MiG 17 PF WIP

  MiG 17 PF WIP

As the summer sales are on at the moment I have gone a little crazy and pickup a number of kits for my collection from early war ww2 through to current. With that I continue my MIG obsession at the moment, another MIG15 and two MiG 17s purchased as commenced. Simple Plastyk builds, one will join my Egyptians and Iraqis.

Syrian Airforce - Yom Kippur MiG 17

 Syrian Airforce Yom Kippur

MiG 17PF

Another addition for my air cover for my Yom Kippur war collection first up a MiG 17PF from Plastyk models. A simple build from very old KP models kit, not the greatest kit, it had very bad fit on the body and wing mounting and the tail is incorrect along with the canopy. Still painting the pilot though which I used a 3d print, hard to find a pre 60 pilot so I ended up using a tank commander. 

Quite happy with the results, I think I will purchase a Eduard kit and do another model of a MiG 17 as I really enjoyed the build. I used AK real colours enamel and weathered it heavily with a brown ink wash. Decals were supplied in the kit, the tail Chequers were hand painted along with the nose. 

Cheers

Matt

Kit Review -SU 15 TM

SU15-TM

I have been looking though my kits to complete some Soviet and Swedish kit for the big weekend Wargame Holiday game next May. I have a lot of aircraft kits to build and paint for both sides so I have decided to commence the assembly of my PM Models SU-15 TM which I purchased at Newark museum airfield shop in April. 

The kit looks quite simple as to be expected on a short run. The body is twisted it seems and the canopy seems to be a very poor fit. A little bit of rough casting around the engine intake and marbling around the nose  but with sanding it should clean up. The K8 missiles are oversize also.  I was disappointed that there was no pilot also and soft interior detail, I will add a 3d printed interior and pilot I suspect. 

I plan to get it painted this week in silver with a green nose and tail tip, while I am having a little summer break before our next Wargame holiday guests. 

Cheers

Matt

Saab Viggen WIP 2

 Whilst I was in Newark I visited the air museum to get a few photos for reference, another great example was a Saab Viggen which is one of my Cold War jet builds this year. This is the only example of this jet in the UK and I was really interested in getting a good look at the iconic “splinter pattern” and markings worn by the AJSH variant. 

Looking at CyberModeller the colours are 

Vallejo Air colours 

Black                      71-057 Black

Dark Green             71-924 US forest green Matt

Sierra tan                 71-125 USAF brown 

Gray                        71-312 IJN medium green 

Light green             71-137 US light green 

Silver                       71-072 gun metal 

Not looking forward to the airbrush template cutting for this beast! 

Cheers

Matt

English Electric Lightening Reference Photos

 The visit to the Newark Air Museum has spurred me on to complete some old Jet kits and a few new ones. I have taken a number of reference shots for my next build of a English Electric Lightening 

Saab Viggen WIP

 

 Saab Viggen WIP

Another aircraft for my Swedish army, a Saab Viggen from Airfix again straight out of the box. A simple build with very few fitting problems (body and wings needed clamping) we shall see how the decals hold up when I paint it in late April. 

Cheers 

Matt 

Duxford IWM part 2

 The jet fighters and modern aircraft pics from our visit to Duxford. 

Airborne museum next 

Cheers

Matt

Argentinian Dassault Mirage IIIEA 1/72 part IV complete

 Argentinian Dassault Mirage IIIeA 

Completed, really happy with the build, went together ok, did need some putty, but sadly my squadron putty had dried out and I tried to resurrect it, sort of successfully. I added a wire through the centreline to attach to my flight stands for jet aircraft. If I was building a display piece I may of spent more time on it, but this model is a poor example of the dassault Mirage III, requiring major changes (wheel hub location, rear tail alignment, panel scribe detail and tail deflectors etc. The paint went on well and happy with my camo work, added the extra fins to the missiles to make them look more like the magic 550 missile. I did fek up with the clear varnish and forgot to mask the canopy for the matt finish.....oh well still serviceable. Decals were the biggest problem but saved by and a big thanks to my mate Robin for saving me, as Hannants are not delivering to France at the moment. 

Built as a Mirage from Grupo 8 de caza I-1003 with the yellow tail marking for the falklands war

I will get around to a Harrier soon, but onto some ww2 stuff for the next three weeks!

cheers

Matt

Argentinian Dassault Mirage IIIeA part three

 Argentine Dassault Mirage IIIeA Part three 

Out of the paint shop, I painted it with Vallejo colours using a camouflage guide from the net that a Argentine modeller had put on his 1/48th kit, plus some guess work looking as some paint guides on the net crossmatching Hakata to Vallejo, quite happy with my result.

Paints used

• Base surface primer Vallejo Israeli sand grey 70.614
• under belly Vallejo Air Pale Blue Grey 70.046
• base khaki Vallejo Air Khaki Brown 71.024
• dark green Vallejo Air Russian Green 71.017
• light green Vallejo Air Olive grey 71.015
• Black nose Vallejo Glossy Black 70.861

Gloss varnish done and black lining complete. When you paint things you do see bits you have missed and if it was going to be a display model I may of went back and fixed them particularly joints ... as the I have run out of Tamiya putty so had to resurrect some squadron putty that was not quite good enough....need a replacement putty. 

Next was my problem with Decals........Hannants are no longer shipping to Europe and with no European supplier with any decals in 1/72 I though I may of missed the build deadline for the Brexit Modellers build. My mate Robin saved me with a set of micro scale decals that he had is his stash, we swapped for a set of Mirage 2000 drop tanks.......

 I now need add the guide wire for a flying model, though the chassis, then touch up paint bits, add the squadron markings, add the pilot, missiles, drop tanks, antennas and canopy, then complete!

Cheers

Matt

Falklands War aircraft

Decided to paint these and get them off the production line, these guys will be sold off as I cannot find any rules I like for air to air combat that works well with the jet age. 1/600th tumbling dice

Cheers

Matt

Mig 21 Zvezda 1/72

First kit off the shelf of doom a Zvezda Mig 21 for my Cold War Polish, a easy kit to put together, one afternoon, managed to get the pilot painted and placed,  now to paint the Exterior.

Cheers 

Matt