The hubub over the Kinetic F-16XL

Earlier this week Kinetic announced its next release, a 1/48 F-16XL. Like most of my reactions to life these days, I had mixed emotions. First I said to myself, "Cool!" Then I was all like, "Whatever." It seems that the modeling community shares my feelings.

Some modelers are not impressed. On Britmodeller, many readers expressed their disappointment.

"Leaves me stone-cold."

"Why waste research and plastic on this when there are so many other classic and contemporary subjects begging for a decent kit?"

"Not really looking forward to this release."

Others in the discussion were more positive. One pointed out that Kinetic, Hobby Boss, and Kitty Hawk are making greater contributions to the hobby than the older, more established companies such as Hasegawa and Tamiya. I think he's right. Although quality has been hit-or-miss, these newer manufacturers are giving us some very interesting models.

As insightful as these conversations have been, to this announcement as well as other releases as they've been announced, one important point is often missed. In the case of the F-16XL, let's remember that this is not Kinetic's final release! Even if you, like me, think there could've been better choices, we're going to see many more releases from Kinetic and the other manufacturers before they go the way of the dodo. For example, I'd really like to see a new-tool Su-22, and if I were at the helm at Kinetic or Kitty Hawk you'd all have one on your bench (or more likely, in your stash) by now. But I have to believe that an Su-22 is on someone's radar and we'll see one sooner or later.

As modelers we know the value of patience when building a model. Let's remember to apply it to the release of new models as well.

What will stick with me from the 2014 IPMS Nats

Think about all the contests you've been to. Think about all the models you've seen online. How many of them are memorable? I mean, you see a lot of extraordinary models over the course of your time in the hobby, but there's only a handful that you think about when you reflect on the best of the best.

The 2014 IPMS Nats are a week behind me now, and I'm already thinking about which of the 2,700 models in the contest will likely stay in the front of my mind six months, a year, maybe five years from now.

Two models in one of the Spacecraft categories by Texan David Carlton struck me last week, and I think they'll stay with me over time.

The first is a scratchbuilt 1/48 Vanguard Test Vehicle 3 as it was seen in 1957. It was displayed in a relatively intact configuration, with a satellite displayed at the top of the rocket.

The second model from David was a similar rocket, a scratchbuilt 1/48 Vanguard Satellite Launch Vehcile 4 as it was seen in 1959, which I can only presume was the production version of Vehicle 3. (I haven't taken the time to research either rocket.) This one was built and displayed to show the rocket's innards, as well as David's fine modeling skills.

Both models were beautifully built and detailed, and with their carefully considered display it's easy to picture them in a museum. Truly modeling at its finest!

The best of the 2014 IPMS Nats

Another IPMS National Convention is behind us, and it was a good one. There were more than 700 registrants who entered more than 2,700 models. Any contest is an opportunity to be inspired, but the Nats offers the chance to see literally thousands of models at one time.

It wasn't until I was on my way home, when the Sirius/XM 80s channel played the Top 40 from 1984, that I realized this year marks the 30th year since I attended my first convention, the 1984 Nats in Atlanta. The show never fails to deepen my enthusiasm for the hobby.

The models were impressive this year, and if I have any regret it's that I didn't spend nearly enough time in the contest room. Next year I need to commit to spending at least 3-4 solid hours really studying the models to learn what I can.

I photographed quite a few models across all the categories, but here are a few that I thought were particularly impressive, interesting, or memorable. Go to my Google Picasa gallery to see 180 photos from the contest.

One of my favorite 1/48 scale entries, a perfectly painted and weathered SB2U.

My favorite 1/72 entry, an F6F Hellcat. It was one of the best weathered 1/72 scale aircraft I've ever seen.

A beautifully executed 1/48 Ju-88 A-4 by Ricard Rivas of Venezuela.

My favorite 1/32 scale aircraft in the competition, an F-84G with a flawless natural metal finish.

Another favorite 1/72 entry, a AH-1W Cobra. It's rare to see a helicopter built and weathered so well.

A gorgeous vacuform PD-1 Flying Boat.

I'm a sucker for the obscure and unusual, so this scratchbuilt 1/72 Italian Obicie 305/17 DS artillery piece caught my eye.

An amazing scratchbuilt 1/9 scale Ariel W/NG 350cc Italian motorcycle by Alex deLeon, which took Best Military Subject. His trike (pictured on the IPMSs web site) won George Lee Judges' Grand Award.

A stunning 1/350 SMS Vulcan, a U-boat salvage tug.

Who doesn't like a red Ferrari. Here's a gorgeous 1/24 Fujimi 1972 Ferrari Daytona Spider.

Classic car lovers appreciated this 1/25 Moebius 1952 Hudson Hornet.

An excellent 1/20 Masterpiece Miniatures Apollo Saturn V engine by Ronnie Rutherford.

Best Space/Science Fiction Vehicle went to this amazing scratchbuilt 1/48 Curiosity rover by Mike Mackowski.

This Imperial II Class Star Destroyer had lights and everything!

If I were to give an award for most unusual model, it would be for this paper model of a Teddy Bear, seen in the pre-teen categroy. Seriously, that has to warm your heart, right?

See you in Columbus, Ohio next year!

Christmas in August

It’s that time of year again. The IPMS USA National Convention is less than a week away. Christmas for scale modelers! I’ll be attending the convention for the fourth year in a row – this year it's within driving distance – and I couldn’t be more excited. Well, I could be more excited, but not by much.

What am I looking forward to? First and foremost, looking at a helluva lot of models! I enjoy seeing models online throughout the year, but nothing beats seeing them in person. I always come away inspired and motivated. I’m particularly eager to see what shows up in the Miscellaneous categories; there are always two or three that surprise me with their creativity.

World Trade Center model at the 2012 IPMS National Convention

I’m looking forward to the vendors. I’ve been in the hobby long enough to have practically everything I want (and if I don’t, I can usually find it online), but it’s always fun to browse the vendors room and discover things I wasn’t really looking for. I’m excited about seeing the new Airfix 1/24 Typhoon in the flesh, eager to see what new tools John Vojtech brings, and looking forward to seeing Click2Detail’s products for the first time.

I’m looking forward to entering my models in the contest, which is something you should do, too. My models have flaws for sure. I know they’re not going to be competitive, but I appreciate the opportunity to share them with other modelers who, I hope, will enjoy seeing them, and my $35 registration fee plays a small part in supporting the convention.

Even though it’s an obligation and a challenge, I’m looking forward to judging. I was an “OJT” last year, so this time around I get to be a full-fledged player. (In truth, an OJT's observations are taken just as seriously as those of the certified judges.) With the possible exception of watching a master modeler at work, nothing will make you a better modeler than judging. I'm going to learn a lot.

I’m looking forward to seeing my friends, David, Lonny, Bruce, Jason, Mark, Adrian, and others whose attendance will surprise me. I’m also looking forward to the seven-hour road trip. I’ve already started to assemble my music playlists!

What am I NOT looking forward to? Most directly, I’ll miss my friends who cannot attend, Graham, Mark, Mark (2), John, and Awan. I’m bummed they can’t be there and the experience won’t be the same without them. I’m not looking forward to encountering “that guy.” He’ll be there, you can count on it. I’m not looking forward to the vendors room closing and the hour following the awards banquet when everyone is packing up their models. That’s the moment you realize the convention is over and you have to wait an entire year for the next convention. (Actually, the 2015 convention is in July, so it will be only 11 months away!)

If you’ll be at the convention, look for me and say hello. Like modeling itself, blogging can feel isolating at times, so it’s always a pleasure to meet folks in person. Until then, happy modeling or safe travels.

In the mood for: Seaplanes

"Whenever I find myself growing grim about the mouth; whenever it is a damp, drizzly November in my soul...I account it high time to get to sea as soon as I can. There is magic in it."

---

Herman Melville understood the allure of the sea and explained it beautifully within the first paragraphs of Moby Dick. Ishmael, our hero and Real Man by anyone's standards, chooses to go to sea not as a passenger, he tells us, but as a sailor. Men for hundreds of years have followed Ishmael's lead and joined the great (and not-so-great) navies of the world either for the pure air and exercise that Ishmael sought or for the money, which he didn't fail to mention either.

Aviators, though their eyes are usually turned skyward, are not immune to this longing for the sea, and many have chosen to fly aircraft off aircraft carriers -- and even from cruisers and battleships when naval aviation was new back in the 1930s and 40s -- rather than concrete runways. Those  pioneers saw the practical and tactical value of flying aircraft directly off the sea, and they modified aircraft with pontoons and other technologies to exploit those capabilities. I'm fascinated by function over form, so it shouldn't be strange that I've been enticed to build models of seaplanes recently.

Over the last year or so I've purchased quite a few seaplanes, which are far from my usual interest in modern jet aircraft. How did this happen? Is the same longing for the sea that Melville wrote about applicable to scale modeling? Is it just a matter of time before I start buying ships?

My fascination with sea planes might have been sparked watching Kermit Weeks's in-cockpit "Kermie Cam" videos of his Sikorsky S-39, flying it off the lake on his Fantasy of Flight property in Central Florida.

Or maybe it was photographs of exceptional scale models of seaplanes, such as this scratchbuilt 1/72 Loening C-2H Air Yacht 1928 by Flikr user Franclab.

I know for sure why I bought an Eastern Express 1/144 Be-200. It was just after stumbling upon this video of a Be-200 performing at the Gelendzhik Hydro Air Show in Russia and being smitten by its unique, head-on profile.

To be fair, I've had a few seaplanes in my stash going back to my high school days. A couple of years ago, writing about the challenges of rigging, I mentioned my Williams Brothers 1/72 Douglas World Cruiser, which as some of you know can be built with either wheels or pontoons. I've also had an LS 1/144 Emily for nearly the same 30 years, which has called its siren song to me now and then.

More recently I've picked up an Airfix 1/144 Boeing 314 Clipper at Mosquitocon back in April, a fugly Amodel 1/144 Be-12NH, and a Sword 1/72 SO3C Seamew during my last visit to my LHS just last week. There are a few more on my informal wish list, so don't be surprised if you see one or two under my arm at the IPMS Nats next week.

I suppose it doesn't matter why we like what we like. What can we do but embrace these whims and see where they take us? I think they offer a pleasant distraction from building, in my case, yet another Hasegawa F-4 or Trumpeter F-105. An opportunity to stretch our skills, use different colors, and try new weathering techniques. In the meantime, if anyone has a Sword 1/72 JRF Goose they'd like to sell, give me a shout. I'll provide the water.

The best painting tip ever

Do you remember how as a child you used to draw pictures of landscapes? You probably represented the sky as a strip of blue at the top of the paper, because you knew the sky was over your head, like this.

A few years later, your brain matured and you began to see the sky as it actually exists in your world. It's not simply over your head, it extends down to the horizon as well, and your pictures started to look like this.

What happened? You began to draw what you see, not what you know is there.

I'm always amused when I hear people ask questions like these:

• What color grey is the interior of the F-16?
• What is the FS color used for inert AIM-9 Sidewinders?
• What paint should I use for tires?
• How do you paint a black aircraft?

My answer is almost always the same: Paint what you see, not what you know is there.

Too often we look for documented standards and out-of-the-bottle solutions for questions like these. In our search for accuracy we want a paint specifically called "tire black" or the FS number for those missiles.

Instead we should be using our observational skills to look -- really look -- at the tires of aircraft and ask ourselves, "What color do I see? I know it's rubber, but what color is it?" When you do that, you'll find yourself seeing tones of grey, possibly with bluish or reddish tones. You'll probably notice that the color isn't consistent across the entire tire. The part that makes contact with the ground may be lighter than the sidewalls. It may be dirty. The tire may even be stained from fluids dripping from the underside of the aircraft.

If you're looking at photos of an inert Sidewinder, what shade of blue is it? Dark, light, medium? It is a pure blue or faded? Look at the blue in that jar of Tamiya XF-8 on your workbench. Is it a close match? Oh, you say it's not? Would it be closer with a drop of two of white? Would the result be so far off from FS 35109 that your friends, rivet counters, and IPMS judges will laugh at you? Probably not.

Years ago I built this model, an Italeri 1/72 MiG-29. I knew I wanted it in West German markings and had the appropriate color references, but because I use Tamiya almost exclusively I couldn't simply buy the colors I needed. I had to mix them from scratch, using colors that were close but requiring some adjustment to get right. The result, I think, looks pretty good. One of the grey might not stand up to a paint chip of FS 36320, but when viewed in my display case or on a table at a contest, it looks convincing.

My suggestion is to become a student of color. Familiarize yourself with color theory and the color wheel associated with it. Study photographs closely. Look beyond what you intuitively know is there and study what actually exists in front of you. This will make you a better modeler, particularly when you don't have easy, off-the-shelf solutions.

The passing of Andrei Koribanics

I know most of you don't do figures, but that community lost one of the greats overnight, Andrei Koribanics.

Andrei was best known for his outstanding miniature creations in 54mm and larger. When I first started painting figures back in the mid-1990s his "Eye Deep In Hell" was for me one of the best examples of modeling and painting I'd ever seen. He wrote an article about it for Internet Modeler back in 2001.

You can see more of his figures on his personal web site.

Andrei was also an accomplished aircraft modeler and was particularly adept with bi-wing aircraft, which as we all know are extremely challenging and require an almost engineer-like prowess to master. It's incredibly rare to find a modeler who excels -- and I mean truly excels -- at more than one area of our craft, but Andrei did. For that reason alone he will hold a special place in scale modeling history.

You can see more of Andrei's aircraft at:

World War One French aircraft
World War One Central Powers aircraft
Mitsubishi A6M2 Zero