Airfix Model World | The builds
BALKANS SCOURGE!
Airfix's excellent 1/72 Stuka makes a welcome return, with this Balkans-theatre version built by Huw Morgan.
INTO BATTLE!
Tamiya’s newly tooled 1/35 Soviet KV-1 Heavy Tank is placed into a suburban Leningrad setting by Johan Augustsson, with the help of MiniArt figures and Reality in Scale accessories.
THUD RIDGE RUNNER
Matthew Porter readies his Hobby Boss 1/48 F-105D Thunderchief for a Vietnam sortie with the aid of aftermarket munitions and markings.
GIANT OF THE SKY
Paul Cawte builds Mark I Models’ 1/720 R33 Airship –a craft that evolved from a weapon of war and marked the golden era of inter-war aviation, when such vessels appeared to be the future for commercial travel.
IT’S ALL GREEK TO ME
Airfix’s 1/48 Bristol Blenheim Mk.I appears as a bomber in its second iteration, and Dean Large tackles this quarter-scale depiction of a Mediterranean-theatre aircraft.
FLAK HAPPY
Jay Blakemore conquers confusion as he recreates arguably the most infamous artillery piece of World War Two, in the shape of Dragon’s 1/35 8.8cm Flak 37 gun.
RETIRED RHINO
Kev Baxter snaps up the latest offering from FineMolds in the form of its outstanding 1/72 F-4EJ Kai Phantom and builds this state-of-the-art release to represent a museum airframe.
ANYONE FOR COFFEE?
Kev Baxter tackles MikroMir’s 1/72 Canberra T.17 straight from the box and enjoys using AK Interactive’s lacquer-based paints.
TO RUSSIA WITH LOVE
Björn Kågner is delighted with the simple construction of Tamiya’s recent 1/35 Valentine infantry tank, finishing the model to represent one of the thousands supplied to the Soviet Union.
WOLF PACK WARRIOR
With a package brimming with photo-etched metal and resin extras, Eduard’s limited-edition ‘Jugs over Germany’ is a one-stop shop for creating a 1/48 Republic P-47D Thunderbolt, as Richard Spreckley reveals.
ARMOURED CAT
Cristian Lupu goes Dutch with his build of Revell’s 1/35 Leopard 2A6NL, cladding it in standard NATO camouflage.
THE FLYING BRICK
New contributor Oleg Makhortov is charged with NuNu’s 1/24 replica of the Volvo 240 Turbo – winner of the 1986 European Touring Car Championship race at Hockenheim, Germany.
A LIGHT IN THE DARK
Polish firm IBG Models’ recent 1/700 ships are a splendid way of transitioning from basic styrene kits to the use of photo-etched brass enhancements, as evidenced in its HMS Glowworm - built here by AMW's Stu Fone.
COMMEMORATIVE VIPER ZERO
Duncan Cooke examines the extra refinement available in Hasegawa’s limited-edition 1/48 Mitsubishi F-2A ‘Detail Up Version’.
SPITTING IMAGE
EXTRA IMAGES INSIDE: A delighted Chris Jones gets stuck into Eduard’s hotly anticipated 1/48 Spitfire Mk.I, not once, but twice!
TITCHY TANKETTE
Joe Turner tackles Bronco Models’ diminutive 1/35 Carro Armato L35/c, as fitted with the Swiss-designed Solothurn gun for North African operations.
Return of the Fire God
After a wait of almost 38 years, Airfix has released a newly tooled 1/72 Avro Vulcan B Mk.2. Andy Davies takes a close look at what is on offer.
ACHTUNG, PANZERKNACKER!
EXTRA IMAGES INSIDE: Garry Tobiss puts Zoukei-Mura’s superb new-tool 1/32 Henschel Hs 129 centre stage -and raises the curtain on a production fit for a Bard.
BIRTH OF THE RAVEN
Hasegawa’s ageing 1/72 EF-111A Raven still earns its stripes, as Massimo Santarossa discovers.
OLIVER'S ARMOUR
Airfix’s return to the large-scale military kit market has been marked by a delightful newly tooled 1/35 Cromwell tank offering, according to Nick Shuttleworth.
AVIATION LEGEND
Dean Large tackles Dora Wings' newly tooled 1/48 Lockheed Vega 5B, which represents the record-setting aircraft flown by Amelia Earhart.
BOMBER IN DISGUISE
Junior modeller Adam Haven adds scratch-built detail to Tamiya’s 1/48 Mosquito FB.VI.
PROP-POWERED PUPPY
What do Hobbits, Gnomes and puppies all have in common? Jay Blakemore finds out when he builds a 1/32 Sopwith Pup from New Zealand-based firm Wingnut Wings.
Weather beaten
If decals can be said to enliven a model, then weathering is the way in which builders add ‘character’ by varying the finish to represent the effects of climate and/or usage.
Marvellous Markings
Decals can supply the finishing touch to a project. Here we offer advice on how to get the best from kit markings.
Bring on the brush!
Painting can be one of the most rewarding aspects of a build, with the potential to transform a monotone model into a technicolour delight.
Smooth building
One of the first steps taken by a modeller when advancing from ‘building for fun’ to more complex projects is the elimination of joins/seams. Here we examine how to achieve this.
Let there be light!
This month we look at how to enhance the moulded detail on cockpit interiors via dry-brushing techniques and dark-toned washes, with the adage ‘less is more’ being a key rule of thumb.
Colour Dilemmas
One of the most common questions posed to Airfix Model World concerns when to start adding paint to a model. As this month’s Back to Basics reveals, there’s no simple answer.
The First Cuts
In this month’s Back to Basics, we look at the first stages of building, namely getting the parts off the runner and ready for assembly/painting.