Jim H

The banning isn't about the posts that were removed from that topic. It's about this shitshow of a topic that the guy started.

When someone is openly attacked in a topic like this, using puerile and immature crap, the poster does not deserve to be a member of this forum, irrespective of the circumstances that led to him posting it.

In fact, fuck it. You're gone.

It must be me then who has their 'baby pants' on then? It was me who removed those two unwarranted posts (identical) from a build log. Am I elitist? If you have a problem, take it up with me, that's if you can discuss without using insults. If it's the latter, you're history here.

1:16 Roman Centurion (1st Century AD) ICM Catalogue # 16302 In the Roman infantry, centurions commanded a centuria or "century". During the Mid-Republic these centuries were grouped in pairs to make up a maniple, each century consisting of 30 - 60 men. After the Marian reforms a century typically composed of around 80 men, with six such centuries forming a legionary cohort. Later, generals and emperors further manipulated these numbers with double and half-strength units. Julius Caesar, for instance, made the first cohort of five double strength centuries. Centurions also received a much higher rate of pay than the average legionary. Veteran legionaries often worked as tenants of their former centurions. The kit Something a little different for LSM in that we don’t usually look at figures, and especially 1:16. This is one of two releases from Ukrainian company, ICM, that we’ll look at over the next week. The approach for this is quite simplistic in that while it’s generally easy to gauge an armour or aircraft kit, you really need to be something of a buff on military antiquity to judge how authentic the dress of a Roman or a Viking, for instance. This review will simply look at what’s in the box and the features. We’ll have to trust ICM on how much research has gone into the various items of dress. When I was a kid, I used to build the large-scale Airfix historical figures, and I loved the artwork on these. ICM’s box illustrations are certainly next generation in terms of depiction, and the boxes are certainly sturdier with that glossy lid tightly sitting on top of a whole box with a tabbed lid. All parts to build the Roman Centurion figure itself, are provided on just two sprues of light grey styrene. Another sprue contains the upper and lower base ‘lids/caps’, and a single part is the base itself. The oval base parts are moulded in black styrene. All plastic parts are provided in the same cellophane sleeve. No PE parts are included/needed with this release, and that is very typical of ICM kits. Of note are the instructions which simply depict the competed figure from front and rear, with the part numbers pointing to specific locations, and of course, the illustrations are in colour, so they double as your painting guide. Supplementary illustrations are supplied which show details for the Gladius (sword) and the Scutum (shield) handle. You can depict the sword in its scabbard or in the soldier’s hand. To depict with the soldier holding the Gladius, you need to remove the handle from the one mounted to the belt, and then try to hollow out the scabbard a little to make it convincing. A complete Gladius part can then be used to fit into the Centurion’s hand. The figure itself is quite easy to build, comprising around 49 parts, with a completed height of about 110mm. Whilst the upper and lower torso comprise a front and rear part each, the legs and arms (with exception of shoulder area and hands) are moulded as single pieces onto which the various parts of soldierly equipment will fit. Sprue B generally concerns the limbs, torso and head of the soldier (although not exclusively so), while Sprue D is for equipment and also the multipart Galea (helmet) with its famous brush top and cheek armour. The shield is generally moulded as a large, single part, but with some frames that need fitting to the rear, as well as the handle. All moulding is superbly executed, and whilst there will still be minimal seam removal, ICM have made a very nice job of not needing to add lots of supplementary stuff, such as the old styrene belts that we saw on the Airfix kits of yore. Conclusion It’s kits like these that really make me wish I could figure paint, as well as the 1:6 Eivor figure (Assassin’s Creed) that I have. The assembly of this ICM kit is nice and easy, and I don’t doubt whatsoever that the resulting figure really will look every bit the centurion he is, and with plenty of detail to keep the modeller and viewer captivated for a good while. Moulding quality is first rate too, as is always the case (IMHO) with ICM. Definitely a kit to get if historical figures interest you at all, and one that also retails for only around £20!

1:16 Viking (9th Century) ICM Catalogue # 16301 Vikings is the modern name given to seafaring people primarily from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway, and Sweden), who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded and settled throughout parts of Europe. They also voyaged as far as the Mediterranean, North Africa, the Middle East, and North America. In some of the countries they raided and settled in, this period is popularly known as the Viking Age, and the term "Viking" also commonly includes the inhabitants of the Scandinavian homelands as a collective whole. The Vikings had a profound impact on the early medieval history of Scandinavia, the British Isles, France, Estonia, etc. The Vikings spoke Old Norse and made inscriptions in runes. For most of the period they followed the Old Norse religion, but later became Christians. The Vikings had their own laws, art and architecture. Most Vikings were also farmers, fishermen, craftsmen and traders. Popular conceptions of the Vikings often strongly differ from the complex, advanced civilisation of the Norsemen that emerges from archaeology and historical sources. A romanticised picture of Vikings as noble savages began to emerge in the 18th century; this developed and became widely propagated during the 19th-century Viking revival. Perceived views of the Vikings as violent, piratical heathens or as intrepid adventurers owe much to conflicting varieties of the modern Viking myth that had taken shape by the early 20th century. Current popular representations of the Vikings are typically based on cultural clichés and stereotypes, complicating modern appreciation of the Viking legacy. The kit Something a little different for LSM in that we don’t usually look at figures, and especially 1:16. This is the second of two releases from Ukrainian company, ICM, that we’ve recently looked at. The approach for this is quite simplistic in that while it’s generally easy to gauge an armour or aircraft kit, you really need to be something of a buff on military antiquity to judge how authentic the dress of a Roman or a Viking, for instance. This review will simply look at what’s in the box and the features. We’ll have to trust ICM on how much research has gone into the various items of dress. When I was a kid, I used to build the large-scale Airfix historical figures, and I loved the artwork on these. ICM’s box illustrations are certainly next generation in terms of depiction, and the boxes are certainly sturdier with that glossy lid tightly sitting on top of a whole box with a tabbed lid. The box art on this kit shows a Viking raiding party hitting the shore. All parts to build the Viking figure itself, are provided on just two sprues of light grey styrene. Another sprue contains the upper and lower base ‘lids/caps’, and a single part is the base itself. The oval base parts are moulded in black styrene. All plastic parts are provided in the same cellophane sleeve. No PE parts are included/needed with this release, and that is very typical of ICM kits. Of note are the instructions which simply depict the competed figure from front and rear, with the part numbers pointing to specific locations, and of course, the illustrations are in colour, so they double as your painting guide. Supplementary illustrations are supplied which show details for the helmet, shield handle and also some enemy arrows that are planted in the front of the shield! The latter items are optional, but certainly would look good on a figure with a pose such as this. The figure itself is quite easy to build, comprising od only 31 parts, so almost 20 fewer than the Roman Centurion we recently looked at. Whilst the upper and lower torso comprise a front and rear part each, the legs and arms/hands (with the exception of the fingers). Sprue C generally concerns the limbs, torso and head of the soldier (although not exclusively so), while Sprue D is for equipment and also the multipart helmet. This can be depicted with an upper face shield if desired, or just with the simple nose guard that was typical of helms of this period. The shield is moulded as a large circular part, with full detail except for the boss that needs fitting to the centre, plus the handle. All moulding is superbly executed, and whilst there will still be minimal seam removal, ICM have made a very nice job of not needing to add lots of supplementary stuff, such as the old styrene belts that we saw on the Airfix kits of yore. Conclusion Another very nice figure from ICM. This one was actually released in 2018, but we thought it would be good to see another historical figure to accompany the Centurion release we showed very recently. The later Vikings down seem to be a little paired down when it came to how they dressed, compared with earlier iterations. If that is the case, ICM will have captured this character very well. Currently selling for just over £20, so go treat yourself.

1:32 J-8 Gladiator ICM Catalogue # 32044 The Gloster Gladiator was a British-built biplane fighter. It was used by the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) (as the Sea Gladiator variant) and was exported to several other air forces during the late 1930s. Developed privately as the Gloster SS.37, it was the RAF's last biplane fighter aircraft and was rendered obsolete by newer monoplane designs even as it was being introduced. Though often pitted against more formidable foes during the early days of the Second World War, it acquitted itself reasonably well in combat. The Gladiator saw action in almost all theatres during the Second World War, with many air forces, some of them on the Axis side. The RAF used it in France, Norway, Greece, the defence of Malta, the Middle East, and the brief Anglo-Iraqi War (during which the Royal Iraqi Air Force was similarly equipped). Other countries deploying the Gladiator included China against Japan, beginning in 1938; Finland (along with Swedish volunteers) against the Soviet Union in the Winter War and the Continuation War; Sweden as a neutral non-combatant (although Swedish volunteers fought for Finland against USSR as stated above); and Norway, Belgium, and Greece resisting Axis invasion of their respective lands. The Gladiator II, the type depicted in this kit, was the version that was powered by a single Bristol Mercury VIIIA air-cooled radial piston engine. In the Swedish air force, the Gladiator was given the designation, J-8, which is the subject of this kit. The kit ICM’s original Gladiator was the first injection moulded kit of its type in 1:32, giving those who don’t fancy a vac or resin kit, a real chance to create this iconic bird in their favoured large scale. This kit depicts the Swedish J-8 machine, offering the builder the chance of building this beautiful bird on skis as well as the regular wheels. ICM’s Gladiator is packed into a typical and reasonably large box with a folding lid, then covered with the glossy box artwork lid. I quite like this approach as the package is far sturdier and more protective than usual kit boxes from other manufacturers. All sprues inside are bagged into a single sleeve, except for the clear parts that are further bagged to prevent any scuffing etc. There are a total of FIVE light grey sprues, and ONE clear set of parts. A single decal sheet contains the markings for THREE subjects (2 Finnish and 1 Swedish). Sprue A Just the two fuselage halves on this sprue. These are moulded with separate engine cowls (obviously) and a separate rudder. Surface detail is very good with some subtle fabric/structure rendering, and the heavy metal panel fasteners. Side cockpit doors are also separate parts, allowing the modeller to pose these in the open position. There isn’t any riveting on any of the panels, but there wouldn’t have been too much anyway, and you could also get Rosie out if you wanted to fix that. Internally, detailing is very minimal, with most of that coming from the cockpit tub and other associated parts. ICM supply some paper templates for this J-8 version. These need to be laid on specific fuselage areas and points drilled to incorporate some external details from Sprue B The upper wing is provided here in full-span upper and lower panels. The ailerons are also separate parts, so you can pose those too. Rib and fabric detail really is beautifully represented, as are the various stiffening strips, strut locations for the cabane, and control cable access panels. With similar external details are also found the rudder, stabiliser, and separate elevator parts, moulded as traditional halves. Other parts seen here are the blistered engine cowl sections and lower wing gun pod fairings. With the J-8, however, neither of the sets of blister cowl sections are to be used. As the fuselage of this kit is common to all the current Gladiator variants, a panel is included for the lower, rear fuselage. The Sea Gladiator variant will have the arrestor hook in this position, but we blank that off, of course. Sprue C As with the upper wing, the lower wing is also full span for the lower panel, with the port and starboard upper panels being separate, and with separate ailerons also. Those ailerons are provided as whole units, thus maintaining their fine trailing edge. The wings are also moulded with the recesses to mount the gun pods. Also on this sprue are the main gear struts and wheels, as well as the engine hub, various key cockpit elements (floor, bulkheads), etc. Note two instrument panel sections. Unlike with the Mk.II kit we reviewed, these parts will be used for the J-8. Sprue D This is our main details sprue, containing all of the parts for the Bristol Mercury engine, cowl parts and main cowl ring, struts, main wheel mounting lugs, cockpit parts, guns, and the optional (and much nicer) two-blade propeller option. A small number of parts on this sprue aren’t to be used on the J-8, such as some strut and gun options. Sprue E All parts are to be used here except for one windscreen option. The canopy can of course be posed in an open position. Clarity is excellent and the framing is very well defined, so it should be very easy to mask these parts for painting. Sprue G There is no Sprue F in this kit, with that being relevant to non-J-8 versions. Sprue G though contains the real differences you will see for the J-8. Here you find the blister cowls pertaining to all three supplied schemes, plus the parts to make the gear struts and skis for the two Finnish machines. Also here are the J-8 gun options and some fuselage external details that attach to the holes you drill via the paper template. Decals A single decal sheet contains the markings for all three schemes. I don’t know who prints these, but the printing is superbly thin, with minimal carrier film, good colour density and excellent register. Decals are supplied for the instrument dials, but I would suggest punching these from the sheet for a perfect fit the various cockpit gauges. The Finnish swastikas are supplied as sections so they don’t fall foul of certain countries draconian laws on such things. Instructions A 24-page A4 manual is included which starts with a very brief history of the type, along with paint codes for both Revell and Tamiya paints. After two pages which offer a parts map, the construction of the Gladiator is then broken down into 73 stages, including the latter rigging stages. All illustration is in line drawing format which is clear and easy to follow, with very good annotation for paint, parts options and decals (where applicable). Also included is a cut-out mask template for the canopy masks, but to be fair, you’re better off doing this yourself or availing yourself of the Eduard masking set. The last pages of the manual are taken over with colour profiles of the THREE schemes provided. All are very similar in paint application, with the decals presenting the variation. The three schemes are: J-8A, No.284 Yellow ‘F’, Swedish Voluntary Wing F19, pilot I. Iacobi, Finland 1940 J-8A, No.278 Yellow ‘H’, Swedish Voluntary Wing F19, pilot M. Wennerstrom, Finland 1940 J-8A, No.278/48, Fighter Wing F8, Barkarby 1939 Conclusion ICM have been releasing numerous versions of the Gladiator, and they really are excellent kits, bursting with detail, and it’s also nice to be able to model these without resorting to expensive and tricky resin kits. Very pleased to see the winter skis version at last. Alongside the Sea Gladiator and a Mk.I, these are definitely the holy trinity of this type. Not too expensive either at around £45, at time of writing. My sincere thanks to ICM for the review sample seen in this review.

I'm currently building a 1:64 HMS Sphinx. Big enough?

any probs with spam, report to either me, @JeroenPeters , @Clunkmeister or @Fran

Yup, forum update with some new stuff. Prob needs tweaking over the months, so if stuff baffles you, then it probably does with me too.

1:32 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.XVIe (E-wing) Weapon bays (TAMIYA) Kopecky Scale Models Catalogue # 32015 Available from Kopecky Scale Models for $28.00 Kopecky Scale Models are a very new name to our hobby, and from the Czech Republic, and you may not even have heard of them unless you frequent Facebook etc. Jan Kopecky is the very genial guy who runs this new enterprise, and his work so far has been nothing short of superb. KSM caught my eye a few months ago when they were offering a gun bay set for Tamiya's Spitfire Mk.IXc with the 'C-Wing'. As I was planning to crack open my Mk.XVI with an 'E-Wing', I contacted Jan and asked if this was in his plans. Luckily for all us late Spit fans, he planned to release it within months. First of all, here's a couple of extra promo photos from KSM. Last week, the latest fruits of his labours dropped through my letterbox, and here it is! For me, the Tamiya XVIe has always been in need of this addition to perk it up a little, and I don't think anyone will be disappointed by what is supplied here. Kopecky's new Spitfire Mk.XVIe gun bay set is packaged into a series of ziplock wallets, and then stapled as shown. Inside the packaging is a folded A4 sheet of instructions. There will be some very minor modification to the host kit, and certainly nothing that a total beginner to aftermarket, couldn't handle very easily. That will include cutting away the outboard panel of the main gun bay. Of course, this set does supply two new panels for each side, with detail both inside and out. The bare gun bays themselves are cast in single pieces with a beautiful level of detail inside. Here you can see the inboard wing rib and the river detail, plus ribbing and plating on the floor under where the guns will sit. In the narrow forward area, more plate and rivet detail. The casting blocks on these are quite minimal, but you will need to carefully grind these away from the main part to avoid any damage. Here you see then guns themselves and the level of detail this set provides. These are cast in the same dark grey resin, on traditional casting blocks with parts numbers in place. Here you also see the feed chutes, Hispano gun feed belt units, and the fillet that sits between the guns at the front of the bay. Casting blocks will be very easy to remove here as the connecting webs are reasonably thin. Two different type of gun requires two different ammunition belts, and here they are. The larger rounds are the 20mm Hispano cannon ones, and the smaller are the 0.50' Browning (1.27cm). All are cast in stackable rows, complete with their clips. Here you see the gun bay doors with the blister shapes which look correct, and also internal detail, fasteners etc. Kopecky have even included the hinges as separate parts, and these are cast in a different resin, presumably with more strength to prevent any accidental breakage. The hinge detail is clearly seen in the above photo. Instructions are simple yet clear, with all parts easily identified. There is no mention of the kit modification needed, but for this, it's very easy to see what's needed to fit this detail set. Conclusion I have to say I'm massively impressed with this set and also with Kopecky Scale Models themselves. The detail in this set really does mirror the guys who've been doing this for years, including the quality of the castings. A very easy set to fit that will massively enhance one of Tamiya's finest 1:32 kits. There's everything to like about this set, and the price is very reasonable too. My sincere thanks to Kopecky Scale Models for the set you see reviewed here. To purchase directly, click the link at the top of the article.

Lead Wire Artscale Various packs, all €2,70 each I've bought various packs and spools of lead wire over the years. Much of it has been pretty poor quality being inconsistent in diameter or already oxidised upon receipt. One of those is a very well known make for modellers too. One thing it all had in common was that it was just basic wire, i.e. round in section. Artscale have released SIX new packs of beautifully bright lead wire, and none of this lot is round. FOUR of these packets are half round, which I will find great for forming multiple cable runs in wheel bays etc. and the other TWO are flat! Why flat? Why not! There have been times I've wanted to run thin, flat conduits in detail areas, and this stuff would have been just perfect for that. Also great for diorama details like lightning conductor straps etc. There's not a lot more I can write about lead wire, so please check out the products on the Artscale website. There you will find specifics on the sizes of wire in each pack My sincere thanks to Artscale for the packs seen here. Head over now and treat yourself so some lead wire that actually looks very useable!

1:48 Lancaster (HKM) and 1:32 Westland Whirlwind (Special Hobby) mask sets Artscale Available from Artscale (see article for codes, prices, links) There's another player in town when it comes to mask choices. Like Eduard, ArtScale (also Czech-based), are using Kabuki paper for their new range, but from the outset, you can see there's a difference here. As well as producing beautifully cut masks, the sheets are also printed to help locate the individual parts. That printing also extends to grouping the parts too for extra clarity, as well as some occasional text thrown into the mix. There is also of course a parts map supplied with helps you locate the mask parts within each group. For the Lanc, two sets are available. These are single-sided and double-sided. 1:48 Avro Lancaster B. Mk.I (single sided) (€12,90) Single-sided means that the masks contain parts for only the canopy/turret exteriors. Even with that, there are a lot of parts to stick onto your model. 1:48 Avro Lancaster B. Mk.I (double-sided) (€17,20) 1:32 Westland Whirlwind F Mk.I (€7,80) These are actually double-sided (although it doesn't state), including masks for both the interior and exterior of the canopy. Conclusion In all, these are great sets, and not too expensive either. I know if you have the Lanc, you will definitely want to use a set, and I really do recommend the one from ArtScale. Quality is everything we expect these days with crisp, sharp cutting, and I have to say I really like the extra printing on the sheets. My sincere thanks to ArtScale for the samples you see reviewed here. To purchase direct, click the links in the article.

1:48 Me 163B Komet Gaspatch Models Catalogue # 20-48236 Available from Gaspatch Models for €36,00 The Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet was a German interceptor aircraft designed for point-defence that is the only rocket-powered fighter aircraft ever to have been operational and the first piloted aircraft of any type to exceed 621 mph in level flight. Designed by Alexander Lippisch, its performance and aspects of its design were unprecedented. German test pilot Heini Dittmar in early July 1944 reached 700 mph, an unofficial flight airspeed record that was unmatched by turbojet-powered aircraft for almost a decade. Over 300 Komets were built, but the aircraft proved lacklustre in its dedicated role as an interceptor and destroyed between 9 and 18 Allied aircraft against 10 losses. Aside from combat losses, many pilots were killed during testing and training, at least in part due to the highly volatile and corrosive nature of the rocket propellant used in later models of the aircraft. This includes one pilot by the name of Oberleutnant Josef Pohs, who was dissolved by the rocket fuel following an incident that resulted in a ruptured fuel line. It has been claimed that at least 29 Komets were shipped out of Germany after the war and that of those at least 10 have been known to survive the war to be put on display in museums around the world. Most of the 10 surviving Me 163s were part of JG 400, and were captured by the British at Husum, the squadron's base at the time of Germany's surrender in 1945. According to the RAF museum, 48 aircraft were captured intact and 24 were shipped to the United Kingdom for evaluation, although only one, VF241, was test flown (unpowered). Adapted from Wikipedia The kit Well, I certainly wasn’t expecting a rocket-powered interceptor to be on Gaspatch’s release schedule but seeing as it’s been over 30yrs since the last 1:48 Komet graced shop shelves with the Dragon/Trimaster (and oft-released by other companies since), I certainly won’t complain. A few years ago, I built the 1:32 Meng kit and found it fiddly, ill-fitting and not a wonderful experience to build. Gaspatch already have a reputation for wonderfully designed kits, so a Komet was an exciting prospect. The kit itself comes in a box which I would say was perhaps a little too big for such a diminutive aircraft, but one which suited their previous kit releases. A nice, simple Komet artwork adorns the box lid, with the SIX schemes available shown along the box edges. With the tabbed lid opened up, the kit’s FOUR grey styrene sprues and ONE clear sprue are seen, packaged into a single, re-sealable sleeve (with the clear sprue in another smaller sleeve to protect it). Gaspatch are known for their 3D-printed guns, so they’ve used their technology to create some 3D-prrinted resin parts for this release too, namely a couple of assembly jigs and a bracket (plus spare) that sits in front of the armoured inner windscreen. Masks are also supplied, as well as two decal sheets, a PE fret, and a colour-printed, 24-page instruction manual. Work begins in the cockpit, and it’s clear from the outset that Gaspatch have seen how fiddly the Meng kit was and decided to better it. The rear cockpit bulkhead is moulded in clear plastic. This is so you can use the supplied masks on the quarterlight windows and then simply paint the rest in RLM66…no glue anywhere near those small window areas! The cockpit itself is a multimedia affair of both styrene and PE. PE is used for the pilot seat rails which must first fit to the clear bulkhead, and with the two-part seat installed, PE seatbelts are then added. With the main tub connected to the bulkhead, the two pipes from the console fuel tanks can be installed. Between the tub and bulkhead. These were omitted from the Meng kit. The console looks perfect too, and the securing straps are also nicely represented. Rudder pedals are separate to the bar, and straps are supplied in PE. Cockpit sidewall detail really is exquisite, with a combination of plastic and PE parts, moulded with details that wouldn’t look amiss on a larger scale kit. The kit doesn’t come with a Walther rocket engine, but the spine of the model is represented by detail below those panels, including the ammunition saddle and feed, and filler cap. The quarterlight window ledges are also fitted to the interior spine unit which can be painted first before fitting the fuselage. The spine panels can be positioned either opened or closed. I admit I also prefer how Gaspatch has approached the landing skid assembly on this model. The details look far more refined than the larger Meng kit, with an option to pose the skid in both extended or retracted position. Parts detail really is excellent throughout, including the actuating mechanism. With the fuselage closed up, the Komet’s MK108 cannon can be fitted. Here’s where the 3D printed jigs are used. These are sat around each gun, holding it in the correct position on the exposed wing root, until the glue is set. Electrical firing boxes and ammunition belts then connect up to the cannon on what is already a beautifully detailed internal wing root area. Lots of lessons seemingly learned from the fussiness of the recent, larger scale kit of this aircraft. PE control surface linkages are also included, which are of course seen when the gun bay panels are open. The fuselage is moulded with separate nose cone and rudder, and the rudder has a very subtle fabric finish. Amazing that an aircraft like this even used fabric to cover control surfaces! Wing construction is quite traditional with both being separate and consisting of upper and lower panels. These trap the control surfaces in place when glued together. On the underside, the air brake panels are supplied as PE parts. For the undercarriage, a choice of faired and un-faired tail wheel is supplied, and of course, the main gear dolly is present. Both weighted and unweighted tyres are supplied, with separate hubs. The clear sprue is quite small but the canopy is nicely thin and everything has excellent clarity, including that armoured windscreen. Overall, the finish of the parts is of the highest quality, with nice surface textures where appropriate, including ports, panel lines etc. PE is also extremely high quality with good detail and narrow connection gates. Decals One main sheet of decals is included, and a smaller one which just contains the swastikas as halves. All decals are printed by Cartograf, and are nice and thin, with good, solid colour and minimal carrier film. Everything is in perfect register too. Instrument and stencil decals are also included. The SIX schemes are: Me 163B, W/Nr:191916, JG400, Brandis, April 1945 Me 163B, W/Nr:191659, JG400, 1945 Me 163B, White 14, JG400, Brandis, February 1945 Me 163B, W/Nr:191477, EJG2, Spring 1945 Me 163B, W/Nr:130061, Air Ministry 203 Me 163B, VF241, captured UK, post-war Instructions These are provided as a 24-page colour affair, with the first pages having a parts map and a colour guide. That guide is referenced throughout the build, so you’ll always have the part colour info at hand. Colour photos and illustrations also depict painting. The Komet itself is split over 14 constructional sequences in CAD/shaded style images, with PE etc. being easy to denote. The last pages show each scheme in full colour. Conclusion Simply a great little kit of a gorgeous little and ballsy combat aircraft. Quite small in 1:48, but with no less detail in than something you’d expect from a larger scale kit. The addition of the jigs for mounting the guns is a great idea, and the inclusion of masks for both the interior and exterior of the canopy is something I wish we’d see more of as standard. Now, I do know what Gaspatch are doing next, and it will be amazing, and this little model has really set the bar to a new level. Just a great kit! My sincere thanks to Gaspatch Models for the kit reviewed here. To buy directly, click the link at the top of this article.

Artscale have now released some new blades for their razor saw, and these should prove very useful. Got to love the one called 'BATMAN'! These will be perfect for cutting around circular materials, or even adding panel lines too. The 'OCTOPUS' is perfect for swiping cuts with the shape of the longer edge, whilst the underside presents all sorts of possibilities. If you have the saw, then these are worth getting, and if you don't these are a perfect excuse to go shop one.