WiP 4 - Bandai 1/144 RX-121-2A Gundam TR-1 "Advanced Hazel"

  Well I am getting there, spent most of the day doing this little one.  It's amazing how long painting the little bits actually takes.  I am now having trouble with the yellow, but that should be okay once I have put on a few more coats.  Pictures below...

  All good gun, once those yellow and white bits are done it should be clear sailing onto the part I have been looking forward to... the decals!!! :D

  Hopefully more soon,

  PEACE!

  Dazz

WiP 3 - Scottish Aviation Bulldog

  Not much of an update on this one, but I have tidied up what mess I made to it.  Took me a while to remember what paints I did actually use on it in the first place.  Got there eventually tho...

Just got to paint a few more bits on this one and then gloss it up.  Hopefully this one will be done really soon!

PEACE!

Dazz

WiP 3 - Bandai 1/144 RX-121-2A Gundam TR-1 "Advanced Hazel"

  I have finally got my hands on a Tamiya Spray can, can you believe that the Royal Mail will not let these go through the postal system?  Apparently they have been destroying entire parcels that contain even one of these... anyhow armed with that knowledge I had to go to my local hobby shop which is an hour away (even more if you hit all of the bloody red lights...).  So anyhow, after my mishap with the actual Tamiya paint, I had to de-cant some of paint which is a first for me.  I managed it without it going everywhere!  WOOHOO!  Once it has been "de-gassed" it sprays really well, however it is a right bastard to clean up after, XF-20A struggles with it... I got some time to get some work done on the Hazel not much but the painting of the purple is done.  I had to take these photos on my phone as my DSLR's battery decided it would be a good time to die.... bloody typical...

  

Once again I apologise for the dodgy photos, here is the majority of the parts painted.  Thank god that purple is sorted.  Just got to do the detail painting now.

This is one of the booster units mostly masked up ready for some painting.  I got to paint yellow on to that dark purple... oh this will be fun...

This is what has taken most of my time today, it is not much but that yellow is a right bastard to paint.  I am happy with the way it has turned out thus far. :)

Hoping to get some more done soon.

PEACE!

Dazz

WiP 2 - Dragon 1/144 F/A-18 E VFA-105 "Gunslingers"

  I done some decalling work on this one today when I was waiting for the paint on the other ones to dry.  I forgot how much hard work Dragon decals where.  I might arm this one up, still not sure yet.  Still got a little bit more to do on her tho.

   Not many decals on her really, I need to sort that yellow out on the tails... or I could be really lazy and just leave it entirely... hhmm...

   The other, more photogenic side!  God knows what makes it like that... I have coated this in 4 coats of varnish so hopefully I will finally be able to do a decent wash on it.  I doubt it will work like that tho.

  Close up on the "Gunslingers" mascot (it that what it is??), this thing is about 7mm high and look at the detail on it.  Very cool :)

   That is all for the F-18 E thus far...

  PEACE!

  Dazz

WiP 2 - Bandai 1/144 RX-121-2A Gundam TR-1 "Advanced Hazel"

  Haven't really done much with this one either, I'm still trying to sort out what happened with the purple in my other post.  So I done what I could with what I have.  Trying to find somewhere that sells Tamiya paints in cans that isn't over an hour away.  This is the first time I have ever used Bandai waterslide decals, god they are thin!  I had to work with them really fast for fear of ripping them.  But they have thus far conformed beautifully.  I have only done two boosters and the shield part.  Guess that is better than nothing tho...

  I have kinda done a custom paint job on the white booster.  That black bit is not supposed to be there, I just thought it looked too plain just being pure white.  So I added that bit in for fun, I have still got to detail paint the rest tho.

  PEACE!

  Dazz

WiP 2 - Scottish Aviation Bulldog

  Finally got a little bit done on this one.  It was a right bugger to mask up all of the parts for spraying.  Took me about 2 hours to mask it all up and about another 5 minutes to spray it.  Maybe I should move onto 1/32 scale stuff?  Will take me longer to spray!  As I had forgotten to spray the hi-vis bits before the camo I had to spray a white undercoat over the camo then the red.  Luckily I've learned how to spray red paint now after my cock-up with the F-15 ACTIVE.  Hasn't come out too bad I don't think, however there was a bloody lot of bleed from the white paint.  My dodgy masking skills at work there I guess!  Well onto the pictures...

  

See what I mean about the white?  I will have to sort that out... that will be fun.  Wont be long now until I gloss it and decal her up and finished.

PEACE!

Dazz

Random new purchases.

  Well I thought that while i was putting some bits and bobs up here I will post some of the new things I have bought this year... onto the pictures in no particular order!

 

  Got this becuase it was cheap (I think about £2) and it looks cool.  I think it is for the range of Armoured Core mecha you can get.  But I think a Gundam will look just as cool with it!

  One of those things I saw and just thought "WTF?!" So I had to buy it, I think it was about £3 also so very cheap.  I have since built it.  I will post that one up at a later date.

  Just a picture because I could :P

   And a little bit of the instructions for this bad boy, that stand comes with the model.  It has 4 shields in total iirc.  It will be fun building this one.

  I already have the Zeta Version of the Mk II, so I got this one, which as far as I can tell is excatly the same.  Bar the head unit and the backpack/booster.  I got it cause it was cheap and I am going to use this one as a test bed for weathering.

 Got this one cheap and also for the F-14 Tomcat II Group Build on BritModeller, it might be a while before I start it tho.

  Been looking forward to this one for a long time.  I have looked inside the box and it looks great.  I will have to make this one in the summer when I have some free time.

   Everyone's fav F-22 it seems, well I have seen the moulds for this and  I am a little disappointed.  I feel the Trumpeter version is better but I will post pictures up later and you can make your own decision.

   That is it for now!

  PEACE!

  Dazz

WiP 1 - Bandai 1/144 RX-121-2A Gundam TR-1 "Advanced Hazel"

  So here are more pictures of the Hazel...

  This is at a stage where I had not gotten very far with it.  That torso took me an while, I can not remember why.  Think I was sleepy at the time, for once...

  Close up of the shield, yes it actually is a shield not a booster.

  Good old beam gun. where would a Gundam be without it's beam gun?!

  I really am not sure on that head unit, to me a Gundam needs it's head not some kinda Tron head gear... I dunno

  A little later in the build I had gotten the chunky legs done.  Good job this thing potters around in space, I can't see it getting very far with those buggers!

  Okay this bit I find very very weird... heels on a Gundam... in space... WTF?  This where separate little things that clip over the Hazels normal feet.

  Now these are boosters, all of the pictures of this Hazel show that it has 3 boosters.  But Bandai in their infinite wisdom or clever marketing skills have decided to only have two in the box. I do plan to make a picture of the one with 3 boosters once I can find a Gundam stand.

  It has arms now... this looks like one hard bastard.  It also reminds me of the Blue Destiny Gundams, I will have to look into that.  I am sure there is a reason as to why...

  "Who fancies a hug then?!" - Sorry I couldn't resist... bit freaky when you look at it tho isn't it?

  Just for size comparisons, I am still stuck as to what colour to do the Hi-Nu... thinking of the GunPla colours of Black and White maybe with a little bit of Gold (I am sure there is a Strike Freedom painted like that)

  This is after I had taken him (can you call it a "her" when it is named after a buck?) completely apart, I had started priming him when typically I ran out of primer.  So I had to wait to get some more. 

  Got the more primer!  I used Tamiya's X16 Purple paint straight from the jar and wacked into my new funky airbrush.  For some reason water drops formed on the actual paint giving me this effect.  I have asked on BM for any ideas, no doubt it was something I have done wrong. We will see I guess...

  At some point I decided to clean my MSZ-006 C1 [Bst] "Hummingbird" Gundam Fix Figueration (bloody cool name eh?).  Here is a picture of it, I will have to get a picture of it outside in natural light for you all to enjoy.  This thing is armed to the teeth, then again it is one of Ray Amauro's mounts (I don't know where it fits in the Gundam timeline tho).  Those legs look really wrong...

  I also cleaned the MSA-0011-3 [Bst] Plan 303E Deep Striker (even cooler name!).  This is the biggest Gundam I own and also my fav, just look at that gun!!!  It is supposed to be the main cannon from an "Irish-Class" destroyer.  This was also to show how big the Deep Striker was and I am sure someone asked for a picture of it...

  I got this the other day, think I paid between £15-£20 for it.  Not bad considering I have seen it going for £50 over here!  I am really looking forward to building this big bugger.  I really need to improve my skills before I attempt this beasty.  Got to find some decals for it also.

  Well that is it for the time being...

  Hopefully I will be back to normal Geek mode now...

  PEACE!

  Dazz

New Project - Bandai 1/144 RX-121-2A Gundam TR-1 "Advanced Hazel"

  That is kinda a lie... this isn't really a new project as such.  I have been doing this one since mid-February but haven't posted it up here, well a little about it first.  I ordered this one a while ago from HLJ and it was under £10, I think it was £9.60-ish at the time.  Anyhow I decided to enter it into the "Under a Tenner" Group Build on Britmodeller.  There was only one other Gundam related thing at the time (I think I was first tho) and that being Chars G'Zok done by PaganPete and very nicely done I do admit (I am kinda jealous).  Well picture time!

   Well this is the funky box-art, this Gundam is from the manga "Advance of Zeta" and is part of the Titans Test Team (I believe this is after Zeta Gundam as you do see the normal Hazel in the Zeta Gundam show, admitted for all of like 3 seconds).  Incase the name and the logo hasn't given it away or you just haven't seen it, this Gundam is named after "Hazel" from Watership Down, I really must watch that again it has been years!  There are other Gundams/Mecha from this manga that are named after things in Watership Down... eerrmm "Fiver", "Bigwig" and "Woundwort" are in it that come to mind.

   The last and first page of the instructions (the Japanese read right to left, I believe).  Getting that "cadbury-purple" will be bugger.  It is a chunky bugger isn't it?

The other side of the instruction sheet, more cool artwork.  The Hazel in the bottom left is either the prototype or the one before this, I can not remember at this time but I do have it on order at HLJ.  If you look at the top right you will see the extra arms it has in it's skirt area (I hate that term for a mecha).  The only other Mecha that I know that has these arm things is The O from Zeta Gundam also.  I am seeing a trend here!

 

   Lots and lots of plastic...

   Even more plastic, oh look!  You can see the white booster!

   Legs, Arms and other bodily parts...

   Boring grey bits,

I bought these a while ago for this model, I have since ordered the other Gundams in this series.  I am really looking forward to seeing the TR-5 "Gaplant", I dunno why probaly because I have the ORX-005 "Gaplant" sitting on my shelf also.  I need to get that painted I think...

PEACE!

Dazz

Finished! Revell 1/72 Leopard II and T-80B

  Well I have finished these two fantastic little kits.  Took me bloody long enough that is for sure.  I had a right nightmare with the Leopard's decals, well that is not correct entirely... I have lost them.  I looked everywhere for them in the man-cave but fount nowt.  Buggered if I know where they are!  So I was stuck, then while looking around at the big H (Hannants) for... well stuff.  I found the newer Leopard II A6 (I think) on sale, which had markings for the Dutch version and the Germany army!  Result!  So I ordered it and used the German decals for this model and going to do the other one in the dutch colour's that will go well with my Swedish one!  The T-80, now that is another story, I painted it all up, I loved the green colour I used on it, but I wanted a camouflaged version (maybe next time).  So I had to paint it, that is when my airbrush decided to pack up for good.  I am lucky to get any air out of it.  I've placed the error down to the nozzle and the needle looked knackered (I have had it nearly two years now!).  In a feat of incredible British "Can Do" ingenuity I took bits off the other airbrush I have and used it on the main one.  Well the idea was good in principle, that is about all, it failed horribly.  I've now since ordered a brand new airbrush and finished off the little T-80 with it.  I haven't weathered it yet as I am unsure what to do, but I had a go at the Leopard.  I can always go back and dirty it up a little bit I guess.  Sorry for the picture quality, it was taken on my phone.

  To be fair there isn't really that many decals to on this one.  Maybe 6 at most, still they make a lot of difference.  I have learned a little bit from this model and plan to apply it to the other ones.  I will get pictures of this outside in natural light so you can see it in all it's horror!

Looking at it like this, you really wouldn't guess that I have used two different browns on her would you?  Those shovels/spades where a right bugger to paint!

The T-80B, not sure if the brown is the right shade or not, but I am happy with her, it is something different eh?  Think I will add some weathering to this one at a later date.

I can honestly imagine that if a T-80 commander ever got himself caught like this next to a Leopard (espically during the Cold War) he would probably have his head between his legs kissing his arse "goodbye".  I did cock up the spraying of the brown as it has gone over the wheels.  But I think I can use that as some kind of weathering as say it's mud, or give me a good base to work from.  We will see when I get some better pictures of it.

PEACE!

Dazz