Tamiya 1/48 Republic F-84G Thunderjet

When asked by a customer to build this kit, it was with a real sense of dejavu as I'd previously built the same kit, albeit in 1/72 scale, almost a decade ago. However, I wanted to do something really special with this larger scale offering and decided to invest in an Aires Detail Set (#4096), Quickboost Ejection Seat (QB48493), Eduard Canopy Masks (ED EX167) and a set of Aeromaster Decals (48-407) as I've always found the Tamiya decals somewhat thick and difficult to work with.

The only real issue I had with the fitment of the Aires Detail Set was with the main wheel wells - something I'd already read about - and these required the top surfaces to be sanded to almost a wafer thin thickness and the interior surfaces of the upper wings to be ground down to almost half their thickness. Once this was done the wheel wells fitted perfectly and the wings were able to be assembled without any problems. As for the rest of the Aires Detail Set, the parts merely required a small amount of clean up and sanding and were pretty much a drop fit. The rest of the kits construction was also fairly straight forward, with almost no filler required anywhere.

With construction completed the model was then thoroughly cleaned and sprayed with a coat of Tamiya Grey primer. The model was then masked and the metallic colours applied (AK Xtreme Metal Aluminium & Dark Aluminium), followed by the application of colours to the fin tip, jet exhaust, anti glare panel and a homemade zinc chromate mix to the undercarriage interiors. The model was then sprayed with a coat of SMS Gloss Clear, followed by the application of the decals, followed by another application of Gloss Clear to seal them all in. Using a Mig Air Weathering Set for Metallic Airplanes & Jets (AMIG 7423) I then applied a grey wash (PLW Deep Grey) to all of the panel lines, however I didn't want to overdo the weathering on this model, as the photos I had showed that this units aircraft were always maintained in a near pristine condition. The model was then given an overall coat of my own mix of an SMS Satin Clear, the canopy masks removed, followed by the fitment of the undercarriage components, drop tanks, Jato pods canopy and the pitot tube made from brass tubing.

So apart from a few issues that were of my own making, I really enjoyed the opportunity to build this larger scale version of the Tamiya kit and in the end it turned out exactly as I'd wanted it to.

F-84G #52-3197 'Cynthia VI', 8th FBS, Misawa Japan

Italeri 1/72 H-21 Flying Banana

The Sikorsky H-21 'Flying Banana' is one of those helicopters that has always fascinated me, because of its unique shape and twin rotor configuration.

So when a friend of mine attended a club stash sale - referred to as a swap and sell - I asked him to keep an eye out for a 1/48 scale kit of this helicopter for me, which he duly did and acquired, but then decided to keep for himself. However, he did manage to acquire a 1/72 scale kit of this helicopter as well, which he offered to me at a ridiculous price that was just to good to refuse and a bit if a consolation.

As is to be expected of such a small scale kit, assembly was pretty straight forward with no major issues and the only additions to the kit were some exterior details from an Eduard etch set (72 322) and a set of wheels from Reskit (RS72-219). Because I was building an early Aeronavale H-21, it also meant that I didn't need to fit the door winch, under underside sling and a few other items as well. The only areas that did need some attention though were the front glazing, as it wasn't a perfect fit, and the panel lines on the upper and lower fuselage, as they didn't line up and had to be filled, sanded and rescribed.

With assembly completed and the windows masked, the model was then given an undercoat of Tamiya grey primer. The rotor heads and blades were then sprayed as per my references - not as per the instructions - and the fuselage sprayed with Gunze Navy Blue (H54) - again not as per the instructions. The model was then given a coat of SMS Gloss Clear and the decals applied, which all performed faultlessly using the Microscale Set and Sol solutions. Panel lines were then treated to a light wash, the model given a light over-spray of the base colour mixed with some white to give it a slightly faded look and this was then followed up with an overall coat of SMS Satin Clear.

This really was a fun and enjoyable project for me and also fits in well with the other Aeronavale models I've built from around the same era. My only disappointment though, is that Eduard do not offer an interior detail etch set for this kit, as they do for the 1/48 scale kit, as it would've been a nice touch to have had a full set of seat harnesses throughout.

 

Airfix 1/72 Folland Gnat T.1

The Gnat is one of those aircraft that has always appealed to me and the Airfix boxing of this kit was something I built in-between a few commission builds, just as a bit of a pallet cleanser. The kit is a real joy to build, with no major issues and only required a little filler in a few places. The only additions I added to the model were a pair of pilot figures from PJ Productions (PJ721132) and a brass pitot tube from Master (MR72-083), as the kit item is very fragile. The model was painted with Tamiya AS12 Silver, with the remaining colours from MRP and the clear coats from the SMS range. I am a real convert to MRP and SMS paints and they are now my go to paints and I cannot recommend them highly enough. I used the kit decals throughout on the model, which are beautifully thin and performed flawlessly using the Microscale Set and Sol solutions.

 

 

Heyfield Vintage Machinery Rally

 

I'd been trying to get to this event for many years, but always seemed to be thwarted by other priorities. Having ensured that my calendar was clear I finally made it to this years rally, however attendance was considerably down on previous years, due to the ongoing affects of the Covid pandemic. Although it entailed a 6 hour round trip to get here, the weather fine, albeit cold, and there was enough activity and things to see to warrant a few hours stay. I'll definitely come back again and hopefully by then things will have returned back to normal.

Keep on Truckin

Whenever traveling on one of our road trips I'm always on the lookout for any old trucks, tractors or anything of interest, that is hidden in yards or scattered around farm properties. I'm always amazed at what can be found and sometimes in the most unlike least of places.