JeroenPeters

Extreme Reality (AK307) Publisher: AK Interactive Andrew Argent • Kristof Pulinckx • Edouard Nouaillier • John Simmons • Gert Mertens • Doozy Available from AK Interactive for € 23,95 Last month I visited the dutch Scale Model Challenge in Eindhoven. One of the best shows around for armour, figure and diorama highlights. The work that is on display there is of the highest standard en keeps surprising. I was blown away by Aitor Azkue’s crashed Me163 and some rather out-of-the-box pieces, like Andy Argent’s ‘Cycle of Life’. A 1/6th scale bicycle, almost reclaimed by mother nature. I eyeballed it up close for a while and was wondering how Andy pulled off the convincing rust effects, plants, etc.. So imagine my surprise when this title fell unannounced on my doorstep! The main cover photo shows Andy’s work, and the first chapter deals step-by-step with the secrets behind this masterwork J So what do we get? A thick glossy cover, binding 128 sturdy glossy pages in a glue bound back. Six well known modellers show off their skills and tricks in clear steps, and comprehensible copy & captions. This book is a great way for AK Interactive to show what their product range is capable of, and comes in a line of titles covering metal paints, diorama’s, rust effects, wood simulation, figure painting, etc… Don’t think that just by copying the steps, you’ll achieve the same level of result though. The photos inside are the result of years and years of experimenting and practising, followed by an ambitious product company that supplies these modellers with amazing products. It’s quite easy to overdo and overuse these products. I’ve seen totally grimed up engines and thoroughly rusted vehicles that wouldn’t even hold up to gravity in real-life. Anyway! Let’s have a look at the builds covered in this book. • Andy Argen’t ‘Cycle of Life’ As said in my introduction, this model is big and impressively real. What I like about the step by step building process is the fact that normal hairspray was used for the … hairspray technique, instead of the AK Interactive chipping medium. I can understand why, since the AK chipping medium makes for a very subtle and minute texture, perhaps too subtle for a bike this size. The photographs show every important step in the process, from the bike itself, to the amazing scratch build clutter and plant-life and spider cobs surrounding it. • Kristof Pulinckx’ ‘Bull dozer’ I’m not quite sure what kit this model is made from, since it is not mentioned in the text. The engine however is the one shown on the box art of AK’s Engines weathering set (AK-087). Here they take a look at the entire, finished model of the bull dozer. AK’s primer, chipping medium, paints, varnish, pigments and oils are all used to create a stunning model. • Edouard Nouaillier’s ‘Walls of Decay’ Amazing scratch building skills are displayed in this chapter, where the fronts of entire houses are built with styrene, plaster and foam. Even before these walls and houses are painted, they look convincing to the eye. Free hand painting, sponge techniques, chipping and various other techniques are used and explained. The end result is placed on the painter’s easel and I guess that’s exactly where it belongs. • Andy Argent’s ‘Rustic Oil drum diorama’ A simple yet effective diorama with an 1/6th scale oil drum showing off his rust technique. Yes, again amazing skills in combination with the AK-product range make for a stunning result, but it’s the small fauna that really adds life to this little dio: scratch built butterflies, spiders, snails and a wasp. Stuff that is almost just too little to replicate in 35th scale. • John Simmons’ ‘Major Refurb’ This project shows that even a simple die cast model can look pretty convincing with added detail and effective weathering. Heavy use of pigments, subtle chipping and a tutorial on how to replicate a flat tyre make all the difference. What I love about these build stories is that most of them (like this one) starts with a real picture or outdoor find for inspiration. • Gert Mertens’ ‘Devastator’ As with the previous build by John Simmons, Gert is inspired by a real car he spotted whilst visiting a demolition derby and uses an AMT 1/25th scale kit as a starting point. Hardly any AK products are used in this build, but the results and patina on the weathered and beaten up panelling is amazing. This project teaches us to carefully study the real thing and take loads of pictures, if making an exact replica is your thing. • Doozy’s ‘Shore’s Café’ What we have here strikes me more as art than simple modelling. Right down to the matching, old wooden driftwood base, the use of various materials and the compostion. A 1/12th Nissan Sunny, backed up by the façade of an old Café/Bar. Old advertising signs, an empty Coke crate. God is in the details. This is underlined in his second featured projects: ‘Bakery in N.Y.’, ‘Gee Bee Café’. If you want to know what that is all about… Buy this title! OK.. so I wasn't going to share the next one, but what the He!.. Verdict AK Interactive keeps hitting us with helpful titles. Not just showing off great work (like us little boys were treated to by for instance Francois Verlinden), but letting the artist take us through his steps one by one. Will it instantly make us great? No. But every little bit helps. This sure is an inspiring title that shows us how much can be achieved with proper weathering and an eye for detail. Very highly recommended! A special thanks to AK Interactive for the review. Available here. Jeroen Peters

Nice ones'!! Thanx for the review(S)!

Saw this this morning on Facebook. That looks great! Very convincing. Did you sculpt the pig yourself? Or is it plastic / resin? Cheers, Jeroen

Wow... Lively weathering... Very cool indeed. And convincing.

With these resin kits, most work goes into making seams disappear, describing lost panel lines in the progress and some re-riveting. So far all is going well. The fuse is closed. Tail is on. Working on control surfaces and dolly now. Also found an Ultracast yellow (well he is!!) figure in the stash. The figure should look a little something like this:

What a scheme!! Good show!

Hi Tom, I could be the new Windows update. Try using Google Chrome as a browser. Cheers, Jeroen

Hi Eelco! Not bad at all! What i do for the wood is: First spray the larger parts in two tones of light brown / Creme with Gunze. When that's totally dry i make small dots for oil (burnt sienna). With a wide flat brush slightly moist with terpentine (rectified) i smear these out until i have the right effect. I only use washes very sparsely on the wood pieces. Hope that helps!

Lovely. So cool...

Cheers guys, The fuse is closed. Fine sanding and some describing needed. Wings, tail next.

Welcome! Great subject. Just do as i do. Finish it. Display it in the living room. Say it's only for a few days. And keep it there.

Amazing stuff...

Sweet!

Cheers guys! Bought a pretty cool wooden base at the SMC model show last weekend: Working on the seatbelts:

just Mr Hobby acrylics. Olive green with some added yellow. followed by a matt coat. AK wash and some dry brushing and silver pencil chipping.

Amazing stuff.... Cant wait to see it up close (tomorrow!

Amazing stuff John... Great work..

Cheers guys, First paint is on!

Another utter detailed and thorough review. Well done matey!

Y E S and... Y E S

Struggling with some loss of mojo, distractions, work, stalled projects, lack of focus AND inspiration, I decided to give the Ohka a whirl. Right off the bat I decided to 3D print the nose charge and display in next to the Ohka, as seen in many pics. Like so: Here's the first render: I found a drawing with measurements. Pretty convenient: And the first parts cleanup: No shrinkage on the fuse:

Ohka Model 11 here!

Very cool! Looks like the FB group is picking up speed!

Holy damn! Impressive stuff!

Kagero Monographs 3D Edition #62 (3062) Arado Ar 234 Blitz Vol.II Publisher: Kagero Written by: Marek J. Murawski and Marek Rys Available here from Kagero for € 21,97 Today I’m taking a look at another unbeatable title from Kagero’s growing Monographs 3D Edition range. It’s the second volume on the Ar234. Where the first volume (click here to read the review on Volume I) focusses mainly on the earlier types and it’s 3D renderings on the cockpit and wheelbays, this volume picks up with the later types and 3D renderings of the engines, exterior details and external storage. It’s the volume that I was waiting for… The book features 115 pages filled with drawings, period photographs, 3D renderings and profiles. As a modeler these series provide me with all the intell I need. As an amateur 3D artist I can only marvel at the amount of work, research and craftmanship that go into the renderings… Introduction As always I’ll take you through the book chapter by chapter, so you’ll know exactly what you’ll get for your money. The smooth heavy paper and soft cover are typical of Kagero’s publications. As is the sense of quality, the in-register printing, and solid design. Inserted behind the cover is a foldable A2 drawing of the later Ar234C-series in scale 1/32. A nice touch, but to his day we don’t have a 1/32 kit of the C-series. But who knows? Fly might decide to widen their 234-line? Or maybe Radu? Next tot his set of drawings, there are two additional A2 sheets with line art taken from the original maintenance books. But more on these later. Other projects The first chapter deals with the various trials and prototypes the Ar234 saw. From bomber, to recon, to nightfighter, to V1 towing vessel. It illustrates the decision-less state of the Luftwaffe in the latter stages of the war. Ar234 in service with reconaissance units The Ar234 is often mistaken for a Luft’46 plane that hardly saw any combat. It did however in quite a few roles. The first was as a fast recon plane, without any built in armament. Speed that was obtained by the two Jumo engines, and RATO packs for extra speed during the volnurable take offs. This chapter gives us a range of witness accounts during operations, adorned with detailed information, like dates and plane codes. One short pilot note describes the encounter with a british Mosquito that flew in the opposite direction. Since the Mosquito had spent all it’s ammo, and the Ar234 recon plane didn’t have any ammo to begin with, all the two pilots could do was wave at eachother. Ar234B bombers in service with Kampfgeschwader 76 The Ar234 bombers were exactly that. Bombers. And like the recon version of the Ar234 they didn’t carry any machine guns. They were able to carry bombs under each engine gondola and one under the fuselage. This wasn’t a widely known fact amongst the allied forces, which caused some allied fighters to flee, upon encountering one of these strange looking jets. Again numerous eye witness accounts, dates and data give us an idea of the bomber missions these planes carried out. Drawings The next chapter is filled with original drawings from the Luftwaffe maintenance manual. Varying from the airframe construction, spars, landing gear, control surfaces, fuel system and cockpit layout. Photographs and drawings from these old manuals can prove pretty useful to a modeller, since they were enhanced and touched up to provide a better sense of detail and construction to the (ground)crew. As a matter of fact I myself used these drawings to scratch build some detail on my own 1/32 Fly model (like the entrance hatch). 3D renderings! And here we go. Starting at page 57 the 3D renderings take center stage. Starting with a beautiful 3D model of the Jumo 004 engine. Great to figure out how to add some wiring. If you plan to open up an engine bay, this is where to start. The renderings show us the attachment to the wings and give us a good sense of colour. These renderings are followed up by some exterior details, like the brake parachute installation, rudder, stabilizer control horns, Peil G6 radar (note not all Ar234B’s carried these!), power sockets in the fuselage, Lotfe 7K bombsight mirror tube (very nice indeed!) and steps and grips. On a bit of a critical note, some details are zoomed in to such extend, that pixilation in the fuselage textures become visible. Like the wire antenna spring at the base, which is soo small that all is forgiven. Details that are invaluable are the external store racks that carried either bombs or fuel tanks. You might also want to take a good look at the Rato packs. The ones’ Fly Models provide are nice and all, but you might want to buy some MDC resin ones’ from Radu’s model. They are more detailed and accurate. This piece did not have flushed rivets and looked medieval in real life with rivets like warts. Sweet stuff all around when at page 92 full renderings take up the pages. Both the Ar234B as the Ar234C get the attention they deserve. All we can hope the C will be covered in glorious 32nd scale. Additional A2 Drawings As said in the intro we get three huge black and white sheets with drawings. Two of them with ww2 era drawings, giving us the detail on gear and cockpit. On the rear we find a full set of plan views of the Ar234C-3 in 1/48 scale. This makes sense, since Revell has this kit in this scale in their range. Perfect when you plan to rivet your model. Whether these are 100% accurate I don’t know, and have no way of checking. I’ll leave that to the rivet-counters. The final set shows plans of the Ar234C-3 in 32nd scale revealing all panel lines and rivets. A nice offering, and I don’t want to say it again, but I will nonetheless: I hope this variant pops up in our scale soon! Verdict I totally love these 3D series and can’t get enough of them. The fact that Kagero deemed it worth to cover the Ar234 in two volumes illustrates their affection for this machine. The super low price of just over 20 euro’s makes me wonder if they can justify all the work that must go in the 3D renderings, but looking at the ever growing list of titles in this series, I guess it does! I can only rate this book a solid 9 out of 10! You plan on building an Ar234 in 72nd, 48th or 32nd scale?? Get both volumes. They’re worth it J Our sincere thanks to Kagero for the review sample. Get your copy here. Jeroen Peters