There are some facts that may have been solid and widely acknowledged for most of my lifetime, but, for whatever reason, have become forgotten or less believed over time. Off the top of my head we have: Pluto (as a planet), the moon landings, and the earth being spherical in shape. Coupled with those apparently... Continue Reading →
The first model I made when I came back to the hobby was, of course, the 48th scale Tamiya F4U-1A in the tri-colour finish. And I was all about experimenting with that one. I did exhaust staining, oil staining, fuel staining.... And I tried adding chipping. I think I read somewhere that people added chipping... Continue Reading →
"STEALTH!" was one of those things that captured the collective imagination. I certainly can't think of another time when esoteric aircraft technology was part of the culture. Maybe when Lindberg crossed the Atlantic? Maybe the advent of the jet engine? I don't know, I wasn't around then. But I was around when 'Stealth' became a... Continue Reading →
There are exactly 32 ways to paint airplane wheels. But they generally fall into broad 2 categories: Mask and Spray; or Eyeballing it with a brush. I mask when the situation calls for it but I get perfect results with this method of painting by hand. You only need 3 things: Acrylic paints such as... Continue Reading →
TL;DR: A challenging build but it paints up well and I had fun weathering it; build video link When it comes to popular model subjects for airplanes, you have the Spitfires, the Mustangs, the Zeroes and the 109s. On the other end of the spectrum you'll find things like, oh I don't know, Cessna 150s,... Continue Reading →
I may have started out building jets, and occasionally I still do. But I like my big honkin' radial-engined airplanes. Because making these engines pop is my favorite part of the build. So, when Enginekitor approached me with their all metal 5 Cylinder working engine, I just had to say YES! And I am glad... Continue Reading →
And really, will anyone miss it? Not me. Not at all. Oh sure, like the buggy whip, 8-track, and the fax machine, resin aftermarket was the bees knees in its day. It was and is far cheaper than using injection molded plastic. Making masters and casting resin parts from them was a viable way to... Continue Reading →
By the time the USN and the Marines sailed up to and flew over Okinawa, they had pretty much solved everything there was to be solved in terms of aviation in the Second World War. The Marianas, the Philippines... all that was behind them. By this point in the war, carriers carried fewer Dauntlesses and... Continue Reading →
I always figured the base was just a means to highlight the model. I never paid much attention to them. However, I've had a moment of clarity. You see, I've come to realize that, much like an oversized belt buckle on dark blue jeans, a pinky ring with a pinstriped suit, or a fist-sized medallion dangling within an... Continue Reading →
I love airplane engines, which is pretty much why I've built so many big, round-nosed WW2 props. That big ol' engine, just begging for detail, is visible to all. I pretty much always start my builds with the engine, no matter what those instructions say. A few months ago, a representative from Stirlingkit reached out... Continue Reading →
MODEL AIRPLANE MAKER 