Artful69

... and here I am sticking my hand up ... hell!! both hands up, jumping up and down, waving - shouting "Pick, me ... pick, me!!!" Rog

Steve ... Would you consider running a comparo' on the Hasegawa V's Revell kit for us? (I'm inclined to trust your judgement!) ... A complete knob did one elsewhere - it started well, but went south pretty quickly. because he couldn't admit error and ridiculed everyone else ... I'll be happy to forward you a Revell kit for the job - assuming you've got a comparable Hasegawa kit??? Rog

Good Grief sir!!! ... Please consider using Sprue Bro's or Amazon ... Even with postage I paid less than $50 AUD!!! Metro's must be on drugs charging that! ... Shame is - they'll nab it from un-expecting clientele too! Rog

Along with a small serving of Henri Daehne props and spinners (I'm assuming you'd get the tongue-in-cheek referencing here James!!!) ... these would make an awesome 190! ... Thanks very much! Rog

Ahhh ... Yes ... I guess this makes some sense now - My Storch does have the engine block and it can be clearly seen through that air intake. I can't really see all of it, though. I guess it might have made more sense (to me) to make the cowl with posable panels so you could display to all that sweetly moulded HpH hardware ... either that or provide a detailed engine 'front section' for the enclosed cowl detail. either way ... no complaints! ... just curious Rog

This is, of course, yet another excellent review ... What I don't get ... is the time and effort in designing, casting and providing individual engine components for a complete and hollow shot cowl?? James ... any insight on this one? Rog

I actually PM'd Mirek via another forum about this ... sometime around the end of last year/early this year. About two aircraft in particular: About one of them, a Ju-52, Mirek had this to say: "We had long discussion with Jiri about Ju-52. It is really good idea, but with our technology it is not possible to do it. Resin is inappropriate material for Ju-52 with here surface. To keep good details and keep stability of finished model :-(. And with laminate it is not possible thanx his fatness. It is of course stabile material but too fat to provide good details. Then the only way is a 3D model and molded plastic. In this time we have some contact to do it, but it is expensive way. First prices estimate for this project is 300.000 EUR. (3D model, forms, all accessories .... and 5.000 finished boxes). So that are some infos." The other was a kit I've desired since Revell issued it's Ju.88 and He.111 - A Do.17z ... Frustrating!!! A/ Because it's an obvious kit for Revell to produce as IM - in succession to those previous releases. B/ It appears no-one else will touch it - because it's so obvious for Revell to do it!!! To quote Mirek ... "The Do.17 is possible to do. Expected enduser price is around 220 EUR, To start this project is to order 200 boxes, each for 135 EUR (without VAT) and to pay 6.000 EUR downpayment. Then you will received first amount of boxes. The rest step by step. That are basic conditions. the rest we can discussed later. The question is Revell? Could it be?" So there you go Rog

... And here I'm thinking "Why the hell would you need to upgrade a Tamiya cockpit??" ... geez we must be a fussy lot! Then, of course, I did the dumb thing - and read on! ... W-O-W! ... the casting here is looking like HpH stuff ... In fact there's an awful lot of resin getting around with that grade of quality moulding nowadays ... James ... you were labelling: Wallet 1, Wallet 2 etc ... and I was thinking "My poor bloody Wallet!! ... or, waitaminute ... is that actually how many wallets you need to purchase this stuff??" Seriously good, stuff Rog

Darn! ... And I was hoping to avoid this purchase ... I should have known it'd be that good having a 410 and a Walrus ... I'll have to resist until after the Lanc, though!! Thanks for taking the time, James Rog

Reading through your OP - and the rest of this thread ... This stuff was the 1st thing that came to mind - It really does look awesome ... An inbox review and WIP thread is in order once your sea container arrives Rog

Ahhh time ... the cruel mistress we serve!! I take it the Swordfish is the Trumpeter 1/32 one? ... If so, great choice!! - It's one of Trumpeters better kits (accuracy and design wise!) Rog

Craig ... You can refer to me as 'Rog' ... My tag - Artful69 - is play on my nickname and the year I was born You know ... I totally forgot about Meng!! ... I've read some reviews and build threads - and I have to say that they do produce a quality product! It slipped my mind as did probably a dozen others as they don't produce anything within my subject parameters (ETO/Africa WWII). I know from various posts around the forums that the Tamiya Phantoms have a couple of issues in the accuracy department ... I'm not at all sure about how damning they are ... something to do with the intake/exhausts I believe? ... I'll let the hairdryer experts deal with that one ... remember to get reviews on each kit individually on this score (no matter the manufacturer!!) ... especially build reviews ... that way you can learn what needs attention in the accuracy department - and therefore, what you can live with. In the case of researching older kits, having the kit number handy really helps!! Matt (aka Doogs) does some nice work, doesn't he? ... I've a fair number of his build threads - they're entertaining. I don't have any of the gear that you have at present ... so I can't offer a 'personal experience' opinion ... but should you're subject focus shift? - I'm always happy to share gained info!! All the best Rog

Craig ... Hi mate! ... And welcome to a world of confusion for the unwary, lol I've found - in the 7 or so years that I've been back into modelling - that there is no hard and fast answer to your question. Some people will 'automatically' pre-order releases from particular companies - based on reputation and history. While this is not necessarily a misplaced idea, It can backfire if you are not talking about a new release. For e.g. I bought a Hasegawa Fw.190D-9 kit on e-Bay for, what to me, appeared to be a relatively cheap price. Now ... Hasegawa has a reputation for making decently accurate and well moulded kits - or at least it has developed one. Their newer tooled moulds (circa 2000-present) contain very few errors, are pretty accurate in outline and have crisp, recessed panel lines. Not so, with the kit I purchased!! It was an older tooled release (I actually have the newer tooled D-9's in the stash) ... Lessons learned over the period? - No matter the manufacturer - always look at on-line reviews (and preferably more than one - to gain objectivity away from the bias) for the particular kit you're looking to purchase ... especially with (but not limited to) older releases. - Watch out for manufacturer 'fan-boy' bias in reviews ... Trumpeter, for example, gets a constant (and often unfair, in my opinion) bagging about their 1/32 scale releases. While it's true that some are well below par in the accuracy department - their offerings are all well engineered, quite detailed, require very little clean up, fit together well and finish is better than average ... I selected their P-47D over the Hasegawa one - on balance of reviews offered. I simply selected a kit that 'fit' within my tolerances. - And so ... make your kit selection by measuring the reviews on offer against your personal criterion, remembering that everybody's opinion on what is good and what isn't will differ! Ok ... now, getting rid of the tedium ... most modellers would probably agree to the following (caveat: except where 'personal' is stated): - For any 1/32 WW.I subject - Wingnut Wings (WNW) has the market cornered ... I'll let those that drool over their offerings fill you in - I personally don't (drool over them - that is) ... because WW.I is not my subject preference. Never owned one - doubt I will ... but the area of this forum dedicated (shrine - like) entirely to their offerings, would surely underpin their popularity. They must be doing something right! - Tamiya ... not sure about their earlier releases (i.e. Jets) but their WW.II stuff is pretty awesome ... complicated builds - but well worth the effort in the finished product - which is staggering! - Revell (aka RoG) ... a bit of a mixed bag here (I'm talking newer tooled releases) ... some kits are accurate in shape/outline and some are in need of attention (in some cases, that's an understatement!). At Revells level of pricing, though, pretty decent offerings. Personally: I'd put them in the same grouping as Hasegawa, Trumpeter and Hobby Boss - Take each offering on a kit-by-kit basis! - Zoukei-Mura (aka ZM or SWS)... Personally - I put them on par with Tamiya for detail and accuracy ... there are some who won't of course ... I'd say: see for yourself! - Dragon/Cyber hobby - have the Bf.109-E and Bf.110 Market cornered ... accurate and detailed - and personally I'd say their like ... - HK Models ... Great kits and getting better with each new release ... I can't wait for their Mosquito, B-17F and Lancaster! I have named a few ... there are plenty of others!!! ... - Pick your subject - Do your research - Pick your kit - Shop around - Make your purchase - Have fun! Rog

Nice work with the research Nick ... I bought this edition of the 'D' because of the markings in the kit ... I also bought the earlier 'D' release (6265) because of the Magic Track ... no-one has said I have to use the markings from one kit with that particular kit ... soooooo ... you get the idea!! Like I said - I may actually still build the kit ... but I'm skeptical - mostly because of the DS tracks ... I still have no idea how many Pz.IV's I'll use in my DAK settings - and maybe I can find markings that I can use for a 'Franken-IV'? Funny ... the reviews and/or associated comments I've read for this kit mentioned the inconsistencies you've listed - which was the reason I was satisfied with the purchase, knowing what was amiss. At least there is no glaring shape issues ... So otherwise ... I'm satisfied with what I've been handed. Rog

Lol Nick ... yes, I understand that frustration very well ... *sigh!* ... But while the 1/35 Tamiya gear is ok ... and the instructions are easy to follow ... Dragon has become my kit of choice for LSA ... Hence the recent acquisition of Dragon gear. Now ... funny you should mention the DAK Pz.IV ... As always, I hunt around for reviews online for the various kit numbers I'm pondering ... The Scalemates database is actually quite good for this sort of thing as you can often find links to 3 or 4 reviews on the one page! I've read the banter on inaccuracies ... but then Bill offered me a couple of links also - to discussions held by the Panzer experts ... and VERY interesting reading they were too!! The evidence shown (via photographs mainly) is actually, when you think about it, quite typical of teutonic efficiency!! ... But the general theory is E.G. - Pz.IV Ausf.E's are being delivered to Africa - and arriving along with a myriad of spare parts ... including tracks, road wheels, return rollers, idlers, and drive sprockets. Some of these tanks are written off in battle ... but yet some older Pz.IV Ausf.D's that are still kicking are in desperate need of parts replacement. This issue is inflated due to supplies from Europe being hit and miss (mainly miss) because the Royal Navy and aircraft are smashing supply convoys. The result ... a 'D' is retrofitted with parts from an 'E' ... you'd be amazed at the stuff that was interchanged ... whole turrets, cupolas, whole drive systems (tracks, the lot! switching from 380mm to 400mm in the process), guns, mantlets etc ... it is seriously hard to recognise the difference between DAK D, E or F(1) variant because of this stuff ... in fact the only way to tell most times was by using serial numbers or markings ... and even then you have tanks changing units!! ... That's one of the reasons I needed Bill's help - I was getting so muddled!! Believe me ... A 'D' variant could well have 'E' drive sprockets (and tracks) in Africa an it wouldn't be out of place in the slightest!! ... Dragon were either very shrewd when putting this kit together or they side-stepped a land mine ... either way, I'm sure they'll take the result and run! Rog

Yes ... but specifically for USAAC ... P-70 and P-70A's were only used in PTO ... Since I'm doing ETO, I don't want a P-70 designation Just a Havoc Rog

P-70 was the US designation, yes?? If thats the case ... no ... I want to build an RAF night fighter version ... but - in agreement with you on liking the aircraft ... sturdy and practical in either bomber or FB variant ... and I always like a turret on an aircraft Rog

Damn ... you beat me!! ... Is any of the AM still available for this kit online anywhere? I'll definitely need a few upgrades ... and I'm pretty sure I'll need to do an "A" conversion for ETO Rog

Ok ... Time for another update ... Again ... a BIG thank you to Bill Cross for assisting me with kit selection ... Returning to my thoughts for "Tobruk 1941" ... I need a couple of good Pz.III and IV variants ... I have the III's covered now ... so it was onto the IV's. Firstly though ... the second "Vorpanzer" kit arrived ... dunno whether this will make an appearance in the Tobruk dio or something like a "Barbarossa" dio ... Also ... these 250's were going at 50% off so I grabbed a couple - pluses are the Magic Tracks and the figurines!! ... Again I dunno whether these will be seen in Tobruk or not, but I'll alway need a few 'supplementary' vehicles and figurines. This is Dragons latest tooling of the Pz.IV Ausf.D ... and it's a DAK version!! ... with lots of marking options, the only negative for me is the DS tracks ... so I'll either have a crack at using them and see how they go ... or I'll use some Magic Tracks from another Pz.IV kit. Personally, I'm still sceptical of the whole "rubber band" idea ... but there are those that say DS is way better than the old school one-piece and you can't really tell the difference with individual links - we shall see! I ordered 2 of these kits from an online shop over east - but it turns out he only had the one in stock ... so I'll be grubbing around for another ... an older release (still good) of the Pz.IV Ausf.D ... with Magic Track and a few kit extras like a turned aluminium barrel. During my discussions with Bill (mainly revolving around which variants of Panzers we most prevalent at Tobruk during the 1941 siege) ... I decided, at some point, to do a second Tobruk dio - "Tobruk 1942 - the sequel" as I wanted to display the "up-gunned" Panzers that the British named "Specials" and found to be so lethal ... so with that in mind ... Ok ... so ... for the moment, I think I'm sufficiently "DAK-Ready" ... Time to have a look at the Eastern Campaign again ... It came as a surprise to me that the Pz.38(t) was used in extensively in Barbarossa ... I don't know why!! - It seems quite logical that, since so many were produced it would be inevitable. Also ... to add to either the "late" campaign or "Kursk" I grabbed a Rhino ... one of the Cyber Hobby jobs ... again because of Magic Track as opposed to the newer released DS track version. For something a little different ... and a dio conversation piece ... an up-gunned Pz.IV Ausf.D And finally ... some LSP content, lol ... I was flicking through the webstore of one of my suppliers ... and this kit was heavily discounted ... usually going for about $260-280 AUD in the local stores if available and about $250 AUD (translated) if ordered from the USA or UK ... I scored this for a lot less - shipping included from a local supplier ... not my usual subject, I did a little bit of research on both the kit and the aircraft and concluded that, if I can get some ETO markings it would make a great comparison display against the ZM He.219 and other night fighters ... now if someone will kindly make a Havoc?!?! Rog

Dave ... Thanks heaps for pulling that one out for me!! I've given it a brief look through ... and although it answers a couple of questions (due, mainly to my lack of knowledge on the subject matter) it doesn't answer some key questions ... The 'in-box' making options are for PTO birds, correct? ... Since I'm looking to build an ETO kite, are there any AM decal options available out there to your knowledge? ... Would I be looking to build an A variant for ETO ... or a B? ... That AM cockpit looks very nice! ... and with all that 'glass' frontage, I'd suggest that I'd probably need to acquire that one! Any other AM that you'd suggest given my target subject matter? Rog

Hi all ... Apologies to Mods if i've stuck this in the wrong topic section - feel free to shift it if needs be!! I just got back from my two weeks up north ... In my spare time, while I was up there, I did my usual hunting around on the net for kit's going at reasonable prices. I came across the P-61 going at a steal at one of my local (read Australian) suppliers. Not being familiar with the aircraft at all I did some brief research online - via Wikipedia. The key points for me were that: * It was developed specifically for the night fighter role. * It was used in all WWII theatres - meaning it fits in well with my ETO/African subject focus * It fulfilled it's design/role function remarkably well - and much better than a lot of it's peers (if not all) ... ... This gave me enough incentive to take a punt - and so, here we are! Basic Questions: * Being a Hobby Boss kit, I'm anticipating the need for corrections. Any glaring errors that need to be handled? * What adjustments are needed to construct the kit into a reasonably accurate ETO night fighter? * AM decals for ETO will surely be needed ... any suggestions? * AM details for Obvious areas (i.e.: gun barrels, cockpit etc)? TIA Rog

Love the box art ... I'm assuming the box size will be similar to the B-25? I'm assuming that they went with only the one type of engine configuration? (hence the marking options on the box) I look forward to the other variants, but this one's in the stash for sure ... I hope someone's going to start getting onto producing figurines for all of the multi-crew aircraft ... so far we've only got the one set for the B-25!! ... None fore the B-17 or the Lanc' yet?? Rog

This kit has been eagerly awaited by me for 2+ years. I wouldn't have minded the odd inaccuracy - although I very much appreciate the commitment to getting as close as humanly possible ... I'm wondering if there is very much difference between the Mk's ... appearance and general shape-wise? ... I liked the later dorsal turret, more flat in profile with the the .50 cal's ... I'm guessing that if the differences are not that huge, the AM community will have a field day with this one ... Chastise, Tall Boy, Grand Slam are all applicable to this variant ... I think? Certainly a lot more buzz in the community than the B-17G ... and that made waves! Rog

The stock/stash focus has shifted to earlier Panzer variants ... So ... thanks to an American supplier with a large stockpile ... This first kit was bought because it still uses Magic Track instead of single piece stuff. Not worried about the marking options as it will be used for other ... and this one was bought for the same reason ... although there are a couple of extra marking options I can use Just before I placed the order (for a couple more AFV's also), the supplier launched a "special" on Master Box and MiniArt kits ... Awesome! - I always need new figures This last set - the poses aren't fantastic ... BUT they are in tropical gear ... Fallschirm helmets are, thankfully, separate ... so they don't have to end up as paratroops in Italy. ... And finally ... while I was looking up figure sets, I accidentally came across this set ... glad I did! It was the last one in stock and reflects the sort of look that Panzers in Africa are likely to have. A fair bit more next time Rog

Soooo ... To the latest gear! ... With the decent write ups on Fly's new(ish) Arado 234's ... I thought I'd grab one ... couldn't make up my mind which one though, so I grabbed both!! Always looking for extra AFVs and figures to fill out the LSD's (Large Scale Dioramas) ... I decided to grab some more gear while the Dragon discount was on ... This time the focus was on the "Kursk" setting, so ... A Pz.III Ausf.M ... actually theres a photo of three of them winding their way up an inclined road that I'm going to create the dio' around - so I'll need another two at some point! A Pz.IV of the same setting ... The main mobile anti-tank platform being created at that point in the conflict was the adapted (High velocity weaponed) StuG ... Dragon Tigers are pretty popular ... and I needed an Early variant for the Kursk project (Panther and Tiger being the main debuts at Kursk) ... so I grabbed this one ... will need some 1/35 decals to suit the duo setting though ... While it was going cheap(er) ... I decided to grab a mid production ... I have a Late variant already ... It'll probably come in use for my winter setting (post Kursk) later on. I saw the write ups on this kit a while back ... I was given the thumbs up ... and I wanted to add this brilliant adaption of the Pz.38(t) chassis - It wasn't nicknamed "Troublemaker" for nothing!! Finally ... you can never have enough figures ... especially AFV crews - finding those with pose-ability for Panzer Mk.III's or IV's is not the easiest ... so when I spot them - I grab them! ... Theres more on the way ... and many thanks to Bill Cross for some shared knowledge and an exchange of some emails in making those particular choices (when they arrive!!) - But more on those later!! Rog