James H

Complete and coming to a forthcoming issue of Military Illustrated Modeller!

Getting there. Needs some subtle weathering.

The model is actually painted and decaled now, but here are a couple of photos of what I have on my Mac before I dump and edit the other photos. Got to say this is a very enjoyable project!

Even if you left the intakes protruding slightly, there is still a gap that needs to be filled. It's not a big job though and if you set about to build a resin kit, then you should have the ability to fix it.

Without a doubt. Firstly, you need to do a lot of work to make the new belly align in all the right places. I found mine needed shortening a little so it laid flat with the root leading edges lining up. Second, there are other modifications I needed to do to the resin belly piece which involved slicing away at some of the internals so it would fit properly. I would only have been able to decipher that if I'd glued the rear belly panel and spars in place. It's so much easier that way. Thirdly, I found that you need that firm edge to be able to make a complete connection with the new nose. The instructions are a little lacklustre and you need to think ahead with this one. AND....the wings still easily slide on at this point too!

A little update for you. Cockpit painted and the resin nose is now more or less fitted, with some careful reshaping of the profile and stuff. It's not been too easy in places, but some careful perseverance, continual test-fitting and a little plastic shimming here and there, things do go together as planned.

The clear resin is good, well cast, nice definition and with very good clarity.

As the kit has only been in my possession a short while, I can't really say.

1:32 Supermarine Attacker F1/FB2 Iconicair Available from Iconicair for £115 plus postage The Supermarine Attacker is a British single-seat naval jet fighter built by Supermarine for the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm (FAA). The type has the distinction of being the first jet fighter to enter operational service with the FAA. Like most other first-generation jet fighters, it had a short service life due to the rapid development of increasingly advanced aircraft during the 1950s and 1960s. The Attacker developed from a Royal Air Force (RAF) fighter jet project, under Air Ministry Specification E.10 of 1944 (the E for experimental). The design of the Attacker used the laminar flow straight-wings of the Supermarine Spiteful, a piston-engine fighter intended to replace the Supermarine Spitfire, and what became the Attacker was originally referred to as the "Jet Spiteful". The project was intended to provide an interim fighter for the RAF while another aircraft, the Gloster E.1/44 also using the Nene engine, was developed. An order for three prototypes was placed on 30 August 1944, the second and third of which were to be navalised. An order for a further 24 pre-production aircraft, six for the RAF and the remaining 18 for the Fleet Air Arm was placed on 7 July 1945. The Attacker suffered from deficiencies which led to it quickly being superseded; one being that the aircraft retained the Spiteful's tail-wheel undercarriage (due to the extent of the re-tooling that would have been required to alter the Spiteful's wing), rather than a nose-wheel undercarriage, thus making the Attacker more difficult to land on aircraft carriers. Also the new wing was apparently aerodynamically inferior to the original Spitfire elliptic one, with lower critical Mach number, leading to someone quipping that "they rather should have left the Spitfire wing on the thing". The Attacker had a brief career with the Fleet Air Arm, not seeing any action during its time with the FAA and being taken out of first-line service in 1954. It remained in service with the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (RNVR) for a little while longer, being taken out of service in early 1957. The Attacker was replaced in the front-line squadrons by the later and more capable Hawker Sea Hawk and de Havilland Sea Venom. The Royal Pakistan Air Force also purchased a number of de-navalised Attackers in the early 1950s. The UK and Pakistan were the only countries to operate the type, of which a total of 185 were built. The kit Iconicair’s 1:32 Supermarine Attacker was launched during the latter part of 2018, and we are grateful to them to be able to show this kit here on LSM. The kit itself is packaged into a fairly large and robust box with a nice painting of an Attacker about to be launched from HMS Eagle, and with the box edges showing the schemes available for your built model. Of course, this is a resin kit with a number of metal parts, so bear in mind that extra effort will be needed to assemble, over and above a regular injection-moulded styrene kit. Ok, let’s take a closer look. Lifting the lid reveals a swathe of bubble-wrap sheet layers which carefully protect the various zip-lock bags of resin, plus the PE and white metal parts. Removing all of this reveals a single decal sheet and a 14-page instruction manual. Some of these resin parts are quite chunky and heavy, and this is of course reflected in the overall weight of the package. A number of zip-lock bags are used to hold the various parts, with them being laid out in an orderly way within the box, to avoid any possible damage. Some of the bags have casting blocks included which are further bagged, or even bubble-wrapped for those components which are perhaps more prone to being broken. Each of the two canopy sets is individually bagged, and stapled together, along with the wallets for the white metal u/c and PE fret. Our first bag contains the main fuselage halves (sans nose), belly fuel tank and a casting block of smaller components. By far the largest components are the tapering, cylindrical-ish main fuselage halves. External detail on these is very nicely engraved, and depicts the panel lines, fasteners, access panels, louvres, wing root fillet etc. superbly. The details should take a wash very nicely. You’ll note that the wing spars have a location slot into the fuselage. If there is one thing I would perhaps do with this model and that’s to add some subtle flush-riveting with a beading tool, to help create a little extra visual interest. There are no casting blocks with these main parts, and there is also a small number of alignment tabs cast to one half. I would probably remove these as I feel the joint surfaces need drawing over some wet ‘n dry paper to properly even them after the casting blocks/edges were removed by Iconicair. You can always add new alignment methods yourself. A single-piece belly fuel tank is included, and my test fitting shows a small amount of fiddle will be required to get it to seat fully, but nothing too onerous. I’m sure I’ve seen some images of the belly tank with raised riveting around the belly seal but would need to check that further as none is depicted here. The long casting block contains the cockpit floor, intake parts, seat parts, instrument panel chassis etc. Again, everything is cleanly cast and there won’t be too much cleaning up needed when removed from the block. Our second bag is smaller but still nicely packed out with resin. Here you will find the cockpit/nose section, which is supplied as halves. These include the intake edge to them also. External detail is commensurate with that of the fuselage we’ve just seen, and some minimal clean-up will be required before use. Internally, these contain the various cockpit structures into which the side consoles etc. will fit. You’ll of course need no nose-weight here as the Attacker has a tailwheel configuration. I did a quick test fit of the nose to the fuselage and found things were reasonable. I will need to pack out the fuselage a little though as it isn’t as wide as the edge of the nose section mating area. Other parts in this bag contain more intake parts, the ejection seat, and two separately wrapped casting blocks with multiple components. There are yet more parts for the ejection seat, seat mounting rail, several cockpit detail parts including the three-piece instrument panel fascia, map case, avionics etc. Some light flash will need to be removed, but this is nothing unusual for a kit of this type. Our third beg of resin contains a yet more casting blocks that contain many parts pertaining to the undercarriage bay and gear door areas. Two of the initial blocks are more or less mirror images of each other, with those chunky wing spars and other wheel well liners, complete with wall details. The last block in this picture holds some of the landing gear doors. Whilst there is internal detail, externally, they are blank. Thankfully, some brass strengthening has been cast within the wing fold hinges too. Here, we have more gear bay door parts, and also the main wheels and hubs. Tyre detail is nice, but care will need to be taken when removing from the casting block. They also aren’t weighted. Wheel hub detail is delicate, but only on one side. The reverse of these is totally blank. One singe block is protected by bubble-wrap, containing the cannon barrel fairings, pitot and several small parts from the main gear bays. Bag no.4 is chock-full of flying surfaces. This is pretty much where you’ll find all the wing parts. The Attacker can have its wings posed in a folded position, and as a result, each wing is cast to that effect. Each of the main, inboard wing panels is cast as a complete upper unit with partial lower panels too. The panels that are cast separately are done so in this way so the wing spars and gear bay liners can be fitted first. This prevents a serious undercut needing to be made in the moulds. Landing flaps and aileron parts are also cast in situ, so you won’t be able to pose these without serious surgery and/or scratch-building work. Surface details are excellent, but again for me, would be enhanced with some nice flush rivet additions. Of course the end of these wing sections is cast hollow to accommodate the wing fold hinge. Note that there is no actual detail in this area so you will need to do some work if you want to depict folded wings. The same applies to the wingtip folded parts. Minimal clean-up will be required in all respects, but I also note that the wingtip lights are moulded in situ and not supplied as clear resin. I think I’ll fix that anomaly when I come to build this. Onto the last bag of grey resin now. As with the wings, the elevators and rudder are cast as one piece with their corresponding tail surfaces. To pose these separately will require a little extra work. Surface detail is basic, so again, some nice, subtle riveting wouldn’t go amiss. The rearmost fuselage section for the tail pipe/exhaust area is cast as a single piece and fits quite nicely to the main fuselage parts. Very nice louvre details here, but again, the entire hollow fuselage will be seen through this and you should ideally find a solution to this problem. A casting block contains all parts for the rear tailwheel bay and tail hook. Here we have a small posse of bags which hold the last parts for this kit. Iconicair have done a very nice job of casting the clear resin parts. Two sets are included, with the minimally framed F.1 and the heftier-framed FB.2. Of course, you will need to remove the casting blocks, but the clarity on my sample is very good and shouldn’t need any further work. No masks are supplied with this model, so it’s the traditional hand-made mask technique that you’ll need to employ. Main gear struts and actuators are supplied as white metal parts. Whilst some edges are nicely defined, some detail is now and you’ll need to do quite a lot of cleaning up before use, especially on the seams. Lastly, a single PE fret is included that contains the pilot seatbelts and the instrument coaming. Production is very nice, if not perhaps a little thick. Some annealing will be needed to get it to drape realistically. Instructions The 14-page instructions manual is printed on 7 sheets of glossy and heavy A4 paper, stapled at one corner. The front shows a photo of a completed model, and the build is broken down into 23 constructional sequences. Stage 24 was missing, and the final assembly sequences weren’t included, but an email to Graham, and the files were quickly sent to me. Illustration is by means of clear, fine line drawings with some minimal annotation. Things look pretty easy to assemble, but like with any full resin kit, you’ll need to think a few stages ahead and have your wits about you. The last few pages are taken over with colour-printed profiles for the two schemes supplied in this release. Decals A single sheet of decals is provided, printed by Fantasy Printshop. I know their decals to be of extremely high quality, and these have excellent colour density, minimal carrier film and are in perfect register. As well as the decals for the TWO schemes, a three-part instrument panel decal is supplied, as well as a small number of stencils. By their very nature, the FAA schemes for this are quite simple and almost identical too. The schemes included are for: Supermarine Attacker FB.2, WP286/J-101, No.800 Naval Air Squadron, FAA, HMS Eagle Supermarine Attacker F.1, WA492/J-104, No.800 Naval Air Squadron, FAA, HMS Eagle, 1952 Conclusion This is a very nice kit of an oft-forgotten type, which is perhaps more deserving of its place in aviation history, especially when you consider the Spiteful link, and the direct lineage to the Spitfire family. Iconicair has produced a model with a fairly simple breakdown and some thoughtful engineering, along with some nicely rendered surface detail. There are some areas which I think would benefit from extra detail, such as the gear bays, wing-fold area, and the void behind the pilot seat. A lack of exhaust tunnel with a fan face is also something you’ll have to fathom yourself. Perhaps, for me, something which does look a little strange in comparison to period and contemporary photos is the beautifully clear resin canopy. In this kit, it seems quite bulbous and tall. I could be wrong. Whilst I do have some criticism of this kit, in all, it should look superb when complete and will certainly be the only incarnation of this currently available in 1:32. Watch out for this soon as I build it for Military Illustrated Modeller magazine. Now….if there were some rockets for this too! My sincere thanks to Iconicair for the sample reviewed here. To purchase directly, click the link at the top of this article.

https://www.sbsmodel.com/model/BUC-32002/hispano-ha-1112-m1l-conversion-set-for-hasegawa-kit https://www.sbsmodel.com/model/BUC-32003/hispano-ha-1112-m1l--movie-star--decal-sheet-+-resin-parts

I don't know the intricacies of the small changes and differences in them, and the conversion was designed for a G-2/4/6, so I simply used one of those. Maybe wing bulges etc? I don't know. Adding the tail was pretty easy and only about 30 mins of sanding and polishing. You can't tell it had separate rear fuse parts now.

I've been working away on this, cutting, slicing, sawing and grinding resin and plastic for a few weeks. The base kit is a 1:32 Revell (ex-Hasegawa) Bf 109G-4Trop in this delightful tan coloured plastic. My thanks to a good friend, Mark, for donating the kit to be scarified on the altar of butchered birds. A small drill bit, scalpel and razor saw were used to tear into the model, plus I also wanted to remove the casting blocks and see what the new resin nose looked kit. I'm sure you'll agree it looks pretty good. I also have the BoB (Luftwaffe) add-on for this kit with a small number of Buchon schemes/options available, and as this one has cropped tips, I also hacked those away and tested the new tips. Some final tweaking and sanding would be needed to perfectly blend them in, but nothing too onerous. Another thing, I hate the look of Hasegawa model surfaces with their minimal details, so I'm entirely flush-riveting this model with a beading tool from MDC. It's one at a time, but the difference is well worth the effort. Here you go!

Lovely stuff! Probably be done before HK gets theirs out

I couldn't really say. It could be tricky to attach later. As the wings can be painted separately, and the gear is easy masked off, I don't think you need t leave them off until last.

Cheers guys. A nice model, not without faults, but it does fit together well. Time needs to be spent correcting the various errors and omissions along the way. And yes....just one photo

Hi all, What say ye? Shall I? Revell/Hasegawa Bf 109G-4 Trop kit, and a conversion set?

Thanks folks!!! Much appreciated!

Really wish I'd had this for mine

Finished!!! Magazine out this week (Military Illustrated Modeller) and also in the (June edition?) of Japan's World Scale Modeler, from ModelArt publications.

I also think the decals in the Lanc aren't up there with the best, even though Cartograf. It's up the company (HK in this case) what the decal specification is, and I think they are a little thicker than I'm used to. They were reasonably good on the fuse, but on the wing, those huge roundels didn't like the surface detail, despite using Mr Mark Setter Neo, which is fairly aggressive. I really do think the answer is masks for something this size with the real fine surface detail there is.

I'm still slogging on with this thing. Here you can see it minus black paint on one wing (ran out of a black to mix the colour), but this is the first time I put the whole thing together. It's big. VERY big, and I really can't wait to be done with it and to clear my bench. About a week to go now. Needs finishing and weathering etc.

What a great looking set. A model this size cries out for masks, so if I built one again, I'd go with these.

Photo Etched Parts Bender DSPIAE Catalogue # AT-PB Available from Breveco Modelling for €69.50 There are some really good photo-etch bending tools on the market, with my personal preference thus far being the 5.5 inch Hold and Fold from The Small Shop. I’ve used numerous different folders over the last year, some being good and some being a little iffy, in my personal opinion. I suppose it was only a matter of time before Chinese tool manufacturer, DSPIAE, released their own into their high-quality tools range, and here is that very tool. We’ve looked at quite a few of their tools over the last year or so, such as the Glue Bottle Holder, CA Glue Applicator, Aluminium Alloy Scale, Hand Drill Set, Craft Tools Rack, Stepless Adjustment Circle Cutter, and the Single Blade Nipper 2.0, so now it’s time to delve into their very latest. DSPIAE tools are packed into robust and attractive boxes of MDF construction, with rather random Aztec-style imagery that really doesn’t bear any relation to the product within. Still, there’s no faulting the presentation, along with the excellent packing that can be used to safely store the tools for many years to come. The box states that the contents within, or at least some of them, are a result of high-pressure forging. The box sides show the parts included within the tool set, plus the ID Code used to identify this as a genuine DSPIAE tool and not a pirated copy, with this latter being something that even the respectable Chinese companies have had to do to separate themselves from their more unscrupulous countryfolk. Taking a look at the back of the box, we see some general product information and rationale for specific product design choices. Got to love the inclusion of the Ghostbusters logo! Lift that heavy lid and you’re already getting a thank you from the company for your tool purchase decision. Another product authenticity check is included in the form of a Q-Code that can be scanned with an appropriate app on a smartphone. This red packaging is actually a sleeve that contains one of the tools working tables, as named by the manufacturer. Yes, this PE bender has a choice of two working tables, and the one in this sleeve is manufactured from a shot-blasted piece of anodized aluminium that has a sort of graphite colour to it. This is also protected by a foam cut-out within the sleeve. On the rear of the sleeve is a little more of the same product information we saw on the rear of the box, alongside line drawings of the product. One thing that can never be criticised with DSPIAE is their packaging. The tool and parts within the box are sat in foam cut-outs with another insert being used to span the area between the bending plate release knobs. A silica gel sachet is included to prevent any moisture damage. With other PE benders, I’ve been used to a metal blade to assist folding any of the longer bent edges. Unusually, with this tool, the folding tool (or bending plate as described by DSPIAE), is constructed from clear acrylic sheet which has been neatly and evenly ground down to a wedge end, and with a black plastic cap strip along the other edge. In fact, they actually supply two folding tools here, with one of them being quite short in relation to the main folder. It remains to be seen how these bear up to continued use as opposed to a metal item but remember that it’s not much effort is generally needed to make these bends, and you aren’t pushing and grinding these parts together. More rationale for product design is also given on a foam insert, and also some information on how the tool is used. Time to get our hands dirty and take a closer look at this. No doubt, this tool must surely win a prize for the most beautifully finished and aesthetically pleasing tool that will end up on your workbench. The main bed of the PE bender is machined from high-grade aluminium which has been finished in black anodising and has a recess into which the switchable working tables will fit. Four hex-key screws hold the default working table in place. Unlike the shot-blasted, anodised aluminium plate that was packed into the sleeve, this plate is constructed of stainless steel and has a high mirror finish that was a little difficult to capture clearly in my photography. The bending face is constructed from more high-grade aluminium, this time anodised in the companies trademark red colour. This has more bending options than my default 5.5inch Hold and Fold, with the various shaped being precisely machines, as with the US-equivalent tool. Two knurled knobs hold down this pate onto the working table, with the plate itself being sprung-loaded. The being plate can also be lifted off and turned around 180 degrees so that the long straight edge is the principle bending face. This unit is also larger (and heavier) than my usually tool. The larger size does account for that generally, but the stainless working table adds to this, unlike my usual tool which is simply a two-part item which is also sprung-loaded. DSPIAE’s tool has a length of 177mm and a width of 91mm. Note here the smaller machined bending locations that can be used in conjunction with dowel or metal rods/drill shanks. A hex key is also supplied for you to tighten the threaded knob screws, should they ever come loose. Here you can see the difference in the working tables. There is some notation about the mirror finish being easier to scratch (obviously) but that won’t impair the quality of the tool and how it works. I think the choice between these two items is more one of personal choice than how the tool actually works. If you ever inadvertently damage one of these, then at least you’ll have a backup. To help maintain that mirror finish and keep things clean, a neat polishing cloth is also included, as are a set of sticky feet made by 3M. In the same wallet are the two hex-keys that we’ve seen in use in this review. Aluminium or mirror-finished working plate, the choice is up to you! Here you can also see the bending face turned around 180 degrees. Conclusion An extremely robust and high-quality tool with unusually high levels of beauty for a functional item. The two choices of working table are a nice touch, and the large overall size of the tool lends itself to some of those longer folds that we something see in our photo-etch parts sets. It’ll be interesting to see how the acrylic folding tools hold up under use, but these can be swapped for something else, should the need arise. The folding tool I got in my 5.5inch Hold and Fold eventually started to rust, so that wasn’t perfect, and I really didn’t want to look at introducing oil to things, especially when I have to paint the folded parts later! Perhaps acrylic is an inspired choice in that respect. Overall, a stunning new release from DSPIAE and one which, cost-wise, is about on par with other contemporary releases from other companies, but with those little extras thrown in for good measure. Very highly recommended. My sincere thanks to Breveco Modelling for the sample seen in this review. To purchase directly, click the link at the top of this article.

That's looking great. Figure looks better looking slightly upwards. Is he about the light the fuse?