117: Show and Tell

January's theme was "Unmanned", but that certainly didn't mean that it would be "Unattended".  With six completed models and four in progress builds, this turned out to be quite a popular theme. 

So popular in fact that Chuck Connor wowed the club with his superb rendition of the Academy 1:35 RQ-7B UAV as operated by the US Army.  Chuck noted that other than a hypodermic tube for the pitot the rest of the kit was built OOB, although he did point out that should he build it again, he would probably replace the tail booms and landing gear with some other material as they were very flimsy.  The model was painted entirely with Vallejo acrylics and then done up with the kit supplied Cartograph decals.  Nice to see that Chuck still remembers which end of the paint brush goes into the jar!  Can't wait to see more Chuck!

Next up is the Accurate Miniatures RQ-1 Predator built by Andy White.  Andy built this popular little model OOB with markings for a unit out of Creech AFB.

Dave Fuller also brought along his rendition of the RQ-1 Predator built OOB with Wolfpak Decals markings for an example flown by the 178th RS, 119th WG "Happy Hooligans" from the North Dakota ANG.

Accompanying the RQ-1 were two MQ-9 Reapers built from the 1:72 Skunkmodels kit.  Both were also built OOB with the markings being a combination of the kit supplied decals for the example flown by the US Customs and Border Patrol as well as Caracal Models decals for the Royal Air Force example belonging to RAF 38 Sqn.

Rounding out the theme builds for the month was Tim "I've Got a Spitfire for That" Holland with his Frog 1:72ish Spitfire FMK XIVe and V-1 buzz bomb display.  Tim says that while the V-1 is quite a nice kit, the Spitfire is "crap".  Specifically, it is too small (about 1:75) and has numerous inaccuracies. 

Along with the theme build, Tim also brought along a few of the models he is working on for the Battle of the Atlantic display the club is doing for the museum, all in 1:700 scale.  Dominating the scene is the Tamiya HMS Prince of Wales which Tim reports as having too many pieces that required way too much work.  Good thing it wasn't a Dragon kit!  Also in the photo are two U-boat models built by Tamiya (Type VII) and Hobbyboss (Type IX) as well as numerous 1:700 aircraft converted from wargaming minatures.  They were unsurprisingly, easier to build than the Prince of Wales.

Moving on to dry land, we have a very nice Italeri 1:35 Italian armoured car built by "Doc" Haugh.  If I am reading my decoder ring correctly, according to Doc's information sheet, it is a "Sahariana" which was built OOB, and was a "nice kit" with "no vices" (the kit, not the real thing).

Dan Yakel also brought along a very nice looking WWII armor model in his Tamiya 1:35 T-34/85.  Dan added an aluminum barrel and bed spring armor.  The kit rubber band tracks were replaced by ones taken from a Dragon kit to give them the proper "sagged" look.

Nick Kessel brings us back into the wild blue with his 1:48 Hasegawa F-14A Tomcat.  Nick built this model for the museum's "Tophatter's" history display, and sourced the 80th Anniversary markings from Fightertown.  A Wolfpack "Bombcat" update set and Hasegawa AIM-9Ms and GBU-24 round out the build.  Nick says he certainly plans on building more of the Hasegawa F-14's, and I can't wait to see them.  You can never have enough F-14's!

If you've been following the newsletter lately, I'm sure you have been following along as Nate Swift's SM.79 Sparviero has progressed along.  Nate's model started out as the 1:72 Italeri kit to which he added Eduard PE interior and exterior details as well as new resin cowls by Quickboost.  Nate applied a beautiful airbrushed finish to complete this stunning model.

Another finished build that we have been following along with is the 1:48 Mi-24 Hind F built by Jim Rotramel.  Jim started with the Monogram kit and added various Cobra Company resin sets to detail the cockpit, weapons, ECM, as well as the Hind "F" gun mod.  Jim also performed extensive modifications to the kit to lengthen the tail boom to the correct dimensions.

Rounding out the completed show and tell builds were these three very nice models done by Joe Hegedus.  Beginning in 1:72 scale we have the Trumpeter Westland Wyvern S.4 which was built completely OOB.  The model is as nice as the real thing is ugly.

Also in 1:72 scale is this nice example of "Heinemann's Hotrod".  Joe started with Fujimi's excellent A-4C Skyhawk kit and added Hasegawa TERs and Zuni pods along with decals for the VA-76 MiG-Killer from the 2011 IPMS Nationals decal sheet.

Joe also brought another A-4, this time in 1:48.  Starting with the Hasegawa TA-4J VT-7 Bicentennial kit, Joe added True Details resin ejection seats in an otherwise OOB build.

That's all for now folks.  Next month's theme is "The Need for Speed" and we should have some great models to showcase.

117: Progress Report

At a very well attended meeting after Christmas and New Year, it is apparant that quite a few people spent their vacations finishing old builds as well as starting new ones.  There were eight in progress builds alone.

Starting off with three targ..er..tank models, we  have a selection of various subjects built by Dan Yakel, all in 1:35 scale.  First up is Dan's M4A32 Jumbo Sherman.  Dan is using a Tank Workshop turret, transmission cover, and aluminum barrel to convert the Tamiya kit.

Next we have the Dragon SU-100P which Dan is converting to a SU-122P using an Aluminum barrel, resin mantlet, Verlinden engine compartment with lots of copper wire and PE detailing.

Switching to an Axis subject, Dan also brought along his Dragon Jagdpanther.  While waiting for PE parts for the hull, Dan managed to fight his way through the very complex suspension assembly.


Andy White brought along his current project, a 1:32 Tamiya P-51D Mustang.  The engine and interior work look fantastic and really need to be seen in person.  Can't wait to see the finished product!

January's theme was "Unmanned", and there were quite a few theme builds, including these four that are still "In Progress".

First we have Steve Workman's Accurate Miniatures 1:72 Predator UAV that Steve plans on building Out Of the Box (OOB).

Jim Rotramel also brought along a 1:72 MQ-1B Predator, albeit from the later Platz boxing.  This has also been an OOB build that only needs decals and Hellfire missiles to be finished.

Accompanying Jim's MQ-1B was this MQ-9 Reaper built from the Skunkmodels 1:72 kit.  Like the Predator, this model only needs decals, Hellfire missiles, and GBU-12s.


Dave Fuller rounded out the in progress builds with his Academy 1:35 RQ-7 drone.

Remember guys, August is Amnesty month!

117: Spare Parts

Spare Parts

117

 

Odds and ends, tips and tricks, miscellaneous musings.

 

What’s in it for me?

 

“It’s a fun hobby.” “It helps me relax.” It’s a great stress relief.” If you ask a modeler why he is a modeler you’ll probably get one of those answers, or something along that line. Despite the wide variety of personalities (or lack of personality) and backgrounds that make up the population of the scale modeling world, we all do it for basically the same reason. Now, if you take fifty modelers and ask each of them what their favorite modeling activity is, you’ll get a hundred different answers.

 

            There are many aspects to the scale modeling hobby, lots of genres in a variety of scales. There are disciplines that our little group does not address, like model railroading and RC. We do have some members who engage in those activities and we certainly don’t hold that against them, even if they are into RC cars. Right, Jon?

 
            Some modelers specialize in a particular genre and scale, like 1/72 aircraft, 1/35 armor, or 1/24 cars. Then there are modelers who live in the moment and will build something just because it looks cool or unusual, regardless of the scale or category. Some modelers enjoy the research aspect of the hobby and can cite the most arcane historical details of their current project. Some modelers aren’t satisfied until every last panel line is exactly right and will tell another modeler when they aren’t. Others build out of the box and when the glaring, egregious errors are pointed out they shrug and say, “It looks like a (insert subject here) to me”.


            Then there is the build process itself. Going from opening the box to putting a finished model on the table is a long, sometimes endless process. Just like the modeling hobby, the model building process is multifaceted. There is the initial cleaning up and assembly of the parts. Parts are joined to form sub-assemblies, which in turn are joined together in the final assembly steps. You may or may not add aftermarket or scratch built details along the way. Usually seams need to be filled and cleaned up. Parts and assemblies need to be prepared for paint and then painted, and decals are applied. Then comes the application of washes, dry brushing, filters, and pigments to achieve the desired weathering effects. Again, if you ask fifty modelers what is their favorite part of the build you’ll get a hundred different answers.
 

            Some model clubs are specialized. I belong to a model car club and some of our members belong to RC flying clubs. There are armor model clubs, figure model clubs, and railroad model clubs. I think that one of the neat things about our club is that it is not specialized. The variety of modeling experience and expertise leads to some spirited discussions at our meetings. It also leads to some interesting comments that we can learn from. For example, I never realized that a modeler who would scratch build details for a 1/144 scale aircraft cockpit would need “… to have his head examined”, or that building link-to-link tracks for a tank is “… the definition of insanity.” What I have learned from such comments is that everyone has an opinion and people will frequently have differing opinions. It’s a matter of choice.

            Which brings us to the overarching reason that every one of us is a modeler. It’s a matter of personal choice, actually an iterative series of choices. First one decides to be a modeler, then decides what kind of models to build and how to build them. Of course those decisions change as one evolves, learns, and grows as a modeler. So, what is the answer to the question that brought on this musing? I’ve always been a proponent of Socratic pedagogy, so I’m going to answer the question with a question:

 

What do you want?

            (NOTE: If you don’t know what “Socratic pedagogy” is, look it up. But be careful, you might learn something!)

Chuck

 

116: Show and Tell and Progress Report Double Feature

I hope that everyone had a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year.  For those that couldn't make it to the Christmas party, you can see from the picture that it was quite a good time as it usually is.  There was plenty of great food, and quite a few really nice models in the gift exchange.

There was no theme for the club meeting, but we did have a few models for the show and tell.  Tim Holland brought along two models, one in progress and one complete.  First up is his Matchbox 1:72 Halifax Gr IIa.  This model was built out of the box for the Museum's eventual Battle of the Atlantic display, with a custom mix of Tamiya paint for the Extra Dark Sea Gray.  According to Tim, this was his second attempt at the kit, as the first attempt ended up being "Collinized".  The decals were applied using Scott Samo's "spit & polish" technique, and was lightly weathered.  Hopefully Tim used his own spit, and not Scott Samo's...

Next up from Tim is another build for the Battle of the Atlantic display.  This is the Revell of Germany 1:72 Fw 200 Condor.  This is actually a team project that Tim is finishing that was originally started by Dan Yakel.  Hopefully there will be enough room in the display case for all of the great models the club is building for the museum.

Another team build project is this Hasegawa 1:48 AV-8B Harrier that is being worked on by Dave Fuller.  Dave is building this model for a VMA-211 Tribute Group Build on Aircraft Resource Center.  There are eight different participants in the group build, and each person is taking care of a different aspect of the build.  The first stop was in Ohio where the cockpit was painted and assembled along with the landing gear.  Dave is in charge of the general construction, and then it will be on to the rest of the members of the group build.  The completed model will eventually be donated to VMA-211 as a memorial to those that were lost in the attack on their airbase in Afghanistan in mid-2012.

And lastely we have an in progress build from Vince Mankowski.  No Vince is not working on a 1:48 pungee stick diorama, but it is actually the Italeri 1:48 MV-22B Osprey.  Vince has been hard at work scratchbuilding and scratch detailing the entire interior of the model.  Vince plans to make molds of his interior parts and offer them as a drop in conversion for other modelers wishing to add a little extra to their models.  Folded wings and propellers in the stowed configuration will round out the model nicely.  Can't wait to see it finished!

 That wraps up this month's rather short update.  I hope to see everyone at the January meeting!

116: Spare Parts

Spare Parts

116

 

Odds and ends, tips and tricks, miscellaneous musings.

Brick and Mortar

 

Any modeler worth his sprue nippers would never miss an opportunity to visit a hobby shop, and I’m no exception. When traveling or just out and about, I’m always aware of when I will be passing near a hobby shop. But when I count the number of hobby shops that I can no longer visit because they no longer exist, I run out of fingers. That’s why I was delighted to learn of a new hobby shop in our region.

 

In August of 2012 a new HobbyTown USA store opened up, located at 4143 Plank Road, Fredericksburg VA. If you are familiar with the HobbyTown USA franchise you know that they are a full service shop, catering to scale model builders, RC modelers, and model rail road hobbyists. This new store is owned by the same people who own the Newport News HoobyTown, and the manager is active in the Richmond IPMS chapter. I found everyone that I interacted with there to be knowledgeable, helpful, and cordial.

I have visited other HobbyTown stores and this new Fredericksburg store is smaller than others I have seen. In spite of this, they carry a wide selection of aircraft, armor, and auto kits and a large assortment of modeler’s tools. I was most impressed with the paint selection. You will find full racks of Tamiya spray cans and acrylic bottles, Testors Model Master acrylics, and Vallejo acrylics. And there are three full racks of TMM enamels! These three racks include the “basic” and auto colors, and the biggest selection of military colors I have ever seen in a retail store. I’m sure that’s good news for you dinosaurs who refuse to learn new things, like how to paint with acrylics or use a smart phone.

One feature of this store that I really like is the public restrooms. You youngsters are probably saying “Big deal”, but to us more mature individuals this is a very good thing. Right Jon? Another nice feature is the HobbyTown rewards program. When you sign up at the store you are given a card. Scan your card every time you buy something and you earn points towards a discount coupon. Discounts are good no matter your age!

While we can’t really call it a “local” hobby shop, the Fredericksburg HobbyTown is definitely worth the trip. It takes me about an hour and twenty minutes to drive there. There is a great Mexican restaurant in Dahlgren, so you can time your trip to include a lunch or dinner stop. Road trip, anyone?

Chuck

 

115: Show and Tell

The Theme of the November meeting was "Your First Model".  While there were lots of great "My first model" stories, a few of us were able to bring the models along as well.  While none of them were the actual "first model", they were reproductions of our first kits, and were certainly built in the spirit of the theme.
 

Our first subject for the monthly theme is the Hawk Gloster Javelin built by Tim Holland, which was featured in his monthly theme column.

Next up is Nate Swift's 1:48 Testor's PT-20.  Nate built this model as the Dutch floatplane version, but in US Army markings, just as he had done as a kid. A considerable amount of time was spent cleaning up seams with various grades of polishing cloths to make sure the seam didn't show through the metallic finish.  Nate also tried out the Tamiya thinner technique for setting the decals, and he says it worked out very well, especially on the rudder stripes.  The OOB build looks great sitting on the kit included water base.

Our final theme model is this MPC 1:32 Futuristic Dragster Snap kit was built by Dave Fuller. Dave painted the model Testor's Italian Red to better match the original color of the plastic in his first kit instead of the yellow plastic that this example was molded in.

Moving on to our normal Show and Tell subjects, we have two models by Austin Whiteside.

First we have the Revell 1:24 Jedi Starfighter, complete with astromech droid and figure of Anakin Skywalker.

Austin also brought along his Megablocks model of a Covenant Seraph from the popular video game series Halo.  It's always nice to see something out of the norm, and Austin never fails to disappoint.

And while we're on the subject of the Whiteside family, we have this beautiful little Heller 1:72 Curtiss SBC-3 Helldiver built by Gerry Whiteside.  Gerry built the model OOB with Starfighter PE rigging and a combination of Microscale and  Starfighter decals to portray an aircraft from VB-4 Tophatters to contribute to the Museum's Tophatter Squadron build.

Continuing in 1:72 scale we have this very nice Ju-87C built by Ken Kelly.  Ken started with the Airfix kit of the Ju-87B, and started his conversion by clipping about 3/16" off of the wingtips to transform it into the carrierbourne version of the venerable Stuka.  Ken also scratchbuilt the tail hook as well as internal structure to the radiator.  To top it off, Ken sanded off all of the heavy raised details, thinned the overscale control surfaces and completely rescribed the model.  Ken continues to claim that his models are brush painted with Polly scale paints, but I think he's been using an airbrush all along.

Rounding out the 1:72 builds is this Matchbox P-12E built by Dave Fuller.  Dave originally intended to have this model completed for the Matchbox theme, and then the Between the Wars theme, but managed to miss them both.  The kit was built OOB with Starfighter Decals representing an aircraft serving with the 16th Pursuit Group in the Canal Zone, circa 1934.

We finish out the Show and Tell with a trio of 1:48 models built by Joe Hegedus.

In a somewhat uncharacteristic move, Joe brought along this decidely non-glossy sea blue, F6F Hellcat.  Joe started with the Hasegawa kit, applied the striking tri-tone scheme, and then went further into uncharted territory and applied some very subtle weathering over aftermarket decals.

Joe continued this non-glossy sea blue trend with this very nice Sea Hurricane Mk. II.  Like the Hellcat, this was built from a Hasegawa kit with aftermarket decals.

Rounding out this Show and Tell update is Joe's very nice Monogram OA-4M Skyhawk.  No, that isn't a black and white picture, we actually have a third non-GSB build from Mr. Dark Blue himself finished in the standard gray over gray lo-vis scheme found Skyhawks from this era.  Joe added outer weapons pylons from a Hasegawa A-4 to complete this otherwise OOB build.   

That's at least three months now that we have failed to see an unweathered, factory finish clean, glossy sea blue model from Joe.  On top of that, he has actually been seen bringing British and Japanese subjects, a sailing ship, and even (gasp) a car!  What can this be attributed to?  Is there a worldwide shortage of Testors no. 1717?  Has the news of the demise of the Twinkie gone to his head?  Is it yet another sign of the coming apocalypse?  We'll find out next month, same Bat time, same Bat station.

The Taming of the Sprue

The beauty of the internet is that I can be a part of a community anywhere on the planet.  Whether that community is aviation maintenance, Navy, family, or Small World, today's internet forums allows all of us to participate and feel as though we are still there.

Like most members of SMSM, I participate in forums that bring together people with like interests from across the globe.  In turning over Small World to Chuck I am realizing I can still be a part of SMSM and Small World, even though I won't make monthly meetings for some time to come.  I'll miss the barbecue...

I'll also miss the peanut gallery.  The best part of show-n-tell are the comments; all are fun and most are helpful!  Of course, eyeballing a bunch of models built to a much higher quality than my own makes it even better; and helps to motivate me on that next project.

Since I'll be in the land of the Bard, and attempting to cut some sprue while I'm there, I hope to update you on shows, kits, and hopefully publish a few photos.  I've nearly got a Spitfire planned for each theme, and there are some new Spitfire releases for the new year so I hope to scoop some reviews.  If I can figure out an "aggressor" Spit, I'll have it made...maybe a whiff?

So while I'm away, if anyone brings a Spitfire, think of me. 

See you all at the Christmas Party. 

-- Tim