Peterpools

Thanks Mike, very much appreciated. In between the Corsair's painting stages, I started working on the new 1/48 MiniArt P-47D Bubble Jug; 82nd FS, 78 FG, Duxford, Summer of 1944 and will be finished out in RAF Dark Green and Sky. The 78th FG shared the base with two RAF Fighter Squadrons and the RAF paints were available, close enough in color to the USAAF OD and Neutral Gray and the rest is history. Should look pretty cool with a checkered nose. I've already had built the Tamiya Bubble Jug in a NMF and a checkered nose using the kit decals and no issues at all and she does look good.

John Looking so good and completely agree with Dennis.

Martin Nice purchases ... enjoy

Thanks Chris for the very kind comments. Terrific kit and just shows how well Tamiya kits stand the test of time. Absolutely is going to be a centerpiece of my growing 48th scale collection. a

Absolutely is❗

John Just knowing you're a quick email away cuts down the cuss factor by over 95% 😉

Thanks John, so very much appreciated. Just glad you were there to help me over the paint color issue.

Carl Sure is tiny and along with its size are what seems like a zillion tiny part but the kit looks to be very well detailed. Will be following and nice to see the build is going to have its own build thread as trying to follow a build on What on your bench right now is nearly impossible; very much appreciated.

Martin. Thank you for the very kind words - one of my favorite markings as well.

John, absolutely agree.

DONE AND IN THE BOOKS As she rolled across the finish line, I couldn’t help thinking of what a pleasure the 1/48 Tamiya Corsair was to build. Only AM added was a Quinta Cockpit set, Eduard PE Seatbelts and Magic Factory’s Cartograph decals. Fit was typical Tamiya with clear and easy to follow instructions. The decals were sealed with one last coat of Tamiya X22, allowed to dry for a good 24 hours. Lastly the final Alclad Semi Matte clear coat was air brushed on and thankfully, no silvering was seen nor found. The last of the remaining parts and assemblies were added, the IFF and nav lights painted and the landing light finally unmasked. The landing gear and gear doors were a bit finicky but, in the end, all worked out well. I should have installed them as per the instruction sequence and just masked them off, which would have been a lot easier in the long run. The glass was unmasked, the folded wing assemblies added and she was done. A thoroughly enjoyable build. Reviewing the photographs, I realized I left off the pitot tube and the wing braces, which I'll add later today or tomorrow. Also, in some of the images, the Insignia White has a bluish tint, as the lights were set up too close, creating the bluish tint.

John Nice progress on the Hasegawa Hellcat. So glad you are working your magic on the kit as she is a Golden Oldie from the 1970's and when done, will truly have the looks and lines of an Hellcat.

Happy New Years to all. I'm right with everyone in saying a BIG THANKS to the admins and mods for all their hard work.

Mark Shall do as soon as I have the opportunity to use them. Quality wise, in the box: gorgeous and awesome. I'm also a long time used of Winsor & Newton Series 7 Kolinsky red Sable brushes - I just feel the better the brush, painting for me is a lot easier and I 've had them for well over 15 years and with care, they paint and look as good as new.

Rob Appreciate the comparison between the two H&S models. I've been a long time user of two H&S Infinity CR Plus air brushes, keeping one with a .2 tip and the other with a .4 tip. The .2 tip AB is my workhorse and I do find these days when I need a wider spray pattern, I've been using my Iwata Eclipse HP-CS more and more.

Carl Still looks mighty good.

Martin Looking forward to their Scooter kit. I have their recently released Corsair combo kit and it is superb.

Gus Great choice for your next build and I guess being 3D printed, the parts are more prone to breakage in shipping. Fingers crossed you can fix the offending part without needing to contact Jetmads customer service. Will be following all the way.

My original vote was for one kit in 32nd (Kotare Spitfire - built) and one kit in 48th scale (MiniArt P-47D Bubble Jug - next on the bench) but it seems, most of the guys are offering a few more in their posts/votes. In 32nd scale I would absolutely add the beautiful ZM FW190 - I have the kit and will be building it in the next few months. Also in 32nd scale, Revell's Hurricane is easily in the running as a very well-done kit and so very needed. While I have the Trumpeter Devastator and AirScale detail sets, it's a kit we have been waiting years for but not a kit of the year by any means. In 48th scale, I would add to my list, the HK 1/48 B-25J, another gorgeous kit and am planning on building it this year as well. Also in 48th scale, Magic Factories Corsair Dual Combo set. I look at it this way - if I bought the kit and it's not on this list, it still makes my own list.

Phil Agreed ... maybe in 2024, more manufactures will start releasing more aircraft kits in 1/35. Only time will tell.

Peter The front office looks fantastic and what a way to start off the New Year. Happy New Year

John What a spectacular year you have had at the bench. Each and every build is flawless in fit and finish. I can't even pick a favorite, but the Jug just seems to jump out a bit more at me, just a Long Island Boy at heart. 🏆 🏆🏆

Thank You Ralph, I was very pleased with all the completed builds I managed to do this year.

Thanks Rob, very much appreciative. Absolutely a very good modeling year even with all the ups and downs. Happy New year my Friend

1/32 ... Kotare Spitfire 1/48 ... MiniArt P-47D