Moved....

I have moved this blog to WordPress after learning that Blogsy, the best iPad app for blogging here is now defunct.


I'm now at: Models In Scale

An Explanation About the Changes in the Blog

I still enjoy modeling even though I'm in the modeling hinterland. I have found absolutely no one within a 90 mile radius that is into building models. Some of my friends here show polite interest when the topic (seldom) arises, or when I go somewhere with one of my models to show someone, but as far as I can tell, I'm the only one who actually builds models.

Looking back on my earlier posts I could see they had grown obsolete. Many were from fifteen years or so back when I didn't really know how to blog and pretty much threw stuff up against the virtual wall. I took most of that down, leaving more recent posts and one or two interesting ones from the past.

I think I'll use this blog as a way to keep in touch with my virtual modeling friends when I want to do more than just post photos on my iCloud sharing albums. I'll be able to make some comments about the build, model and actual prototype I'm modeling at the time, something much more difficult to do with just a photo album.

To cap this little post off, and start afresh, I'm posting a few photos of my old models that are significant to me because I had fun with them and think they are done well enough to put up for others to see:

Wingnut Wings Fokker Eindecker III

Wingnut Wings Fokker Eindecker III

Wingnut Wings Fokker Eindecker III

Wingnut Wings Fokker Eindecker III

Hasegawa FW 190 A5 in 1:32

Eduard 1:48 "Rata"

Wingnut Wings Fe2b

Wingnut Wings Fe2b

Wingnut Wings Fe2b

Wingnut Wings Roland C.II

Wingnut Wings Roland C.II

Wingnut Wings Roland C.II

Add caption Wingnut Wings Roland C.II

Wingnut Wings Roland C.II

Wingnut Wings Roland C.II

Wingnut Wings Roland C.II

Wingnut Wings Roland C.II

Wingnut Wings Roland C.II

Meng British Whippet in 1:35

Meng British Whippet 

Meng British Whippet 

Meng British Whippet

Meng British Whippet

I will be posting my soon to be completed Tamiya 1:35 Jagdpanzer IV/Lang then beginning to work on my Meng Renault FT-17 WWI tank which I will chronicle here.

Internals

Diorama by from BritModeler Forum

Models, in and of themselves, are interesting in their own right, as we modelers know. Sometimes there is more to a model than is possible to show without changing the accepted or well-known appearance of it. Many of the subjects we model are composed of far more than what we are able to represent and show from the outside. Aircraft, ships, cars, armor... all of these have far more parts and interest than what we normally can observe from without, and what we normally represent with our "standard" models.

A few years ago Eduard produced a model of the tank hunter Hetzer in 1:35 scale that was supplied with a full interior. Some of the detail bits were not there ofcourse, just like all of the cockpit detail is not present even on a Tamiya 1:32nd airplane. But, with a bit of ingenuity and spare parts, styrene and wire, the interior could be made to look even more realistic. I have one of these kits, completed, and it remains in my memory as one of my most favorite builds. I've looked for another, since they are long out of production, and although I found one or two, the prices they now command are too much for me. Modeling has moved on, especially in armor with the appearance of companies like Meng in Hong Kong, and Tamiya which still produces some of the best engineered and detailed model kits you can get.

Having a soft spot for WWI subjects I was initially enthused by the Tamiya British Mark V that was released last year.

Tamiya's 1:35 British Mk V motorized model

Unfortunately, it is a motorized version, and I want my models to be detailed and sit in one place. I also don't want to pay for motors and necessary transmission parts that I'm not going to need in the first place. So, I waited. Then, I found out recently that Meng has released this tank in 1:35 scale with a full interior. Brilliant. But, how can this be built and displayed so that the interior details are visible without cutting up or damaging the model?

One answer is a diorama, such as the one by ____ at the beginning of this piece. I like the general idea of building it so that it is obvious what it is, but not completed so that the insides are on view. But, I don't like not being able to display it as a fully functioning tank, as in the photo above.

I suspect, from looking at the instructions, that the top can be left unglued to the main body and lifted off to display the inside. I'm not at all certain that with the top in place it will not have gaps, etc. that detract from the model over all.

Another solution is to build the thing in essentially two models by constructing the internal structures and components as a separate model and displaying that alongside the completed and closed model. This is well illustrated using the plastic parts only – no paint or weathering – on the Perth Military Modeling site.

Meng British Mk V with internal components displayed separately

I'd like to build one of these since I'm in my WWI modeling phase right not but these considerations have given me plenty of reason and pause to continue to research and decide what I want to end up with.

I have finished the Jagdpanzer IV/Lang, except for the tools and spare track, and am beginning the initial phase of building Meng's Renault FT-17 tank, which I'm looking forward to. Future posts will include progress on this build as well.

Whippet at the Finish Line

Put the finishing touches on the Whippet yesterday. In general, this was a mostly fun build, interleaved with a few small episodes of problems. Some of these were my own doing, not reading and contemplating the instructions well. I think the sprocket issue, which I discuss in the previous post, could have been prevented by better planning on my part as to how to best lay the track on the model.

Meng's 1:35 British Whippet, "Firefly."

Here is a short list of things that you may wish to pay attention to:

The sprocket and track alignment, as previously mentioned.

Being careful with the small, perfectly formed hooks that adorn the side plates. Removing the sprue attachment points is an exercise in Optivisor meditation. A very sharp scalpel blade is essential. Fortunately, Meng includes extras. Also important - be very aware that these will break off the tank easily, so practice picking the model up from the front, back or at first by the engine hood vents. Making an assembly cradle would have been a good idea, which I didn't think of until too late.

Think about gluing the tracks to their frames.

Leave the top hatch unglued, or temporarily attached, until after the machine guns have been mounted and secured firmly in place. I failed to adequately glue one gun to its ball mount, so naturally I pushed it and it fell inside the closed turret structure... Off came the hatch. Gun retrieved. Hatch left off until all were securely in place.

 

Doing this again, I would subdue the track spuds' wood color even more. Of course if you choose to heavily weather and mud-up yours, then it shouldn't matter too much.

Get a bit more mud and dirt on the inside rear of the track frames. I can add this a bit later, but it was one of those "smack-the-forehead" moments when I realized they were not compatible with the outsides.

Painting and finishing.

Researching the colors of WWI tanks is even more mysterious than colors of WWI aircraft. But, from what I could tell, the general opinion at the time was that the British colors, as they left the factories, was very close to standard khaki. So, mine's covered with a base coat of Tamiya Khaki acrylic paint. I varied the tone (or hue, or color?) with thin washes of oil in burnt umber and burnt sienna. I also applied the light dirt and dark mud Tamiya weathering gunk, which was left over from an IPMS review I did long ago. Neat stuff, lasts an exceptionally long time, can be used wet or dry and I believe not as expensive as the wild range of Mig potions.

I'm not a fan of contrasting "pin" washes around every rivet, bolt and protrusion. Makes them "pop" out all right, like a pimple on an otherwise normal face. I chose to very lightly dry brush most of these items with some white oil paint. I think it makes them noticeable, but not like they are screaming to be seen at the expense of the model as a whole.

 

I'd recommend the kit especially if you are interested in the early development of the tank. Meng kits are on a par with the best. Close to Tamiya for design, fit and instructions. Certainly better than Dragon with their hieroglyphic, crowded fold-out monstrosities of instructions. I don't buy Dragon armor primarily because their instructions are too archaic and often confusing along with their absurdly high parts count.

The Whippet is unique and will be a good addition to any armor collection. I have Meng's Renault FT-17 riveted turret kit and I expect the same level of quality as shown by this one. And, I get to attempt some really funky French camo patterns.

As the anniversary of WWI continues, I plan to build these two along with, at least for vehicles, the Meng British Mark V Male, with full interior, the German land ship A7V, which could grab the award as the absolute most funky tank of all time. That one too has a full interior.

Somewhere in this, I'll have to complete my ww1aircraftforum.com's diorama group build, so one or more dioramas are in the offing.

If you like the early days of armor, these Meng kits are about the best thing going. Get some.

An update from Michael's modeling blog.

 

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