A few tips

Over the weekend Aircraft Resource Center user DutyCat wrote about his experiences building the Hasegawa 1/72 F-14 on this thread, and I echoed his thoughts on one item in particular. He pointed out that, after a coat or two of paint, the axles on landing gear often won't fit into the hole in the wheels. I've encountered the same difficulty over the years, also upon trying to insert landing gear into the fuselage/wings as well. It's very frustrating to be so close to completing a model only to find out parts won't fit. I contributed my "cure" for this problem on DutyCat's thread, but I thought I'd share it here with a couple more random modeling tips I've picked up along the way. 

Attachment points

I struggle with alignment, a lot. Getting parts to fit and adhere correctly is crucial in building a model (especially if you seek the great fame, wealth, and glory that accompanies a win at an IPMS contest), so lately I've been masking areas that will serve as mating surfaces for two parts. For example, on the B-26 I just finished I used thin strips of Tamiya tape to mask the narrow areas where the bulkheads joined the fuselage. This, I hope, provides a strong bond of those parts.

To DutyCat's observation on ARC, I've been using Micro Mask to ensure that the holes and mating surfaces for landing gear and wheels remain clean of paint, which eases assembly and ultimately provides a strong bond. Is all of this tedious? Yes, but anything that helps me during assembly is a good thing.

Paint chips

I love weathering. It's my favorite part of the model building process, and for me it begins with painting and ends with paint chips. I used to use silver paint to represent paint chips, but I've found that it's not condusive to creating "chips" small enough and jagged enough to look realistic. I've seen well-painted models with paint chips that resemble silver amoeba rather than irregular and jagged damage.

A better medium for me has been artist pencils. Using an inexpensive pencil sharpner, I can get them sharp enough to create very fine "chips," lightly tapping the pencil on the model to create the smallest chips. The trick then becomes creating chips that appear realistic, which is difficult and time consuming. I spent approximately two hours on the paint chips on my B-26.

Color

I'm a proponent of scale effect. I won't bore you with a technical explanation, but if you're new to the hobby the concept simply suggests that colors become less intense in smaller scales. For me it means that I never use paint directly out of the bottle. Every color I apply to a model is muted or altered in some way, and it's especially true of the so-called primary colors (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet), and white and black. I always reduce the intensity of these colors by adding another color to them.

For example, my B-26 features black and white D-Day invasion stripes. Rather than apply those colors directly from the bottle, I added a little tan to the white paint and white and tan to the black paint to weather them and avoid the stark contrast that a bright white and dark black would impart. The same holds true for the yellow on the tips of the propeller blades, which was toned down using tan and white.

I hope you can use these ideas for your models. I'll share some additional tips in the future.

We are a lazy bunch

The line between modeler and collector is getting fuzzy, and it's because we are lazy.

There, I've said it. Hate me for saying it, but someone has to stand up and express the concern that we're slowly losing whatever sense of craftsmanship we might have.

What separates us modelers from model collectors -- the guys who buy pre-assembled, pre-painted diecast models -- is that we are engineers, craftsmen, artists. At least we aspire to be. You see, anyone with the money can buy a diecast model and put it on a shelf. Modelers are better than that. We create representations of aircraft, armor, ships, and vehicles with our hands. The models that sit in our display cases showcase our skill, talent, and experience. That's a privilege that people who engage in other hobbies enjoy.

I worry that every year we hand off that responsibility to the aftermarket industry. (To be clear, I don't fault the industry. They're simply giving us what we ask for.) I present the following evidence to the court:

• Resin cockpits
• Pre-painted photoetch
• Canopy masks
• Camouflage masks
• Off-the-shelf weathering washes
• Paint chip decals
• Printed flightline surfaces

If you use any of these products, you are lazy. When I use them (and I admit I do) I lose a little bit of self-respect. I firmly believe that with practice and time I -- and you -- can master the effects that all of these items provide. The sense of pride we'd would feel would be much greater than simply using a collection of pre-made bits and pieces in an effort to build something "better."

Here's a recent example. Some modelers are asking the decal manufacturers to produce decals for the RAM panels on the new 1/72 F-35 kits. Really? I admit, masking them will be tedious, but won't that result in something better? And isn't tedious what this hobby is all about? How many times has someone looked at your models and said, "Oh, I could never be that patient." But we are. At least we used to be.

I know, you could argue that model kits themselves are cheating when we could build models from scratch. That's true. I could also manufacture my own paints and glues. But we have to draw the line somewhere, otherwise we'll find ourselves admiring 200 tables of diecast models at the 2025 IPMS National Convention.

Here's my advice. Don't be afraid to rely on your skills to do what seems difficult. You'll find a greater sense of satisfaction.

Great flying in the movies

There's a fun thread over on ARC asking about favorite flying scene from the movies. My first thought always turns to Iron Eagle, where Doug, flying Cessna 150 Aerobat, races Knotcher, riding a motorcycle. As I said in my response to the thread, seeing an F-14 go vertical or P-51s dogfight is almost not a big deal considering they're designed to do that, but watching that Cessna being pushed to the edge of its capabilities -- and probably beyond -- is aviation magic. That the pilot behind the controls was the late Art Scholl shouldn't be surprising.

Some trivia: from what I can tell that same airplane, N9828J, is still flying, owned by Albatros Corporation near Oxnard, California.

This clip makes the venerable old Cessna 150 looks downright exciting! Enjoy.

Rethinking conversions

Twenty years ago aftermarket conversions were extremely exciting. A number of small companies were regularly releasing conversions for aircraft and armor that, at the time, we were sure would never be produced by the mainstream manufacturers. If you wanted an M4A2 Sherman in 1992 you had to buy the Panzer Concepts or Verlinden conversion. Eager to build a Pzkpfw II Ausf. C? You got the MB Models conversion. If you built flying things and wanted a 1/72 F-101B you looked for the Airmodel conversion, and a full kit of the B-66 was available only as a vacuform kit.

My, how times have changed!

Despite cries that our hobby is dying, we're at a point in its ongoing evolution where anything is possible. Just look at all the great kits that were released last year and announced for 2014. This must be an incredibly difficult time to be in the business of conversion kits, because no matter how obscure the subject, there's a very real possibility that one of the mainstream manufacturers will produce it sooner than later. And with little notice!

Look at the armor community for a recent example. The Leopard C2 MEXAS has been seen service in Afghanistan since 2006 and intrigued me as soon as I first saw it. Recently Trackjam Models stepped up to produce a MEXAS conversion for the Italeri/Revell kit, and I quickly put it on my personal wish list as I awaited its release.

But then two, um, bad things happened. First Legend Productions released its own MEXAS conversion (no wait required), and then Takom announced its upcoming release of a complete, injection molded kit.

My excitement about the Takom kit was tempered only with the realization that the folks behind the Trackjam conversion may have lost a good degree of momentum, guessing that most modelers will prefer a buying kit rather than a conversion. While Legend might be able to absorb diminished sales of their conversion, a small, cottage industry shop like Trackjam has much more invested in terms of their overall resources. That said, as Trackjam specializes in Canadian subjects, I think modelers are confident that their MEXAS conversion will be a great product and might even be used to correct any errors on the Takom kit.

As I look at other conversions I'd like to buy, I find myself re-thinking just how urgently I want them. A little voice inside my head tells me that if I wait long enough someone will eventually produce a kit. I've always liked the Israeli Nagmashot, yet I've been putting off buying the Legend conversion because it's not hard to envision Meng producing a kit of it in the next year or two, particularly if their Achzarit sells well. The same is true for those less detailed kits of more obscure subjects. For example, I have a Heller 1/72 Saab Viggen in the stash, which will require significant effort to superdetail. How long will it be before Trumpeter or Hobby Boss produces a new tool kit of that jet? Ditto for a new kit of the F-106 that's better than Hasegawa's ancient offering?

Are you re-thinking purchases in light of the new kits we're seeing? How long are you willing to wait for a complete kit rather than use a conversion?

The kit I'm most looking forward to in 2014

If 2013 was any indication, 2014 promises to be an exciting year for scale modelers. Looking at the list of 2014 new kit releases on Cybermodeler there's something for all of us to look forward to. Kitty Hawk's Seasprite, UH-1Y, and AH-1Z. The Su-33 Sea Flanker from Aviation Art. Trumpeter's 2S7 Pion and T-80. Another huge 1/200 scale ship from Trumpeter.

Someone recently asked me what I'm most looking forward to, and my answer was...the kit we don't yet know about.

Seriously, look back one year to January 1, 2013. We knew nothing about the most exciting kits that were announced or released during the year. Who would've guessed we'd see a new tool 1/72 F3D Skyknight, a 1/48 MiG-25, a 1/35 IDF D9R, or three Object 279s! Or that we'd learn that a 1/48 MiG-31 is in the works or a 2S7 Pion is on the horizon?

This is why 2014 is exciting. We now know that the manufacturers are willing to keep some of their best projects under wraps until the last minute. At this point I'd venture that whatever secrets reside in the hangers of Area 51 are far less interesting than what Kitty Hawk, Trumpeter, and Meng have in store for us.

And as the manufacturers announce these new kits, I ask that you remember one of the five questions you should stop asking: When is it going to be released? It'll get here when it gets here.

Five New Years resolutions for you

I'm not one to make New Years resolutions for myself, but I'll happily make five for you! Please pass them on!

1. Start experimenting. I appreciate the ease with which you can ask questions on the internet forums, but all of us need to spend a few days throughout the year trying a new technique without the promise of success.

2. Don't pick fights with rivet counters. I know some of them can be abrasive at times, but we should be thanking them for offering critiques of new models. We've seen several instances where their observations have prompted the manufacturers to re-tool kits to make them more accurate. If accuracy isn't a driving factor for you, skip their reviews.

3. Stop hijacking new release threads with your personal wish list. Enjoy new kit announcements for what they are and post your requests elsewhere; practically every manufacturer now provides a medium for providing feedback. I'd love to see a 1/48 L-17 Navion, but you don't' see me posting that every time Kitty Hawk announces a new kit. Oh, and quit with the annoying "wrong scale" barbs. You're annoying.

4. If you build armor, show some restraint in your weathering. I appreciate the artistry of highly weathered tanks (which I have yet to master myself), but it's time for this fad to go away. Who among you will offer something new for us to get excited about?

5. Inventory your stash (and books) for insurance purposes. One of our peers recently lost his house in a fire. I have no idea how much he lost in terms of models and related resources, but it should open our eyes to the substantial investments we've made in our hobby. Inventory that stuff and store it offline. I recommend DropBox, but there are a number of solutions available today.

Model of the year

It's time to announce Scale Model Soup's model of the year!

First, let me be clear. I'm calling my choice the "model of the year," not the "best model of the year."
This model is not the most detailed, best molded, nor the most popular model released in 2013. Instead, it's the model that, in my opinion, represents a significant mark in the hobby for one important reason: value.

Throughout 2013, and over the last few years, one of the most frequent topics of conversation on the interwebz has been the escalating price of scale models. Quality 1/72 scale aircraft now cost over $30. The newest 1/48 scale releases such as Eduard's gorgeous Spitfires, the Kitty Hawk MiG-25, and Great Wall's state-of-the-art MiG-29s will set you back $50-$80. Armor modelers have it no better, with Meng's releases at a similar $80 price point, and ship modelers are paying over $100 for some destroyers and most battleships. I could make an argument that these cutting edge kits are worth the money, but ultimately we're all looking for value. We're all looking for the best model for the least amount of money.

That's why my choice for Model of 2013 is the Airfix 1/72 Hawker Typhoon.

This is a gem of a kit. Squadron lists it for $8.99. Hannants shows it for £7.99. A halfway decent lunch costs more than that! Mark Davies provides an excellent review of the Typhoon on Hyperscale, where you can see the quality you get for a very small investment. An additional review and build is available on Aeroscale and an extensive discussion about the model and aircraft is available on Britmodeller. Clearly, this is not Hasegawa quality, particularly in the finesse of the surface detailing, but it's acceptable for the majority of Airfix's customers; more advanced modelers can spend an hour improving the surface detail if they choose, and many will use Eduard's photoetch sets (reviewed on Britmodeller) to bump up the detail.

If you've spent too much time in your man cave and haven't seen the kit, there have been quite a few builds online. Here are a few examples.

Britmodeller 1
Britmodeller 2
72nd Scale Aircraft 1
72nd Scale Aircraft 2

I would be remiss if I didn't mention at least one of the other kits that was in contention for Model of the Year, Airfix's 1/48 Javelin. I don't have it myself, but a good friend was very excited on getting the kit and telling me about its many virtues. The only reason I didn't choose it was its price, which is in line with other 1/48 scale releases. I know the Javelin is worth the money, but those conversations about kit prices was my driving factor this year in my selection of model of the year.

Looking forward I can't imagine we'll see kit prices come down anytime soon. We need to accept high prices as the "new normal" while weighing them against accuracy. The tipping point will always reside in what each of us finds acceptable, so clearly we'll continue to see contentious debate about price, accuracy, and value. In the meantime, let's celebrate the incredible selection of kits available to us today and look forward to what 2014 will bring.

A Happy and Prolific New Year to all of you!