Fran

How is this going? have you finish it?

wow... I just saw this one!! Perfect!! Fantastic job in a very difficult kit!

well, finally arrived. The trade I made with Kevin!! Its a huge huge model kit and it`s only 1:48...

Nops. However, I founded a great subs of Tamiya Tape: One line of TESA... I cant recall the ref but i will tell later on.

Fantastic work!!!!

well, I didnt saw this coming. Wow!! Plusmodel 1:35 Artileriegeneratorwagen M.16 with munitionswagen Check it here: https://plusmodel.cz/.../Artileriegeneratorwagen-M-16-s...

you`re are turning it to a beauty!!! Master work

We don`t have much figures modellers here, but there are some great and big scale figures or bust. I do like good bust (althought I didn`t try to painted any yet) so I dcided to share one that is going to be release in October by Alvorada Miniatures:

1:35 FJ43 SUV with hard top AK-Interactive Kit No. AK35001 Available from AK-Interactive for €38,95. I got the luck to be one of the first to have this beauty for review, sent directly from AK-Interactive. A FJ43 Toyota is a most welcome addition to all 1:35 modellers… its will stand alone or in a vignette perfectly and it has unlimited options and scenarios. Not talking about FJ43, all its history, and the Toyota wars… This is a very well know vehicle, as civilian one as a military use. Anyway, here’s some random picture from the world wide web. I`m here to talk about this little jewel brings us by Ak-Interactive The kit Well, I decided to make a paint-free build of this model kit. The aim of this is our aim isn't too write in depth articles, but to summarise construction of these releases and add our own notes for your use. But, first a quick look of the inbox. You are given 8 sprue in total, two being transparent. The sprue A is an exclusive of the hard top box as you get the roof, sidewalls and new doors. The sprue B is all about nothing…. There`s no B sprue on the instructions but there`s one of the box.. most probably for future release The sprue C are the rear long sets and their supports. The sprue E are the main body parts, and the under main structure. The sprue F are wheels. Two types are given and you can use then at the same time. Nice looking wheels. The G sprue has all the inner below detail parts as direction, suspension, pipes and pipe exhaust as the rear wheel support. The sprues H and I are the transparent parts as headlights and windows and windshield. The last but not the least, the K sprue. Well, I don’t find any use for this little sprue but let`s see if I use them during construction. The instructions is a booklet of 19 pages in satin paper with good drawings and color indication a long the construction. These templates are a very very nice touch from Ak-interactive. There`s is three color option: two military from the Gulf War and one civil with the marking of a TV car. The decal sheet is very good with good coor pigmention... But no suprise at all about that because they are made by Cartograf. Building. The build starts with the under chassis. This part of the build is very important so you can have a balance jeep in final. The plastic is quite good, not a brittle one! It’s a quite good to work with. So I started and the first thing, I notice is that joint of the parts are very precise and quite helpful for modeler as you have precise point to attached the parts. They almost look like Lego. So it’s quite easy to full and understand de concept. Yet, that said, I have some problems in deciphering some of the pieces that are indicated in the different steps as being those that are going to be glued. The question is in what position, in concrete, attentive to the factual detail of the piece. I don’t like the way that Ak highlight the parts to use in the construction stage… It’s a very dark grey that make difficult to see the part itself and the details of the drawings that are important, at least for me, to see if what I’m doing is correct, even with the location glue helps. I would prefer a light blue or green color. I started with the second step, and leaving the wheels to a later stage of the construction. On step 5, an important decision has to be made: front wheel in front, the left or to the righ? It’s a cute and nice detail from AK-Interactive and it give lots of dynamic to your work. AS yuo see in the picture up, I choosed right. Until the stage 9, is all the chassis building as they are several delicate pieces and all much be done with extra care and attention to the construction. It is a most difficult part of this model Everything went quite smooth but the dark grey color of the parts to glue and some misleading parts (example the G16 is on the G17 place and vice-versa), makes these stages a bit more demanding but nothing that an intermediate modeler couldn’t do with no problem at all. Until now is a perfect fit of a perfect detail model kit. The stage 10, shoe us that this model kit is not totally perfect but almost. The windshield and its only because one thing that I don’t know if it could be avoid. The sinkmarks… and quite a few… so some putty and sand. Easy to fix by the way! The cargo bed and driver area are very straightforward build with very good details. All the build, until now is very good, and very intuitive. The Stage 13 and 14… finally some FJ43 shape and to see if we are doing everything correct if the model stand in his four wheels. Speaking of wheels, I now back to the stage 1 and build four wheels that come in two pieces and once again, the fit is perfect. Now with the wheels one, let’s have it a try: And Yes! Easy peasy. All steady and balance. All the upper work of the dashboard, seats are simple and fast. More care and dry-fit is need on stage 19 – fenders and running boards assembly. The dry fit here is essential to see how it will attached. Not hard to do, but still, a little attention and patience is recommend. If you want to do some damage, the moment is now, before gluing. Now, the main frame and chassis is done, it’s time to the hard top. This is sprue A that is exclusive to this release (as the other is a pickup without hard top) and as all this model kit, it’s very straightforward. I leave the hard top widows out of the constructions but with the simple dry fit is possible to make them in place. It`s that kind of fit. Perfect. The doors, diver and seat doors, are very simple to make and with very good inside detail. In fact, all the model has a very very good engraved details and keen attention to detail. Now there`s lots of option to the modelers: door open, or close/ with or without red benches, with broken windows or not, etc… Now the hard top comes to place. The pics is only in dry fit without any glue or bluetack. The fit is very good and with some AK extra-thin glue, all will went smooth and perfectly. It’s done… and I didn’t use the K sprue… I didn’t glue the hard top because I want to paint the model properly and for that I need a hard top easy to take off. Conclusion Well, what a release!! It’s a fantastic start for AK-Interactive with their own new molds. The FJ43 Hard Top is a long waited 1:35 model, that has almost infinity option to make in several, both war or civil scenarios. The plastic is very good to work, and the parts have very good detail. The construction is thought by modellers to modellers. I love to build this one, in a paint-free paint (for now) and its show that the model is well thoughts, with good build solutions (without too many sub-constructions that multiple the number of parts and the modeler patience), with keen details, and a very reasonable number of pieces. My model was build in 3/4 nights of work, in a total of less the 8 hours of work, probably even less, which is fantastic for a slow modeler like me. For the construction sequence of the model and parts available, I`m in a positive mind that AK Interactive will release another Fj43 variants. So do yourself a favor, being AFV/Aircraft/Car/Ship modeler, and get one to enjoy and treat yourself. It’s time to relax in a build! My truly thanks to Fernando and AK-Interactive for the review sample.

The FF33 (I think I know that one ) is perfect to the Wet GB! I had Revell 1:32 AR196... but I need to get the Catapult and some add ons... SO need to find someting else... and this time, try to make in time within the GB time!!

GB... As Hubert, my record at finishing anything in a GB is 0. So i do have some mix felling about GB, but I will support, as Administrator, any gb choosen. I dont even start to make like the Ukraine GB... shame on me. Yet, The Wet GB looks a great ideia. And I will try to get something done on that GB. Fran

love it ! Great work indeed

Yesterday, I wen to Porto book fair, and I brought home this, for 25€: The first time, and probably the last, that I bought a model kit in a book fair.

I build this one for SAM … I used Eduard details set (all of them), quickboos engines and guns and FoxBot decals, that has some fantastic schemes for the B.25 in 1:48 and I felt in love by one… Casper`s Flash… The only thing I found about it on the web site as a post in the picture of it in Pinterest with the follow comment: “Casper's Flash was one of the planes my grandfather flew on in WWII. They ended up crashlanding this plane on the island of Angar in the Palua Group during a severe storm. My grandfather is pictured in the far upper right, with his pilot Art Baker next to him. I don't know the names of the others but the guys in the lower row were the group crew mechanics on Pelelei. To my knowledge, the plane is still located on Pelelei either pushed off into the ocean or on the island itself.” Cheers Fran

Love it!! Very well done Mike! Thanks so much for sharing Fran

F.A.Q. Dioramas By Rubén Gonzalez (Ak-Interactive) Price: €80,52 Rubén González is a master model, worldwide recognition in the diorama modelling. And this book is not a small thing: 559 The English version was translate by Pete Hamann, so we can be sure of a smooth and unblemished text. Ruben`s work is world wide knowed and this FAQ is a reference to all modellers, being or not a diorama builder. The book is divided into four main chapters and sub-chapters. The index is a little weird but I think it's like I said: 4 chapters (chapter n.º 3 has eight subchapters) and then we have the conclusions and acknowledgments). The main chapters and sub-chapters are: I. Concepts, Bases, and displays; II. Theory of composition in 3D III. Techniques a. Bases; b. Ground and terrain; c. Vegetation; d. Artificial elements e. Miscellaneous f. Figures g. Constructions and Atmosphere h. Common Mistakes, shows and contests; IV. Gallery V. Conclusions VI. Acknowledgements The first chapter is just one page, with bases, concepts and stands basic aspects. The second one (theory of composition in 3D) is all about diorama composition with several essentials notions for square, round or rectangular composition. The third chapters is the biggest one: Techniques. It is structured to present itself as evolutionary as the work of a diorama. So it begins with the making of the bases, from those that are a simple terrain, or with multiple unevenness. After, it goes forward to the terrain, like desert, mud, sand, stones and rocks, asphalt, cement, puddles, explosions crates. Its looks so, so simple and using several different products like Humbrol Enamel, generic white glue, AK washes, Mig washes, Vallejo still water. One particular part that I really liked in this chapter was the special effects one because it presents step-by-step of explosion crater, road sinkhole, puddle and, of course, water. After the terrain in its various forms, we move on to vegetation. Here, you will learn to work with the vegetation products like ModelScene, Joe Fix and Mininatur as well as other products and scratchbuild plants. Every imaginary type of vegetation is covered with step-by-step. I particularly enjoy the “plants with the sense of movement” and all Trees subject. The tree step-by-step you get conifers using real wood trunk and mimics branches, fruits trees with real wood trunk, miliput roots and natural plants for the branches and so on, like wire made tree, palm tree. Still in the vegetation sub-chapter, I once again highlight the special effects (ground cover, fallen leaves, and mushrooms), as they add extra detail and interest to the final work. Also love the Tropical Tree with step-by-step wines, a work that will have in the final a shot down chopper. The next sup-chapter is the artificial elements: vertical elements, architecture and accessory items. In this, there are mainly urban vertical elements like lamppost, wooden power pole, tall electrical poll (in full scratch), metal signs, stone signs post, wood signs and traffic signs. In the architecture part, you guess it right: buildings. Starting with wood shed in full scratch with the steps. Great tutorial. Next a burned shed which is awesome! Still in building, the author give us a 24th scale gas station in full scratch once again, and also with a step-by-step. Then there are several forays into smaller jobs, from brick wall, to bad cone building. At the end this chapter, the author embarks on the large buildings, starting soon a row of two-story houses, in full scratch and several others houses and buildings like the house with a balcony or apartment building (full front) with full scratch. Bunkers are not forgotten, this time not in scratch but using a verlinden bunker, and all the painting and weathering are in step-by-step. Brilliant stuff. Leaving the building sub-chapers, we enter the accessory items like doors, windows, roofs etc. Starting with several types of metal doors with glasses (and broken glasses), several types of wood doors, then rolllup doors Then the top of the building got the attention: Roofs. And as all others aspects, you get metal roofs, shingled roof, tile roof, wood roof. All with painting and full weathering. To finalize, the author goes towards balconies, like patio with cinder block wall, cement patio and balcony. The next sub-chapter is miscellaneous. The author mention that the biggest takeaway of this chapter is to tell you how to place and integrate these items into to your vignette or diorama. So, through page 437 to 475, you are given step-by-step to deal with rugs, jersey barriers, chemical barrel, wooden crates, drink boxes, posters, curtains, footprints, curtains, footprints, boards, tarps, vending machines, wooden pallet and wooden fence. Next one, the sub-chapter of figures. Several painting step-by-step of figures are made and several basic tips are given, that are very useful to all diorama modelers. If you want to go deeper in figure painting, so get the “F.A.Q. Figure Painting Techniques By Kiril Kanaev”, that we review here. The final sub-chapter is almost as the book started – Composition with figures and integration into the diorama. It`s possible to see several diagrams with figure position into diorama and their balance between the figures, the building and specially with the main piece (AFV or Airplane) and also integration of the figures to blend to the terrain, either with oils, pigments and acrylics. Last but not the least, the integration of the building itself to the terrain and the atmosphere. I was curious to know what this atmosphere was about. Opening the pages, it`s the work of integrating the buildings to the season of the year that we want to represent in our directory and in which we already had to have this option when making the land. This is how to create the temporal environment in which the story that we believe appears in our diorama, be it autumn, winter or summer, jungle, sand, etc. In the next chapter, we have the “common mistakes, shows and contest”. Here the author makes some comments about the categories in the contests and the work of the jury. And the author draws up a list of common mistakes in the various “actors” of a diorama – vehicles, figures, building, terrain, composition and cohesiveness. Finally the last chapter: Gallery with fantastic works from the author. CONCLUSION Well, this book has a lot of information that is impossible to summarize it in a way worthy of the book itself. Its information is very well compiled and structured, allowing access to it in a very easy way, not only for reading but for the immense step-by-step that the author presents us throughout the book. Several material are used from several brands, just don't worry that it's not an AK book to show only AK material. It is a real must-have not only for model makers but for all model makers because there are techniques here that are universally used in all areas of model making. So, I can only say that this book is highly recommended to all modelers even to those that aren’t diorama makers. My truly thanks to Fernando Vallejo and AK-Interactive for the review sample.

1:35 707 Forte Grupo de Cavalaria 1 “Dragões de Angola” 1961-1974 (€11) 707 Forte is a name well know manufacture in Portugal, run by a single person, a very good Portuguese modeler, that you can check his facebook page here. The mainly products are decals, with some resin conversions, all to Portuguese Army. This release was one the best one, for me, because I really like the subject. So I decided to get one. The decal arrived and it’s a simple zip lock bag with the tag label identifying the product. Opening, a single sheet in given in continuous film so careful and patience is need to trim the decal. The registration is very good, with a white solid on the letters. The color has a very good pigmentation and saturation with a very good dragon head delimitation. There’s no instructions at all, as they are given in video, directly for the producer on 707 Forte facebook page, link that in the end of this review. You can make, at least, five different models with this small sheet. So, you get five Dragon heads. The Dragon head looking right are the EBR turret (eight wheels). The Dragon head looking for the left side, are for the Panhard ETT (there`s a resin model in 1:35 for a Portuguese Manufacture – NP Modelismo: modelismonp@gmail.com). The word “Dragões” are to put below the dragon head. The symbol of “Grupo Cavalaria 1” with “Dragões” below are for the Panhard AML 60 And the one without the words, only with the sabres and RMA (Região Militar de Angola), that was used latter EBR e others vehicles. The word “dragões” in straight line were used um the windshield of the Unimog404 and in Jeep Wills CJ3b e CJ5. *All the pictures of the vehicles are printscreen for the explanation video made y Pedro Grilo, te owner fo 707 Forte Check it here: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=3264439783878850 Conclusion: 707 Forte is a one man show with very limited releases but all the products are of very good quality. It’s a simple zip log bag with a label and the decal sheet inside and frankly you don’t need much more to make a great model of “Dragões de Angola”. However a simple diagram where to put the decal would be nice but nothing you can`t get from the explanation video. For the price, you got a small sheet, with very good registration, to make several vehicles (EBR, ETT, Unimog, Jeep Willes and Panhard ML60) from Regime de Cavalaria n.º 1 that operated in Angola during the Ultramar War “Guerra do Ultramar”, that will stand out in your collection or in a local model show that for sure. So it`s a very good value for you money!! So, indulged yourself and get a 707 Forte decal sheet! My thanks to my bank account for the review sample. Francisco Guedes

Thank you for your words. The adds made by AK and being a bit cheaper, its a win win to AK! So the Pume is most welcome. Fran

SD.KFZ.234/2 PUMA 1/35 Catalogue Number AK35503 Price Tag: 59,95€ AK Interactive is starting to release their own brand of models, starting with some rebox. Today we are reviewing the 1:35 Sd. Kfz. 234/2 Puma. The model kit is a rebox of the Dragon model, that was originally release back in 2006. Back then, as all Dragon model kits, only 4 four options were given. So, opening the box, you get the Dragon plastic and PE with new instructions and an extensive new decal sheet with 12 options!! The hull top and bottom are packed separately into their own plastic bags for protection, and there are a further nine large sprues of grey styrene, and five small sprues of grey styrene and four small sprues transparent plastic. Considering the model itself, its model release back in 2006, if Scalemate don’t fail me, and back then were made several review about the kit it. The most complete one is this: http://www.missing-lynx.com/reviews/german/dml6256reviewcs_1.html Resuming you get a very detailed Puma, with the following features, very well listed in AK Interactive website: "One-piece turret housing with accurate weld pattern. – Movable gun assembly including a detailed 50 mm gun with one-piece barrel, muzzle brake recreated with multiple slide-molded parts and mantlet with accurate cast pattern. – Commander’s and loader’s hatches with interior detail can be assembled in open or close positions. – Hull interior detail including both the front and rear driver’s positions. – Driver’s and rear vision ports can be assembled open or closed. – Engine deck ventilation louvers with open/closed option. – Authentic multi-part muffler. – Detailed spare wheel mounting frame. – Delicate width indicator poles and star antenna. – Realistic jerry cans including photo-etched parts. – Photo-etched parts for lifting hooks, bumper details, starter cover and convoy light cover. Has that Missing-Lynk full review doesn’t have any pics, here`s some pics of the plastic: The decal sheet is quite big, considering the AFV decals in 1:35. So the decals gives the modeler 12 complete markings of several sceneries of the World War II. Those markings are, in fact, for several, the few Pumas, which there are some photos references. So here`s the markings: I. Pz.Aufkl. Lehr Abt. 130, Pz Lehr Div. Germany 1944; II. Probably of 4.(Pz.Aufkl.)/Pz.Gren. Lehr-Btl, Pz. Tr. Schule Krampnitz, Germany 1944; III. Stabskp./SS-Pz.Aufkl.Abt.1, 1. SS-Pz.Div. “LSSAH”, Normady, France, July 1944; IV. Stabskp./SS-Pz.Aufkl.Abt.1, 1. SS-Pz.Div. “LSSAH”, Laon, France, late August 1944; V. 1./Pz.Aufkl.Abt.2, 2. Pz.Div, Normandy, France, Summer, 1944; VI. 1./Pz.Aufkl.Abt.2, 2 Pz. Div. Normandy, France, Summer, 1944; VII. 1./Pz.Aufkl.Abt2, Kampfgruppe von Böhm, 2. Pz. Div, Ciney, Belgium, 27 December, 1944; VIII. Pz.Aufkl.Abt.2, Kampfgruppe von Böhm, 2. Pz. Div, Celles area, Belgium, 29 December, 1944; IX. Stabskp./Pz.Aufkl.Abt20, Eastern Front, late summer, 1944; X. Stabskp./Pz.Aufkl.Abt20, Eastern Front, late summer, 1944; XI. Probably of Pz.Aufkl.Abt20, Silesia, winter 1944-1945 XII. Pz.Aufkl.Abt.7, 7. Pz.Div. Eastern Pomerania, March 1945; The color registrations and printing are perfect, no surprising coming from Cartograf. The instructions are very similar with the original ones, with new graphism (3D drawings) and new satin paper, making easier to read the drawings. Really like the QR Code for Spanish digital instructions. It’s a nice update for the old ones. Conclusion: This is a great re-release of the 234/2 Puma as it has been out of production for quite some long time (2019 in the European market, I think), and it comes with a better price than the original Dragon release. Much better if you consider that you have a new booklet (new paper and better graphics) and a great and extensive decals sheet with lots of markings. Very Highly Recommend. Our thanks to AK-Interactive for the review samples and all the support given. To purchase this directly, click THIS link.

Well Ernie, there`s a lot of Model shop with way lots less models that you!! Thats some priceless models and severel repetead ones!! I do have almost 300... circa 50 are WnW!

Some news HGW brings a detail set for the 1:35 Border Ju-87 and Model Monkey continues their extensive detail set to the 1:32 Revell Beaufighter. https://www.model-monkey.com/scale-32

Done.

and here it is: ZM 1:32 Hs 129 B-3 - release date: Dec 2022.

Wow!! I love it! The work behind this model is epic!

I working on a brief review.... It is on my pile to do soon as another 10.... 🙄but when I started I will put some wip pics...