I am more of a Second World War prop airplane builder but I sometimes dabble where I am not supposed to. I have recently started a build of the lauded 1/48 Tamiya Tomcat. Unfortunately, most of my Cockpit Finishing Techniques had to be thrown out of the window. That is not necessarily a bad thing... Continue Reading →
There are a lot of reasons why we build models. For some it is an interest in a subject like airplanes, tanks or ships. For others, it is an interest in history and how these vehicles were used. But sometimes we are just looking to go back to a happy place and enjoy a trip... Continue Reading →
A little History Most people do not know much about the Pacific War aside from the highlights: Pearl Harbor, Midway, Guadalcanal, Iwo Jima, kamikazes and a couple fairly large bombs to wrap things up. I'll admit, I've been keenly interested in this theater for decades and I am still learning new things about it all... Continue Reading →
Let me tell you a little about myself: Born in the 70s and grew up in the 80s. A decade that started with feathered hair and ABBA, quickly morphed into synthesizers, cocaine, big hair, wedge shaped sports cars, pastels and silk suits. The 80s also featured a Cold War with a clearly divided world and... Continue Reading →
Whether we are pre-shading panel lines, post shading, black basing, dot filtering, mottling or marbling, the goal is to find a way to weather or distress the paint finish and otherwise to bring some interest to the surface of the model. When I first got back into the hobby (circa 2007) the finishing technique that... Continue Reading →
We model builders are usually enthusiasts and history buffs. At least, that has been my experience. This interest is usually fed by books, magazines, museums, history podcasts and even travel to historic places. But what is an enthusiast if he or she cannot own, hold and display something? Be it models, memorabilia, reproduction items or... Continue Reading →
I've uploaded a video with a demonstration of how I paint and weather my propeller engine exhausts. I demonstrated using the supercharger on the 1/48 Tamiya P-38 Lightning. I did not invent this technique! I first read about using thin coats of brown paint to simulate rust in JM Villalba's FAQ book. I added Tamiya... Continue Reading →
I've uploaded a video with some tips and a demonstration of how I finish radial engines. For those who have been following the blog for a while, this video features much of the information contained in my Modeling Radial Engines article from last year. The engine I am finishing comes from the venerable 1/48 Hasegawa... Continue Reading →
When it comes to building models I think most of us strive to develop the skills that will get us consistent results with few surprises along the way. The idea being that consistency will lead to a lot of successfully completed models on the shelf. But it can also lead to that feeling of rinse... Continue Reading →
A Little History Lockheed began developing the P-38 Lightning in 1937 and in January 1939 the prototype made its maiden flight. The Lightning was a unique looking aircraft with tricycle landing gear, twin booms and a central pod bristling with guns. It had two 1600HP liquid cooled engines and fully loaded it weighed some 10... Continue Reading →
