cib2265

Have you tried Japanese sources Ralph? This might do it - from HLJ: http://hlj.com/product/MDAMP-11 or this one? http://hlj.com/product/BUNFA61 Text is Japanese, but drawings are drawings!

Damn straight! That's how you display an aircraft!

Having built the AT-ST recently as a mojo improver (and to upgrade skills on non-oil/enamel techniques, only pastels, pigments and clay washes) Just built this kit last night, took 1 hour 35 minutes to get to priming/painting stage! Here are the english color callouts, I'll use the Tamiya equivalents but with acrylic thinner (dont use lacquers on Bandai kits - they disintegrate) I'll do this one out of the box (maybe add some USN aggressor squadron decals!) and I have another on the way that i may turn into a "SeaSpeeder" in WW2 FAA colors...

Big update, almost finished, apart from some touch up paint, Chewie and a bit more work on the base: It ended up being WAY more dark grey then i thought, its almost looking like a Panzer, not an Imperial Walker. (was tempted to put a cross on it and maybe some Tiger battalion badges....) Weathering was done with clay washes and then Vallejo and AK pigments, with some prismacolor pencil chipping/rubbing. I wanted to use an ink wash, but didnt have any, so tried a diluted matt black Lifecolor one (water based) but it was only so so... Once ive done Chewie and the base i'll put some more piccies up On to the next one! Camo version methinks, splinter or maybe even late WW2 ambush scheme?

many thanks will do!

Bargain I couldn't pass up, although not the biggest fan of late Tiger 1's, I might try a late war, last ditch hybrid: And Revell's 1/144 Space Shuttle stack, I'll replace the crawler with the paper model version. Been waiting for this to pop up on ebay:

Love that camo scheme, you've really pulled this off! 262 is my fave WW2 bird, I'm building the Dragon U3 1/48 version (but as a straight A-1A) and its a bit of a dog compared to the Tamiya....

Thanks Dave, yep learnt from the Flory forums about how it doesnt like any oils/enamels. I'll use clay washes and pigments only for weathering with this one.

Buttoned up: And there it is, sans weapons. I added the weapons this arvo, the visors are down for paint masking, I'll have them up, they give you the option of both (and the top hatch too) Only problem so far is the roof doesnt fit flush, possibly because of the paint in the cockpit....next one I build I'll skip the cockpit, spent more time on that than all construction combined and you see none of it!

Although I have a dozen projects underway, couldn't help myself: This goes together even better than Tamiya stuff, amazing: Cockpit colors I picked at random, used Tamiya IJN grey I think as base. No oils/enamels for weathering, so tried a thin black wash using Lifecolor: Only flaw I've found is there are two big tabs on the seats for where the crew sit, but I didnt want the crew, I wanted Chewie, so cut these out and put in some styrene sheet as seat cushions: I put a satin coat over this to seal, will finish the construction tomorrow (or tonight, Spartan Queen permitting). Loving this build!

Got this little beauty yesterday: unfortunately, it had no instructions! So I need to bone up on Japanese and see if I can find them online, unless someone can help me? Its a beautiful kit, would love somone to make it in 1/16 scale (I know they do the Panzer II B in 1/24)

Thankyou for this review! I cannot wait for my big box from Japan to arrive - like you I've been adding the Bandai kits to my private warehouse and waiting for release. Ive got the 1/48 Xwing, Snowspeeder and 2 x AT-STs plus this kit coming very soon. I'm patiently waiting for a 1/48 A Wing and/or TIE Interceptor and I'll probably pick up the 1/12 Sand Trooper too.... Im hooked!

Outstanding! Im seriously considering the W12 as my first Wingnuts Wing kit - love the weathering on yours and the base too!

Thanks mate - im slowly building up my skills to tackle my 1/16 Tiger, which i hope to get back to soon.

My first diorama/vignette attempt and go at figures, which come from the Dragon "Blitzkrieg in the West" set (after some practice on some old Academy/Tamiya stuff). The Panzer II is the ancient (1975?) Tamiya model, which takes approximately 30 mins to put together! I replaced the barrels with RB metal ones and added some resin stowage. The cat come from a Tamiya kit and is modelled after one of my own. Base is made from a piece of pine from my shed, and plaster of paris with some scatter and green tuffs. The fence is to scale, its 1/35 but its supposed to be a high fence! Learnt lots of lessons here as I intend to do dios/vignettes for all my armour builds from now on after just doing standalone. Comments and criticism most welcome.

Ive never seen the rectangular one before - might be a post-war repair job?

Looks fantastic! I have this kit sitting on my "might build next shelf" as my first 1/32 and am so looking forward to it... How did you weather that prop - looks extremely realistic!

And heres a reason why I think splitting builds into 1/32 for WW2 and 1/48 for modern is appropriate (if we're talking fighters):

I bought one of these for my brother, who is not a modeller per se (although has built the occasional M1 Abrams and HMMVW, he's into Lego) and he said it was a blast! No problems with fit or cleanup, easily went together in an afternoon. He didn't paint it, used the stickers as well. I think these new Bandai kits cater really well for both amateur and enthusiast. I'm looking forward to the Scout Trooper with speeder, which I just ordered from HLJ, plus the AT-ST and X-Wing in 1/48 scale. Great review!

Rog your experience matches mine! I've built up a collection of 1/32 and modern 1/48s doing that exact method. Got some great buys yesterday from a local swap meet after thoroughly researching before hand (Trumpy 1/32 P-47N, 1/48 Tamiya F-117, Swordfish floatplane, P-47D bubbletop, oh and a 1/32 Special Hobby X-15!) Now to build them....not enough time of course.

I prefer Helos in the 1/48 scale as you can also get a lot of modern armour with them too, with great detail. e.g Academys 1/48 CH-53E, Italeri CH-47 Chinook, the new Kitty Hawk UH/AH series (Matt - Doogs has built the Viper recently, its a doosy!)

Mine too - and indeed Eric Brown and Jeffrey Quill's favourite marque. Mk IX is the only Tamiya Spit I dont have...mmmm Id only want to do it in-flight, so all buttoned up no engine showing would be the go

Would love to attempt a Mk XII conversion one day - not sure if Tamiya will ever do a Griffon powered 1/32, but can hold out and hope!

Looking forward to this one! I hope to tackle my first 1/32 Tamiya later this year and will do the P-51, but not NMF as well - I'll be doing Passion Wagon I hope - overall RAF Dark Green top but heavily weathered, so maybe more difficult than NMF!

Definitely shall follow this build - I have the 1/48 Tamiya version and want to do a captured version (either USAAF or Eric Brown) - lovely aircraft!