Latest Plastic Model Mojo

I spend way too much time listening to podcasts.  Check out the latest episode of Plastic Model Mojo by the Kentucky Law Pirate David and his cohost Engineer Mike.

In the Air in a Kittyhawk

Just a cool video by Dave Hadfield flying the Vintage Wings P-40.  Almost like you are in the cockpit.

Plastic Soldier Company 1/72 M5A1 Stuart

The tiny tank is done. My first tank since I was a kid is the Plastic Soldier Company 1/72 M5A1 Stuart in the markings of Canada's Lord Strathcona Horse Regiment. I'm not sure I weathered it enough...  Article forthcoming in the near future

War Birds

This week Vintage Wings of Canada posted a great story about the Royal Air Force Pigeon Service, specifically with regard to a 42 Squadron Beaufort op. This reminded me of the new, and much maligned Miniart 1/35 scale pigeons and the new Airfix 1/72 Bristol Beaufort. Wouldn't that make a neat project, Beaufort L9965 with a pigeon on the wing?

Now the problem is do I hope for Miniart to scale down the pigeons to 1/72 or wish for an Airfix 1/32 or 1/35 Beaufort...

May the 4th be with you...

In early January...January 4, 2020...to be exact, I finished a model. Remember those days, so, so, long ago? I had high hopes for 2020, and even a delusion of finishing 52 models. So, yea, that didn't happen! COVID-19 took over and now it is May... (And don't even ask, why a model finished in January was not posted in January...) But in honor of "Star Wars Day," why not take look at that model?

The Bandai Star Destroyer comes both in its own boxing and a dual combo with a Death Star. (Which is where my kit originates.) Bandai says it is 1/14,500 scale, so a nice break from my usual 1/72.

As with all Bandai Star Wars kits, the molding is beautiful, the fit pretty good, and engineering such that it is an easy build. (They also have a pretty low part count as well.) The Dorito didn't take too long to build or paint and weather.  Paint was a Vallejo Model Air white grey and the Destroyer was weathered with Mig Oilbrusher Starship Filth. (Come one, what else would one use?)

I enjoyed this tiny Star Wars kit, and have a Death Star, Snow Speeder, Blockade Runner, and a Millennium Falcon next time I need a break from big 1/72 airplanes.

2020 NWSM February Show

Held each year at the Museum of Flight in Seattle, this year's installment had approximately 2,172 models on the table contributed by 72 modelers.  (The second largest model count in the show's history.)  The event is display only, with only one award presented as judged by the Museum Curators.  This year's winner was Russ Busy with his B-17F gunner vignette.  As is usually the case, I didn't take as many models as I should have, so here is only a small selection of the many amazing models on tables.

Eric Christianson's 1/32 HK Lancaster

The Curator's Choice

Russ's B-18 in 1/72

A nice 1/72 Harvard

Morgan Girling's 1/72 Caribou twin tail design concept

Zvezda 1/72 British Bofors 40-mm MkI/II AA-Gun

Like many of my boondoggles, I blame this one on David M. Knights, Esq. He had mentioned that fellow modeler Mike Baskette was doing a retro build of the recently reissued Airfix 1/76 Bofors 40mm Gun and Tractor. I remember building the kit…in an MPC box..in high school and the discussion reminded me of the, probable apocryphal, story of the Canadian Forces pillaging museums, CFB Baden–Soellingen, and CFB Lahr for Bofors guns to refit Canadian Navy ships during the Gulf War. As much as the idea of building the Airfix kit again was of some interest, I’ve never warmed to 1/76 scale, so I searched out an actual 1/72 Bofors gun. And said search turned up this kit. Quickly ordered, I was impressed with what was in the box when it arrived. I guess it is part of Zvezda’s series of kits for war gamers, but it also looked like a nice model.

Modeled in a softish tan plastic…nothing like those old Airfix soft plastic figures, the kit is somewhat simplified..for example the gun sights are solid…but still a very nice replica of the Bofors gun. Included are four nice figures, a base…reminiscent of Matchbox 1/76 kits…and a rather thick flag. The gun itself is made up of slightly over 30 parts. Molding is pretty good, but there are some mold parting lines to remove and the fastidious will want to drill out the gun barrel. Otherwise, it looks like a nice simple…dare I say...it fun model.

So, to return to the story of Bofors guns defending Canada’s German air bases during the Cold War...it is indeed true. They were 40mm Bofors guns, but on what is called a Boffin mount removed from RCN ships. So I can’t use this kit for that, but I did find a nice photo of a Bofors on exercise on the West Coast to keep Vancouver safe from Japanese air attack. That will be my subject, if only I could find a 1/72 dog to add to the vignette!

City of Vancouver Archives # CVA 1184-629 captioned "Men firing a
Bofors 40 mm ack-ack anti-aircraft gun at University Point."

Shapeways 1/72 CU-161 Sperwer

The SAGEM CU-161 Sperwer (Dutch for sparrowhawk) was a small UAV used by the RCAF in Afghanistan. Nicknamed the "flying ski-doo" based upon the resemblance of the sound of the engine to a snowmobile, they entered service with the RCAF in 2003, and were retired in 2009, after flying over 1,300 missions. As the CU-161 was the first Canadian Forces UAV to be used in combat, I wanted to add one to the collection.

Knowing that no plastic or resin kit existed of the type, I was excited to find one listed on Shapeways.  Excitement was dulled upon receipt of the item.  The general shape and size looked good, but the print was poor and not up to the standard of previous pieces I'd ordered by Shapeways.  Ragged edges, and rough surfaces overwhelmed the part.  (Maybe I chose the wrong type of material to have the item printed in?)  I had no idea how to proceed.

I tossed some Mr. Surfacer on the part, and it only looked worse. In the drawer it went.  Near the end of the year, Roy Sutherland posted about a 3D printed sci-fi figure that he was asked to paint for a friend.  His description of the print sort of sounded like my little Sperwer.  His solution was something like 10 coats of primer.  Sure worth a try.  Wish me luck!

I Can't Wait...

Always the modeling highlight of the PNW model scene.

Happy Birthday MiG

Since today is the 70th anniversary of the first flight of the MiG-17 (January 14, 1950), it seemed like a great excuse to start the new Airfix MiG-17. If you want to see what is in the box, check out Dr. Miller's review at Model Paint Solutions.

More as the build progresses...

New Modeling Podcast

Friend of the blog David M. Knights and his fellow Kentucky colleague in crime Mike Baskette have started a new scale modeling podcast. Check it out at plasticmodelmojo.com.

Jim is Happy!

Mission Models Clear Primer

In order to get the best performance from water based acrylic paints a primer is needed to guarantee the paint bonds to styrene. But this is a pain in the butt and I’m lazy. Ugh, I need a primer coat, then colour?  Bummer, dude! Ok, it works for exterior surfaces as one needs to check seams, but for cockpit interiors it seems like an unnecessary extra step. So my long term modeling dream was an acrylic primer in interior colours…aka USAAF and USN Interior Greens, British Interior Grey Green, etc. But no, we got primer in grey, white, and black. Ok, sometimes tan and pink, but that isn’t much help!

Enter Mission Models Clear Primer. The first question I heard was “Why a clear primer? How can you see the seams you missed?” Ah, but think outside the box. What if clear primer was compatible with the other Mission Models acrylics? What if you could tint the clear primer to get any colour you wanted? Oh, yes, yes you can…and now we finally have interior colours in a primer.

As a test, I combined 50% Mission Clear Primer (MMS-007) with 50% RAF Interior Green (MMP-079). A rather thick mixture resulted, which was cut 50% primer with 50% Mission Models Thinner/Reducer (MMA-002). Shot at 12-15% PSI out of a Harder & Steenbeck Ultra airbrush, the paint leveled perfectly and dried to a nice semi-gloss finish.  (And I get to skip another step, no need for a clear gloss before washes are applied.)

Rumor has it, you can mix the clear primer with the Mission metallics and make the metallics even more robust, but I haven’t tried it yet. (Next time.)

I hate hyperbole, but Mission Models Clear Primer might just be a game changer. Not only can you mix any primer colour you want and skip painting two different colours, but it appears to make the Mission Models colours even more durable. So they’ll never equal the durability of lacquers, but the health benefits of less toxic paint and no nasty smells might just convince me.