Archive for the ‘Readers' Gallery’ Category

Forum member DHKollektr (John) posted these pics of a build that took him a while to complete…. 28 years! But he finished it- that’s the key! Great work John- thanks for sharing.

This late ’70s/early ’80s Hasegawa kit is a re-boxed issue of the old Frog kit, so it leaves a bit to be desired in some areas, but the end result I think looks OK.

This one has had a very long gestation period, I started it waaaaaaaay back in ‘82 or ‘83 when I was still in the RAAF.  I had got it painted at the time, but I used ordinary domestic adhesive tape for the masking, and when I pulled it off most of the adhesive stayed on the model.  If it was available then, I certainly didn’t know about Tamiya tape back in those days.  I started to use the good ole domestic methylated spirits to remove the adhesive, but found that the paint was coming off too.  So I got somewhat discouraged and left it for many years.

I eventually got it into the caustic-soda bath and removed all the paint, and some of the filler as well.  So with some more filler, and a lot of sanding, I eventually got it ready for paint again earlier this year, and finished in time for Melbourne’s Model Expo in June.  It certainly isn’t perfect, but it still looks like a Lightning.  Enjoy.

Agape forum member Mike Grant (migrant) posted these pics of his incredible “Squiggly Sonia”. I’d have gotten googly-eyed trying to paint this!

Thanks for sharing the pics Mike!

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I built this last year from the Hasegawa (Mania) kit- 1/72 Ki-51 Sonia. Markings are from a Rising Decals sheet, and depict a field applied squiggle camo. The squiggles on the model are hand-painted with a brush and Vallejo acrylic paint, biggest challenge was keeping them fairly consistent and roughly parallel, although in all honesty they were probably hastily and poorly applied to the real a/c. Apart from a bit of internal detail and replacing the wing-light transparencies I added little else to the basic kit.

Agape forum member Andy Mason (amason61) posted these photos of his stunning F/A-18C. This is one awesome looking “Bug”! Great work, Andy!

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• Kit manufacturer: Hasegawa
• Scale: 1/48
• Type: F/A-18C Hornet
• Extras used: Flying Leathernecks decals (FL48022); Shull resin GBU-38, LGB and Lightening pod robbed from Tamiya F-16 kit, Afterburner decals for bombs/pods, AIM-9 and AIM-120 from spares box
• Paints and colours used: Model Master enamels (camo), Tamiya acrylic and Alclads

Here are the “Glamour shots” of my latest completion.  This is my first ever build of a Baby Bug in 1:48 scale.  I knew I had to build it once I saw the VMFA-122 decals from Flying Leathernecks.  There is another hi-viz scheme for VMFA-122 carrying the “Crusaders” markings that might just have to be built as well.  (And I can’t wait to see it! ~Ed. )

Every time I see a Japanese “George” fighter, I think of that old Bugs Bunny episode with the Abominable Snowman. “I will hug him and pet him and squeeze him and call him George.”

Yes, there are weird little monkeys at work in my mind.

Anyway- forum member Gil Hodges (g.hodges) shared these photos of his wonderful results from this older kit. Great work Gil!

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This is the old Otaki 1/48 low-wing N1K1 George. This was a “quickie” build to satisfy my itch to build and get something out of the stash and onto the shelf. I made no effort to make it a “contest” model. I did some things, such as drilling guns and adding a new seat/belts; but skipped others, like opting to brush paint the Aotake blue instead of properly airbrushing it. The model overall was airbrushed with Model Master and Floquil colors, but I “cheated” and simply brush painted the Tamiya Clear Blear over a silver base coat to do the Aotake in the wells and on the gear doors.

It serves my purposes as a shelf sitter well!

Continuing with Tuesday’s theme, here are more pics Mike Grant shared from Phoenix on the Agape forums. Thanks again Mike!

Agape Models forum member Mike Grant (migrant) visited the IPMS USA Nationals this past weekend, and shared these photos of the absolutely great work that was on display. Thanks for sharing these Mike- great photos!

Check back Friday for more!

Here are a few of my pics taken over the last few days, starting with some of the aircraft subjects that caught my eye.

Finishing out the week on the armor theme, Dennis McQuillen shared his KV-1 on the Agape forum, as part of the “Rolling Thunder- Heavy Tank” Fellowship Build. Great work Dennis!

Continuing with the armor theme from the “Rolling Thunder- Heavy Tank” Fellowship Build on Agape Model’s forum, this is Jeff Cadanhead’s Achilles Mk.IIC. Great work Jeff!

Agape forum member Raleigh Lamb posted these pictures of his Challenger build for the forum “Rolling Thunder- Heavy Tank” Fellowship Build. I had the pleasure of seeing this tank a few weeks ago at DownEastCon in New Bern, NC, and I also was blessed to meet Raleigh and his son. Great work Raleigh!

Agape Forum member Chris (WWIIAirFanatic) posted these pics of his finished work on Revell’s classic AT-6. Great work Chris!

Well here it is, my first completed airplane this year…woohoo!  Revell’s AT-6/SNJ Texan in 1/48th scale. I’ve seen a lot of Texans and they’re usually pretty colorful aircraft, a change from the wartime colors we’re normally used to. So I picked one up and decided to build the one pictured on the top of the box because the yellow really appealed to me this time. The one depicted is an SNJ model based at the NAS in Glenview, IL around 1956.

I don’t use an airbrush so I found a can of Model Master Custom Lacquer in Chrysler Yellow which is close to what I was looking for. I sprayed a white primer coat first and then the yellow followed by a coat of clear lacquer. I then sprayed over that with a coat of semi-gloss lacquer. I assembled the fuselage and sprayed that as well after adding the orange stripe.

This was my first attempt at panel wash (and scribing because the lines were not deep enough to hold it without me wiping most of it away) and don’t think it turned out too bad. I will have more time with other models to perfect that technique.

Overall a fun model to build. It’s not without its flaws but makes a great kit for people who are starting to try new things in their build process. I also think this model would be a good project for someone who would want to try seam sealing for the first time.  

Forum member Aaron (RonnieRex) posted these photos of his excellent Tamiya P-47D- great work!

Here is what I’ve been working on the last two months! I’m happy that I’m finished. This is the first model that I’ve really jumped out of my comfort zone to try a whole bunch of new things. I’m happy with the end result, and I know that the next time I try these tricks, I’ll be much better prepared.
Things I’ve learned:
1. How to dip canopies in future… makes for nice glass-like canopy
2. Artist oil paint panel wash…tricky, but I really really like how it highlights!
3. Tenex7r cement… wonderful
4. Future as a clearcoat… easy and painless
5. Future and Tamiya flat base mix for a flat finish… went overboard a little with this one, made it look powdered. But some buffing and a very light coat of just future fixed it ok.

Also, first time I’ve used my airbrush. Future makes a good practice medium I guess. Yet, I got the airbrush after I had painted the whole thing with brushes. Thank goodness the camera doesn’t show the brush strokes.

Andy Mason (forum name amason61) posted these pics of his completed A-10. He says he had a little more to go… but I don’t see it! Great stuff Andy!

“Almost done.  I say almost because I thought I was done . . . until I took these pics and saw several areas I still have to touch up before she goes in the case.  Well, anyway, here she is . . . almost . . .”

Andy said the decals are “from the Eielson Ice Hawgs sheet from TwoBobs.  That’s the only sheet I had with ladder door artwork and, although, it does not belong on this particular A-10, I took some creative liberty to add a little extra eye-candy to the build.”

Sharp-eyed readers will notice the stressed skin look Andy achieved on the model. “I used a round metal file and “dug some trenches”, then sanded the edges to smooth/blend them into the fuselage.”

Andy used the same technique on the nose dent. “I’ve seen more than a couple of pics of Hogs with dented noses (bumpy in-flight refueling booms?).  Just a few little “extras” to make this build unique in my display case and to expand my skills some….”

I remember back when you couldn’t just run down to the corner grocery store and buy a pre-packaged model. You had to go rooting around in the woods, looking for styrene roots that the hogs hadn’t chewed up. You had to dig it up, and cure it in the sun for weeks. And if the crows and raccoons left you any, you might have enough left to carve out a Spitfire or two.

OK, I made that previous part up. (Really, I did.)

Making models is easy, to a degree, because someone else has done the work of preparing the parts for you. There may be differing degrees of engineering, and varying quality, but most modelers rarely enter that rarefied air of scratch building a complete model.

Agape forum member Anthony Fuentes (captfue) shared this incredible work, built mostly from the simple and humble sprue. Anthony, this is awesome work!

Hello all. Here are some photos of a wedgie I completed today. It shows one off the less glamorous sides of being a tanker. The work is about 90% to 95% done from recycled sprue, the tree and the tanks wheels and bogie truck are the only pieces not sculpted by hand.

The scene is of an American tank crew trying to improve their chances of survival, during the Second World War. One team begins to fill thier sandbag, after the tank commander finishes his, and hands the shovel to them. (Most tanks only had one shovel). One crewman walks towards the tank to hand his bag to the loader (generally the healthiest) to toss onto the tank.

Roy McKenzie (forum member wyoroy) posted his final results on Hobbyboss’ 1/72 Spitfire Mk. Vb. You gotta love a Spitfire- especially for under $10! Great work on this one, Roy!

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This is Hobbyboss’s Spitfire Mk.Vb.  painted with Model Master Enamels bottom RAF medium sea gray #2058, top RAF ocean gray #2057 and RAF dark green #2060.  The decals went on with no real trouble, used a bit of Solvaset to help them snuggle down a bit.  The only thing I added was gear covers cut from a soda can, pitot tube and decals for the gun muzzles.

Bo Roberts continues to show the great results you can get with a simple snap-tight kit, sharing with us another of his Pegasus Hobbies builds, this time a Model 21 Zero. Great work Bo!

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What fun!!!  These Pegasus Hobbies 48th scale kits are really fun builds and excellent shelf sitter when finished.  If you plan to capture the GOLD at the IMPS Nats, this is not the kit to start with, but to get novices into modeling, you can’t beat it!!

When I started this kit, about 3 weeks ago, I wanted to try a couple techniques, making canopy mask outta paper tape, and dipping it into soapy water to apply, and Japanese aodake(sp) blue/green finish.

One drawback of these E-Z Snapz kits for modeler is the thickness of the canopy which hides all that beautifully molded interior!!  It really a shame so I wanted to vacuform my canopy using the kit’s as a master.  I was going to use the Ultracast Zero seat, but when I looked at the kit one, it matched the outline so I drilled holes in the seat back and fashioned seat belts with masking tape ala the Ultracast one.  I did move the seat back about a scale foot which placed it closer, not against, the rear cockpit bulkhead.  I was very pleased with the overall finished cockpit!!  BTW, I paint the cockpit IJN Mitsubishi Green, which looks like ZCGreen to my eye.  Control panels were painted black with details picked out in silver and red/yellow to my liking.  Fashioned a DF loop behind the headrest outta plastic tubing, and painted it silver.  The decking under the canopy was painted black.

I elected NOT to make this an E-Z Snapz kit, so I enlarged all snap locators and used them as regular locator pins, and glued this model together.  Used only filler at major seams, especially on the underside where the wing meets the fuselage.

After the major parts were assembled, the scoop just ahead of the wheel wells looked too shallow, so I added strips of plastic, and putty to contour it more to the photos I had.  I think it really helped its profile.

I painted and masked the red propeller stripes and wing no-walk areas.  Painted the hub and blades Model Master silver, rear of blades was painted Tamiya brown.
Painted the wheel wells silver and then shot Tamiya Clear Blue over it followed by Clear Green.  Looks good to me. BTW, the kit has landing gear covers for wheels up and it makes an excellent mask for the wells during exterior painting.

Installed the canopy using Elmer’s White Glue, remove excess with wet finger and wet lint free rag.  Shot Future to seal my Canopy mask, then black before apply Tamiya’s IJN Grey-Green to the overall model.

Applied Future overall to make a nice gloss finish to apply the kit decals.  Painted the red/blue stripes on the landing gear cover and the #2 outta my spare decal stash.  Ditto the white #2 on the lower cowl.

Scratched the aileron control horns on the top and lower sides with stretched sprue and white glue.

Grunched up the model using black water color and pastel chalk.  Black pencil used as well.  Added red and green food color to White Glue to make the wing Nav lights. Shot final Semi-Gloss clear finish.  Silver Prisma Color pencil and Tamiya Clear Red/Green applied to the upper wing lights.

Removed all mask cleaned canopy frames as necessary added stretched sprue for antenna wire and called it quits!!

Next up is Pegasus Hobbies Me-262!!  Can’t wait!!  These are fun kits and don’t wreck the Model Budget either!!  Try one or five!!

Forum member Bob Henry (forum name Bob H.) has been working on this kit for quite a while, sharing his work in an ongoing thread, and getting much advice and help from other “Agapapes”. His final results show the fruits of his hard work- great stuff Bob!

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Here is the finished plane. I didn’t think that I could ever get here, but it is FINISHED !!!! I have so many people to thank that I’m not sure where to begin. To those who sent me some stuff in the mail, thanks much. To those who sent me some e-mails with P-39 tech. info, thanks much. To those who gave me much needed how – to instructions, thanks for your patience and understanding. And to all of you who sent me notes of encouragement, you guys kept me going. Thanks much !! I learned so many lessons that I don’t know where to begin. I learned the hard way in a few instances, as well as the easy way. ( I stumbled into a few things by accident ). To those of you who are inexperienced like me, you may want to go over this thread and look at this small diary of mishaps, victories, etc. It may be helpful ( I hope ). Anyhow, here are the photos. If there are any questions please let me know. I will try to draw upon my feeble memory to answer them.

Rick Lorenz (forum member Spruemeister) shared these pictures of his excellent results build Monogram’s classic F11C-2 Goshawk. I built this same kit a while back, and it’s a fun build. Rick’s results tell the story!

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I was worried it wouldn’t get finished, but here it is.  Warts and all.  Monogram’s 1/72 Curtis F11C-2, vintage 1968 edition with Starfighter Decals to replace the 42 year old originals.  Rigging is fun!  Rigging is fun!  Rigging is f…. oh, never mind.  I managed to glue shut a pre-drilled hole that I couldn’t get to without using a heated bent pin to melt a new hole.  I painted the prop with MM Chrome Silver and did a beautiful job.  2 weeks later, it still hadn’t dried and I finger printed the whole thing.  Thus I stripped it and went with foil on the front, Insignia Blue on the back.  There is no interior.  I don’t do little pilot figures, and there isn’t anything else in the kit.  The IP decal didn’t make it either.  Paints are either MM Acrylic, or Pollyscale Acrylic.  I should have toned down the aluminum by adding in a little of the gray.  I think it’s to stark and bright.  I also shouldn’t have rolled the upper wing color so far around the leading edge.  Period thing, I guess.  I love Starfighter’s decals, but I think next time I’ll use Yellow Wings prop tips.  Just a bit larger like the real thing.

The rigging is just 2 pound mono-filament fishing line.  I CA both ends, and run an extinguished matchhead under it and BOING!  Tight wire!  I did have a small accident, and melted one wire….   The lines are then painted steel.

This is more or less a prototype/practice build for an all out effort of the same kit.  This is such a nice little kit as Jon has already let everybody know.  I think there is massive potential for some serious attention to detail that would really make this old kit pop.  I want to add an Aires Cyclone engine, open the carb intake, full interior, open the side vents, add the exposed control cables at the tail, open all the hand holds, move the nav lights to the wingtips, add the small rigging spreader bars, re-do the belly tank mounts, etc.  I already have another kit and decals waiting…

Hope you enjoy it!

Bo Robert’s posted photos of his completed work on Pegasus Hobbies FW-190. If you haven’t tried a Pegasus Hobbies E-Z Snapz kits, you owe it to yourself to pick one up. it’s great fun for not a lot of money!

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This is a E-Z Snapz kit that I did glue together and used some filler as well.  Probably shoulda used more. Added some things from my spare parts boxes where the kit lacked. I wouldn’t want to start with this kit if I planned to win the Gold at an IPMS event, but it IS a very nice finished model and very inexpensive subject to practice that special technique you always wanted to, but didn’t want to trash a high dollars kit on!!  And when you finish them, they’re keepers, to boot!! Spent about 1 month building this, and it was really in my spare time!!  Didn’t work on it hard and fast at all. Try one, it really is a fun build!!

Forum member Steven Murphy (styrenepilot1970) posted this great looking P-51B in Tuskeegee airmen markings. Thanks for sharing your work Steven!

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I had met Lee Archer, the Tuskegee Airmen’s only ace at the Gathering of Mustangs and Legends airshow in 2007. Myself and a friend were walking across the tarmac and I glanced over and saw an older fellow in suit and tie and a GML ball cap. “That’s Lee Archer!” I said, “Let’s go meet him!”

Needless to say, COL Archer was a class act, very gracious with a deep melodious voice. When I heard of his passing towards the end of January, I was motivated to build his mount, “Ina, The Macon Belle”. I had the Tamiya kit that I wanted to use, but almost as importantly, I had Tom Myers Accurate Miniatures decals from the Tuskegee Airmen kit. I think Tom would appreciate the irony of using the decals on another manufacturer’s kit. I can almost hear him saying in exasperation “Murphy…” with a shake of his head.

On another Agape note, this model had the pleasure of losing to Agape Models forums member Raleigh Lambs terrific Monogram P-51B. His model is absolutely fantastic!

Eric Larson posted an older build of his, Tamiya’s long nose Fw-190. Old or new, it looks great Eric!

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It recently dawned on me that I’ve never taken any photos of my old Tamiya Fw 190D-9. So tonight, I rectified that! I built this right after the kit first came out and was totally oblivious to the various accuracy issues (incorrect wheel wells, short landing gear legs, undersize wheels, spinner shape, cowling gun cover hump, etc.) that eventually came to light. Oh well! It was still a nice build and I like it.

The Dora is one of my favorite Luftwaffe fighters and I’ve got a Trimaster kit, with plenty of extras, in the closet that I plan to pull out all the stops on some day.

I added very little to the kit. The wing cannons were replaced with hollow tubing, the radio antenna added using invisible thread, and brake lines added to the main gear struts. Decals are a mix of Experten and the kit’s. If I remember correctly, the paints are Aeromaster enamels. By the way, the camo scheme, including the tail mottles, was airbrushed free-hand with my trusty old Paasche H single-action brush. This was done years before I started using double-action brushes and I still use the Paasche quite often. So, you can see, a fancy expensive double-action airbrush is not needed to do Luftwaffe paint schemes! At least in 1/48.