The Corvette, the F-16, and America

Last weekend GM unveiled the seventh generation Corvette and it got me thinking that there are a handful of cars and aircraft that epitomize American design. The Corvette and Ford Mustang are the best examples of that aesthetic in the automotive world, and the P-51, C-47, and F-16 in aviation.

So it's fitting to point out that on this day in 1974 the F-16 flew for the first time by test pilot Phil Oestricher.

In case you missed it, Britmodeller user Vingtor posted an in-progress thread of a 1/72 YF-16 last year, and you can see his stunning, finished model here.

Vingtor Aviation History and Research produces decals of the early F-16s in 1/72 and 1/48 scale. I recently acquired a set and can say they're beautiful. They include markings for red,white, and blue YF-16s 72-01567 and 72-01568, the two-tone grey F-16A 75-0745, and the F-16B (75-0752) used to test the J79 engine. Great stuff all around!

My first experience with the F-16 was sometime around 1980, when as a member of the Civil Air Patrol, I went to an open house at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida. The 56th TFW was transitioning from the F-4D to the F-16 at the time, and everyone was excited to see this tiny, new fighter. I still have a couple of the promotional prints handed out at the event. In the years that followed I flew with the 56th on three occasions. Every year they flew one of their UH-1P Hueys to my local airport and gave orientation flights to the members of the high school's AFJROTC squadron, of which I was a member. Those days are among my most treasured experiences of my life (particularly considering I never became a pilot myself).

Hand-crafted propellers

I've casually addressed the idea of "cheating" in an early post on Scale Model Soup (and admitted that I've done it myself), and I've talked about the value of craftsmanship, which I strongly believe is the essence of scale modeling and something that we're slowly losing. A new product recently reviewed on Aeroscale gives me further cause for concern.

A model maker in England is now producing hand-carved propellers from Ash and Mahogany for 1/32 World War One aircraft. To be sure, they are gorgeous examples of artistry and craftsmanship. But what about the buyers? Are we getting so lazy that we can't take the time to learn how to either paint a wood grain effect or carve the propellers ourselves?

Some will say there are modelers who have no interest in learning either one, that their primary interest is in the final product. If that's true then I have to wonder what the point is of "modeling" if you're going to leave the heavy lifting to others. At what point will manufacturers like Revell and Trumpeter simply produce pre-painted, pre-decaled models that you need only assemble? (Diecast manufacturer Norscot already does this with some of their 1/50 scale construction equipment.)

I don't think I'm the only person in the hobby who's interested in learning new skills and honing our craft. (I avoid calling it an art.) I build models, in part, because I'm what they call a "knowledge worker." I work in the software industry, so I don't really create anything that my friends and family can see or hold. Scale modeling is my way of creating something tangible and using skills that I don't leverage in my day-to-day employment.

One final thought. If you use a hand-craft part like one of these propellers, can you not enter the model in an IPMS competition? I would assume so. Fair warning, guys!

An A-6 Intruder, candles, and a fax machine

Before 2012 gets too far away, here are a few random awards I'd like to offer as we look back.

Biggest disappointment of the year: The ongoing delay of the long-promised Trumpeter 1/32 A-6 series. Let's hope we see at least one or two of them in 2013!

Best online build of the year: This build by of a Trumpeter 1/72 Tu-22M3 Backfire by user Lunatech on Aircraft Resource Center. Not only are his research and skills exceptional, but he illustrates and explains his build extremely well.

Runner up: This build on Britmodeller of a Trumpeter 1/72 Lightning F.2A by user Navy Bird. Most people know about the shortcomings of the rear-end of Trumpeter's Lightning, and this modeler clearly shows the fix required, as well as canibalizing a Matchbox Lightning to fix another shortcoming around the belly of the Trumpeter kit.

Most creative model of the year: This vignette by Peter Stoof, the first model I've ever seen that uses a candle as a frame!

Weirdest post on a modeling forum: Mike West's post to Hypercale advertising a fax machine for sale. Do people still use fax machines?

Best built model of 2012

When I started this blog one of my goals was to highlight particularly good examples of modeling that I find on the interwebz. I haven't done a good job of doing that, but I have saved a few links to models that impressed me in 2012.

Choosing one is difficult, but I have to. That honor, for what it's worth, goes to Justin Stolte for his Tamiya 1/32 Spitfire Mk. IX, which was featured on Hyperscale. Justin's modeling, painting, and weathering skills are simply perfect. Clearly one of the more memorable builds I've ever seen!

When I think of armor, the model that stood out to me was Miguel Jimenez's Type 69II C. Everyone knows Mig, and his painting and weathering are second to none.

Other notable models:

Giannis Doxas's Hasegawa 1/48 RF-104G
Jeroen Veen's Kinetic 1/48 C-2A Greyhound
Janie Haggo's gorgeous Tamiya 1/72 P-47D Thunderbolt.
Roman Y's Churchill Mk. III in Soviet markings.
Javier Soler's Tamiya 1/35 Semovente.
Adam O'Brien's Tamiya 1/35 Tiran 5.

I'm eager to see what 2013 brings!

Kit of the year!

After much thought and consideration, I'm thrilled to announce that Scale Model Soup's 2012 kit of the year is the Eduard 1/72 Messerschmitt Bf-110E. (Read a review on Hyperscale.)

This was a very difficult decision, one that I've been anticipating and contemplating since I started SMS back in July. I admit what you already know, that this exercise is inherently unscientific; I have my own personal interests and biases, and frankly, I didn't see literally every new model released in 2012. That said, I've tried to be as objective as I possibly can. I read several online forums and make mental notes of what I see, but at the end of the day (or...at the end of the year) I can only consider what I've seen in some form or another, whether online, at contests, or what I've actually purchased.

When thinking about the model I would select, I considered many factors. How unusual is the subject matter? (For example, do we need yet another Bf-109 or Sherman?) How detailed is the model? How profitable is the model likely to be? (I want manufacturers to be successful.) How versatile is the subject matter? Does a relatively good model already exist of the subject?

I tentatively selected Eduard's 110 when it was first released over the summer, but then Great Wall threw me for a loop when they released their 1/48 MiG-29 last month, and I was forced to reconsider my choice. After reading the glowing reviews from modelers on ARC and Hyperscale, I decided that I had to buy one myself to see if the kit lived up to the hype. And I'll be damned, it did! Friends, the MiG-29 is now, arguably, the  best 1/48th scale model ever produced, an honor which I think most modelers would've ascribed to the Tamiya 1/48 F-16C Viper.

I looked very closely at both the Eduard Bf-110 and the Great Wall MiG-29. Both feature state-of-the-art, fifth generation detail and molding. Both are positioned to be profitable for their producers. Both effectively "replace" good, but imperfect kits (Fujimi and Academy, respectively).

Two features of the Great Wall MiG-29 almost swayed me to select it. First the rivets; there are two types of rivets, each molded to a different depth! Second, the armament. The AA-10s and AA-11s are works of beauty and rival any resin missile produced in plastic or resin. This kit sets a new standard that all other manufacturers will seek to meet in 2013 and beyond. I would pre-order every new release from Great Wall, even without knowing what it would be!

What the Great Wall MiG-29 is to 1/48th scale, the Eduard Bf-110E (and the other 110 variants Eduard has since released) is to 1/72nd scale. I selected the Eduard kit as my kit of the year because, frankly, I think it's more difficult to achieve this degree of detail and finesse in 1/72nd scale than it is in 1/48th. The 110 is gorgeous. It features detail that we typically see in resin and panel lines and rivets that are truly appropriate for the scale. (I hope we see that level of finesse on 1/144 scale kits next year.) That Eduard has released at least two other 110 variants and a bunch of aftermarket (photoetch and resin) tells me that this kit is positioned to be a profitable investment for our Czech friends. After their Bf-110, I'm even more excited about the promise of what is likely to be Eduard's best release in 2013, their MiG-15.

I should mention a few other models that are among the best of 2012. Tamiya's 1/72 A6M Zero is a gem, beautifully detailed and molded. (There's a review on Hyperscale.) On the armor front, Meng's A39 Tortoise and IDF Merkavas are wonderful, setting a new standard for 1/35 manufacturers, and Bronco is producing some very nice armor; hell, I've lost count of their Chaffee releases!

(Sadly, I cannot comment on ship or car releases. I hope to find someone in 2013 who can contribute commentary on those corners of the hobby).

As I look back to 2012 I feel compelled to remind everyone that scale modelers are living in the best of times. Despite a recession in the United States and economic uncertainty around the world, 2012 was a great year to be a modeler, in terms of releases and quality. Yes, the kits from the best manufactures easily exceed $50 and many approach $100, but ours is still a value-rich hobby. 2012 saw jaw-dropping examples of models produced with the latest technologies, such as computer aided design, rapid prototyping, and slide molding. Many kits don't need the aftermarket we've become accustomed to buying. Even the cottage industry is contributing to our nirvana, with innovative releases from small businesses such as Caracal Models, Barracuda Studios, Freightdog Models, and ET Model.

I've enjoyed each of the thirty-some years I've been in the hobby, and the only thing that bums me out as we enter 2013 is that I can't build models fast enough to keep up with all of the new releases we see every year. Happy New Year!

Aftermarket of 2012

My aftermarket company of the year is Caracal Models. Proprietor Kursad has been producing limited run decals for a number of years, but he moved his company into afterburner in 2012 and released 20 decals, mostly in 1/48th scale.

If you're not familiar with the company, Caracal produces decals for military aircraft from the post-World War Two era to the present. Kursad has been particularly adept at timing his releases to the releases of new kits, hence his decals for Kinetic's S-2 Tracker, C-2 Greyhound, F-5A Freedom Fighter, and F-94 Starfire. He has no less than three releases to support the new Kinetic T-45 Goshawk. Kursad is doing something right; almost half of his 1/48 decals are sold out!

If there's something you want to see, speak up on the Caracal Models forum on the Aircraft Resource Center. Kursad seems genuinely open to  hearing ideas and responding as best he can.

2013 can only be bigger and better for Caracal Models, particularly with the unfortunately closure of Afterburner Decals, which should expand his customer base. Kursad has already talked on ARC about upcoming releases of T-38 Talons, ANG F-4 Phantoms, and Sikorsky H-34s. I'm excited to see what he'll do next, particularly when he invests more in the scale I work in, 1/72.

Runner up: Flexible antenna bases for the 1/35 Sherman from Adlers Nest. Yes, flexible antennas! Available from Tasca.

WTF of 2012

Every once in a while something happens in the hobby that knocks you off your feet and makes you say, "What the f**k?" I find myself asking that question more frequently than I used to; the hobby has moved further along over the years, and we're seeing some pretty obscure stuff being produced. It's not just the models, mind you. For example, a few years ago one of the aftermarket companies released a set of dry transfer decals for paint chips. Really? Are there modelers so lazy that they can't dip a paintbrush into some silver paint and dab it on the model? Really?



But it's the models that get our attention, right? I guess we're going to have to get used to seeing weird stuff like Meng's 1/35 Tortoise and Special Hobby's upcoming 1/72 Gloster Meteor F.Mk.8 Prone now that the manufacturers have released kits of nearly every variant and subvariant of the Pzkpfw IV and P-51. That's not a not bad thing, but I predict that surprise is going to become the de rigueur standard in our hobby for 2013 and every year thereafter.

There will always be a group of modelers who appreciate every new model no matter how obscure, and the rest of us will remain, at best, intrigued; we might purchase one of these oddball subjects for shits and grins. What will truly surprise us will always be the completely bizarre choices, and this year that award must go to Academy for their decision to mold their beautiful new 1/48 F-4B Phantom II in two colors. Really?

Yes, it's true. It would seem that the design and management team from 1975 Matchbox have come out of retirement and are now gainfully employed at Academy. The Phantom is molded in white and light grey, presumably to make it easier for the beginner modeler to create a reasonable representation of the aircraft without paint. Wasn't that the intent behind the two-color Matchbox kits? In fairness, that's a good idea, but how many beginners are buying a $69 kit at their local hobby shop for their first foray into plastic modeling?

Congratulations, Academy!

Now I'm going to log onto my favorite online retailer to order three.

Biggest surprise of 2012

Throughout the year I frequently go to Cybermodeler to check their list of upcoming releases, which is updated regularly and generally quite accurate. That said, sometimes a new release sneaks in under the radar and surprises us. That was the case with Roden's 1/144 C-124A Globemaster this year. Of course at my age (mid-forties) my memory ain't what it used to be, so I could be wrong; maybe it was announced two years ago. No matter, it was new to me and a total surprise.

If you haven't seen the kit, here's a review on Britmodeller, and here's a good discussion on Aircraft Resource Center.

I view the C-124 and C-131 as the first of the super cargo aircraft that eventually gave us the C-141, C-5, and C-17. The C-124 is an important aircraft that's been overlooked for a long time, not surprising given that cargo aircraft are generally less sexy than, say, an F-94 or MiG-21. Have you ever heard of a pilot graduating at the top of his UPT class and requesting cargo aircraft? Probably not. Therefore it was great to see Roden find the courage to release the C-124 this summer. On a side note, it has some meaning even to my mother, who flew to France on a Globemaster in the mid-1950s when, as a young Army PFC, she was assigned to a base in Lyon.

In fairness, Roden's kit doesn't have the finesse we see in the latest fifth-generation releases from Eduard, Cyber Hobby, and Tamiya, but as it's unlikely we'll see those heavy hitters produce a Globemaster anytime soon, we're lucky to have manufacturers like Roden to give us decent models of more obscure aircraft. While not perfect, a talented modeler can create a real gem with them. The model shown below is Carl Knable's C-124, which is the perfect kit to show off his talent with natural metal finishes.

A couple of weeks ago Roden announced a C-124C, the variant with the distinctive, bulbous nose (the one seen on Carl's coversion). We can only hope that 2013 will see them release a C-133!

Runner up goes to the Great Wall 1/48 MiG-29. This came out of nowhere and has made many of us very happy! The only reason it doesn't take the Surprise award is that it's not as risky a release as the Roden Globemaster.

Tomorrow I'll give you the WTF award of 2012!

Thanks to Carl for sharing photos of his model.