Wednesday, December 31, 2008

FineScale Modeler 03 2002


When Keith Kowalski was 12, he got his start in modeling by building Aurora figure models. He hasn't stopped building yet, and now he's internationally recognized for his fine quality figure models. The Ft. Lauderdale, Florida police officer has been painting excellent military miniatures for about 30 years. For over a decade, Keith has regularly competed and sold his work in figure shows in Atlanta, Georgia. He and his work have been featured in modeling; books and magazines from around the world. He has won several gold and silver awards, and in 1993 he won a gold medal tor his display at the first World Exposition Show held in Washington, hosted by several international figure modeling groups. Though he paints in most of the standard mediums, Keith has found that working with oils and flat enamels gives him the most flexibility He also experiments with other paints and with mixed media.


Model Magazine International 144


TMMI was present at the recent IPMS Nationals held at the Anaheim Marriott hotel, Orange County, California, and is so often the case with model shows, there were a few key model releases announced at the event. We'll try to bring you a more detailed report in the next issue, but for now, here's a quick run-down of some of the highlights. Amongst the mountains of 1:48 Bf110 kits being sold like the proverbial hot-cakes, Eduard showed parts of their forthcoming F6F-3/F6F-5 Hellcat in 1:48 (due Feb '08). listed a comprehensive series of 1:48 F-4 Phantom IIs in the pipeline, a series of 1:32 Messerschmitt Bf109E models and MiG21s in 1:48 - so some great new items for aircraft modellers on the way. Also shown on the Stevens International stand was Bronco's 1:35 Staghound, which looked extremely good, and Italeri has their Staghound on show too, which looked equally interesting. Hasegawa announced plans for a 1:72 B-24D Liberator, and Revell showed sprues from their all-new 1:72 Lancaster (which is not Hasegawa's release), and Special Hobby had on display a built-up example of their 1:32 Bell P-39D Airacobra, again all splendid news for modellers of aviation subjects. Hobby Link Japan were selling the Fine Molds 1:72 Y-Wing kits like they were going out of fashion, and of course we couldn't resist, so there'll be a preview in a forthcoming issue. So it's good news from the USA as far as new releases go, more news as we get it!


Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Model Magazine International 07 2006


Mig Productions have created a new type of burnt out hulk in miniature - not an AFV this time, but a generic postwar civilian car that can be used in street fighting dioramas from the 1950s right up to the current day. We first showed this last issue and now we have taken a closer look, we have discovered a couple of very clever features that will help the modeller to make their model look all the more realistic. The kit is cast entirely in butter coloured resin, with the body and chassis of the car as a single component. The wheels are depicted with tyres burnt off, and fit to the body via simple Stub-axles, holes for which must be drilled by the modeller. The roof is cast as a separate part to allow the interior to be detailed, and it's in here that we are presented with a great piece of originality. The seats are completely burnt-out of course, and to represent the springs. MP provide not only a roll of copper wire, but a clever little device with which to form them into the appropriate zig-zag pattern! It consists of a baseplate and a system of gear wheels through which the wire is fed, crimping it into the zigs, and no doubt, zags, in the process. Marvellous!

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FineScale Modeler 01 2002


Like most of the people I meet in the hobby (especially those of the same vintage), I returned to the game (after abandoning one of my favorite pastimes to the demands of life) at about the same time that FineScale Modeler came on the scene. Prompted by a Christmas gift car kit, I checked out a local hobby shop in Dallas seeking paint, glue, and such. Talk about hobby shock - this was a whole new world of scale modeling. There was now a plethora of product and support materials, everything from publications to highly detailed figure kits. The sophistication of the new offerings overwhelmed me and I was hooked. As a history teacher, what really drew me in deep was the accuracy and detail of the aftermarket offerings, coupled with the wonderful new tool kits. I was a VLS junkie, a FineScale Modeler subscriber, and a Tamiya/Hasegawa disciple. After moving to Lincoln, Nebraska, in the early 1990s, I started working part-time for the local hobby shop, which happened to be the original HobbyTown USA.

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Sunday, December 28, 2008

Model Magazine International 127


I've always been fascinated by Israeli armour, especially modern vehicles from the 1990s onwards. The Merkava. Israel's homegrown main battle tank, is a particular favourite of mine and has undergone many revisions and improvements since it was developed throughout the 1970s. The latest version, the Merkava 4. with its large saucer-shaped turret and heavily bolted appearance has an almost science-fiction look about it. Israeli armour has never been particularly well served in 1:72 scale, so the announcement of a range of resin kits from Cromwell Models was exciting news. A number of kits have been released so far covering several Merkava and Magach (M-60) variants, with more' promised for the future. Cromwell Models has traditionally been associated with 1:35 and 1:76 scales, but these kits mark the start of a new line called Combat 72. Another interesting aspect of these kits is that they are composed of only a few parts and this enables rapid assembly.

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FineScale Modeler 12 2002


My first exposure to the B-52 Stratofortress was unforgettable - I felt it in my feet! Three long, low rumbles, barely audible - like distant thunder or an earthquake. ''Arc Light," a staff sergeant casually muttered as he sat across the table from me at the Tan Son Nhut base library in Vietnam in October 1972. I was "in-country" only a week, so he could see I needed more than a two-word explanation. "A cell of three B-52s dropping bombs maybe 30 miles from here.'' Incredible! Thirty miles away and 1 could sense the devastation. Boeings eight-engine heavy bomber, often dubbed "BUFF'' for "Big Ugly Fat Fellow" took the place of the equally amazing Convair B-36 Peacemaker as the Strategic Air Command's ''big stick" in the mid-1950s. The B-36 was never used in combat but stood nuclear alert during the Korean War. Unlike the B-36, the B-52 has seen action in all but the briefest U.S. military campaigns since the mid-1960s.

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Friday, December 26, 2008

FineScale Modeler 11 2004


Hobby manufacturers are facing an increasingly complicated legal hurdle in the production of new kits: licensing. A license is an agreement between a company owning a property and one that wants to create a product with the name, images or distinguishing marks of the property on it. For example, Playing Mantis, which produces "Star Trek" kits in its Polar Lights line, obtained a license to do so from Paramount (owned by Viacom). Companies that produce NASCAR models must be licensed by multiple entities, including NASCAR, the car owner, and every sponsor with a decal on the vehicle. The licensor wants to make sure its brand is displayed accurately and on the best product possible. Some want nothing more; others see licensing as a legitimate and lucrative revenue stream. In most cases, manufacturers have to pay for each license. Common licensing agreements stipulate the licensor gets a percentage of each kit sold and a guaranteed fee. Any fixed-term royalty agreements must be renewed as long as the kit is sold. According to industry sources, licensing costs vary widely. Ed Sexton, Revell-Monogram's senior manager of product development, says, "The cost of a license depends on the royalty percentage rate that is calculated on the wholesale price of the product." That rate can be as low as 1% and as high as 20%.

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Model Magazine International 04 2006


On the hull top all moulded bolts were removed with a scalpel, because reference material shows that these need to be recessed. To represent this feature I used a beading tool, gently pushing the tool on the model to create small recessed circles. The loaders hatch was a bit too narrow and was widened with some plastic strip. The commanders hatch was completely replaced with thinner plastic card and hinges from the Aber detail set. The small hatch in front was thinned with a scalpel and a file to bring it to scale. The same procedure was used on the rear of the left side cover panel (C17). The hatches on the rear deck (C11) need a bit of sanding back to make them fit properly. I also glued a piece of strip along the inner edge of the opening in the hull, and this was also done on the small hatch for the periscope. On the rear deck the moulded upstanding triangles need to be cut off as these do not feature on the Stug III B. Also the half moon shaped guides for the towing ropes had the moulded detail carefully removed with a scalpel and were refined to take some Aber parts. Before closing the hull I painted the interior matt black to prevent any unwanted reflections.

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Thursday, December 25, 2008

Model Magazine International 11-12 2002


Many, if not most modellers use airbrushes, but even if you don't, we all use paints and glues that can generate strong and often toxic fumes. If these vapours and paint dusts are allowed to build up in a work room they can affect your health, so it's important to ventilate the work area in an effective manner. Opening a window is a good start, having a cross flow of fresh air is better, but the best method to breathe easy when modelling is to have an effective extractor that actively draws away the fumes and paint overspray. Years ago at TMMI, we used an improvised system that consisted of an old domestic extractor fan. two cardboard boxes and a length of tumble dryer exhaust hosing - this did the job but the fan was not isolated from combustible vapours, so a fire could possibly have resulted, obviously making this system not such a good idea.

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FineScale Modeler 07 2002


What does it take to build a spectacular diorama? Creative construction techniques for sure, but if your subject is the brutal war in Chechnya, you'll also need equally creative destruction techniques. Incredibly realistic battle damage is just one of the elements that brings Bruce Teal's stunning Grozny diorama to life. Unable to forget the haunting images in television news reports, the visual effects designer decided to tell the Chechen conflicts story through the medium he knows best - a scratchbuilt diorama. He vividly depicts Russian soldiers hunting for a sniper hiding in a bombed-out building in Grozny. The sniper is well-camouflaged, but if you examine the photos carefully, you'll see him. Bruce began by checking drawings tor buildings similar to those in Grozny. He built the base structure from foam board and covered it with gypsum paste, which he sculpted to the final shape. When the plaster was dry, he painted it with a base coat of light gray Polly Scale acrylics.

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Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Model Magazine International 12 2003 - 01 2004


I'm not going to make comparisons between Skybow's version and the AFV Club offering as I haven't built the latter kit. If you do want a side by side review of the both kits, Terry Ashley's excellent Perth Military Miniatures web site give an in depth comparison of the two. The first thing you will notice when you start to build this kit is that Skybow have broken with tradition as regards the construction sequence given in the instructions. Are you ready for this? Brace yourself - they start with the turret and not the lower hull and running gear! I know this sounds outrageous behaviour, but it's true. It's just shocking if you ask me (you sarcastic old bugger, Ed) Well anyway, I did as directed and Started with the turret, as 1 find the running gear the most tedious part so I always tackle that bit later on during the construction!

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FineScale Modeler 09 2003


The compact (only 12' long) Bren gun carrier was a forerunner of modern armored personnel carriers. Officially designated the Universal Carrier, its original purpose was to cany infantry safely through small-arms fire. A light Bren machine gun was to be mounted on the vehicle to provide suppressive fire. The Universal Carrier proved too lightly armored for combat. The open fighting compartment left soldiers exposed to snipers and shrapnel from shells exploding overhead. Nevertheless, it was agile and fast for a tracked vehicle (30+ mph) and could negotiate rough terrain with ease. The majority of Universal Carriers never sported a Bren gun, but the name stuck. When France attempted to reassert control over its Indochina colony after World War II, equipment was in short supply. French forces made do with second-hand equipment from the United States and Britain, including many Bren carriers. Most were rearmed with U.S.-made Browning .30-caliber machine guns, as was the case with the subject of Boh Collignon's model.

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Saturday, December 20, 2008

Model Magazine International 05 2008


It's probably fair to say that Tamiya's newly tooled 1:48 F-16C Block 50 moved the bar up a few notches upon it's release, setting a new standard for models of this famous jet fighter, with greatly improved levels of detail, fit of parts and overall accuracy than any rival production. In this second version, we have the Block 25/32 variant, which, to the untrained eye may look identical to the Block 50. but is in fact subtly different in several key areas. It's actually a considerably older version, the Block 25 being a 1984 upgrade program that introduced better radar and aviation electronic (avionics) systems, and the Block 32 bringing an engine upgrade such as the LITENING II advanced targeting system, which significantly enhanced the aircraft's ability to attack targets at night and in poor-weather conditions. In the kit, we have newly tooled parts to address the different version - the most visually apparent being the smaller diameter intake and different jet nozzle of the Pratt and Whitney powerplant, revised undercarriage components, two new sprues of weapon-consisting of AIM-120 AMRAAM. AIM-9L/M and AIM-9X sidewinders, wing and centreline fuel tanks and LITENING II targeting pod. Newly moulded parts for the GBU-12 laser-guided bombs feature clear components to depict the laser guidance lenses.

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FineScale Modeler 05 2004


Talal Chouman has a job most of us only dream of- he's not only a professional model maker, but his work at the University of Massachusetts Submillimeter-Wave Technology Laboratory gives him access to full-scale examples of the military's latest fighting vehicles. What more could a modeler ask for? Talal, 38, has built models since he was 10, and has built professionally for more than 17 years. His interest in AFVs and modeling doesn't end at 5 o'clock, though. His full-time passion for military hardware led him to scratchbuild this show-stop-ping 1/16 scale Operation Enduring Freedom Marine Corps LAV-25. Starting with tour months of intensive research, Talal spent some 1,800 hours on the fully detailed, museum-scale model - that's an average of two hours a day for two-and-a-half years. It s not surprising when you look at the model. Constructed plate-by-plate just like the real vehicle, the model is a masterful assembly of styrene, acrylic, resin, brass, aluminum, and other media. The massive model features a fully detailed interior, one of Talal's favorite parts of the model.

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Tuesday, December 9, 2008

FineScale Modeler 05 1999


Consisting of the M26 tractor and the M15 semi-trailer, the M25 was one of the biggest vehicles the U.S. Army fielded in World War II. Used exclusively in Eur-ope, it was a capable battlefield armored recovery vehicle and could haul everything from supplies to landing craft. It was also infamous for tearing off corners of buildings on tight turns! The Dragon Wagon soldiered on into the Korean War and found additional users in the European civilian market. Tamiya pulled out all the stops for its "Commemorative Thirtieth Anniversary kit." The plastic parts (nearly 600 of them!) are cleanly molded in olive styrene and are supplemented by photoetched, metal, and vinyl parts. Detail is top notch. The cab interior details match photos in the U.S. Army technical manual and even features the vehicle commanders desk. All the lights have chrome reflectors and clear lenses. Photoetched parts are provided tor tread plates. The trailer features wheel guards, ramps, tie down chains, and tire blocks. The 19 vinyl tires are beautifully molded, as are the four seated crew figures.

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Model Magazine International 03 2006


Like all the new Dragon kits there is a wealth of plastic sprues in the box as well as three sets of photo-etched parts, two brass shells, a turned aluminium barrel and two alternate hulls plus a bag of Dragon's fantastic Magi-Tracks. On looking through the instructions, you realise this is a 3 in 1 kit. You can choose from an early version, a late version, or the German Africa Korps. With ten different decal options ranging from the Eastern front - Autumn 1941, right through to Tobruk -April 1941. I decided to go for the DAK version because it opens up huge scope for weathering and showing vehicles not looking their best. I was building this kit 100% out of the box (bar the stowage on the rear deck - I was quite disappointed not to find a little bit more clutter for the rear deck included in the kit as the box artwork is slightly misleading). Construction begins as most kits do with the running gear. Each pair of road wheels comes in nineteen parts but when finished makes a quality set of working suspension. Whilst constructing these parts I noticed that the plastic tyres had 'Continental' printed on the sides and I then realised Dragon had excelled themselves again! I built the kit following the instruction in sequence without any major problems.

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Sunday, December 7, 2008

FineScale Modeler 01 2003


I've always been fascinated by modeling. 1 still remember the multi-colored Matchbox kits I built when I started in the hobby back in the 1970s. Recent kits are exquisitely detailed, fit well, and usually need nothing more than careful assembly and a nice paint job to look like the real thing. Tamiya's 1/48 scale Messerschmitt Bf 109E-4/7 falls firmly into this category: a kit with almost perfect fit and fine detail inside and out! It features recessed panel lines and separately molded slats, flaps, and rudder that allow the model to be built in more realistic poses. A complete set of decals provides markings for three machines, including the one I chose, a beautifully camouflaged E-4 of 2./JG 27 that flew in North Africa.

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Model Magazine International 02 2008


It's amazing to think that Tamiya have released one hundred kits in the 1:48 aircraft range, especially considering that the line had been largely dormant for a good number of years, but with the 2007 issue of the Fieseler Fil56, the 'century' has indeed been reached, and what a superb kit with which to celebrate the occasion! For starters, the box itself is rather special, featuring a full-length sleeve carrying the boxart, which depicts Rommel in his camouflaged Storch, banking over a column of DAK vehicles in the desert - very dramatic and worthy of framing for a modelling workshop wall! Inside the kit box, we are presented with a card platform carrying a pressed metal main spar, bent-wire undercarriage stiffener and a small photo-etched fret with four supplementary parts. Also sitting on the platform is the sprue holding the two halves of the fuselage moulding, which in this model is rather interesting. The large glazing area of the Storch must have presented Tamiya's brilliant designers with some unusual challenges, and they solved the main one, ie; making a clean join where the side windows meet the fuselage edge, by moulding the clear panels integrally with the opaque plastic of the airframe. It's extremely effective, just leaving the modeller the job of masking the clear parts (masking sheet supplied) so the inside and out of the fuselage can be sprayed. Including the fuselage, the box contains seven sprues of grey styrene, plus one of clear, which carries further elements of the extensive canopy, including configuration options. A beautifully detailed 1:48 replica of the Argus V8 engine is provided, made up from individually moulded cylinders, engine block, sump, exhaust and gearbox - very nice indeed. The narrow 'tandem* cockpit is an elegant piece of model kit design, and includes all the delicate framework and structures that can be seen through the large canopy panels, in fact with the engine in place, the central portion of the model will look like a little jewel when complete.

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Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Military Vehicle Modelling


I would recommend you choose the liquid cement that comes in a bottle with a brush applicator. This is far easier to use than tube cement - you just brush the surfaces that need to be joined. The glue quickly evaporates and so there is less chance of damaging the plastic. I use Humbrol Liquid Poly for straight kit building. This is a fairly aggressive cement that gives a good strong bond. It comes in a small 28ml bottle with a brush for application mounted in the screw cap. Revell Contacta cement is also good, but is thicker than Humbrol and needs more care. While Humbrol and Revell liquid cement are excellent for general kit building, they are too aggressive for cementing fine plastic parts. For this, I use a second liquid cement called Plastic Weld by EMA Model Supplies. This is a mild-acting glue that is good for adding fine surface detail, such as cementing plastic strip, rivets or bolt heads. Plastic Weld will also bond other types of plastic such as ABS, Acrylic or Perspex. Slaters MEK is also a fine cement to use on small parts.

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Scale Aircraft Modelling


The origins of the hobby known today as scale modelling date back to before the beginning of the twentieth century. During the Great War and, more prolifically, during the Second World War, model aircraft were fabricated from wood and metal and used for the practice of identifying enemy aircraft. Indeed, as late as the 1970s, young Air Training Corps cadets were still learning the difference between the main military types from scale models. The first scale kits available for purchase were made from balsa wood and it wasn't until the 1950s that injection-moulded plastic parts were used to construct more exact replicas. Today, injected plastic is, almost without exception, the main medium from which scale model aircraft are built. In the 1960s, model aircraft had raised panel lines and rivets that, if scaled up, would nearer represent hubcaps. Today's model manufacturers use computer-designed masters and state-of-the-art equipment to create parts that fit together so well that it is possible to make fine replicas of all sorts of aircraft, from the beginning of flight, through to the present aircraft that grace the skies and even into the future.

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Modelling the US Army M4 (75mm) Sherman Medium Tank


The Sherman was the most widely used Allied tank of World War II and was built in larger numbers than all German tanks combined. Due to the enormity of the subject, this book takes a look at part of the Sherman story in World War II, the 75mm gun versions used by the US Army in the European Theater of Operations (ETO). The primary focus of this book is on 1/35 scale, but with the revival of 1/48-scale kits from Tamiya and Hobby Boss, a 1/48-scale project is also included. In 1942, the US Army decided to limit its combat use of the Sherman to versions with the R-97S radial engine, namely the M4 and M4A1 tanks. These two types are in fact identical except that the M4A1 used a cast upper hull While the M4 used a welded hull. Other types of Shermans, such as the diesel-powered M4A2 and the M4A4 with the Chrysler multi-bank engine, were reserved for Lend Lease, though the US Army did use some for training in the United States. So for most of the combat from Operation Torch in November 1942 through the Italian campaign, and up to D-Day and the campaign in France, the M4 and M4A1 were the standard US Army types.


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Modelling the F4U Corsair


The combat career of the F4U Corsair stretched longer than almost any other World War II fighter aircraft. The first of more than 12,000 Corsairs were produced in 1940, and the last of these bent-wing birds were still doing battle above Central America nearly 30 years later. The Vought Aircraft company had a strong association with the US Navy during the inter-war decades, but their focus in the 1930s was observation aircraft, trainers and seaplanes. In response to a US Navy specification issued in February 1938, Vought submitted two designs. With the second of these carrier-based fighter proposals, Vought adopted the simple strategy of building the smallest possible airframe around the most powerful available engine. At the same time, Pratt & Whitney was developing the supercharged R-2800 radial engine. Radial engines had recently lost favour to the sleeker inline configuration, but the US Navy preferred the ruggedness and simplicity of the radial arrangement.


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Wing Masters Nr. 12


Unter diesen Umständen beschränkte sich mein persönlicher Beitrag auf das Hinzufügen von Sitzgurten als Eigenbau aus sehr dünner Plastikkarte, versehen mit Schnallen aus 0,1 mm dünnem Kupferdraht. Hinter der Armaturentafel und am Funkgerät wurden einige Kabel - ebenfalls aus Kupferdraht - ergänzt. Die Passung zwischen Seitenruderpedalen und Steuersäule muß leicht überarbeitet werden, damit alles perfekt sitzt.Die Pilotenkanzel bemalt man inwendig in Schwarzgrau (RLM 66), mit einigen Details, wie man sie auf unseren Fotos vom Bau sehen kann, in Hellgrau, Braun und Rot. Da diese Baugruppe etliche feine Kleinteile umfaßt, besteht der nächste Arbeitsschritt im Abdunkeln der Vertiefungen und dem Aufhellen der hervorstehenden Partien mit verschiedenen Grautönen, die man mit dem Airbrush aufträgt.

'Stalins in the treeline' Cromwell Models Flak 41


Comwell Models Flak 41 is one of those delightful kits that can be built straight from the box with the absolute minimum of fuss over a couple of evenings work. Try as I might I could find very little to improve upon and the simple assemble procedure combines with a well designed parts which fit as intended. The only modifications that I made were to add the hooks which secure the gunshields during transportation and to add the stowage points for the spikes that secure the gun on the chassis sides. I also modified the gunners seat, replacing the resin seat bracket with a copy made from brass tube so that it would be strong enough to hold the gunner, but more of that later. In order to give the gun a more secure fixing to the cruciform I fitted 2 brass rods into the base of the gun which located into the cruciform.

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Modelling the German 15cm sIG33 Bison and Grille


The 'Bison' and 'Grille' are generally accepted names for Germany's self-propelled 15cm schwere Infanteriegeschütz 33 (sIG33) vehicles from World War II. One of Germany's chief weapons manufacturers, Rheinmetall, introduced the schwere Infanteriegeschütz 33 (sIG33) in 1927. With a firing range of 4.7km it was the most powerful support weapon for the German infantry, and in January of 1940 the first attempts were made to adapt it to a tracked vehicle. The entire gun carriage, complete with wheels, was mounted on the Panzer I Ausf. B chassis, with tall shields of armour plate added to protect the front and sides. Six companies of these vehicles were deployed on the Western Front, with each company having six self-propelled guns. The sIG33(Sf) auf PzKpfw I Ausf. B (Bison I) stayed in service until 1943. Thirty-eight examples of this vehicle were built.


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Modelling the Jagdpanzer 38(t) 'Hetzer'


The Jagdpanzer 38(t) 'Hetzer' was developed in the latter stages of World War II in an effort to make up for losses in assault-gun production due to the Allied bombing of German factories. A highly successful design, the little tank hunter was fast and relatively inexpensive to manufacture. Using proven components from the Panzer 38(t), it proved a valuable weapon on both the Eastern and Western fronts of the war with its potent 7.5cm Pak 39/L48 gun. Taking advantage of the factory facilities of BMM and Skoda in Czechoslovakia, the Germans produced over 2,500 vehicles of this type between April 1944 and May 1945. Soon after the war, the Swiss and Czech armies used modified versions of the Hetzer (designated G-13 and ST-1 respectively) up until the 1970s.


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Model Aircraft Tips and Techniques


There are three easy ways to make interior parts such as wing gun boxes, bulkhead framing, cockpit firewalls and consoles, and the interior areas of wheel wells. The method you use depends on the cost of the model and what part you want to make. If you are making interior bulkhead parts or framing for the fuselage you can use a contour gauge to determine the cross-sectional shape of the fuselage at a particular location, draw the part onto sheet plastic, rough-cut the part, and then form-fit the part into place. While the contour gauge will get you fairly close to the interior shape of the fuselage, it is not a precise instrument and you may have to repeat this procedure several times until you get the hang of it.


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Todo Modelismo Issue 01


A partir del verano de 1944, los Ma rines Tank Bataliones (Mt. Bn.) y sus Sherman se tuvieron que enfrentar a tres nuevos enemigos: el anticarro de 47 mm. tipo 1. que empezó a aparecer en gran número a partir de la campaña de Saipan (Las Marianas), en julio de 1944. con resultados mortales; los equipos anticarro suicidas banzai y las nuevas minas magnéticas anticarro, con tres imanes en su base unidas a roda mientos de bola, lo que les permitía fi jarse a cualquier superficie metálica: cuando detonaba, proyectaba su carga dentro del carro, fundiendo sus paredes como si fueran de mantequilla.

Todo Modelismo Issue 02


El tripulante que adjunta el kit se ha utilizado como oficial del cano, limando y lijando el casco para adaptarlo a su nueva función, el uniforme también ha de cambiarse para representar a un cañista israelita. Se eliminan con cuchillas los detalles que no sean ade cuados, añadiendo los correctos con pasta de modelar aplicada en peque ñas porciones realizando bolsillos, cre malleras, costuras, etc. También se modela las barbas con masilla. El otro tripulante es producto de una mezcla de cuerpos y brazos diversos y una ca beza de kit de Verlinden. también el uniforme se remodela con masilla.

Todo Modelismo Issue 03


El monstruo despellejado que porta el plumin se ha pintado de manera gue las zonas en las que carece de piel den una sensación sanguinolenta, para lo cual se emplea rojo brillante de Humbrol; las zonas del cuerpo que tienen piel se pintan de color carne por el método que anteriormente se ha explicado. Todas las figuras están remarcadas en negro para obtener el máximo detalle de éstas. Para obtener el color avejentado de la mesa se usan colorantes para madera, con los que se imitan las vetas; la nogalina oscurece el contrachapado, y además se añaden tonos verdosos y ocres.

Military Modelling Aug 2001


Now the fun part starts! Chipping is, (or me, much more than the recreation of spots of chipped paint. It also given a lot more finesse to your model! But chipping with dark and rusty colours only works on light base colours, so remember this while spraying the base colour. For reasons of scale effect, it is better to make the base colour quite light anyway. After trying pastels and oil paints, I now prefer to use Humbrol enamels and I put these also on piece of aluminium foil (usually only the thick paint from the bottom of the tin,) getting the consistency right by mixing it for every brush load with while spirit. This might seem a waist of time, but it helps to get the paint on my brush always the way I want it - not too thick or too thin. Moreover, the paint will always dry matt, something (hat is not always guaranteed when using paint straight out of the tin!


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Intermediate Military Vehicle Modelling


However good model kits of tanks and armoured fighting vehicles become, enthusiast modellers will usually find something to add. Most of the component parts of kits of vehicles made by the injection-moulded plastic process feature engraved or raised detail to some degree. But the keen modeller will soon realise that much can be done to make a mass-produced replica that bit special and 'personalised'. The moulds mainly used to create injection-moulded kits cannot always cope with very tiny items. Making large or small changes to 'customise' or improve a basic kit or create an alternative version of a particular vehicle, is a very popular pastime.


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How to build Dioramas


Of all the steps in building a diorama, planning is most important and most frequently overlooked. Most dioramas that miss the mark usually do so because of critical planning errors before construction is even begun. Designing a diorama is not difficult, but it's always worthwhile to make sure that the basic concept of your diorama is well thought out and that the way you intend to carry it through is practical and sound. Planning is the foundation on which your diorama is to be built, and whatever time you devote to ensuring the strength of that foundation is time well spent.


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Airfix Magazine Guide 27 Modelling RAF Vehicles


The Airfix range of RAF vehicle kits, the Emergency set, Refuelling set and Recovery set, have been popular as accessories to airfield scene dioramas since their introduction. They also, together with other vehicle kits in the Airfix range, serve as a basis for converting and scratch-building a host of other military vehicles. The object of this book is to provide ideas and data, especially drawings and sketches, showing how these models can be made. Research for this book revealed that there was no hope of including all the vehicles used by the Royal Air Force so some strict pruning was required and coverage was limited to the more popular for the most part, but with some rarer types included to try to cover as many aspects as possible of this subject.


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Aircraft Modelling Step by Step Vol.2


In order to achieve a realistic effect and take advantage of these raised details, we proceed in the following fashion. Firstly, we apply a coat of wood color as a base for our work. The color was obtained from the following mixture of Tamiya acrylics: XF3-65% + XF7-5% +XF10-20% + XF2-10%. After applying the base coat and allowing the paint to dry, we outline the frame lines using a brush and the acrylic color Burnt Umber from Prince August. In this way we achieve a good depth effect. Next we paint the raised parts of the frames using Beige Brown, darkened slightly with Burnt Umber. It is necessary to use a fine-tipped brush, but one that nevertheless can hold a good amount of paint (for example the N°2 Kolinski brush from Davinci is ideal). To create the effect of wood lines, we use the last brush with Beige Brown for the dark lines and Desert Sand for the lighter ones. With these two tones, a very realistic contrast is created. A coat of satin varnish finishes the inside of the cockpit.


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Model Aircraft Monthly 2005-08


THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE MARKS THE 60th Anniversary of the official end of World War Two, with the unconditional surrender of Japan on 15 August 1945. The War in the Pacific, as it is generally referred to, started at the end of 1941, on 7 December, with the Imperial Japanese Navy's pre-emptive strike on the US Navy's bases and installations at Pearl Harbor and simultaneous attacks on British and Dutch interests in the Far East, some two years alter the War in Europe had erupted in September 1939. More than anything, Pearl Harbor was responsible for bringing the United States of America into the conflict, which, following Ger many and Italy's immediate declaration of war against the super power, as part of the tripartite Axis, effectively turned it in to a truly global war.


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Panzer Aces No.2


La configuración básica era la habitual en este tipo de armas, con la cámara de combate situada en la parte delantera y el compartimento del motor en la trasera. La superestructura estaba constituida por planchas de blindaje inclinadas que alcanzaban un grosor máximo de ochenta milímetros en la coraza frontal. Este blindado tenía una altura total de tan solo ciento ochenta y cinco centímetros, lo que permitía su empleo con gran éxito en emboscadas. En orden de combate el peso era de veinticuatro toneladas, y la velocidad máxima 39 km/h.


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Wing Masters No.1


En effet, au sortir de la Grande Guerre, la France pos sédait la première aviation du monde après avoir construit, en quatre ans, 4 500 avions de combat sur un total de 50000 appareils, tous types confondus. La cessation des hostilités entraîna non seulement l'arrêt des commandes, mais également celui des innovations, tandis que 190000 des 200000 employés de l'industrie aéronautique étaient licenciés. Vingt-cinq ans plus tard, les évolutions restaient peu nombreuses, surtout au niveau des mentalités. C'est ce facteur, combiné aux lourdes erreurs commises au niveau des plus hautes instances de l'armée qui explique essentiellement la défaite des ailes françaises au début de l'été 1940.

Wing Masters No.45


Équivalent soviétique du A-10 et fer de lance de l'aviation d'assaut kxs de ta première guerre d'Afghanistan, le Su-25 Frogfoot est le rigne héritier de l'll-2 Sturmovik avec un peu plus d'un millier d'appareils produits à ce jour. En dotation dans nombre de forces aériennes de l'ex-URSS et de sa sphère d'influence, le Su-25 connaît une seconde vie avec de nouvelles variantes, mono places ou biplaces, d'assaut tout-temps, embar quées ou de tractage de cible. Première mono graphie de qualité sur le sujet - si l'on excepte les publications trimestrielles d'Aerospace Publi shing - ce livre retrace toutes les étapes de la désormais longue carrière du Frogfoot. De la genèse à la production des dernières séries, en passant par l'utilisation au combat sur les théâtres médiatisés de l'ex-URSS, Gordon et Dawes détaillent le développement de ce robuste chas seur de chars. Les chapitres sont bien docu mentés et chaque version fait l'objet d'un des criptif relativement complet.

Aircraft Modelling Step by Step vol.1


Constructing a limited-series model is usually a challenge for a modeler since the almost-handmade origin of the majority of these models demands a great deal of work. In return, once it is finished, and due to the limited number of units, the model becomes a great source of satisfaction for the modeler, who now possesses a model that is quite rare and practically unique. Our model was a classic from World War I, an AIRCO 2H2. This kit was number 1166 in a series of 1500.


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Verlinden Modeling Magazine Vol.5 No.1


The model used is a perfect combination of an already excellent plastic kit and a resin photoetched update and detailing set. Tamiya's T-72 kit goes beyond expectations of quality, detail and fit. It certainly surpasses all its competition and although more expensive, it is well worth even more than the difference in price. It was so good, in fact, that VP had a difficult time to find details to improve it. Most of the update set involves added parts such as the simulated engine, engine covers, dust covers, open stowage bin, interior hatch periscopes and gunsights. The only parts replaced were the gun barrel and canvas gun cover and the VP Dushka machine gun kit was used to replace the kit assembly which, due to the limitations of the injection process, was lacking some detail.

Building and Displaying Scale Model Aircraft


Most of the models I build are injection-molded plastic air plane kits, just like the ones you find in hobby shops. But this hobby doesn't end there. Other types of kits, aftermarket details and accessories, paints, tools, and reference materials are available. You won't need everything that's out there, but there are a few tools and materials you should have on your workbench. Speaking of workbenches, you don't need anything fancy, but you should have a small table or desk where you can work and leave your project while you attend to life's other pleasures. Make sure there is plenty of light, access to electricity, and good ventilation.


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Euromodelismo 136


Estos últimos expeiían unas grandes estelas blancas de condensación, lo que permitía su rápida localización visual. Pero pronto se dieron cuenta que no podrían llegar hasta los bombarderos, ya que habían sido avistados por una gran formación de cazas de escolta que estaban deseando entrar en acción después de las largas y aburridas horas de vuelo. El jefe de la formación de escolta observó a los Tal52 con sorpresa; nunca había visto unos aparatos con semejante envergadura y de aspecto tan frágíí. trepando a aquefía velocidad endiablada. Esperando una de las habituales trampas a las que tan aficionados eran los pilotos alemanes, destacó a cuatro P-51 Mustang para que resolvieran lo que en principio parecía un ligero inconveniente, más que una amenaza, mientras el resto de la formación se mantenía a la expectativa. Los dos Focke-WulF vieron cómo estos cuatro «indios» se descolgaban de la formación y soltaban sus depósitos suplementarios, acelerando al máximo para iniciar la persecución. Casi al mismo tiempo los aviones alemanes se pusieron a la altura de los Mustang, estabilizaron su vuelo sin emplear la potencia de emergencia de combate y maniobraron para dejarse alcanzar por detrás. El «líder», sin duda un piloto experimentado, manejaba su aparato con templanza, observando la maniobra de los P-51 por los retrovisores colocados especialmente para él por sus mecánicos unos días atrás. Su aparato, un prototipo, estaba en plena fase ensayos.

Euromodelismo 137


Habiendo concebido esta viñeta como un homenaje dedicado a los paracaidistas de la 101 th Airborne Division que lucharon en la mañana del 6 de junio, la puesta en escena evoca el sacrificio de los miles de soldados americanos que cayeron heridos o muertos en suelo francés durante el verano de 1944. para que los franceses pudiéramos vivir en un país liberado ya del yugo de la ocupación, como antes lo habían hecho sus mayores por esa misma causa durante la Gran Guerra. El origen de esta pequeña composición se remonta a 1988 cuando, al poder disponer de algo más de tiempo, pude dedicarme por entero a mis dos pasiones primeras: el modelismo y la historia, y particularmente a la campaña de Normandía. Habiendo situado la acción de la viñeta en los alrededores de Pont-Hébert. al norte de Saint-Ló, el 11 de julio de 1944. primero decidí construir un Sherman M4, intentando adecuarme lo más posiole a mis escasos conocimientos.

EuroModelismo 178


Con este concurso concluye todos los anos el curso modelístico. Es como un anticipo de las Navidades y, al igual que suele ocurrir en la mayoría de las competiciones, es el fruto del esfuerzo de un reducido grupo de aficionados que hacen todo lo posible para que este pequeño milagro tenga continuidad. Para ello cuentan con el apoyo de los ayuntamientos de modestas localidades, los cuales siempre están más dispuestos a prestar su apoyo a este tipo de eventos, mientras que los de ciudades como Madrid, Valencia, Barcelona, Bilbao o Sevilla no aportan el mínimo imprescindible para hacer viable un concurso de estas características.

EuroModelismo - Carros en Rusia 01


EI desarrollo de los caitos de combale alemanes durante la I Querra Mundial fue apenas testimonial dada su minúscula cantidad. No obstante fue muy interesante bajo el punto de vista del camuflaje, pues se experimentaron varios tipos de esquemas de cara a dos objetivos diferentes: por un lado al efecto disruptor y, por otro, al camuflaje de mimetismo con el terreno. La elección de los colores, verde, marrón y arena de la I' Querra Mundial fue normalizada posteriormente en la II Quería Mundial. Cuando se comienza a formar la nueva fuerza acorazada, los colores elegidos son diferentes, ahora en tonalidad oscura gris asfalto o gris panzer, verde y marrón, que lo serían aún más al suprimir dos colores, auedándose el gris asfalto o Panzer Qrey como color único, encaminado al camuflaje en zona urbana.

EuroModelismo - Carros en Rusia 02


Cuando el 22 de julio de 1941 la U.R.S.S. fue atacada por Alemania, todos los blindados del Heer (Ejército de Tierra) y las Waffen SS estaban pintados en Dunkelgrau RAL 7021. Este color era un gris mate muy oscuro cuya tonalidad variaba dependiendo del lote de pintura y el fabricante, que tras varias semanas se degradaba por la acción de los rayos solares y la propia oxidación de sus componentes, adquiriendo un tono más claro. Esto unido a la porosidad de la pintura mate que contribuía a que se adhiriese firmemente a ella el polvo de los caminos, hacía que los vehículos adquiriesen cierto aspecto de mimetización con el entorno, viéndose incrementado este efecto si el terreno estaba embarrado.

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EuroModelismo - Panzer Aces


La primera vez que este blindado entró en combate fue en Saipán, en el archipiélago de fas Marianas, en junio de 1944 Los Marines siempre supieron valorar las cualidades de los Amtanks. que les ofrecían cobertura y protección en las cabezas de playa, pero el blindaje del casco de estos grandes vehículos anfibios era muy vulnerable al fuego enemigo, y la torreta abierta de los LVT(A) 4 resultaba peligrosa ante los francotiradoies y los ataques suicidas de los soldados japoneses. Debido a esto, los tripulantes solían acoplar varias ametralladoras en ta torreta protegidas por escudos de acero. Los Amtanks se emplearon en los desembarcos del Pacifico hasta el final de la Segunda Guerra Mundial, aunque en las últimas operaciones el peso del apoyo a las tropas se confiaba cada vez más a los carros de combate M4A2. De cualquier modo los Amtanks continuaron desempeñando un papel fundamental, y resultaron imprescindibles durante los avances finales, en mayo de 1945 cuando ias lluvias convirtieron los caminos en lodazales.


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EuroModelismo - Stug III


Para poder almacenar cajones con equipo y bagajes, latas de combustible, etc., con mucha frecuencia las tripulaciones solían soldar barras o tiras de metal alrededor de la cubierta del motor. Este modelo G final muestra un camuflaje bastante interesante, que está formado por sinuosas líneas verticales de los colores Oilvgrun RAL 6003 y Rotbraun RAL 8017 sobre el color base Dunkelgelb RAL 7028. Una práctica habitual en esta etapa de la guerra, era complemencar el blindaje de la parte delantera de la casamata añadiendo cemento sobre las planchas ¡nclinadas. A su vez, en caso de pérdida de los faldones laterales denominados Schürzen, la carencia se contrarrestaba colocando dos o tres troncos de árbol a cada lado de la casamata, y rellenando el espacio que quedaba entre ésta y aquellos con tramos de oruga.


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Model Airplane International 2005-11


This kit comprises two grey sprues, a small etched fret, the resin parts, the vac-formed canopies and a decal sheet. Even though the main plastic parts are nicely moulded with just a little flash, I didn't like the engraved panel lines, as they varied in both thickness and depth. I also feel that Special Hobby have failed to realistically reproduce the cowling as the flaps looked very poor, being thick and faintly defined. In think that a separate resin cowling would have been an ideal solution. Fortunately the rest of the parts seemed to be much better, with the resin parts free of bubbles and the etched parts (produced by Eduard) were of their usual high quality. I also appreciated the inclusion of the spare canopy, even though the clear plastic used showed a blue tint, this disappeared once the canopy was attached.