the kit decals.
aftermarket belts, these are made from paper using clamps and Tamiya tape. A quick swipe made up of two halves. The lower wing section
which when dampened with water take on with a sanding stick after the glue had set was stretches the full width of the wingspan, while
a very natural shape. Of course the buckles all that was needed to finish the job. There are the top halves are added leaving a gap to fit
etc are supplied as photo etch and they do two inserts that are needed on the sides of the fuselage between later. Before assembling
need assembled first, but they are incredibly the fuselage below the guns that just didn't fit the wings though there are several holes that
accurate and look fantastic once completed right for me. They required quite a bit of work need to be drilled for the fuel tanks and other
and fitted to the aircraft. Using a little gloss to get a smooth finish between the parts. To installations. Additionally there are a couple
varnish on the belts themselves, gives them a be honest I’m not overly happy with how this of parts to add that make up the back of the
leather look that I haven't found in any other part turned out, but I knew if I was to continue wheel wells, and a box like section that
product. Check out their website for a full list to work at them I’d probably only make them adds some strength and
of the belts and other tools they have on offer. worse so I left them as they were and carried rigidity to the build. Like
You'll not regret it. on with the build. This is definitely an area the fuselage, Tamiya
that I would be more aware of next time. I also Extra Thin Cement was
Airframe Construction added the top of the cowling which thankfully used to glue the wing
Closing up the fuselage was relatively stress fitted a lot better. Setting the fuselage to assembly together. Clamps
free. Using Tamiya Extra Thin Cement and the side for the time being, I then turned my were again used to hold
working my way around the seam ensured a attention to the wings. everything together while
good join. The two halves were held in place Like most aircraft builds, the wings are the glue had time to cure.

Close-up of the painted national insignia. 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…
Some careful sanding around the leading edge

The cockpit interior,
of the wing removed any evidence of a seam seen through the small
line. So with both of the main subassemblies cockpit opening.
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. ignition wires. The engine was then airbrushed
with a couple of different shades of Alclad II.
Engine Detail The engine was then treated to a coat of gloss
The ki-44's engine is well-moulded with plenty varnish before applying some Mig Productions
of detail and would probably be good enough Dark Wash to bring out the details. The wires
on its own for all that will be seen and the tops of the cylinders were hand
of it once construction has been painted with Vallejo model color acrylics before
completed. I just couldn't help myself adding some metallic tape strips to join the
though, and added the ignition wires wires into pairs. Finally some AK Interactive
to the cylinders to create a much Engine Oil Stains were added randomly The painted and decalled undercarriage doors.
more realistic and busy look. I drilled around the assembly. While I was detailing the
a small hole with a pin vice in each of the engine with wire, I also took the opportunity
cylinders just large enough to fit some to add the break lines to the undercarriage
salvaged electrical wire in. Then legs as well. Using some reference photos
a corresponding hole these were glued in place using superglue,
was drilled and the and detailed with the same metallic tape to
electrical wire represent the clips used to keep the break
glued to the lines in place.
ring fitting The instructions would have you attach
(part D29) the engine, exhausts, nose cowl and flaps
that (you have a choice of two here, either open
feeds or closed) at this stage. To make it easier for Almost there! The painted and weathered
the 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

The interior of the undercarriage and
flap bays were painted in metallic blue, a
distinctive feature of WWII Japanese aircraft Before starting with the Alclad II’s paints I
such as this. The well-detailed tailwheel.

KIT BUILD
The airframe has

been completely
painted and decalled.
Colourful, eh?
In order to make things a

little easier to finish, the
cowling was kept separate
from the rest of the model.
Panel line washes helped to define these important features.
made sure to polish the primed as many yellow (White Ensign Models AC J 19). The
surfaces with a polishing sponge of the antiglare panel on the top of the fuselage
and cloth to ensure as good a markings was also painted using WEM paints (AC J
surface as possible was obtained. as possible 08). This was lightened with Humbrol matt
As I’m sure you’re all aware by now, as the white before adding a few highlights. Finally,
when working with Alclad lacquers, the finished kit the internal sections of the wheel well were
surface preparation is everything as it always looks airbrushed with Mr Hobby’s H63 (Blue Green
will show up any scratches or scores a mile better with these Metallic). Once the majority of the airframe
away. So ensure your surface is as good as painted rather than using had been painted I sealed everything with a
you can get it before starting any airbrushing. the decals. So I started with the white bands coat of Vallejo varnish for metal finishes to seal
I used the Aluminium (101) colour as the around the wings and fuselage. Once these everything in.
main base spraying with a relatively low 12 were dry, the hinomarus were masked and I was going to use the decals for the unit
PSI. This was given 24 hours to dry before painted using White Ensign Models enamel insignias on the tail and the specific aircraft
masking up several panels and adding some paint (AC J 20). Next up was the blue band numbers as by this stage in the proceedings
Dark Aluminium (103). Again this was left around the fuselage and the top of the vertical
to dry for another day before repeating the stabiliser. For this I used Tamiya’s X-14 Sky
process on different panels with Duraluminium Blue which seemed a good match with the
(102). Once the masking had been color of the decals. The leading
removed and the paints had dried, I edges on the wings were
gave everything a light misting of the masked up and sprayed
original aluminium colour to bring white first before
the different shades together. While adding the
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
Washes were also

applied beneath the
All weathered! airframe.
Lovely!

I’d had enough of masking. Unfortunately, I onto the next section and repeated the process and along the antiglare panel on the top of
had a bit of an issue with one of the decals until the whole aircraft had been completed. the fuselage. Finally using a combination of
(my mistake, nothing wrong with the decals), Once this had time to dry I airbrushed a very Tamiya XF-52 Flat Earth and AK Interactive’s
and it ended with some quite obscene thin mix of Tamiya X-19 Smoke around all Brown Earth Deposits (4063) a dirty look was
profanities being shouted and lot of childish of the panel lines and any areas I wanted to achieved along the bottom of the landing gear
stomping around the house. I must say I’m create a slightly dirtier look. I then took a 50:50 doors and on some of the lower surfaces.
not particularly proud of my actions, but I got mix of Tamiya XF-10 Flat Brown and XF-1
over it and resigned myself to masking and Flat Black which had been heavily thinned to Final Details
spraying the unit insignia instead. To be honest create the main exhaust stains and around With the Painting and weathering completed it
I’m glad I did as the end result was definitely the guns ports. This was added to by using was time to start putting everything together.
worth it. I did still use the unit numbers (66) Humbrol’s Smoke Weathering Pigments I added the butterfly flaps to the lower wing
on both the vertical stabiliser and landing (AV0004) using a blending brush to feather surface in the open position. To be honest, my
gear doors though. In fact except for 4 small and blend the powders. Various chipping research had indicated that these were never
stencils and the instrument dials from earlier effects were then added using a small sponge usually extended when the aircraft was on the
in the build, these were the only decals that held with tweezers and Vallejo’s Aluminium ground. They were used to extend the wings
were used in the entire project! I used Microsol (71062). surface area to create more lift for landing,
decal solution to ensure the few decals I’d With the majority of the weathering talking off and during combat if needed by the
used had conformed to the surface okay. completed, I masked up the metallic airframe pilot. I thought they added such a different
Again, I gave everything a light coat of Vallejo leaving the painted area’s exposed. These look to the finished aircraft that I couldn’t help
gloss varnish to seal the decals before starting were then given a light coat of Vallejo’s matt using a little artistic license, and adding them
the weathering process. varnish. It is essential to make sure that you opened. Using small amounts of Superglue,
First up I used AK Interactive’s Paneliner don’t spray any of your metalwork with the the landing gear, bomb mounts and fuel tanks
2071 For Brown And Green Camouflage matt varnish as it will totally kill off the metallic were added along with the engine, exhausts,
(maybe not quite what it was intended for, but look of the Alclad paints. To continue on with nose cowl and propeller. The smaller finer
I like the shade and use it for most of my panel the weathering I used some AK Interactive’s parts were added next like the guns, Pitot tube
line washes regardless of the camo color). Streaking Grime here and there to add a bit and antenna mast. The canopy was added last
I did this one section at a time, making sure more life to the model. As usual this is left to using canopy glue to secure in place before
to leave it for about fifteen to twenty minutes dry for a short period of time before streaking finally removing the canopy masks and giving
before removing the excess with a paper towel and blending the product with a moistened the clear parts a light polish. Using Uschi Van
and cotton bud slightly moistened with AK brush. Using a silver Prismacolor pencil, Der Rosten flexible thread I added the antenna
Interactive’s odorless thinners. I then moved further chipping was added around the cowl 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!

KIT BUILD
BUILT AND WRITTEN BY NICK SHUTTLEWORTH
THE ACE
MAKER
SPECIFICATION:
★
Eduard 1:48 F6F-5 Hellcat ‘Weekend’
Kit No: EDK8434
Materials: IM
Price: £16.30
BEFORE STARTING:
● Gunze Sangyo Mr.Cement S
● Tamiya masking Tape
● 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
THE ACE MAKER.indd 2 04/11/2016 12:25

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

KIT BUILD
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.

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.

KIT BUILD
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.

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.

KIT BUILD
MIDGET M
SPECIFICATION: BUILT AND WRITTEN BY VITOR COSTA
Eduard MiG-14 UTI
Kit No: EDK7055
Materials: IM
Price: £16.30
BEFORE STARTING:
● Gunze Sangyo Mr.Cement S
● 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
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
MIDGET MIG.indd 3 04/11/2016 12:27

KIT BUILD
A cocktail stick was used to place some to the small photo- The cockpit detail is fine and well-moulded. A dark wash helps to bring out the finer features within the
etched parts within the cockpit. cockpit.
Many of the smaller parts were painted and weathered on the The cockpit and jet pipe has been fixed in place ready for the In order to ensure that detail would not be lost during the
runners - including these delicate little undercarriage doors. fuselage to be joined together. sanding process, the panel lines and rivets around areas that
would be sanded, were deepened.
of parts distributed over the four runners, delicious recessed surface details - some of the BUILDING THE MODEL
including the clear parts. You’ll also find very finest I’ve seen in a 1:72 kit. Without care, some
good, coloured photo-etch and a set of canopy may disappear during the putty/sanding process. The Cockpit
masks. Unfortunately, the grey colour on the The engineering is also very good and the As usual, the build starts with the cockpit,
photo-etch is a bit off when compared to the fit, except for the wings and nose, is near and here there is a lot to do. Being a two seat
paint that is recommended for the cockpit. perfect; in these two cases putty and sanding aircraft we have the double of the work. There
The parts are crisply moulded with many work is going to be needed. 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.
MIDGET MIG.indd 4 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.
MIDGET MIG.indd 5 04/11/2016 12:28

KIT BUILD
Decalling! AK’s decal adapter was used to help the individual Flats were added to the tyres using a fine razor saw. An oil paint wash was added to the undersides of the wings…
decals settle down over the model’s surface detail.
…And then buffed away to leave the wash within the delicate Compare the washed wing on the right, with the untreated With the lower surfaces washed, the upper surface camouflage
panel and rivet detail. panel on the left. was similar treated.
Here’s the model with all of the panel lines defined with several The camouflage was further muted with dots of oil paint that The random effect of adding the oil paints can be seen here.
layers of wash. were applied and then blended in with thinners.
not easy to remove the excess of putty, but it erased with the Milliput was rescribed. This dry and using a light grey oil colour, I applied
must be done if the finish is to be smooth and must be done several times and very gently, a drybrushed layer, finished off with a coat of
flaw-free. the first two passes being done using only the Tamiya Flat Clear.
scribing tool weight to make the line, with a
Wings And Things… couple of more intense passes, the line was Painting The Beast!
This is the most demanding part of this build: near perfect. Since all the lines are so tiny we As a break from traditional natural metal MiGs,
the fit of the wings to the fuselage. This is don’t need to engrave the line too much to I decided to build and paint the camouflaged,
far from being perfect and the way I choose make it look like it was already on the plastic. Algerian version.
to deal with it was to use Milliput Superfine To check if the line was okay, a light coat of There aren't many colour photos of these
White to allow me to scribe a new line without a mix of AK759 White Primer and Microfiller aircraft (I only found one), so working out
breaking the putty used to correct the joints. and Grey AK758, was applied. I opted to use a exactly how they looked, is somewhat tricky.
So with the help of this wonderful tool, the mix because the colour of the plastic is a little I didn’t trust the suggested colour in the
tooth pick, Milliput was applied using Tamiya bit dark, so a lighter colour will reveal more instructions for the undersides, so based on
tape to mask the areas where we need to easily any mistakes. the picture I found, I decided to make it lighter
apply it. Milliput is better in my opinion for The interior of the wheel wells was painted than seen in the instructions.
this kind of job because is harder than other with Gunze H308. I applied a pin wash using To prevent the scale effect where every
materials, being easy to scribe it when needed AK2071 Brown and Green Camouflage colour looks darker that it is in fact, I always
(like in this case) and it doesn’t shrink. Before Paneliner. Since I applied a generous coat apply a lighter shades, allowing the weathering
it is dry, we need to remove the tape along of Tamiya Clear, it was easier to remove the to darken the colours to a more
with any excess putty. wash using a cotton stick moistened with white acceptable tone.
Once dried and sanded, the line that we spirit. This was done with gentle passes. Once I started using Gunze acrylics H314 Blue
MIDGET MIG.indd 6 04/11/2016 12:28

AK weathering products were used to degrade the belly of the More work with oil paints. This is one weathered model! The drop tanks were carefully painted and then weathered with
model. oils, enamels and acrylics!
The mounting point for the aerial wire was carefully opened up The main undercarriage leg in place. On her feet at last!
with a fine drill.
Having completed the painting and weathering the canopy could Touching in the canopy sill with metallic paint. Pencils were used to add fine scratches and chips onto the
be removed. The use of PVA glue makes this step, easy. surface of the model.
FS35622 to add some lighting effects on the everything in with heavily thinned layers of the in perfect register and easy to work with. There
plastic, this way all the areas sprayed with this original colours used for the basecoats. are no more than 10 decals to apply for this
light blue would look lighter once the darker For the green, I mixed H80 Khaki Green scheme. AK Decal Adapter was used to fix
blue was applied. The colour used was a mix and H11 White. I don’t like to apply masks so the decals, and in less than one hour the job
of H314 with the H45 Light Blue also from I always paint camouflage, freehand. First I was done. The decals follow all the surface
Gunze in a ratio of 30% of H314 to 70% of painted the outlines of the patterns and then characteristics and even the smallest decals
H45. This produced a much lighter blue than once done, I filled in the patterns trying to give were filled by it and they are visible once the
that indicated in the painting instructions, it a random look, varying the intensity of the decals are dried.
where the H45 is the colour mentioned. coverage, thus making the weathering effect
Over the panel lines I applied several coats much easier to achieve. Weathering
of heavily thinned H45 to darken each one, To make the paint look faded by the sun and Time to make it look dirty and old! Using a mix
thus removing the need for any preshading. elements, I used Tamiya XF-4 Yellow Green. of oil colours, white 80%, black 10% and Raw
Inside all of the avionics bays, white was Avoiding the lines, it’s easy to simulate the Umber 10%, a dark grey is obtained. Since
applied to give a look of faded paint. faded effect on the plain surfaces of the kit. I the colours on the kit are all very light it is not
Over the upper surfaces I used a mix of was looking for a faded look trying to blend the recommended to use a very dark wash like
Gunze H27 Tan with H11 Flat White for the two colours, a really thinned (90/10% thinner/ the black, otherwise the lines are going to look
base colour mixed 70/30. paint ratio) layer of paint was applied to cover very pronounced.
To create highlights and the faded paint any overspray since no masks were applied. With a flat brush the entire model was
I used H313. I concentrated more over the At this point a layer of Tamiya gloss paint was covered with the mix. Its important to assure
areas that are more exposed to sunlight and applied preparing the kit for the decals. that all surfaces are well-covered with acrylic
human intervention. When done, I blended The decals are very good, being well-printed gloss varnish. When the mix loses its shiny
MIDGET MIG.indd 7 04/11/2016 12:28

KIT BUILD
A final layer of dirt was added with pigments. Uschi’s fine rigging thread was used to add the aerial wire… …As can be seen here.
look, is time to remove it. I wanted to make some areas a little bit lines and faded with white spirit. Once dry, it
With a clean cotton cloth we can start to darker due to the leaking of fluids and to was the time to randomly apply the engine oil
remove the majority of the wash, but not all, maintain operations. Using a very thinned near the place where its filled with the fuel,
then we remove the rest until we obtain the coated of Gunze acrylic H77 Tyre Black this once more, white spirit was applied to fade it.
desired look. The best way to do this, is as if area was darkened and then using a tooth By now all the smaller parts were ready to be
you are polishing the surface of the model, pick some previously applied liquid mask put on place.
working in the direction of the airflow. If too was removed, making visible some different A drill was used to make a hole into which
much is removed, we can always add a little bit shades of blue. Using AK084 Engine Oil and a small part of a needle was stuck to hold the
more in the desired areas. It is recommended AK 025 Fuel Stains some leaks of fuel and antenna cable.
to let the kit dry for some hours before moving other fluids were applied using a sharp brush. Now with all work done, the last coat of
on, usually one day being enough (there is no Returning to the upper surfaces that were now varnish was applied. I used AK Ultra Matt
need to take a risk so it is better to give it a dry, a general filter was applied to blend all the and Matt mix for the effect. Before the coat
little bit more time if we suspect it is not dry). colours and effects to give an even more faded was completely dry, it was time to remove
I started the next stage by applying a coat look to the paint. the clear parts. Using a hobby knife I gently
of Tamiya Semi-Gloss, since we are going to Using Van Gogh 620 Olive Green and removed the rear part, as expected the white
work with oil paint. 105 Titanium White, Sennelier Titanium glue having done its job. The interior was
I started by filling the avionics hatches with Buff, Naples Yellow and Bright Yellow Green completely sealed and it was easy to remove.
Buff. Without thinner I spread the paint, to some dots were applied randomly. Using a Using a brush, some shipping were
make these areas look more weathered than flat brush and white spirit, as the filter takes simulated with silver colour paint. Some
the rest of the surfaces. Some dots of Bright form following the wind flow direction, a more scratches on the paint were made using
Yellow Green, Sennelier oil paint, were applied realistic look was achieved. Aquarelle pencils. Dark earth pigments were
to the green areas of the paint and with the Once dry, another coat of Tamiya Semi-Flat applied to simulate dirtiness in the areas
help of some AK Odorless Thinner, the colour Clear was applied. where pilots and crew movement were more
was spread and faded. Over the Tan areas I constant.
used Sennelier Titanium Buff, repeating the Finishing Off Clear parts were glued in place along with
previous steps and concentrating on the areas With the paint job done it was time to finish the antenna wire. I used Uschi fine size ‘Rig
that would have undergone the most use and the last details. The two drop-tanks received That Thing’ for the effect,
wear. The bottom part of the kit was weathered a mix of oils and AK Engine Oil. The using tweezers and super
with white using the same method. oil was applied over the panel glue it was an easy task. ■
FINAL VERDICT
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
I was expecting, but it looks amazing once finished!
MIDGET MIG.indd 8 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
BINDERS
Keep your Model Airplane
International collection safe in a
high quality binder.
Each binder holds 12 issues.
Just £8.50 + p&p

(UK - £2.45, Europe - £4.45, Worldwide - £6.45)
Available direct from our offices on

+44 (0)1525 222573
or online at:
www.modelairplaneinternational.com
MAI137 P61.indd 8 08/11/2016 12:06

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

LE
T
here are currently a number of kits available Decals is provided so we can be sure of accuracy with this.
of Rafale and I built the Hobby Boss 1:72 kit A typical Revell instruction book is included and while large
for MAI a few years back however here today in format it is, as usual, not very clear and can be difficult
we have the larger 1:48 Revell kit. This kit to follow. I had purchased Eduard’s small photo etch sheet
apparently is the same as the one sold under EDS359 which provides interior details including seat belts
the Hobby Boss and Heller labels. The kit is available and while this is only a small set, it does help to add a bit of
in four versions (A – demonstrator, B – twin seat, C, extra detail to the build.
single seat and M the maritime version) and our kit is
for the Rafale M. This particular kit has been hanging Getting Started…
around my modelling bench for ages, not helped by the Construction began conventionally with the cockpit. The
fact that it arrived minus the front section of the canopy cockpit is quite small but reasonably detailed, the ejection
and the replacement had to be sourced from Revell. seat though is excellent and the Martin Baker MB16 is
The kit is supplied in the usual end-opening flimsy box made up from several parts. Once the Eduard seatbelts
favoured by Revell. The parts were swiftly decanted to a were added and the seat painted, the end result was
spare box saved from another kit. Moulded in a mid-grey excellent. Revell give colour call-outs to their own range
plastic the parts are of good quality with very good surface of paints and use generic names rather than FS codes
detail in the form of fine engraved panel lines & rivets for most paint so one has to decide exactly what ‘light
plus raised fixtures where appropriate. The clear parts are grey –silky’ or ‘mouse grey’ might actually be. I was also
bagged separately and are again of very high quality, the puzzled as to what the difference between ‘black’ and
large canopy being crystal clear. No flash was evident and ‘tar black’ might be…. References on the internet helped
the quality of the parts really makes you want to break out with the cockpit colours and various shades of grey were
the sprue cutters and start assembly. A very nicely printed used along with a thin black was to help bring out the
decal sheet which has its research credited to Syhart details. The completed cockpit, minus the seat, was then

KIT BUILD
glued into the underside of the top half of the the fuselage to the fin. This needed quite a bit
fuselage. The main undercarriage bays were of careful filling and sanding to blend it into
then painted next before installing these in the the fuselage and then the engraved detail had
lower half of the fuselage along with the nose to be re-done where it had been sanded
gear bay. The upper and lower halves of the away. I now had a pretty complete
fuselage were then glued together. There is airframe, the canards were not
not much in the way of seams to deal with as added when the fuselage was
the wings hide the bulk of them however the glued together (as per the
join along the nose is not particularly good instructions) so I cut these
and took a few sessions of filling and sanding off the rod which joined
until I had something I was happy with. them together
and test fitted
Moving On these to the
With the fuselage complete, the wings and fin airframe.
were added along with spine which runs along I was

pleased to find they were a good tight fit using GSI Creos H317 Grey FS36231 I then very poor here and fail to show accurately how
and would require no glue. They were then masked and airbrushed a number of panels the parts fit for the main gear. In particular,
removed and put aside till painting. As I had in a lighter shade of grey. This same grey was the fitment of a small retraction link that fits
decided to build this aircraft with the full also used to lighten the centre of some panels. under the main drag link seemed impossible
complement of stores, I next decided to tackle I finished off with a darker shade of grey, going until I realised the drag links actually had
these. Six Paveway bombs were assembled over some panel lines and wear areas on the location points on them which contradict the
along with two fuel tanks and a pair of MAGIC upper fuselage. instructions. These suggest only one end of
missiles. For some reason, the tanks had With painting complete, a polish with the jack fits into the drag link when it appears
raised panel lines so where the seams were Micromesh ensured a smooth finish which was it attaches fully under it. In comparison, the
sanded, the lost detail was replaced with small sealed with a coat of Microscale Gloss. Now it nose gear fitted without drama. With the
sections of stretched sprue. Undercarriage was time for one of my least favourite parts of undercarriage in place I could now apply the
came next with all the parts being cleaned up building modern aircraft – decals – specifically finishing coat of Microscale Flat varnish and
and assembled. This was not without issue, all those stencils! It took three evenings to remove the masking. As I had painted the
the Revell instructions are not very clear and apply all the decals, that’s about four and a pylons and tanks with the airframe these were
the small jack on the main gear legs did not half hours. A lot of the stencils were almost now attached. The fixing points for these were
seem to fit the way Revell indicated. invisible on the grey paintwork with them being rather poor so I drilled and pinned them with
also grey. The Revel decals were ok, settling brass rod, making a much stronger joint.
Painting And Decals down well with Microscale setting solutions All that remained now was to paint the
After a final cleanup of the airframe the front of however they were prone to silvering and it Paveway bombs, with there being six of these
the canopy was glued in place and the cockpit took a bit of work to fix this, scoring decals and a quite complex colour scheme, this
and wheel wells were masked. The build was and applying more setting solution. Once the took quite a while and several evenings of
then primed with GSI Creos Mr. Surfacer decals had been completed I airbrushed on a work ensued. This was followed by another
and the panel lines pre-shaded with black. coat of Klear to seal everything. A wash was evening of decaling but finally the bombs were
The colour scheme is very simple – overall then applied using Flory Models Black to all complete and attached to the build. The last
grey FS36231 is indicated by Revell This is a the panel lines. A bit more post shading was job was to attach the canopy and I decided to
surprisingly dark grey but having seen some now applied as I wasn’t happy with the upper fit this closed as to fit it open left some large
Rafales lined up next to Eurofighter Typhoons, surfaces, these looked a bit to clean compared holes around the hinges which I wasn’t happy
I knew the colour was a lot darker than the to photos of the real aircraft. I used a thin black with. For some reason this build seems to
RAF Barley Grey. A solid colour is always and red-brown mix to achieve this. have taken ages but it’s not because of any
a problem to paint; there is a danger of the problems with the build. I think for me it’s
aircraft looking boring with a solid monotone Details, details… because of the extra work involved with decals
finish. However, the Rafales in service show With the build nearing completion I next and stores that I’m not used to with my usual
quite a bit of wear to the paint so preshading painted and weathered the undercarriage, WWII builds. However, the finished build does
helped get things heading to a more interesting this was then glued in place which was not look rather impressive and I have to say it’s
finish. After the initial grey was airbrushed without its issues. The Revell instructions are made a nice change to my usual subjects. ■
FINAL VERDICT
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
Revell’s Typhoon to go along side it now!

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.
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.

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.

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.

Limited Time Subscription
Subscribe today and receive one of two subscriptions gifts w
F R E E
G I F T WO R T H
We have teamed up with our fr
you a special gift for subscribi
There are one of two gift option
Craft tool sets are perfect for m
have just started modelling or
This offer is available to both N

If you are an existing subscrib
current subscription for a furth
subscription runs out, RENEW T
MODEL CRAFT OPTION 1 MODEL CRAFT OPTION 2

15 Piece Craft & Model Tool Set 9 Piece Plastic Modelling Tool Set & 16 Piece Precision Craft Knife Set
A 15-piece tool set that has everything you need for craft, model making, repairing and small general The 9 Piece Plastic Modelling Tool Set is ideal for plastic modelling and other craft & hobby applications,
tasks. The A5 size self-healing mat is a perfect addition as it ensures no cracking or warping when using and includes:
the blades, preventing any cutting errors and preserves the life of blades! • Plastic Sprue Cutter - for cutting & snipping sprues and parts on plastic kits, eg. planes, cars, boats,
military models and figures, etc.
Includes: • Mini Flat File - for filing and smoothing off burrs or excess material.
• 1 x Side cutter • Craft Knife - for cutting out shapes, decals and general craft/hobby tasks.
• 1 x Snipe nose Plier • Self Healing Cutting Mat - protects work surface and extends blade life.
• 1 x Modellers knife with no.11 Blade
• 5 x no. 11 spare blades The excellent Precision Craft Knife Set comes complete with a choice of 3 knife handles & 13 various
• 1x Flat hobby file blades, ideal for hobby, craft and professional tasks. The knives can perform fine angle cuts & precise
• 1x Flat end tweezers trimming, cutting, carving, sawing, gouging & shaping. All packed in a handy storage case.
• 1x Bent nose tweezer
• 2 x Grip clamps: 2 x 2" (50mm) Includes:
• 1x Grip clamps: 1 x 3" (75mm) Classic craft knife #1, Medium duty hobby knife #2 & Plastic handled craft knife #5
• 1 x A5 size self-healing cutting mat
Blades to fit the #1 handle Blades to fit the #2 & #5 handle
• 1x General purpose curved blade #10 • 2x Large fine point blades #2
• 2x Classic Fine point blades #11 • 1x Chiselling blade #18
* Terms and conditions • 1x Scoring blade #16 • 1x Angled chiselling blade #19
You must be aged 18 and over to be eligible for the knife sets. While stocks last.
Doolittle Media will send out the preferred gift option unless it is no longer in stock , at which time the alternative will be sent. • 1 x Chiselling blade #17 • 1x Large curved carving blade #22
Customers attempting to take out this offer after all stock is gone will be contacted before any money is taken. • 2x Deburring blades #24
Subscriptions taken out with this offer will not be refunded if cancelled. • 1x Stencil edge blade #68
P68-69 MAI SUBS SPECIAL.indd 2 07/10/2016 12:12

ion Offer! Option 1
s gifts worth £20 RRP!
EE
F T £ 20
*
WO R T H
p with our friends at Model Craft so we can offer
Option 2
r subscribing with us for 2 years.
o gift options to choose from and these Model
erfect for modellers at all skill levels, whether you
odelling or you just need to replenish the stocks!
le to both NEW and EXISTING subscribers.

g subscriber, we will simply extend your
n for a further 2 years, so do not wait until your
ut, RENEW TODAY while stocks last!
✁
2 YEAR MAI SUBSCRIPTION 2 year subscription:- UK; £88, Europe; £112, Worldwide; £138
GIFT OPTION 1 Renewal/Extension New Subscription Starting with issue No...........................

Please choose which gift you
GIFT OPTION 2 would prefer as your first choice. Please debit my credit/debit card for £.................................
Please tick to
confirm that
Visa Mastercard Maestro you are aged ■
First name ........................................................................................................................................... 18 or over
Card number:
Surname...............................................................................................................................................
Address.................................................................................................................................................
■■
Maestro only
.................................................................................................................................................................... Expiry date.................... Valid from.................... CCV Code.................... Issue No...........

3 digits on the signature strip If applicable
....................................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................................... Signature .................................................................................Date............................................
Country...............................................................Post/zip code .................................................. Please call our subscription line or mail this form, or a copy, to;
Telephone Number........................................................................................................................ Doolittle Media, Doolittle Mill, Doolittle Lane, Totternhoe, Bedfordshire, LU6 1QX, United Kingdom
Tel; +44(0)1525 222573 Fax; +44(0)1525 222574 Online; www.modelairplaneinternational
Email ....................................................................................................................................................... (Photocopies of this form are acceptable)
P68-69 MAI SUBS SPECIAL.indd 3 11/10/2016 13:56

NEW RELEASE - KITS
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…
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,
T
he prototype NA-73X Mustang hampered by poor visibility through its Fujimi, Arii/Otaki, ICM, Hasegawa, Tamiya
was designed and rolled out by heavily framed canopy. It was also difficult and more.
North American Aviation a mere to bail out in an emergency due to the The consensus is that Tamiya’s 1995
102 days after the specifica- multi part canopy. The Malcolm Hood was offering is the best 1/48 scale P-51D
tion was issued by the British a sliding, one-piece canopy designed by Mustang at this stage, although it is not
Purchasing Commission. The initial op- the British to be fitted to the Mustang III to without its minor issues. These include
erational Mustang variants were powered address the bailout problem. However, this stepped landing flaps, separate clear
by the Allison V-1710 engine, which was was a stopgap measure. bubble section and canopy frame (making
optimised for low-altitude performance. The airframe was therefore redesigned it difficult to get a clean join) and incorrect
The P-51 Mustang flew its first opera- with a cut-down rear fuselage and a large, configuration of the main undercarriage bay.
tional missions with the Royal Air Force bubble-topped sliding canopy. This would Let’s see what MENG has in store for us.
in the reconnaissance and fighter-bomber become the P-51D - the definitive version
roles. of the Mustang, and perhaps the classic In The Box…
The combination of a Rolls Royce Merlin American fighter of the Second World War. A cement-free MENG Mustang? Really?
engine with the innovative airframe and A total of 7,956 P-51Ds were produced. Yes, really. And it’s very nice. In fact,
laminar flow wing design of the A-35/P- North American’s Inglewood factory could despite the connotations that “Cement Free
51A resulted in one of the best fighter not keep up with the pressing demand for Assembly” might conjure up, there are very
aircraft of World War Two. However, the this high-performance fighter, so production few compromises to this model in terms of
P-51B/C series (Mustang III) was somewhat was also undertaken at Dallas. There was detail or parts breakdown as a result of its
NR KITS 137.indd 2 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.
NR KITS 137.indd 3 04/11/2016 12:34

NEW RELEASE - KITS
Both Hamilton Standard and Aeroproducts do not suffer from the lengthwise step found on the is moulded with the frame, so you won’t have
propeller blades are included. These are moulded Tamiya kit. The rudder is also a separate part but any trouble getting a nice clean painting line. The
in pairs, with the front pair including the hub. Two the elevators are moulded flat with the horizontal windscreen is moulded with a small section of the
subtly different propeller spinner assemblies are also stabilisers. upper fuselage, once again ensuring a clean join and
included. The kit also offers the choice of shrouded or painting demarcation. All transparencies are clear,
exposed exhausts. These are moulded as one piece The kit also includes the following options: thin and free from distortion.
per side and the ends of the stubs are hollowed out. ● The machine gun panels on the wing leading edge ● A canopy mounted rear view mirror is also moulded
The main landing gear bay is well detailed and are separate inserts. This avoids the tricky seam/join as a clear part. This is the only part the instructions
the shape is correct. I believe this is a first for any that would otherwise run through the centre of the direct you to glue in place!
1/48 scale P-51D Mustang. The instructions indicate gun muzzles.
that the main gear legs should be fitted before the ● The radiator flap may be posed open, and MENG Markings
undercarriage bay is glued to the inside of the lower offers the choice of perforated or plain lower side air Decals are supplied for two aircraft. Both are in
wing, but I’ll be checking to see if this can be done intake panels. overall natural metal:
later in the assembly sequence. The diamond tread ● Other options include two 108 gallon paper drop
tyres and wheel hubs are separate parts. tanks ● “American Beauty” P-51D Serial No. 44-15459.
Ailerons and landing flaps are separate parts held ● Two 75 gallon metal drop tanks 308th FS 31st FG USAAF, Capt. John Voll.
in place with tabs. The ailerons are in the neutral ● Two 100 lb bombs ● “Short Fuse Sallee” P-51D Serial No. 44-15622.
position while the flaps are dropped. A moderately ● DF loop. 356th FS 354th FG 9th AF USAAF. Capt. Richard
experienced modeller should be able to easily adjust ● Two styles of sliding canopy are included – Turner.
the pose to their own taste. By the way, the flaps Inglewood and Dallas. The clear bubble section
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!
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
✉ [email protected]
FOR ONLY
£18.95 PLUS P&P
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
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.
SPITFIRE IN SWEDEN
■ By Mikael Forslund
■ Published by Mikael Forslund Produktion AB via Mushroom Model Publications
■ ISBN: 978-91-977677-8-1
M
ikael Forslund’s latest book is a The author goes on to describe Sweden’s abortive
celebration of 80 Spitfire years attempts to buy Spitfire for the air force. Looking for
from the first flight of the Spitfire late marks, the Swedes were offered obsolete Mk.IXs
in 1936 and of the use of Spitfires at an astonishing price of £4,000 each, a fortune in
in Swedish Air Force service. 1946. In 1948, an agreement between Sweden and
Looking to more recent times, the author looks at the Britain was made to purchase 70 Spitfire P.R.
Swedish Warbird Spitfires and museums, etc. Mk.XIXs. After the agreement was made it was only
The first couple of pages give a useful list of Spitfire possible to find 50 machines to send to Sweden.
versions from the first prototypes to the last, the This book tells the story of the introduction of
Seafire Mk.47 that saw action in the Korean War. An the photoreconnaissance Spitfires into service and
interesting note at the end of the list is the fact that their operation. The book covers all aspects of the
there are 236 Spitfire/Seafires remaining in various Swedish Spitfires including maintenance as well as
stages of preservation around the world with (at the flight operations. Each section is richly illustrated with
time of writing) 54 in flying condition. We are lucky to pictures and diagrams. The profiles and reminiscences
have over half of these in the UK. of the men who worked with the Spitfires make for
Only one Spitfire made it to Sweden during WWII fascinating reading.
and that was unintentional. A Spitfire PR.IV was on Towards the end of the book, we find scale
a mission from Wick in Scotland, searching for the drawings, colour profiles and photos of preserved
Tirpitz, hiding in Norwegian waters when it was caught Spitfires. The book concludes with a description of the
by anti-aircraft fire. The pilot of the damaged plane restoration of Spitfire P.R. Mk.IV (BP923) to airworthy
decided against attempting to cross the North Sea and condition showing the continued Swedish interest in
flew inland. When the Spitfire became uncontrollable, the Spitfire.
the pilot baled out and was surprised to find that he There is plenty of interesting information in this
had landed in Sweden and not occupied Norway. His book for those modellers interested in Spitfires
plane crashed a short time later and PO Whitaker and Swedish aviation, etc. This book comes highly
spent the next few months in custody in Sweden. recommended from several points of view.
BOOKS 137.indd 2 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- on WWI seaplanes, featuring the Sopwith
■ ISSN: 1360-9009 tional is an Aviation Society Schneider Seaplan, the birth of the Serbian
■ 80pp softback, 297 x 210 mm with a collective interest in Aviation Command and Morane Saulnier
all aviation topics from the Aircraft on the Western Front 1914-1917, to
WWI period. We have a copy mention a few. Each article is illustrated with
of their Autumn quarterly journal for review many photos of aircraft of the time, technical
this month. Any modeller whose interest is diagrams and profiles of those operating the
principally WWI aircraft will find member- aircraft. The back cover is illustrated with a
ship of the society useful and interesting. A variety of aircraft shown in colour.
normal annual subscription is great value, WWI modellers will gain much from a
currently at £27. As well as the quarterly subscription to Cross and Cockade, if only for
journal meeting of members are held in the four journals each year. At only around a
various places during the year. The next quarter the price of a Wingnut Wings kit, the
ones are held in pubs in York and Romford cost of an annual subscription looks to be a
and are open to guests too. good deal to us.
This autumn issue includes chapters
T
he Miles Aircraft company are that all of the research and development MILES M.52 - BRITAIN’S TOP SECRET
known for their mild-mannered information was handed to the Americans ‘on
aircraft such as the Gemini and a plate’. There is little doubt that much of the SUPERSONIC RESEARCH AIRCRAFT
Magister so it came as a great Miles team’s hard work helped the Americans
■ By Tony Buttler
surprise to receive this book and develop the Bell X-1 that would be the first
■ Published by Crécy Publishing
learn about the M.52 project. aircraft to break the sound barrier. We see that
Miles were involved in the top-secret there are several similarities between the M.52
■ ISBN: 978-1-91080-904
programme to build a supersonic aircraft, and the X-1, apart from the power plant. In the
using many ground breaking materials, design case of the M.52, a jet and the X-1’s rocket
and technology. Frank Whittle was involved in engine. The use of a rocket engine negates
producing a jet engine with an early attempt the need for an air intake. Unless information
at a reheat/afterburner that would boost the emerges to counter the belief that much data
power of the engine. Following the capture passed to the Americans helped Bell produce
of a German engineer who brought reports the X-1, one can only conclude that they would
of Germany developing an aircraft capable of not have had the success that they did without
1,000 mph plus, the British government set up Miles’ input.
a team at Miles with the intention of producing This is a fascinating read and highly
an aircraft capable of a similar performance. recommended to those with an interest
The sensitive nature of the work made this a in aviation history and the intrigue of the
very hush-hush project. authorities at the end of World War II. We
This book tells the full story, using can’t help but wonder at the thinking of the
declassified material, of how the team was government of the time, so willing to hand over
formed and how the M.52 was progressed. the M.52 information to America and jet engine
Many photos and diagrams illustrate the text technology to the Russians.
that concludes with the astonishing revelation
T
MIKOYAN MIG-17 his is another astonishing
publication from Hikoki, taking
by China. The list of MiG-17 operators is a long
one, spanning much of the globe. Although too
■ By Yefim Gordon and Dmitriy Komissarov an in-depth look at everything late to take part in the Korean War, the MiG-17
■ Published by Hikoki Publications Ltd/Crécy MiG-17. The authors have an played a large part in fighting in Vietnam and
■ Guide Price £39.95 amazing reputation for past the short wars in the Middle East. We see
■ ISBN: 978-1-8578-0372-3 work in Russian aviation literature. We can many accounts of the MiG-17 being used in
■ 480pp hardback, 290 x 225 mm only marvel at the amount of work that will combat. Tactics are described and camera gun
have gone into producing this two-kilo plus and reconnaissance photos are used to help
book of almost five hundred pages. Those describe the action. The book is not just ‘dry’
of us, of a certain age, can remember the facts and figures by any means containing
very indistinct photos we used to see of hours of interesting reading.
Russian aircraft during the early days of From the modelling point of view, anyone
MiG-17 operations. The book contains hun- looking for reference for a MiG-17 project will
dreds of excellent photos of the MiG-17, find this book the ‘one stop shop’. The depth
its variants, with many in colour and many of coverage of the type is just astonishing. The
colour profiles showing MiG-17s in export aircraft is covered in great detail, inside and
country’s national markings and many out with detailed photos and diagrams of just
camouflage schemes. about every part of the plane. The cover price
After taking a look at the origins of the is not cheap but represents excellent value
aircraft, a much-improved MiG-15, we see the for money. Highly recommended to anyone
MiG-17 in production and sub-types that came with even the slightest interest in the subject.
along. Many of the Warsaw Pact countries, The more I look through this book, the more
Arab and African nations operated MiG-17s. A I take off my hat to the authors. One for your
home-built MiG-17 was used in large numbers Christmas list? (Alan Firbank)
BOOKS 137.indd 3 04/11/2016 12:37

EVENTS DIARY
Model shows for 2016
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:
[email protected]
February 12th 2017

Huddersfield Model Show 2017 at
Huddersfield Leisure Centre, Spring
Grove Street
Huddersfield, HD1 4BP from
November 12th/13th 2016 Organiser: Shuttleworth Collection / December 4th 2016 10.30am ’til 4.30pm.
Scale Modelworld 2016 at the IPMS Brampton. IPMS Coventry & Warwicks Midland Model displays, competition, trade
International Centre, Telford - the Email: [email protected] Air Museum Winter Fair at Midland stands, refreshments Admission -
world’s greatest model show Air Museum, Rowley Road, Coventry, £4.00 Concessions - £2.00. Please
presented by IPMS (UK). Car parking, November 27th 2016 CV3 4FR from 10am ’til 4pm. Many not the new opening times For further
disabled access, refreshments, Bugle Call 2016 at Nailsea School The trade stands and displaying clubs, information please
club displays, trade stands, model Link, Mizzymead Rd , Nailsea, North Refreshments available all day. Normal Contact: Geoff Milnes on
competition (IPMS members only), Somerset, BS48 2HN United Kingdom museum admission applies and free 01132893132 or 07879446544 or
demonstrations, talks and full-scale from 9.30am - 4.30pm. Bugle Call parking. Alan Paul on 07811358355.
exhibits. has moved to a brand new and very Trader bookings please contact
Organiser: IPMS(UK). accessible location from all major [email protected]
Email: routes. FREE parking for all, disabled
[email protected] access, café style catering on site, very
Website: close to local facilities, great displays
http://ipmsuk.org/ipms-scale- and traders for all modelling interests,
modelworld/ demonstrations, competition tables,

all in a very friendly atmosphere and
November 20th 2016 as always an enjoyable day. Open
The Shuttleworth Collection have 09:30-16:30 Admission price: Adults
teamed up with IPMS Brampton £5, children under 12 £2, OAPs £4,
Scale Model Club to set a new scale Family £9
modelling related Official Guinness Organiser: Bristol BMSS & South West
World Record on Sunday 20th Figure Modellers, Kevin Peart.
November 2016. The official record Email: [email protected]
attempt is ‘Most people constructing Website:
aircraft models’ and we aim to get www.bmssbristol.org.uk/
over 250 people to break the world

record.
EVENT & CONTACTS 137.indd 2 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, 29, rue Paul Bert, Unit 10, Old Airfield Industrial Estate,
Shizuoka 425-8711, 62230 Outreau, Cheddington Lane,
Albion Alloys Japan France. Tring
518 Wallisdown Rd, Bournemouth, Tel: 81 54 6 28 82 41 Tel: 03 21 33 88 96 HP23 4QR
Dorset BH11 8PT Fax: 81 54 6 27 80 46 Fax: 03 21 32 00 39 Tel: 0845-459-0747
www.albionhobbies.com www.avions-bateaux.com. Fax: 01296-660041
Tel. 0044 1202 511232 Historie & Collections Email: [email protected]. Email: [email protected]
Fax. 0044 1202 539967 5 avenue de la Ræpublique www.revell.de/en
F-75541 MARK I Ltd.
Creative Models Ltd Paris Cédex 11 PO Box 10, Revell GmbH & Co., KG
Unit 6/10, Honeysome Road Industrial Tel: 01 40 21 18 20 CZ-100 31 Prague 10 – Strasnice, Abteilung X,
Estate, Fax: 01 47 00 51 11 Czech Republic Henschelstr 20-30,
Honeysome Road, www.historieetcollections.fr Tel: +420-241 765 158 D-32257 Bünde,
Chatteris, Fax: +420-241 765 158 Germany
Cambridgeshire The Hobby Company Limited Email: [email protected]
PE16 6TG Garforth Place, Special Hobby Ltd
Tel: +44 (0)1354 760022 Knowlhill, Master Model Mezilesi 718,
Fax: +44 (0)1354 760037 Milton Keynes 71-126 Szczecin, Prague 9 193 00,
Email: [email protected] MK5 8PH ul. 26 Kwietnia 49/44, Czech Republic
www.creativemodels.co.uk Tel: 01908 605 686 Poland www.cmkkits.com
Fax: 01908 605 666 Tel: +48 0 503 072 624
Eduard M.A., Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Wydawnictwo Stratus s.c.
170 Obrnice, or [email protected] www.master-model.pl PO Box 123,
Obrnice, www.hobbyco.net 27-600 Sandomierz 1,
435 21, Mushroom Model Poland
Czech Republic ICM Holding Publications Tel: 0-15 833 30 41
Tel: 420 35 6 11 81 86 Borispolskaya 9, Building 64, 3 Gloucester Close, Email: [email protected]
Fax: 420 35 6 11 81 71 Kiev 02099, Petersfield, www.stratusbooks.com.pl
Email: [email protected] Ukraine Hants.
Tel/Fax: (+380 44) 369 54 12 GU32 3AX Trumpeter
Hannants Email: [email protected] Tel: +44 (1)1730 265014 Wa San Development (Macau) Ltd
Harbour Road, Email: [email protected] Rampa Dos Cavleiros No.9,
Oulton Broad, Italeri S.p.A www.mmpbooks.biz Block 5, Floor 16, Flat AS EDF,
Lowestoft, Via Pradazzo 6/B, Jardim Sun Yick Garden,
Suffolk I-40012 Calderara di Reno, POCKETBOND Macaua
NR32 3LZ (Bologna), Bachmann Europe PLC China
Tel: 01502 517444 Italy Moat Way www.trumpeter.com
Fax: 01502 500521 Tel: +39 051 72 60 37 Barwell
www.hannants.co.uk Fax: +39 051 72 64 59 Leics LE9 8EY Wingnut Wings Ltd
Email: [email protected] Tel 01455 841756 PO Box 15-319,
[email protected] Miramar,
Wellington 6022,
New Zealand
www.wingnutwings.com
EVENT & CONTACTS 137.indd 3 04/11/2016 12:38

DEBUYERSGUIDEBUYERSGU
KIT KRAZY MODEL SHOP HANNANTS MODEL SHOP
Tel: 020 8298 7177
303 The Broadway, Bexleyheath, Kent DA6 8DT
Tel: 0208 205 6697 Fax: 01502 500521
Unit 2, Hurricane Trading Estate, Grahame Park Way, Colindale, NW9 5QW
NEW AND PRE-OWNED KITS, COLLECTIONS BOUGHT AND SOLD. OPEN 10.00AM - 5.30PM, THURS & FRI OPEN UNTIL 7.00PM
OVER 20 MAJOR BRANDS OF ARMOUR KITS IN PLASTIC AND RESIN, NO1 IN EUROPE FOR PLASTIC KITS AND ACCESSORIES
BOTH CURRENT AND OOP - 70P S.A.E FOR OUR LIST INCLUDING THE FULL RANGE OF TAMIYA (NOT RC)
Opening hours: 9-30am-5.30pm (Open Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday) email: [email protected] www.hannants.co.uk
You can also find us at most major model and airshows throughout the year
1/2 MILE FROM
www.kitkrazy.com Up to 20% Discount on mail order RAF MUSEUM MASTERCARD/VISA/SWITCH
AVID READER
Tel: 01299 823 330 Fax:01299 829 970
Unit 10, Hodfar Road, Sandy lane Ind Estate, Stourport On Severn, Worcestershire, DY13 9QB
MILITARY, AVIATION, NAVAL, MODELLING,
RAILWAYS, CAR & MOTORCYCLE BOOKS
9.30 – 4.30 MONDAY TO FRIDAY BY APPOINTMENT ONLY
WWW.BOOKWORLDWS.CO.UK
[email protected] VISA/MASTERCARD/MAESTRO
AVIATION & MILITARY BOOK CENTRE ADVERTISE HERE!

Tel: 0845 260 4413 THIS SPACE COULD
PO Box 10159 COALVILLE. LEICS LE67 1WB
AVIATION AND MILITARY BOOKS AND MAGAZINES
BE WORKING FOR YOU.
PHONE LINES OPEN 10AM-6PM MON-FRI, 10AM-1PM SAT-SUN
PHONE, WRITE OR VISIT US ONLINE.
FOR INFORMATION,
[email protected] www.aviationbookcentre.com CALL SEAN ON 01525 222573
MASTERCARD/VISA/SWITCH/PAYPAL/CHEQUES/CASH/POSTAL ORDERS [email protected]
WEBDIRECTORYWEBDIRECTORY
www.tamiya.com www.creativemodels.co.uk
www.hobbyco.net
YOUR WEBSITE HERE! EagleCals, EagleParts,
!
call Sean on 01525 222573 Library of Eagles and more

[email protected]
www.hyperscale.com
D
S
ADVERTISE HERE!
THIS SPACE COULD BE WORKING FOR YOU.
FOR INFORMATION, CALL SEAN ON 01525 222573
[email protected]
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
NEXT MONTH 137.indd 3 04/11/2016 12:39

FINAL THOUGHTS
ROCKWELL X-31 - A PERFECT SCRATCHBUILT PROJECT?
T
he Rockwell-Messerschmitt- type with canards, plus underfuselage intake), leaning towards tackling tis aircraft as a full
Bölkow-Blohm X-31 Enhanced and the German TKF-90 (wing planform scratchbuild, using some spare kits to provide
Fighter Manoeuvrability program concepts and underfuselage intake), F/A-18 the detailed bits and pieces.
was designed to test fighter thrust (forebody, including cockpit, ejection seat, and But why, given that there are so many
vectoring technology. Thrust canopy; electrical generators), F-16 (landing cool kits, would I want to build something
vectoring provides additional control authority gear, fuel pump, rudder pedals, nosewheel from scratch? Simply put, the challenge.
in pitch and yaw, resulting in significantly tires, and emergency power unit), F-16XL Over the years it’s been fun to push my skills
more manoeuvrability than most conventional (leading-edge flap drives), V-22 (control and see where they will take me. I’ve made
fighters. An advanced flight control system surface actuators), Cessna Citation (main other models from scratch, but never had the
provides controlled flight at high angles of gear’s wheels and brakes), F-20 (hydrazine confidence to build an aircraft from the ground
attack where conventional aircraft would stall emergency air-start system, later replaced), up. Now, I want to see if I can do that and the
or lose control. B-1 (spindles from its control vanes used for X-31 seems to be the perfect choice.
The X-31 design was essentially an all-new the canards). This was done on purpose, If this model ever sees the light of day,
air-frame design, although it borrowed heavily so that development time and risk would be I’ll chart its progress and then let you see
on design elements and sometimes actual reduced by using flight-qualified components. the results. All I have to do is get the Harrier
parts of previous production, prototype, and Given that a lot of this aircraft features finished, first! ■
conceptual aircraft designs, including: the off-the-shelf components and having
Experimental Airplane Program (choice of wing learned a lot from my Harrier conversion, I’m
(U.S. Marine Corps photo)
FINAL THOUGHTS 137.indd 2 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 in 1991. All the schemes
25th anniversary of the feature colourful and
1991 Gulf War, Italeri varied nose-art that give
have released a special such strong individuality.
edition of the Tornado The injection-moulding
GR.1 in 1:72. The model polystyrene parts feature
comes with a decal sheet fine detail, capturing
that provides markings the aggressive look of
for four Royal Air Force this multirole combat
aircraft, all in the overall machine. Underwing
sand colour used on munitions and drop-tanks
these machines during are provided in the box.
‘Operation Desert Storm’
HOBBY COMPANY ITALERI 137.indd 25 08/11/2016 14:57

Model Airplane International 137 2016-12

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Model Airplane International 137 2016-12

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Model Airplane International 137 2016-12

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

ALL THE INFORMATION YOU’LL EVER NEED

TO CREATE THE BEST AIRCRAFT MODELS 7 NEW BUILDS

WE TAKE AN IN-DEPTH LOOK AT TAMIYA’S

PRIMED & READY TO FLY…

ZVEZDA’S 1:144 AIRBUS A321 9 7

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

FEATURES 54 MIDGET MIG Newstrade:

Issue 137 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 3

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

“ Tamiya don’t just raise the bar - to all intents and

4 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - December 2016

EDITORIAL 137.indd 2 04/11/2016 11:51

Open from 09.00 to 17.30 Monday to Saturday.

EDITORIAL 137.indd 3 04/11/2016 11:51

A-26 INVADER IN ACTION

AND THERE’S MORE..!

The latest arrivals are as follows:

6 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - December 2016

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

More news when we get it!

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

BUILT AND WRITTEN BY MARCUS JELLYMAN

8 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - December 2016

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

PRIMED AND READY TO FLY.indd 3

Fuselage & Wing Unit

Issue 137 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 9

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

10 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - December 2016

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

Issue 137 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 11

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

To remove the fuselage seam lines, various grades of Flory

12 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - December 2016

PRIMED AND READY TO FLY.indd 6 04/11/2016 11:54

Engines & Landing Gear

Issue 137 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 13

PRIMED AND READY TO FLY.indd 7 04/11/2016 11:54

14 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - December 2016

PRIMED AND READY TO FLY.indd 8 04/11/2016 11:54

Issue 137 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 15

PRIMED AND READY TO FLY.indd 9 04/11/2016 11:54

THE AIRBUS INDUST

16 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - December 2016

REF FEATURE AIRBUS.indd 2 04/11/2016 11:55

Issue 137 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 17

REF FEATURE AIRBUS.indd 3 04/11/2016 11:55

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

Issue 137 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 19

REF FEATURE AIRBUS.indd 5 04/11/2016 11:55

variant of Airbus’ A321neo, deliveries of which

Airbus A321-211 msn 1994 in the great

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

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

…That being so, there was no option but to rip the

Issue 137 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 23

HARRIER MADE FOR TWO PART 2.indd 3 04/11/2016 11:57

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

Issue 137 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 25

HARRIER MADE FOR TWO PART 2.indd 5 04/11/2016 11:58