Tabla de contenidos para November 2020 en FineScale Modeler

Paint pitted chrome I tried a new (to me) technique to create a pitted chrome finish. My test subject was the front plate of my ⅛ scale Le Rhone rotary engine. You’ll need: • Flat black primer• Chrome paint/wax (opt.)• Chrome polishing powder• Old, flat paintbrush• Cotton swabs• Gloss clear (bottle)• Open-cell sponge -Glenn Cauley Kemptville, Ontario, Canada…

AIRCRAFT 1/32 SCALE F-104A/C Starfighter from Italeri, No. 2515, $159.99. 1/48 SCALE Su-27 Flanker B from Kitty Hawk, No. KH80163 $109.99. WBR Su-27 UB Flanker C from Kitty Hawk, No. KH80168, $109.99. Su-30 MK Flanker C from Kitty Hawk, No. KH80169, $109.99. ARMOR 1/35 SCALE T-34/85 Composite turret, 112 Plant, Summer 1944 from MiniArt, No. 35306, $TBA. Separate track links, photo-etched metal and decals for seven options. German delivery car Type 170V from MiniArt, No. 35297, $TBA. Separate track links, photo-etched metal and decals for seven options. M4A2 Sherman from Zvezda, No. 3702, $44.99. WBR 1/72 SCALE StuG III Ausf G early production with Neo track from Dragon, No. DRA7375, $24.99. SdKfz 171 Panther Ausf F from Dragon, No. DRA7647, $24.99. T-90MS Russian main battle tank from Zvezda, No. 5065,…

Few warships in World War II presented harsher living conditions than German U-boats. Crews were rarely able to bathe, shave, or change clothing, and space and privacy were virtually non-existent in the claustrophobic interiors. Day and night blurred into a relentless pattern of boredom and routine, relieved only by the excitement of hunting an enemy ship or the terror of being hunted themselves. By the end of a months-long war patrol, weary yet relieved crews would emerge with unkempt beards, soiled uniforms, and an array of less than savory habits. Wolfgang Petersen’s classic film Das Boot sparked my fascination with U-boats and the Battle of the Atlantic. When Scale 75 recently released a 1/35 scale resin kit of a U-boat conning tower with five figures (No. SW35-033), I couldn’t resist…

Entering service in 1915, the Caudron G.4 was one of the world’s first widely used twin-engine biplanes. More than 1,400 were built during World War I as reconnaissance and bombing aircraft. Some were modified as floatplanes. Copper State produced 1/48 scale kits of the G.4 and I built the maritime variant. Due to the peculiarities of this airplane, the construction process can be approached in different ways, one of them is to build in subassemblies and join everything at the end.…

Despite their importance, even iconic trainers like the Boeing/Stearman PT-17 are often ignored by model companies, especially in the larger scales. Roden has addressed that gap with the fist injection-molded PT-17 Kaydet in 1/32 scale. Featuring nicely molded surface details, Roden’s Stearman has a choice of two Army schemes — one in the distinctive blue and chrome yellow, and one overall silver. Decals are also included for both instrument panels. Only one engine and prop combination are included in the kit, with a nice representation of the 220 horsepower Continental R-670 swinging a wide wooden propeller. Interestingly, construction starts with the wings and engine; that may be to put off cleaning up the injection-molded tubular framework. After the tedious cleanup was completed, I was rewarded with excellent fit thanks to…

I’ve wanted to build Canadian Flying Officer Paul Ardeline’s Spitfire Mk.VIII for years, but to really bring my idea to life, I turned to my friend Brian Wildfong, an accomplished figure painter. (His U-boat crew graces the cover of this issue!) We discussed an image just like the picture above showing Ardeline having just landed, standing next to his colorfully marked fighter. We wanted something evocative of his unique aircraft and of operating in the Pacific Theater. As finished by Brian, Ardeline is wearing shorts, so you know it’s hot. But not hot enough that he would risk flying without gloves in case of fire. With them in his hand, you know that he has just landed. That is also suggested by the dangling leads from his helmet, and that…

Download this Background Today Go online to get this computer wallpaper of Italeri’s ¼8 scale F-86E Sabre built by Chuck Davis. Look for a review in an upcoming issue of FSM. Skill Building Videos Want to perfect your modeling techniques? Let master modeler Kenneth Childres walk you through the steps in these free videos. Go to FineScale.com/tags/skill-building Online Reader Gallery Can’t get enough pictures of readermodels? We can’t either! That’s why we have the Online Reader Gallery where you can ogle photos and even submit your own.…

In service, any subject, be it an airplane, car, ship, or tank, exposed to the elements will weather and fade and be marked by stains, spills, and streaks. Regular maintenance deals with some of these effects, but the vehicle is rarely pristine. As modelers, we re-create these effects. I use pre-shading and black-basing as a foundation for much of my weathering, deciding which to use based on the model I’m building. Pre-shading works well for operational subjects that get cleaned regularly but are not pristine. Dirt and dust collect in the gaps between the panels where regular maintenance may miss it. Black-basing is better for subjects exposed to the elements for extended periods where grease, oil, fuel, and rain can pool on surfaces for days or weeks without cleaning. Combined…

Having finished Kitty Hawk’s 1/32 scale Kingfisher in prewar colors, I thought I’d try the yellow-wing scheme in 1/48 scale. I went through my stash and Accurate Miniatures’ Vought SB2U-3 Vindicator (No. 480202) caught my eye. I’ve had a soft spot for this manufacturer since its first models. Reviewers called the kit good but “fiddly.” Having built other Accurate Miniature kits, I knew what they meant and was prepared. As the instructions are not the best, I downloaded the instructions for the recently reboxed release of Academy’s SB2U-3 (No. 12324). They include reference pictures which helped a great deal in construction. I painted with Alclad II except where noted.…

Over 300 Sturmpanzer IVs, affectionately known as Stupa by its crews and Brummbär by Allied intelligence, were built between 1943 and the end of World War II. Academy’s kit builds into a vehicle from the third production batch built on a Panzer IV Ausf H chassis. Academy based this kit on its nice Panzer IV from 2018; those shared sprues mean you’ll end up with a bunch of spare parts. You will use 311 of the 606 parts in the build. Take care to be sure you use the correct part as many of them look similar. The 27-step instructions feature a drawing at the beginning showing locating holes to be opened for the entire build, mating surfaces shaded red and large, color marking diagrams. Decals cover three camo patterns…

The AH-1Z “Viper” is the latest (and last?) development of Bell’s Cobra helicopter gunship which first appeared in the mid-1960s. At first, the single-engine Cobra was a U.S. Army weapon, but soon, twin-engine Cobras became the standard in the U.S. Marine Corps. The Army moved on to the AH-64 Apache, but the Marines stayed with the Cobra. The “Viper” was introduced in 2010 and features the upgraded engines, sensors, and weapons systems, as well as a foldable fourblade main rotor and a four-blade tail rotor. Also a relative newcomer, Dream Model has issued this nice little snake in 1/72 scale. I was impressed with the amount of detail molded into the fuselage halves. The kit features excellent PE brass screens, seat harnesses, and other fine details. It comes with a…

In the waning days of World War II, the Germans sought to reorganize their armor production based on a handful of standard chassis, using as many shared, modular parts as possible. These were the E-series, numbered by weight class: E-10, E-25, E-50, E-75 and E-100. Only the E-100 was started as a prototype. The others were only concepts. Today, however, the popularity of paper panzers means that “credible enough” kits of these tanks have been produced, as well as some extremely fanciful variants. While I hankered to build Trumpeter’s E-75 with twin 5.5cm cannons, the nonsensical concept was a no-go. The cannons were designed for a specific antiaircraft task that has no a frontline application, especially not on a heavily armored chassis. When I read FSM’s kit review of an…

This is the first new 1/48 scale kit of this important helicopter, the Soviet/Russian Mi-24, known to NATO as the Hind, and often referred to as a flying tank. Features include a full engine, transfer case, and interior, as well as optional crew figures, weapons, and fuel tanks. Many of the hatches can be posed open and the decals provide markings for four Mi-24s, three Soviet or Russian, and one from the Czech air force. I chose to display the panels and hatches open on one side and closed on the other for the best of both worlds. Less clear initially are the optional parts for early and late versions. Make sure you know which marking options you want to use early because that determines part choices The multipart figures…

Like most nations, the U.K. updates existing weapons whenever possible. The latest update to the Challenger 2 tank that has been around since the 1990s is the Challenger 2 TES (Theater Entry Standard) similar to the TUSK program fitted to US Abrams. TES consists of improved Chobham armor on the hull front and bottom and turret front and sides. Explosive Reactive Armor (ERA) is added to the hull and turret sides and slat armor added to the rear of the hull and turret. A remote-controlled weapon system fitted on the turret can be fitted with a 7.62mm or 12.7mm machine gun or a 12.7mm gun or 40mm grenade launcher if needed. The demo vehicle showing the TES fit-out is named Megatron. Molded in light gray plastic, Ryefield’s Challenger 2 TES…

World War II saw the emergence of heavily armed monoplane fighters. However, early on, a handful of anachronistic holdouts served, including the Gloster Gladiator. ICM’s 1/32 scale kit of the Mk.I variant of this important fighter includes one prewar silver scheme and three camouflaged options. There’s a large, two-blade Watts wooden propeller specific to this version, and an optional desert air filter used in North Africa. Surface detail looks great with appropriate fabric sag on the wings. The interior is simple but effective and fits well. The instruction neglect to mention adding the included instrument decals to the nicely molded instrument panel; they are printed in the correct orientation, so placement is easy. Check references for painting the interior. The kit calls for Tamiya green, but I used cockpit green.…