New Purchase - Trumpeter 1/144 F-22 Raptor

  The box isn't much to look at, two Raptors with their burners on.

   The first thing you see when you open the box, the canopy is already attached to the airframe, how cool is that?  Also buggers you up if you want to have the canopy open tho.  I like the way that the canopy is protected, means there shouldn't be any scratches on it.

   Now I love the way these sprue's are spread out, if you look closely at the sprue runners you'll see 4 little plugs near each corner.  These are raised by about 1cm and the sprue on the left fits into the one on the right a special way so that no parts are touching or scratching each other.  A clever idea me thinks and I likes alot.  I will be buying more from Trumpeter in the future!!! :)

  Just look at the detail on the bomb-bay!  Thats gonna look great with some wash/dry brushing.  The cockpit tub looks cool also, you can see it to the top left.

  Here you have the air intake "bomb-bay" that I have only ever seen Sidewinders or ASRAAM's use.  Very well detailed it is too, the wheel wells are the same. 

  The decal sheet, nothing special really as there isn't any special markings used on these planes yet, and as far as I am aware the whole fleet of F-22A's are grounded due to concerns of the oxygen system killing the pilots. 

  Generic painting guide, has all of the paints for Mr. Hobby, Vallejo (all bar one), Model Master, Tamiya and Humbrol.  Guess what paints I use now?!

  And the other 3 options for the model.  Think I am going to do the top one, the rest are too generic for my likings.  Love the pictures tho, think I will build mine with the fuel tanks on it, they just look cool with them on.

  All in all I am impressed with this model, it really it well packaged and everything it in poly-bags are really thought out.  With the detail of the kit you would think that it was a 1/72 not a 1/144.  This is going to be fun to build.  Probably take me 2 years tho!  I liked the model so much that I actually bought a second one, that I am thinking of making into the preposed FB-22.  But I will have to hack the wings off and stretch it a bit also stick in another bomb bay.  I'll let my skills develop before I attempt that one.  Also I am not buying anymore models until I get a few of them done.

  Peace!

  Dazz

New Purchase - Revell 1/144 Tornado GR.1

  Ever since I bought that decal sheet from Kits-World and the resin JP223's from Freightdog Models, I have wanted a decent Tornado to use for those parts.  I have got the Matchbox Tornado GR.1 which isn't upto the task as it doesn't have the Sky Shadow ECM pods that where used in the Gulf War, nor the Fuel Tanks that where used either.  I've also got the 1+1 Dragon GR.4 kits, but once again the fuel tanks are the wrong ones can't remember if the Sky Shadow ECM pod is in it or not.  I also have a Revell Luftwaffe Tornado, can't remember off the top of my head whats in that one, but there was something wrong.  Once again I believe it was the Sky Shadow ECM pod and/or the Fuel Tanks.  This model however fits the bill excatly, it has the Sky Shadow ECM pod, you can see it on the left wing on the picture and as the picture shows also it has the 2250 litre "Hindenburger" tanks that the GR.1's "borrowed" from the F-3 Tornados for the extra range.  Might get another two of these.

 

 Even tho I am not going to use these decals, these are class.  I am really impressed with these colours and the cockpit decals too.  I might use these on one of the other kits now that I think about it. I am NOT looking forward to all of the red "X's" there is loads of the buggers!

  It's a nice scheme too, altho not one I remember seeing ever.  I will have to look on the interwebs with my Google-fu skills to find some.

 I am going to assume that these two spures are generic Tornado ones, theres not much difference in all the Tornados except between the  ADV versions and the IDS/ECR ones.  The ADV has one cannon and a longer nose while the IDS/ECR ones have a shorter nose and two cannons... I think the GR4 has one cannon now too. 

  These two spures I think where made just for the GR.1 model alone.  It has the Hindenburger tanks the Sky Shadow ECM Pod, some kinda Paveway bombs, 4 1000lbs bombs and two ALARM missiles (Air Launched Anti-Radation Missile, think HARM and your there.) oh and the canopy.  Looking forward to building this one.

New Purchase - Revell 1/144 F-18/CF-188 Hornet

 I bought this one from Lucky-Model, thought I'd give them a try.  Admitted I could of gotten this model from somewhere else, but I got this one to bulk out the order and make the shipping worth it.  I have said in previous posts that I am not a fan of bright paintwork/CAG schemes.  HOWEVER, if it's an anniversary scheme or a display colour (like the Red Arrows or Blue Angels (listen to that cool music!!!)...) then I may use it.  This mode was shipped with the colours you see on the box for the Candian CF-18 Hornet's 20th Anniversary of service and an CAG scheme, I can't remember who for right now.  Tigermeet schemes I kinda sit on the fence with, it depends on the actual scheme.  French and German schemes are 9 times out of 10 really cool tho. :)

  
   The CF-18 scheme, now I really really do like this scheme.  I think it's really cool and I will be using it for this model.

  The CAG Scheme, I do like this one as CAG schemes go, but I will not be using it.  I might buy a Dragon F-18C later on and use it on the second model in the pack.

   Shame I wont be using the weapons on this one, those AGM-84 Harpoons, AGM-65 Mavericks, AGM-88 HARM's (High-speed Anti-Radiation Missile), look really good too.  Theres a laser designator and a pod of some kind, think its an TILAD... possibly I will need to check that out.  Those stores wont be used tho, so they will be going into the stash.

  Those decals look really good too, that orange will be hard to match but I will give it a go, I've also now got a few spare USAF roundels as well.  So I might get the Revell 1/144 F-15E Strike Eagle that everyones complaining about with the decals and use it on that.  Not a bad idea actually...

  Thats it for this kit, onto the next...

  PEACE!

  Dazz

MiG 1.44 MFI and MiG-29 WiP

 I was going to sort out the resin parts today, but I had a computer to fix (a complete motherboard change on a laptop).  So I done that then saw these on the table I was working on and just started to work on them.  I've started the MiG-29 too, my thinking is that I am going to do both the 1.44 and the 29 in the same camo scheme.  I've seen lots of grey 1.44's so I thought I would do something I haven't seen it before, a kinda "whatif".  The MiG-29 is just a quick kit to get done out of the way and keep some people off my back, they know who they are!!! :P  Picture time...

  Those attachment points for the canards are horrible.  Will need to use a bit of filler on them.  The instrument panel didn't get any decals as they where really bad, so I decided not to use them.  I'm still impressed with the cockpit tho.

  Front section, once the cockpit is done the rest is a doddle tbh.

   Those nozzles look good on this model, a little worried about painting them, but I will figure something out.  I was going to drop the flaps on this one, I couldn't figure out what are the flaps and what are not.  I see something in the middle of the wing that looks like a flap and I see a little flap between the rudder and the nozzles, as of yet I haven't been able to find any pictures of them dropped, so I have left them up.

   I've left the intake off so I can paint it the usual dark grey/white whatever.  One thing that did cross my mind when I made this one, I didn't put any weight in the nose and I have a feeling it's going to be a tail sitter.  Those intakes go back a little way so I am going to stick some weight there, will have to see what I have to use.  I didn't have any problems with the joins in the wings, a little filler will be needed on the top, but nothing that a bit of Mr. Surfacer can't fix.

   The Academy 1/144 MiG-29A Fulcrum, I thought this would be a good model as I have an 1/72 OV-10 Bronco in my stash and that's a great model with lots of detail and looks fairly accurate to me.  Well as much as I can see as I've never flown/worked on/walked around one.  First thing that you should be able to see from this picture is the nose!  What's wrong with it?  It reminds me of the Sukhoi Su-34 "FULLBACK" aka "Platypus" just worse, at least that plane looks cool!!!  Now that I think about it, I might actually paint the MiG-29 as an Luftwaffe model, I should have some decals in the stash for that.

   Next thing you notice is those jet nozzles, they do not fit at all!  I though it was the way I had glued the fuselage together but no, they are perfectly correct (a result really!)  If I had glued the nozzles flush with the top half, there would of been a massive gap of about 10mm or so between the nozzles and the back of the bottom fuselage.  So I decided to do it like this.  The only thing I can think of, is that Academy have gotten the MiG-29 mixed up with the F-15C as you could think it has a "lip" on it's nozzles.  Thats the only thing that would make sense to me...

  And the two birds together, the MiG-29 is almost the same size as the MiG 1.44 wing!  That is one massive bird.  You can see how big it is by the size chart on the mat, just times the size of that by 144 times and you *should* be close to it.  Still both are fun models to make and I am looking forward to paiting them, now that I have a new tool to use on them :)

  More to come...

  PEACE!

  Dazz

Revell 1/144 MiG 1.44 MFI WiP1

 Got this plane cheap on Ebay a while ago, only just started it.  I've always had a fondness for this plane since it appeared in Ace Combat 5 - The Unsung War.  Love the look of it, but I never realised how huge this bastard actually is!!!  It's massive!!!  I've only started on the cockpit for the time being, I've not put a HUD because I read that it was supposed to have an in helmet display or something.  I didn't use the decals that came with the model because I thought they where a bit sucky.  The cockpit tub has raised details so I painted them in some kinda way.  I used a new Humbrol acrylic brush on this one and I am loving the brush.  I made some sidewalls, not too sure how the inside of this plane actually looks tho.  Liking the dry-brushing that I done of the chair too.  Here are the piccies of it and what I have done.

   Believe it or not but that little lot took me about an hour... well that was with all the interuptions I received through the painting process.  Not too sure if those side walls are a good idea or not.  The seatbelts need work too.  I scratch built the ejector handle too, made from the wires inside an USB cable that was "coloured" with an red Sharpie.  I wasn't sure if this plane has the single red handle or the two red handles you see, so I just took a guess and went with the single.

  Now this side I am proud of, the dry brushing seems to have worked too. The ejector handle looks good here too.  More to follow later on. :)

  PEACE!

  Dazz

RetroWings/Freightdog bits and bobs

  After speaking with Ant Sized Man (check out his blog, the dude has serious skills!) about some resin parts he has received for his models.  I think it was a cockpit tub for an F6 Hellcat, a beautiful plane btw, but back to topic.  I decided to get some parts for some of my models, haven't really looked at them yet but pictures and a little about them.  Oh the links below will take you to the actual items.

   Got the A-10 Intake Lips and Exhaust Covers as I will be starting it soon and thought why the hell not.  The prices are very good with Retro Wings so why the hell not?  The Tornado cockpit was bought for the Dragon model, which the cockpit from that model is shocking!

   Not too sure how bad the Revell Tornado's cockpit is actually, just added this to the list because I could :P The same can be said for the Hawker Hunters cockpit too.

   Now the A-6's cockpit is a disgrace, almost as bad as the Dragons Tornado.  So this was a must if I wanted to make that cool plane.  The LRMTS pods where added to the list because I wanted to make a few GR1's.  There is something else to add to that plan below :)

  Got this one because it looked cool and I am bound to pick up an Legacy F-18 at some point looks like it'll be some fun work to get these parts on but I am willing to try it.

 
  Saw these Tornado JP233's for sale on Freightdog Models, these will fit in perfectly with my Kits-World decals and the various Tornados I have.  The timing for these couldn't of been better.  I hope they release more stuff for the 1/144 scale in due course.

  I'll try to get a wash on them and show the details they have in due course.

  PEACE!

  Dazz

New Purchases 1/144

  Yes I know I have been buying more models than I build, but I am hoping that should change soon as I have now cleaned off my desk in my bedroom for modelling, where as before I was using the kitchen table.  Least I will be able to listen to better music and have easier access to reference material, ie the interwebs and my book collection.  Right onto what I have purchased.

  All of the following where from King Kit - www.kingkit.co.uk a very good modelling kit website.  I will be using them again.  I only really wanted two kits from them but I think I ended up buying 8!!!  Onto the pictures.

   This was the first kit that I actually wanted, I'm not a great fan of CAG schemes as they seem like some kinda ego boost to me.  However this one I like, it fits with an A-10 to me.  Also it has the dual AIM-9 launchers that an A-10 should have.  Got lots of extra weapons with this one too, always handy to have. 

   Two planes I have always liked, the F-16XL was a design that was put forward as an bomber, it could carry 16 bombs on it.  I believe that this design proposal lost the the F-15E Strike Eagle.  The two that where built where given to NASA hence the cool black paint work on the plane.  The Saab Viggen is one of those weird planes that I love for no reason at all except that it looks cool!!  I always loved the way that Swedish planes are designed to operate from crap airfields and motorways, yeah I know that any plane can operate from a motorway but it's cool to be in the design.  I know the RAF used to train their pilots with motorway take offs with the Harriers and the Jaguars.  Not too sure on the Tornado tho... hhmm.

   As a kid I remember making an 1/144 F-4 Phantom from the Hellenic Air Force.  As a kid you never really gave a crap about details then, as I had painted it metallic aluminium and put the decals on.  I guess you could call this a trip down memory lane for me.  I got the F-16 as it's nice to do a plane in markings other than Russian, American and British.  I think it looks like a cool model to do with just the two tanks on it and the AIM-9's too.  The Tornado was because I wanted a GR1 model.  Every kit I have of the GR1 is missing the ECM pod under the left wing, I'm hoping as it's on the photo it should be in the box.  Gotta love a Sharkmouth Tornado. ;)

   The Su-25 Frogfoot (love that name) was bought because I have a thing for ground pounders/anti-armor planes.  I'm hoping it comes with a lot of ammo that I can use on one of my other Russian jets.  Now the Hawker Hunter, what a beautiful plane!  Anyone who doesn't love this plane is either moronic or blind!  It's also cool that the Royal Navy are still using them to this day via a 3rd party.  It also kicked serious arse in the Indian/Pakistan war, the pilots loved it because it never let them down.  I remember reading that one pilot hit a sand dune with his tail after a tank had a lucky shot at him and the plane survived and got him home too.  Class

 
  This Tigershark was added to the pile as it was cheap and I have been after a good F-5/F-20 for ages.  The paint work looks easy to do so not much to worry about and only... 8 decals if I am lucky.

  As of yet I am not too sure how I am going to paint them if it's going to be OOB (Out of Box) or bodge something up myself.  Will have to see what happens and how I feel.

  Thats all for now... PEACE!

  Dazz