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 →
Pencils…. who knew?
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 →
A Simple Way To Paint Bare Metal Airplanes
Can there be such a thing?? Well, yes.... kinda. I mean, you'll never get away from having to carefully prepare your painting surface. And yes, that takes time and patience. However, many strategies for painting bare metal involve the use of delicate and, dare I say flimsy paint. As well as a process that requires... Continue Reading →
1/48 Arma Hobby P-39 Airacobra: The fighter that fell from the ugly tree
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 →
Top 5 Desired Model Kits for 2025
Wow did 2024 ever pass by in a hurry. I swear I was writing one of these not so long ago. They say time flies when you are busy and this year I certainly was. Not so much on the hobby front, mind you. No, it was various home projects, work, courses, and that so-called... Continue Reading →
A Working Radial Engine
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 →
The Base Completes the Look
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 →
Tips and Tricks for Jet Cockpits
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 →
1/48 Zvezda Mi-24 Hind – A model of the most destructive military force ever conceived
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 →
1/48 Tamiya P-38 Lightning – My Miss Virginia
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 →
