The dilemma of D-Day stripes

This month we commemorate the anniversary of D-Day, so I thought it would be suitable to briefly write about one of the more popular topics of interest to modelers of World War Two era aircraft, D-Day stripes. Conversations about these markings on the forums are often contentious, but they shouldn't be. We can all pretty much agree on two points.

Some D-Day stripes were painted with great care.

And some D-Day stripes were painted seemingly with a mop from the mess hall.

And if you look hard enough, you'll find examples of D-Day stripes between these two extremes of neat and careless. That's good new for us modelers, because we can’t get D-Day stripes wrong, right? Well, sort of.

Here’s the rub. If you choose to paint perfectly applied D-Day stripes, your model may look like…a toy. Accurate, perhaps, but still toylike. If you choose to represent carelessly applied D-Day stripes and you paint them as poorly as they appear on that Boston above, people will think you’re a crappy modeler. Yes, a knowledgable modeler will realize what you’ve attempted to do, but your finishing skills will still appear to be subpar.

I did a quick image search in Google to look for models of P-47s, B-17s, etc. that feature D-Day stripes, and I discovered that the majority of modelers play it safe, applying fairly neat stripes. The results are generally effective. To be sure, I found some really nice models in the process and saved a more than a few for inspiration on future projects. But in general, it would seem we're reluctant to show sloppy D-Day stripes.

What makes a D-Day stripe “sloppy?” Well, it was poorly masked (or not masked at all), the paint was applied haphazardly, resulting in inconsistent coverage over the area, and the paint might have been applied with one very thick coat.

Knowing that, how do we show sloppy D-Day stripes on a model? I think the answer is, we don't. The key is striking a balance between what I refer to as accurate sloppy and representational sloppy. On an actual aircraft it would look something like this Spitfire, a photo that I'm sure you've all seen before. This is the general effect you should probably strive to represent on a model. Although the white paint seems to quite thick, these two artists have made a good attempt to keep the lines straight and the width of the lines consistent.

To mask representational sloppy stripes, you can toss aside the idea that you can paint them without masking. Maybe your grandfather did so on his P-51 in 1944, but in scale (even 1/32 scale) masking goes a long way to your achieving a good foundation for the stripes, even sloppy ones. The tape you cut for the masking doesn't need to be cut perfectly sharp and straight. You can score your tape partially through and then carefully pull the tape to create a mask with a slightly ragged edge. The degree of raggedness depends on the scale — the larger the scale, the more ragged it can be.

And then there’s coverage. When you apply each of the white and black stripes, you don’t have to apply a complete coat of paint. A thin to medium application of paint provides sufficient basis for a subsequent application of very thin paint applied with a brush, which is an attempt to represent the application of paint by brush on the actual aircraft. If you apply a thin coat of paint, leaving just the impression of brushstrokes, the in-scale effect should be ideal.

Here's my Hasegawa 1/72 B-26. Look closely and you'll see that the edges of the stripes aren't perfect; I left some imperfections to suggest that they weren't too carefully applied. I also did some chipping, assuming that the paint probably wasn't as durable as that which was applied in the factory. These stripes don't capture the effect quite like I had in mind, so you can be sure the next time around I'll vary my technique a bit and see what comes of it. (And you can bet that if I do another B-26 I'll spend more time fitting the landing lights properly.)

Finally, despite my joking about there being too many discussions about D-Day stripes, this recent WIP of a Typhoon on Britmodeller provides good advice for sizing your stripes.

How to buy models with pennies

What do you do with the loose change in your pocket at the end of the day? You probably put it into a jar where it accumulates month after month after month. Did you know there’s an extremely easy way to use that loose change to buy models, that is, without dumping five pounds of coins onto the counter of your LHS?

Enter the Coinstar Exchange Kiosk. Located in grocery stores across the United States, they provide an easy way for you to convert your loose change into viable currency. They let you convert the value of your coins to cash but will assess a hefty 10 percent fee. The better option is to convert to Amazon credit, which does not incur the fee. Simply dump in your change into the machine and out comes a small receipt with a code you can use with your next Amazon purchase. Other retailers and restaurants are available, but I trust you'd rather have a new model than take your family to dinner.

Some of you already know the value of Amazon as a source for plastic models. For those of you who don’t, you’d be surprised at what you can find there, often at prices competitive to those you see at your favorite online retailer. (And at least one prominent online retailer has a presence on Amazon.) For example, you can buy the Academy 1/48 F-4B for $49 with free shipping, the Airfix 1/48 Defiant for $34.99, or the new Takom AMX-13s for around $43.

It’s not unusual for me to amass $25 in change every month, which can easily be applied toward a new kit. Unfortunately you can use only one credit code per purchase, so if you want to buy that new 1/350 aircraft carrier you’re gonna have to save your pennies for a long time.

You can find a Coinstar location near you on their web site. Happy hunting!

Another visit to the MFCA figure show

The Miniature Figure Collectors of America MFCA Show and Mart has always been one of my favorite model contests to attend, so I was surprised to see that it's been three years since my last visit! The show has seen its fair share of ups and downs over the years, but if this year is any indication, interest in the show remains strong with many of the big names in the hobby in attendance. Here is a selection of my favorite entries in the show. Enjoy!

Jason Whitman's sculpting and painting improves with every passing year. The pinstripes on this 54mm baseball player are testament to his progress.

Greg DiFranco isn't the most prolific painter in the hobby, but every figure that he produces is absolutely outstanding. Look at the pattern of this Trompette du Regiment Turenne.

It's not uncommon to see two modelers team up to create a stunning figure or vignette in the figure community. (Why is this not common in plastic modeling circles?) These Prussians by Michele Scelsci (sculptor) and Marco Bariselli (painter) were a favorite among the show's attendees.

I love Victorian era uniforms, so this vignette from Anders Heihtz was among my personal favorites.

One of the best busts in the show was this German WW1 stormtrooper from Young Miniatures, painted by Dave Youngquist. It featured a variety of color and texture.

Barry Biediger displayed several boxed dioramas that were stunning. Each was a peek (literally) into the apartments of everyday people. He adeptly captured a sense of composition and mood with every one of them.

Another example of Barry's work.

So-called "flats" are as close as we'll get to being true "artists." This example, titled "Femme a l'Evantail" was beautifully painted by Retuerto Analia.

Another exceptional flat, this one from Catherine Cesario Poisson.

Fantasy subject matter has become incredibly popular over the last five years. I haven't always been a fan of this trend, but work like this is slowly convincing me that there's an important place for these figures in our hobby. This guy was the best entry among several from France's Michael Volquarts.

Another example of Michael's exceptional painting, a bust of Bruce Willis. (Is it a "bust" if there's no torso?) I could sit and study those flesh tones for hours!

Gary Beetley's vignette remind us that small, compact compositions are almost always more effective than large, expansive ones.

On of the best modelers I've every met is Pete Dawson. I include his Takom Skoda Turtle here because of the way he chose to paint it...and you're not going to believe it. He hand-painted it using Tamiya acrylic paints! That's not a typo. Seriously. The guy knows how to manage and handle paint like no one else. He weathered each color with artist oils (he's a figure modeler at heart) and hand-painted the brown surrounds with oils as well.

Is the T-55 the new Bf-109?

I don’t have the patience to count the number of 1/48 scale Bf-109s on the market. An accurate tally would require a calculator and a level of proficiency in calculus that I do not have. Suffice to say, it’s a large number.

Here we are the weekend after the 2016 Shizuoka Hobby Show, and we’ve learned that two companies are planning to produce variants of the T-55. Panda announced a T-55A (with parts for Soviet or Czech versions), and Miniart announced a T-54B. This news follows an announcement from Takom a month ago about their upcoming Type 59 and Type 69-I kits (which they originally said would be available only in the Chinese market but now say will be available worldwide).

Armor modelers have long enjoyed the Tamiya T-55, an excellent kit that the company has retooled in recent years for the Enigma and Ti-67 variants. More recently Takom released their T-55 AM and T-55 AMV kits to much excitement in the armor community.

We’ve come a long way since the Lindberg T-55 was the only game in town. Earlier this year I opined about why we see multiple releases of the same subject, but I’m hesitant to complain today about so many companies producing kits of the T-55, a tank which has seen enormous usage around the world over the last 50 years. With so many variants, it’s not hard to imagine each of these companies releasing additional kits to cover all of those T-55 variants. My excitement about these releases is tempered only by the finite time available to me to actually sit at the workbench and build them.

As a fan of Soviet and Russian armor, these are clearly good times. And by the way, we haven’t a peep from Trumpeter yet. I bet you a banana split they announce a T-55 series by the end of the summer.

I want it now!

Have you ever been on a road trip with children who incessantly ask, "Are we there yet? Are we there yet? How much farther?" Although we can acknowledge their enthusiasm about getting to the destination, the endless chatter becomes annoying after awhile, right? Children are impatient. They don't have the maturity to appreciate the value of waiting for something they want.

Judging from some of the discussions within the scale modeling community it appears that many modelers haven't developed any further than the are-we-there-yet stage of emotional growth.

Some time ago I posted a list of five questions we need to stop asking, yet I continue to see a lot of conversations asking when this new kit or that new set of decals will be released. Mind you, I'm not so pompous to believe that people are taking my rants to heart and making major life changes, but a blogger can dream.

Here are a few examples I found on discussions groups over the last couple of years, copied almost verbatim, bad grammar and spelling included.

"Just went and checked on the ARC site for the T-45 decals from Caracal! According to his post he was doing something crazy and releasing these in June [2013] along with the F-15s? I have a feeling we won't see these!"

"Any news on this [1/32 OV-10 Bronco] yet? thought it was meant to be released in September but not heard a peep?"

"Has anyone heard any news on the release date of Airfix's forthcoming C-47A/D Dokota/Skytrain kit? The Big H and others have it listed as due in April - well there's not an awful lot of April left now, I was expecting to have heard something by now so I'm wondering where it's got to."

"Still no news about the [Special Hobby] Mirage F 1? I heard soemthing that it will be available in September." And then three weeks later someone else asked, "Any news? in october?" on the same thread.

"The release date [of the Tiger Model Nagmachon] has been changed at least 3 times on Hobby Easy's website a few days at a time. Now it has been moved from 12-31 to 1-4…. Where the heck is my Nagmachon?"

"I'm really interested in this kit [T-72B3] from Meng that's "coming soon". I'm new to Meng and have no idea what their idea of soon would be, or if they release on a schedule or just willy-nilly. Would anyone happen to know?"

"Any update on the SLUF Guide? When can we expect this jem to be out for sale?" (Posted just six weeks after the publisher said he was finishing the book's layout.)

"Does anyone know why these [Sword F3D Skyknight and F9F-8T] are to be released? I have been looking at Hannants daily waiting to order them!"

Even dismissing the tone of some of these comments -- some of these guys appear to take it as a personal insult that new kits aren't delivered when promised -- I honestly don't understand the impatience. I'm as excited as the next guy about many of the models in the pipeline, but don't we have plenty of models to build while we await the next kit that will finally bring joy and happiness to our lives? Do we have to constantly barrage the forums seeking these updates? Even if, for example, Meng told us that their T-72M3 will be released on June 5, what difference does it make?

Let's give the manufacturers time to work their magic. If you've ever worked for a small business, hired a contractor, or been involved in project management, you know that things usually go wrong. Estimates are inaccurate. Last minute changes are made. Timelines slip. It's a fact of life. My advice today is the same as it was a few years ago: Build the kits you have, and one day you’ll find that the model or decal sheet you've been waiting for is available from Sprue Brothers, Hannants, or your LHS. I speak from experience; I've been quite happy during the 30-year wait for my L-17 Navion.

The biggest myth you’ve been taught about contests

On Hyperscale last week someone asked how a blatant inaccuracy on a model would be assessed in a contest, and those familiar with IPMS rules quickly assured him that accuracy matters less than basic construction. One of the discussion participants summed up IPMS judging when he said that IPMS rewards technical competence not artistic excellence, and he’s right.

But in a subsequent comment in the same thread he continued to perpetuate a huge myth about contests when he said, "Too many people are too heavily invested in chasing those little plastic pots,” by which he means awards.

He’s wrong. In my 30 years attending contests I've found that the majority of entrants are not driven by winning awards. They simply enjoy building models and sharing them with others, which is among the most important reasons why you should enter contests, too. That so many modelers don’t “win” yet continue entering contests year after year is evidence that most of us don’t place great value on awards. Of course we like winning, but putting a trophy on the mantel isn't the reason we build models.

I’ve known only two men who chased awards, who were “heavily invested” in winning. One, I’ll call him Michael, is very talented, building models with a high degree of that technical competence mentioned in the Hyperscale discussion. I attended the IPMS Nats with him many years ago, and when his models didn’t place as highly as he believed they should have, he was dejected, and I had to listen to his grumbling on our six-hour drive home. Mind you, Michael is an outstanding modeler by any objective standard, but at that one show, the judges deemed other models better than his for one reason or another.

The other modeler, I’ll call him Richard, is one of the best in the country. He scratchbuilds amazing models with a high degree of detail and fidelity, and often with functional components. He’s won his fair share of gold and bests of show. Fortunately he takes losses with more grace than Michael; however, he's entered models in local and then regional contests before taking them to the Nats in an effort to learn about their weaknesses and fix them before competing at the national level. Richard, I think, likes winning awards.

I don’t judge either man. Competition drives them in their respective pursuits of excellence, and I’m glad it does, because both men inspire me. On a personal level, I can’t identify with that; I’m not a competitive person at all. But they engage in the hobby in a way that meets their needs, even if they experience a degree of disappointment when judging doesn't go their way.

The vast majority of modelers don’t care about contests, so IPMS contest rules have little effect on how most of us build our models. It’s time we admit that contests aren’t about competition.

eBay insanity

Spend more than five minutes searching or browsing the plastic model categories on eBay and you’ll run across all kinds of quixotic listings — so called “rare” models, prices that will literally make you LOL, kits in various stages of assembly or disrepair, and shipping fees so high that Kate Upton should deliver the item directly to your doorstep. eBay has long been a source of amusement to many of us, and at my suggestion several years ago the host of the Aircraft Resource Center even created the The Ridiculously Overpriced Thread to share noteworthy listings.

You can read through that thread, but here are a few items I’ve found on eBay over the last few months that made me chuckle.

This Tu-2 was listed as master modell tupolew tu-2 1/72 model plane partially assembled. The absence of capital letters would suggest that the seller's Shift key was broken, but oddly enough the item description was in ALL CAPs. Nevermind that, you’ve had nearly six months to buy this model, so what are you waiting for? On a positive note, since it's partially built, you won't have to spend much time turning it into a masterpiece to win the Judges' Grand Award at the IPMS Nats this summer. Priced at only $19.99.

It’s no secret that decals can truly become rare and hard to find. And expensive when you can find them. I noticed these worn, yellowed ESCI decals back in December for the low, low price of $20. Apparently the seller doesn't realize that no one has used ESCI decals since Jimmy Carter was President. Hey, at least shipping was free.

Who in the hell is buying incomplete models? Okay, maybe one or two of you are gamblers, but I'm not taking a chance that some key component, like a wing, might be missing. But if you're willing to take that chance, you may be interested in this P-38, which the seller described as Revell P-38J Lightning Model Set 1:48 Scale Might Be Incomplete. At least he’s honest, but someone should tell him that you can find complete kits for less than the $19.99 Buy It Now of this mess. I have to wonder if the seller has asked himself why it hasn’t sold in the six months it’s been listed.

As always my friends, bid often, bid high, or buy it now!