One-Oh-Four

Going along nicely! The Churchill was an important tank for the Dutch too as it was widely used to free the Netherlands from German occupation in 1944-1945! What brand of paint do you use?

And weathered the roundels.... Heheh, I chuckled when I saw your Pink Panther, thinking you gave it a silly scheme because of the "high quality" of the kit.. I almost spit out my coffee over the keyboard when I came to the last photo! Good one!

Looks awesome! But looking at the decal sheet makes me wonder if there aren't some spelling errors in the stenciling? Words like "Abhehimen", "Behältzer" and "Ehfeerer" don't mean anything to me. Maybe the text "Vor abhehimen bei der deckel Behältzer ehfeer" should be something like: "Vor (Zum?) abnehmen: bei der Deckel Behälter entfernen". And the instruction "Entriegeln und drehen Sie die Deckelverriegelung" seems very politely written as a work instruction to a mechanic! Maybe our German friends can shed some more light on this?

Great work, Nick! Looks gorgeous!

Haver resisted this one, so far! Am sure very eager to see how the project develops!!

And he's off to a good start!!!!! Woohooooooooo!!!!!!

I (almost always) use none. I tape parts together if needed. In some cases I use clothesline clamps as these don't exert too much pressure.

That's the 1/48th scale box art...

Nah, time for a jet again... Gloster Meteor, anyone...? or the F4D Skyray...

Besides, some masking fluids contain (traces of) ammonia. That wreaks havoc on your Tamiya, Gunze or Vallejo paints.... So be sure to use an ammonia-free fluid!

http://www.clubhyper.com/forums/forum.htm Brett Green writes: "This just in from Tamiya. More detail as it comes to hand at the Shizuoka Hobby Show (Marcus Nicholls will be on the ground with the latest news): Tamiya Kit No. 60326 1/32 De Havilland Mosquito FB Mk.VI Availability: July Japanese Retail Price: 19,800 yen (planned) The "Wooden Wonder" makes an appearance in highly impressive 1/32 scale! That was the nickname given to the De Havilland Mosquito series of aircraft, an ingenious and beautiful design which saw the versatile airplane made almost entirely of wood. Its outstanding speed and range ensured that the FB Mk.VI was used in a range of missions, including raids on important targets and infrastructure in the German homeland. It is often said that, until the advent of the Messerschmitt Me262, the German Luftwaffe did not have an adequate response to the "Mossie." About the Model • This is a 1/32 scale plastic model assembly kit. • At 515mm in wingspan, this masterpiece captures the elegant twin-engine form of the FB Mk.VI with astounding detail. This newly-tooled model was researched using real Mosquitos. • The cockpit interior is realistically depicted, right down to details such as the pilot's seat cushion. • The modeler is presented with a number of options in assembly of the kit. • Separate parts recreate bomb bay and wing underside 500lb bombs, plus 50-gallon drop tanks. • 3 figures are included. • Comes with 3 marking options, plus masking stickers. • A 12-page B5 size commemorative booklet includes color photographs and a detailed history of the Mosquito."

This nozzle was also used by the Germans for their F-104G's in a modification program from 1971 on: J79-MTU-J1K The J79-MTU-J1K version was developed by MTU Aero Engines under a modification programme to improve the reliability and economy of the engine. The modification programme lasted from 1971 to 1973. The main modifications to the J79-11A engine were: • New turbine nozzle, stage 1 • New material for turbine rotor blades, stage 1 • New afterburner assembly, with modified exhaust nozzle • New afterburner fuel system So until 1971 you should use the "early" nozzle for German 104's and from 1973 you can be fairly certain that the "late" nozzle should be used!

Yup!!

Nice indeed! The next one will be in splinter-camp?....

Seriously good looking, John!!

I personally would go for RLM02 U/C legs, inner doors and gear bays. But that's just me.

AMX-30 Family Photosniper 16 Written by M.P. Robinson, color profiles by Slawomir Zajaczkowski Published by Oficyna Wydawnicza KAGERO Vailable from www.shop.kagero.pl for €19,86 What is it? It's an 95-page softcover book that describes the specialist vehicles that were designed and produced on the lower hull/running gear of the AMX-30 main battle tank. The AMX-30 tank itself is not subject matter in this book. Therefore, "AMX-30 Derivatives", would have been a title that better describes the contents. What is in it? As mentioned above, on the basis of the AMX-30 MBT, quite a few specialist vehicles were designed and produced, the best known at the moment is the Au-F-1 155mm Self-propelled howitzer because Meng produced a brand new model of that vehicle in 2013. I'll look closer on the subject of the Au-F1 in the book last. AMX-30D Char de Depannage The AMX-30D is the recovery vehicle based on the MBT chassis. It's got a high superstructure with a crane, a dozer blade and all sorts of tools and equipmment on the hull sides. AMX-30 Bitube 30mm DCA This chapter describes how the chassis of the AMX-30 was used to build an effective anti-aircraft tank. The Bitube 30mm DCA turret was used on the light AMX-13 chassis before the AMX-30 was developed but it really was a haul for the little tank (of lieutenat Grueber...), especially when radar was added. The guns were two 30mm Hispano-Suiza HS831 belt-fed guns capable of a combined firing-rate of 600 rounds per minute. AMX-30R Roland-1 and AMX-30R Roland-2 This is the guided-missile SAM variant. Roland-1 is fit for clear weather operations while Roland-2 is an all-weather missile system. AMX-30 Pluton This was a French Short Range Ballistic Missile system, employing a 20-megaton missile with a range of 17 - 120km. Engineer vehicles One that is discussed but was never produced is the AMX-30H bridgelayer. Another was the EBG, the Engin Blindé du Génie, a vehicle based on the powertrain of the AMX-30B2. This vehicle was fitted with a dozer blade, a hydraulic arm that could be fitted with pincers, Rotary cutters or drills. A small turret contained a 142mm hollow-charge bomb-thrower and four anti-tank min throwers. The last type is the AMX-30B2 DT or Déminage Téléguidée or the remote-controlled mine clearing vehicle. CN 155 Au-F1 Or Canon 155 Automoteur-F1. This part describes the design, production and operations of the different variants of the self-propelled 155mm howitzer on AMX-30 chassis. From the earliest Saudi and Iraqi systems to the French Au-F1 H, Au-F1T, Au-F1TM and ultimately the Au-F1 TA. The differences between these versions are well described, I concluded that the Meng kit is Au-F1TM from the photos and the text... Presentation Apart from guiding us through the AMX-30 derivatives, the book also contains numerous photos of the different variants on 14 Juillet-parades, exercises or deployments to the Balkans. What is very nice from a modelling perspective is the inclusion of a walk around of an Au-F1TM. The outside is well catered for but what increases the value very much for me is the inclusion of photos of the inside of the turret and the ammunition racks since the Meng kit offers these inside details too! The package is rounded out with some very nice profiles of Au-F1's and Roland's. What do we think? The book in itself is very readable and interesting but the extra text and photos (operational & walk around) on the Au-F1 gives it also very good value to modellers. Highly Recommended! We like to thank Kagero for supplying the review sample.

Why not combining the build of this kit with Meng's M2/3 Bradley with interior? Nice to see them built up side-by-side. Would give a nice insight in how good the Tamiya still is and also how far injection moulding has advanced since the first Tamiya Bradley was introduced in 1985(!).... BTW, you were issued in 1970? Seriously??? Then in the future I'll expect a little more respect, you little brat!

Wow!!! That really looks cool!!!

Kaga, 1920-1942, The Japanese Aircraft Carrier Written by Miroslaw Skwiot and Adam Jarski Hardcover Series 95001 Published by Oficyna Wydawnicza KAGERO Available from www.shop.kagero.pl for €27,95 What is it? This book is a hardcover publication of 142 pages that deals in English with the history and the technical details of the IJN Kaga from the earliest plans/policies of the Imperial Japanese Navy to build battleships that could rival those of Great Britain and the United Staes in 1916 to the sinking of the aircraft carrier Kaga during the Battle of Midway in 1942. How are the history and the technical details of the ship presented in the book? Well, very thoroughly, as a matter of fact. There are four major parts that make up the book, namely: Battleship Kaga. In this chapter the thinking of the IJN about it's assets is highlighted, the different designs that stemmed from the experiences the British and Germans had at the Battle of Jutland, 1916, as wel as the power that the Japanese wanted to project through their navy. This part also highlights what effects the Washington Naval Treaty had on the Imperial Japanese Navy and it described how the IJN came to select the Kaga for conversion to aircraft carrier as that almost didn't happen... Aircraft Carrier "Kaga" This chapter highlights the difficulties the IJN encountered when designing and choosing the different possible concepts and solutions for an aircraft carrier, also looking at the choices the Royal Navy and the U.S. Navy made with their early aircraft carriers. Technical Description This chapter goes quite into the details and discusses the finer technical points of the hull, flight decks, elevators, superstructure, armour and fire protection, defensive armament, offensive armament (yes indeed, the aircraft and their bombs and torpedoes!), the fire control systems, propulsion and the crew. Keep in mind that the carrier started out as a carrier with 3 flight decks and was reconstructed to the more familiar 1 flight deck. This reconstruction is also described. Operations This chapter details thae operations that "Kaga" was involved in, from the early operations in Chinese waters, through Pearl Harbor, the American raid against the Marshall Islands, attacks against Port Darwin and Tjilatjap to the final ops during the Battle of Midway until the sinking. What do we think? It is a very thorough book on the history and technical details of the ship. For the modeller it has some value as the way the IJN went about arming and flying their aircraft off the carrier are described as the philosophy of keeping spare aircraft ready for operations opposed to the use of spare parts to repair damaged aircraft. The description of the various bombs and torpedoes can be of use to aircraft modellers as well as ship modellers. If you're only interested in how the ship looked because you are building Fujimi's (to be released) kit of the Kaga, then this book is not for you. In that case you'd better invest in Super Drawings in 3D 16031 "The Japanese Aircraft Carrier Kaga" from the same publisher. At the end of the book there are some very nice computer generated profiles included of the Kaga. There are however also some "half" 3D -graphics from the above mentioned book included as some kind of advert. I applaud the inclusion of those graphics but to have a half flight deck to look at is not as I would like to see it.... Highly recommended for those interested in the history and the technical details inside the ship. I'd like to thank Kagero for supplying the book for review.

Since we are breathlessly awaiting the HKM Lancaster I have decided to re-open the walk-around I shot of the RAF Hendon Lancaster B.1 in November 2013. You can find the walk around here: http://forum.largescalemodeller.com/topic/1687-lancaster-b1-r5868-raf-museum-hendon/ Cheers, Erik.

You're right Nick, but the only thing you'll ever see of those barrels is the extreme end of the muzzle. The rest is tucked away in the gun fairings. At least in the bubble-top Typhoon...

Wow! That looks super, Jim!

Saturday March 28th, a group of us from IPMS the Netherlands invaded Germany to visit Euro Model Expo 2015, held in the Westmünsterlandhalle in the small town of Heiden. The weather started out quite nice but it didn't take long for the rain to make an appearance, oh well, all the nice stuff was inside, anyway! ALL the nice stuff inside?! Before entering the venue one passed a mobile Biergarten (beer with NORMAL alcohol 5 and in GLASS glasses, to be drunk WITHOUT a problem OUTSIDE on the PUBLIC road/space! Just to make our U.S. and U.K. brethren a bit jealous!!.. ). The partytent housed the catering area where you could get coffee and tea, a selection of sweet pies and rolls with ham, cheese and such. Behind that was the Imbiss (snack-bar) kitchen where french fries (chips) were made and a choice of Bratwurst, Currywurst and Steack was to be had. It tasted good but also swamped the catering area with a heavy blanket of grill-smoke and -smell! Two views of the main hall. Here you could find the traders and the clubstands. The clubs were from Germany, the U.K., Belgium and the Netherlands. What did catch my attention was that a lot of traders had exactly the same products in stock, the (almost) "latest & greatest". I did miss the stuff that was fairly recent but not completely new. A possibility for clubs/individuals to sell second-hand kits and aftermarket would be welcome! Although I know how the organization of the event has to struggle with the available space! All in all it was a very nicely rounded out offering of things to look at, to buy or to talk about with other modelers! Well, the most inspirational model I saw at the show was the "in progress" 1/700 USS Lexington project by master modeler Marijn van Gils of the Belgian club KMK. Keep in mind that the (scratch-built) figures are about 2,5mm tall, the Wildcats about 12,5mm long and the accompanying USS Hammann is about 15cm long! A close second for me was the Zukei-Mura Horten Ho 229 built by Andr'e Kliebisch, also from KMK. Other models that caught my eye:

Wow! I'll echo what the guys above said!