nmayhew

ok, Google really IS your friend (unless I suppose you used to work for Lycos or some other extinct search engine, but I digress) PMMS is a one man band run by Terry Ashley as much as i think some of my armour reviews are pretty good, TA is the benchmark against which I and all other armour reviewers should be measured against he is also THE fastest on the planet for AFV model news i have these on perma bookmark news http://www.perthmilitarymodelling.com/newkitnews.html new reviews http://www.perthmilitarymodelling.com/whatsnew.htm by manufacturer (probably the weakest of the sections, but still pretty good) http://www.perthmilitarymodelling.com/reviews/vehicles/revafv.htm and by vehicle type http://www.perthmilitarymodelling.com/reviews/subject.htm knock yourself out!

MK are also renowned for falling apart just for looking at them the wrong way excellent in detail, yes, but I would suggest not for anyone uncomfortable with indie links, or a small budget Fruils have got a lot better in recent years, even though i am not their biggest fan, but, if you have the budget.... THE best tracks i have seen up close and personal are those by Masterclub of Russia they make a fairly decent sized range of injection mould, indie link tracks I reviewed a few of their T-34 tracks: http://scaleplasticandrail.com/kaboom/index.php/all-things-military-vehicle/135-scale/aftermarket-items/1171-135-t-3476-stz-550mm-early-type-tracks-by-masterclub difference here is that the track pins are all perfectly moulded - and therefore correct - and separate, and no drilling out holes bs like you get with Fruils they also have a fledgling range, but in metal - these are mega pricey and I would suggest probably not great value vs their plastic sets... biggest problem they have is distribution - they are tough to find with a mediocre website; i order direct from Russia - bit quirky, but no problems ultimately hth

your paints are waaaaay more organized than mine!

Rog I was on train before hence brevity of reply! Anyway, you will want to check out PMMS - from memory Terry has done some of usually high standard, in depth reviews of tracks for 251s and the like...

Hi Steve Sorry to hear that news Hope all works out in end Cheers Nick

AFV Club

Slats!! The slats on all the Eduard Emils are grossly oversized An easy fix, but tedious nonetheless

that's pretty special Jeroen I must say

Holy crap! amazing stuff!!!

Not had that for a long time Happy, if rather blurred, memories though

Do you have it Ben? I know Jim built it yonks back...

May I suggest that you wait until the kit is in your hands and then assess? given this is not a mainstream kit, it is a little difficult for others to chime in - if it was a Hassy 109 I could advise even without having that particular kit etc

or you could just buy the DML one i am serious btw

Welcome I am sure this will generate a lot of interest An indication of the medium used and the type of kit it would equate to ie injection mould, short run, resin or vacform would be a pre-requisite for me I have seen 3D printed detail parts for 1/35 armour and was very impressed but would need to know (and see) a lot more before I would contemplate a full 3D printed kit...

Precisely It's no biggie, and God knows I have probably done it myself loads of times, but it does make threads a little easier to read through I think. Right, back to my sashimi...

Guys Can we please not quote previous (loooooong) posts unnecessarily, especially when a simple @Doogs or something similar will often suffice. Thanks Nick

Paul, If my failing eyes could read your italics, then I'd have a stab at a reply... Nick

Nice one Dave What number where the QB exhausts? Are they meant for the Tam kit? Maybe I have missed these before?? Cheers Nick

I was mighty tempted by this kit which is by all accounts excellent, even by today's standards. The one area I gather is lacking in detail are the wheel wells - by his own admission Jerry just did not have any reference for them. This is an issue which has not been resolved to my knowledge, either in this kit or those in smaller scales ie if you have detailed pics looking up into those wells, you are a lucky chap indeed!

Special Hobby are part of the CMK group. And yes if you read Hyperscale you would perhaps be forgiven for thinking that the PCM kit I the only Tempest out this year...

Hi Bevan Beautiful 109, but in future for things like this please add the pictures to the existing thread, rather than starting a new one for exactly the same subject Thanks Nick

Wings of the Black Cross No.10 Mark Proulx Eagle Editions Available from Eagle Editions for $19.95 For those that do not know this series, Wings of the Black Cross are short books (this one is 36 pages) covering the Luftwaffe, containing many rare and previously unseen photos. Compiled by Mark Proulx, these books are from the Eagle Editions stable run by Jerry Crandall, which many of you will already know from the Eagle Cals decal series. The format is a relatively simple one: there are typically two pictures per page, accompanied by a brief description, of a particular Luftwaffe subject. The aircraft are not displayed in any particular chronological order, or indeed by type. There is a particularly heavy emphasis on late war subjects, with the pictures often taken at Allied 'dumps', where airframes were quite literally piled up after the war. That being said, the spread of subjects in this volume stretch from various transport, reconnaissance and bomber types, to the more common fighters that one would expect to see. Some of the aircraft are experimental prototypes or quite rare production models, and there are pictures from North Africa and German occupied Europe, as well Germany and Austria immediately post war. Some of the pictures are quite grainy, whilst others are of stunningly good quality. In addition to the photos, there are also some beautiful colour profiles at the end of the book. There are six here, and they are all of subjects whose photographs are in the book. The profiles are side-on, single side only, but come with short descriptions as to colours and particular features. I am usually rather suspicious when it comes to profile renditions - experience and research has shown the majority of profiles one sees are inaccurate and sloppy, but in this case I think that Ms Proulx and Crandall have enough experience of Luftwaffe subjects that we can use these profiles with a fair degree of confidence. Of course, one can never be 100% sure unless one has pictures covering a subject from a number of different angles, so there is scope for a bit of modellers discretion and interpretation should you wish. Understandably I won't describe all the pictures in the book, but here is a list of just some of the types covered - it is quite large as you can see: Bf109 E, G and K Fw189; Fw190 A and F Fw200; Me262 Bf110 D and G Me262; Me410 He111 H He177 Ju88 A, G and R Ju288 Ar196 Ar232 Ju52 Ju290...and so on In amongst all of the above there were a few subjects that really stood out for me. There is a Bf109 G-6 with short tail, Erla haube and large upper wing bulges which makes for a most unusual combination, but nonetheless eminently doable in all of the main modelling scales given a few spare parts. For fans of jets and natural metal finishes, there is a Me262 which was surrendered by a 'defecting' test pilot near war's end, although how you represent the puttied and in-filled panel lines will require some thought and perhaps additional references. The Ju52 looks almost like a Luft 46 creation - it appears to have a Bf109 G series nose section and engine grafted on the front in place of its regular engine! Finally, I quite like some of the Luftwaffe's larger aircraft, and there are quite a number of shots of both Fw200 and also the He177. Conclusion A great little book. If you just like perusing interesting photos of Luftwaffe subjects, then you'll find plenty to keep you occupied. I think the book's real value, however, is to modellers: for those seeking to make something that isn't a Marseille 109 or a Rudel Stuka, or if you are just looking for inspiration, then this book - and this series - is well worth it. Highly recommended With thanks to Jerry and Judy Crandall at Eagle Editions for the review sample. To buy directly, click THIS link. Nicholas Mayhew

wonderful look 109! welcome to LSM Nick

Er, I don't have them to make that comparison I am afraid...

Luftwaffe Fighter Aircraft Profile Book No1 Claes Sundin Available from Luftwaffe in Profile for 40Euros This is the first of a series of profile books by Claes Sundin, and as suggested, covers Luftwaffe fighters in WWII. The concept of a 'profiles only' book is relatively unusual, but not unknown. I have in the past reviewed some of the "Planes and Pilots" series, but generally profiles tend to be thrown into the mix of unit or campaign histories, or with decals, rather than as the sole content of the book. Without getting too ahead of ourselves, it is worth noting that this is just the first of five such profile books, to be released over the next year and half according to the blurb at the end of the book. There will be another volume of German fighters, one on Allied fighters, German bombers and ground attack, and finally on covering Axis (ex-Germany) aircraft. Mr Sundin is one of the more well-known profile artists out there, and in the foreword he lays out his credentials so as to speak: not of his artwork per se - even the quickest glance will show they are stunning - but of the references used to it. I mention this because for the most part I am rather skeptical of most profiles I come across. Why? Because once researched, one very often finds mistakes in either the depiction or the annotation; and if I can find these errors after half an hour's research on the internet, I am left with the sinking feeling that beyond being a pretty picture, they are pretty worthless in terms of historical accuracy or as a basis for a modelling project. So it was with pleasure that I read Mr Sundin firstly acknowledge this, and secondly reassure us that his profiles are all based on at least one solid reference photo, and usually many more than that. Before the profiles, there is a three page section Luftwaffe camouflage, from pre-War all the way through to 1945, and how the colours used varied both by theatre as well as time frame. This is accompanied by a colour chart with relevant RLM labels, as well as some of the variations used. We then have the "Making of a Profile" where we see the various steps from nondescript airframe through to the finished article. This looks cool, but beyond that I'm not really sure of the significance - perhaps other digital artists will understand? On to the profiles themselves: there are 124 of them, and they are all single-sided, mostly of the port side, unless a key feature or marking is to starboard I guess. Sometimes close-ups of unit insignia or personal markings are shown, but when they are and are not depicted appears to be a bit random. The vast majority of the subjects are Bf109s and Fw190s; there are a fair number of Bf110s, a few Me262s and the odd Ju88. The single engined fighters fill the page nicely, and pretty much every detail can be seen; obviously slightly less so for the larger aircraft. The format for the notes / description is simple. The title comprises profile number and aircraft type, which includes variant eg Bf 109 E-4, but sub-type is only rarely given ie Bf 109 G-6 / R-4 etc. Underneath this we typically have pilot, where known; unit, in the form of Gruppe and Geschwader; location and date, which sometimes is very specific eg airfield and precise day, but at others understandably vague. It is disappointing that the Werk Nummer (WNr) is not given where known, especially as some of them appear on the profiles. Whilst what is presented is very good, I will be picky and point out things that could have been included or that I would in an ideal world like to see. Firstly, the visual aesthetics: the artwork is undeniably excellent, and on a par with or better than I have seen anywhere else; but, because the profiles are large (c25cm in length), if you look closely at certain colours you can see 'pixels' for want of the technical term, and fuselage silhouettes are not perfectly clear cut. Mr Sundin says all his profiles are available in super size (up to 1m in length) - if so, a considerably sharper image will be required. Perhaps this is because of risk of unauthorised copying? In terms of information provided, I would liked to have seen a small commentary on particulars - where known - of each aircraft, especially where custom or one-off changes have been made. An example of this would be Hermann Graf's 109 G-6 looks to have a small bubble / bulge in the top of his canopy - explanation definitely required! The other thing I would have liked is a statement of colours used in each camouflage, and perhaps a note as to what the upper surfaces looked like. I know that a colour chart is provided, but to continually have to flip backwards and forwards, as well as allowing for weathering and fading is unreasonable in my opinion. Neither of these are the end of the world, but they would go a long way to making a good book an excellent one. I have not to any great degree researched or validated the profiles, as time simply does not permit, but a number do catch the eye or are of rather well-known airframes. Adolf Galland's well known WNr 5819 is shown as of September 24th 1940 without the trademark telescopic 'sight' (used for target identification rather than aiming per se), and also with the hollow spinner (the cannon firing through the hub was never fitted in these Emils). All I can say is that current research that I have read shows the sight fitted and a normal spinner, but with slightly more rounded rather than ultra pointed tip. Similarly, Hans-Joachim Marseille's WNr 8693 is shown without tail stiffeners and with curved headrest armour, when I believe Beaman and Kitchens shows stiffeners present, curved armour absent. I have picked these two because they are obvious 'targets' but once again I feel that I don't trust profiles, certainly not enough to base an expensive modelling project on. Conclusion Visually very appealing and certainly a source of inspiration. Whether the profiles can also be used as a source of technical information is debatable. As such my recommendation comes with the caveat that I apply to all profiles and profile artists with the odd notable exception: check your references and don't 'build blind' from profiles if you are at all concerned about getting the details right. Recommended Nick Mayhew Our sincere thanks to Claes Sundin for the review sample. To buy direct, click THIS link.