By Allon Kira | 04.21.2024 11:39
The U.S. Army, after berating the South Vietnamese for flouting battle doctrine, came out with their own ACAV version. This more or less standardized ACAV kit included shields and a circular turret for the .50-caliber M2 machine gun in the track commander (TC) position, two M60 machine guns with shields for the left and right rear positions, and "belly armor"—steel armor bolted from the front bottom extending 1/2 to 2/3 of the way towards the bottom rear of the M113. The two rear machine gunners could fire their weapons while standing inside the rectangular open cargo hatch. This transformed the M113 into a fighting vehicle, but the vehicle still suffered from its lightly armored configuration, having never been designed for such a role.
By Felice Ferriello | 04.18.2024 12:09
This tutorial is based on showcasing and explaining the main modifications to convert the Hasegawa Miura P400 SV kit into the Miura P400 Roadster, as well as the added details. I won't delve into the assembly of basic components since the purpose is to share with the reader the more complex tasks. The rest is well-known as the Hasegawa kit has been around for several years. This model is dedicated to my wife Lyska, who supported me with patience and love throughout the process.
By Lars Wahlström | 03.12.2024 19:53
I had already started my own research and looked for reference images and information. I also joined a Facebook group and got a lot of tips. The kit was released in the UK before in the EU, so many had already started their builds and discovered inaccuracies. The objective of this tutorial is to share with the reader the work done, not only to assemble the kit, but also to get the most out of it, adding details and missing parts, painting where necessary, etc., always guided by the references. to which I had access. Hoping it is useful to others.
By Allon Kira | 02.25.2024 11:07
This is an excellent kit from AVF. I built it almost out of the box, and concentrated on the painting. Being a tank that operated in the desert, the weathering is based on natural wear and tear from use and pigments to represent the sand.
By Mario Covalski | 02.14.2024 14:12
The aim of this tutorial is to share with the reader the modifications made on the 1/16 T-55 from the firm Hooben, to convert it into a T-54 first. then in a Tiran 4 of the IDF (Israeli defence forces) early. The model represents a Tiran 4 as it looked in the period between 1972 and 1974. Besides to help the reader, especially to those who has never built a Hooben T-55, to solve the problems I had to deal with, alert them to several problems that appears after some use, like it happened to me with the one built in 2011 (the old kit version).
By Modeler Site | 12.03.2023 11:46
Over the end of the year, we are offering a preview of the best tutorials we were proud to have during 2023. Enjoy them and happy new year.
By Geo Tziafas | 11.07.2023 11:22
A true masterpiece, an automotive treasure that, when it was first unveiled six decades ago in 1960 at the Geneva Motor Show, prompted Enzo Ferrari to declare it the most beautiful car in the world, takes the spotlight in the following article. With over 70,000 units of the E-Type produced, it graced the Coventry factory floor in three distinct phases: Series 1 (1961-1968), Series 2 (1969-1971), and Series 3 (1971-1974).
By Gary Wickham | 09.27.2023 11:05
Eduard has recently released a new tooled Hawker Tempest Mk.V family in 1:48 scale. I have the Mk.V Series 1 ProfiPACK (82121) kit as well as the Big SIN (64856) set which includes a full Brassin Cockpit, Exhausts, Wheels and Landing Flaps. I also have some of the Barracuda Studios correction sets including the spinner and radiator intake. I'll highlight all these goodies (and compare them to the kits parts) as I progress through the build
By Lars Wahlström | 09.01.2023 13:27
In 1977, as a Christmas gift from my brother, I got a model kit of a 1965 Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray in 1/8 scale. The kit was made by Monogram, but the same kit was later also released by Revell. There were editions with the body in both red and blue plastic. I noticed quite immediately that the detail level was low, lower than many models in 1/25 scale. Not even the doors were operable and the chrome-plating quality was really poor. Comparing with the French Heller's super detailed 1/8 model kit of the Citroen B15, which I built earlier, the Corvette was toyish and a real disappointment for an experienced modeller. But I decided to take it on anyway.
By Geo Tziafas | 07.07.2023 10:55
In the following tutorial I will share with the reader, many photos and explanations about the construction of the Alfa 33TT, I hope it will help and guide, for those who want to build this magnificent MFH kit, but this experience is valid for other similar kits of the same brand. This tutorial, very descriptive and with many good photos, can also serve as a general guide for other MFH kits in the same scale.
By Ricardo Gonzalez | 06.05.2023 18:09
When I saw this Tamiya kit, I felt like I could do something special by adding aftermarket detail sets and doing a bit of scratch-building. My goal in writing this tutorial is to share with the reader the work I've done, not only in assembling and super-detailing the model but also in showcasing a customization by changing the look proposed by Tamiya.
By Michael Mass | 06.01.2023 13:47
Here is my Hobby Boss, IDF, APC Puma in 1/35 + Legend detailing sets. Quickwheels tracks, Karaya cables, Accurate Armor fiber antenna, Uzi decals, Anti slip from VMS, Verlinden flexible harnesses, Acrylic paints and varnishes from Vallejo and AK Interactive. I Added orange flags. Also, I installed the antennas for the 2nd Platoon Commander, and added the ammo boxes and wiring harness for the projector.
By Patrick Sedney | 05.23.2023 12:39
Once again, Tamiya delights us with the flawless engineering quality of their scale model, the Mercedes-AMG GT3, which was launched in 2017... or was it? In this tutorial, we will explore the pros and cons of this remarkable replica of the Mercedes-Benz vehicle, created in collaboration with their performance brand, AMG, for various FIA GT3 championships. Customizing it for the 2019 GT World Challenge America Crowdstrike team.
By Geo Tziafas | 05.08.2023 12:23
Starting a Hiro kit build is essentially starting a game of chess. Each move affects the next and the slightest mistake may cost in fitting or detailing issues. In addition, as in the famous board game, the more moves (test fits) you are ahead the better you can predict the way they will interact with each other and the less likely it is to be checkmated during the final assembly.
By Edwing E. Merlo Paredes | 04.12.2023 20:15
Basically this kit has been built straight out of the box, using almost all of the parts included in the kit, and small details such as generic photo-etched screw heads have been added. The objective of this tutorial is to share with the reader the steps that I followed to build this model.
By William Chan | 04.01.2023 11:38
Minardi was one of the F1 privateer teams that had never won any grand prix and they were often missed because most of the attention are put on big name teams. Although the team often run with limited budget, Minardi team's strong determination made them on the F1 grid for almost 15 years. None of the major model manufacturers makes Minardi F1. So far I only see Modelers' M198, Club M's M197, Wolf's PS-01 and AMC M193. I found that M193 shape is pretty close to Lotus 107B and McLaren MP4/8. So I bought an AMC M193 decal and tried out the conversion. After more than 15 months of on and off building, the car is finally completed.
By Mario Covalski | 04.01.2023 11:11
Therefore, I finally decided to modify the Tamiya's T4 kit in order to build my T5 model. I would like to make it clear that I am not criticizing Protar kits. I have built many of them in the past and they are very useful for me at the present time. In addition, you can build a T4 from a different point of view, at a different time and enhance your collection.
By Philip Curtis | 03.01.2023 12:35
To any follower of motor racing history the Porsche 917 needs no introduction. The kit is available in several different versions including the 1970 Le Mans number 20 Gulf car that I have used. For this build I also used Studio 27 photo etch (PE) set, Renaissance Gulf decals (the Fujimi decals are notoriously translucent) and Renaissance PE. With both PE sets nowhere near all of the parts were used, the Renaissance set in particular was mainly left on the fret....
By Michael Mandau | 03.01.2023 11:34
Because of the unbelievable size and the never completed prototype-phase, this vehicle was always on my wish list to build. But I just didn’t wanted to build a regular E-100 that have been seen plenty of times before I like dirty paper-panzer with unusual features. So I decided to create a 1947 E-100 Aus. C fantasy tank in a “what-if” scenario. Therefore I was able to get the early Dragon 1/35 #6011 quite a while ago. Due to the fact that this kit celebrated its 20th birthday this year, my expectations into detail and quality were not too high. Nevertheless, Dragon made a got job two decades ago, but some parts had to be exchanged and complemented.
By Kristof Pulinckx | 02.01.2023 11:54
I’ve always been a fan of WWI armour and was just waiting for a decent kit to arrive on the market. The Mark IV was high on my wish list and with recent releases from Tamiya and Takom we have plenty of choice in high quality kits. But which one to choose? After reading several reviews on the internet I opted for the Takom ‘Male’ kit as its detail is slightly better than the Tamiya one. Although the latter would be easier to built.
By Edwing E. Merlo Paredes | 01.24.2023 14:04
I built the model straight out of the box, using all the parts included in the kit, and I have added some details in the engine that, although it is not exposed, but it was fun and the work has been reflected in the photos. I added some wires, and generic photo-etched screw heads. These photo-etched parts were also used to detail some other parts of the model. For the paint, a Lamborghini orange tone called Arancio Miura (Gravity Colors Ref. GC-1194) was chosen, and thus, make a different proposal to the red finish proposed by Hasegawa.
By Mario Covalski | 01.03.2023 19:34
With this photo array I share with the reader my experience with the model adding many missing details, not all, painting parts and applying plastic modeling techniques to improve the appearance of this expensive model. In addition, solving some problems that the kit has and showing tips and tricks to improve or facilitate its assembly.
By Mario Covalski | 11.09.2022 11:51
With this photo array (one picture says more than thousand words sometimes) I share with the reader my experience with the model (I put together two) adding many missing details, not all, painting parts and applying plastic modelling techniques to improve the appearance of this expensive model. Also solving some problems that the kit has and showing tips and tricks to improve or facilitate its assembly.
By Pablo Raggi | 11.01.2022 17:09
The BTM is a specialized vehicle of the engineering corps, based on the ATT artillery tractor, which in turn was built over the T-54 hull tank, using the cabin of the ZIS-150 truck. Not only did the BTM derive from this project, but there were at least 4 other designs, all for a specific use, including a version for Antarctic exploration.
By Edwing E. Merlo Paredes | 10.05.2022 11:05
For this tutorial I built the model straight out of the box, and except for some generic decals with logos, I've used almost all of the parts provided in the box. The custom paint scheme was my idea, seeking a harmony of black areas, combined with a metallic dark gray base, alternated with fluorescent red/orange details, a very explosive mix of finishes that gives the model great dynamism. Below I share with the reader the steps I took to assemble the model of this 2015 Honda NSX, starting with the bodywork.
By Allon Kira | 10.01.2022 11:37
Merkava (Chariot) is the name of a large series of Israeli battle tanks that form the basis of the Israeli armor corps. Manufacture of the Merkava tanks began in 1979 while more and more advanced models were developed over the years. The most advanced model is the Mark 4 that went into production starting in 2003. The tutorial I'm sharing is focused in the painting and weathering and based in the 1/35 Takom Merkava Mark 2. So I decided to build the model straight out of the box with no special extras.
By Michael Mandau | 09.01.2022 11:26
There is always this one kind of projects that you ever wanted to build and pops up in your mind once in a while. This was it for me: In my mind I saw a gantry style signal tower in a fighting scene and under which a panther is positioned. This kept me fascinated for a long time, until I finally decided to build it. I always had an inclination for railway scenes; probably back from the days when I played with the model railroad at my grandfather’s house. So, tracks need to be on the diorama, that’s for sure and as well as something track bound.
By Jose Angel García Martin | 07.01.2022 17:38
The aircraft I’m representing here belonged to the Cyclons of the US Navy and I considered to build it due to its attractive camouflage even the radar cone what makes it very interesting for the modeler. Its yellow and sand colors weathering and “washes” were the final push that made me take the decision of choosing this version. My idea was to represent the aircraft in its first stages of the Ejercito del Aire. The aim of this tutorial is to share with the reader the work, with simple techniques and materials available to all, it can be easily reproduced by a less experienced modeller.
By Geo Tziafas | 06.23.2022 11:14
We use to publish large tutorials plenty of pictures and large texts, but when I saw these pictures I realized that this probably wouldn't need anything more, sometimes happens. Looking the pictures I understood all the process… besides not always contributors want to spend extra time writing, when already inverted thousand of hours building taking pictures…etc. I hope you enjoy the pictures as I did, thanks Geo!
By David Guardia | 05.05.2022 11:09
The paint scheme I have chosen is based on a World War II plane belonging to the Armée de l'air. The Dewoitine with its beautiful blue color, and the French national flag on the tail. Model building, aviation and classic cars, all in one! The goal of this tutorial is to share the work of making a weathered vehicle in an obvious way, but without getting to what is used nowaday, models that represent destroyed subjects ready for scrap. In addition, the decoration, as if it were a fighter plane, needed abuse effects, but without going to the extreme.
By David Guardia | 03.27.2022 11:20
The gundam universe. Huge in characters, animation series, books, comics, etc. Based on an animated series, in which humans are at war and use robots for fighting, it contributes to modeling 90% of the models sold. With a great variety of scales, this one, 1/100, is possibly the most “manageable”. At just 14cm tall, these models make for quick projects.
By Mario Covalski | 03.01.2022 11:26
Since I built my first Tamiya 1/12th kit, a certain number of years ago, around 30, I was fortunate enough to build many times the same models in different stages of my hobby modeling “career”. The Tamiya Wolf WR1 was released in 1978, after a good campaign of the 1977 season considering it was a small motor racing team. On those times Tamiya owners were F1 fans and in less than a year this incredible kit was already into the market Of course this kit have been superseded by newer technology, nevertheless, it still astonishes us. As soon as it appeared, I built two, with both versions of decals; at the beginning of the ‘90s, I built the third and finally, in 1998 the last one I put here for your consideration.
By Gary Wickham | 12.31.2021 10:52
I built the kit mostly from the box (as no aftermarket was available at the time). As the Drakens came to the end of their service life, the airframes started to look dirty and tired. I have attempted to capture this in the painting and weathering of my model. I hope this article will be useful for novices and advanced modelers as I made some mods and corrections to the kit showing how to do it.
By Allon Kira | 11.18.2021 11:47
The kit released on 2011, as expected from a Tamiya's, has a very good parts fit and is easy to build, very accurate and requires almost no putty. Some aftermarket details slightly upgrade the overall look, but are not really necessary. It can certainly be built directly out of the box at the highest level. The only thing that seemed problematic to me were the vinyl tracks. I considered replacing them with metal ones, but after painting I decided that their level of detail was enough.
By Edwing E. Merlo Paredes | 08.30.2021 12:49
I built this model under commission for a customer of mine, who asked for a customized sports version, such as the elimination of both bumpers, the hood with forward opening, which allows to show the engine, in addition to other details that will be shown later in the text. As it was a special Mini I decided to write a tutorial including many photos taken during the build and thus share with the reader my experience with this model.
By Allon Kira | 08.18.2021 11:33
In the 1970s, the IDF equipped itself with a large amount of M-113 APCs, and since then they served in all of Israel's wars and operations, including the Yom Kippur War, Operation Peace for the Galilee, the First Intifada, the Second Intifada, the Second Lebanon War, Operation Cast Lead and Operation Protective Edge. This article goals to share with the reader the steps I followed to build a IDF M-113 Medivac from the Tamiya M-113 kit.
By Edwing E. Merlo Paredes | 05.19.2021 12:10
I built the Miniart kit in a civil version. It is a model started a few years ago and some of the images that show the assembly process, such as the stage where the interior of the vehicle is detailed, have been damaged and it was impossible to recover them. However, the rest of the process is explained in great detail, and it is my pleasure to share the work done with the readers.
By Edwing E. Merlo Paredes | 05.02.2021 11:14
In the racing car world, Alfa Romeo is one of the most legendary and mythical Italian name, and each of its vehicles is synonymous with beauty, style, and racing. Precisely, the Giulia Sprint GTA, is the version which this tutorial is dedicated to. A road car, with sporty and personalized characteristics. This is the kind of car that can be found in various classic vehicle activities today.
By Edwing E. Merlo Paredes | 04.19.2021 11:37
Although it is an old kit, I always wanted to improve it and finally the opportunity came. It is a high quality kit, with good details, and that lends itself to making some improvements. I share in this tutorial, with the modeler who likes this car, the work done offering many pictures of the process and the necessary explanations.
By Mark Laird | 03.28.2021 10:54
I wanted to build the Revell 1/12 Ferrari F2002 for a long time, but I waited until I got extra detail parts, to somehow superdetail it. So in addition to the kit, I procured the Brain Fawcett correction kit, Marlboro decals and the Scale Motorsports super detail kit. The Brian Fawcett correction kit has accurate resin brakes, wheels, spindles, valve covers, additional engine parts, a new transmission and suspension parts all in Resin.
By Fabrice Marechal | 02.22.2021 14:14
Probably this has been for many years one of the most desirable kits in 1/12 scale. This article aims at leading the reader into the building process, solving several problems of the kit due to the lack of details or wrong represented and plastic injection problems lacking of the necessary quality of a kit in this scale.
By Roger Knight | 02.22.2021 14:13
The model is based on the 1966 LeMans winning car (almost - more about that later), which finally, after some years of trying, ended Ferraris 6 year dominance of the classic race. The GT40 first appeared at LeMans in 1964 with 4.2 V8, basically the same engine that took Jim Clark to victory in the following years Indianapolis 500 but at LeMans it proved fragile.
By Martin Klein | 01.25.2021 13:22
Having already built the ’76 version some years ago I always wondered why Tamiya did not issue the ’77 Monaco version because it is basically the same kit. Compared to the ’76 version it features a bigger and relocated front stabilizer, a cockpit cowling with the corresponding cut outs, a gurney flap on the nose cover and additional cooling ducts for the rear front wheels.
By Mario Covalski | 01.21.2021 11:20
The Panzer I was a small tank built before the start of WWII .This tutorial aims at sharing with the reader my experience in the construction of this model converting it to radio control, and even will be useful for those who build it as a static model, since the reviews say much about the kit but little about the problems I found.
By Steve Jones | 12.13.2020 11:13
The Bronco plastic kit of the Turan II is another addition to their WWII Hungarian Tank range of 1/35 scale kits. Parts were beautifully detailed with little need for cleaning of flash. There were 216 individual track links in brown plastic, two sheets of photo-etched parts and clear parts...
By Andre Pantarotto | 11.29.2020 14:34
I wanted to build the Opel truck, is a model I like very much, but why not to take the opportunity to add other beautiful kit from Revell I had in my stash, so the Porsche tractor was added to this build. There was plenty of room for details and weathering which brought more fun and turned the model in a diorama. This tutorial is to share the steps I followed to get this ready to place in the showcase, so here we go!
By Allon Kira | 10.29.2020 11:07
Here is my Tiger model, IDF, Nagmachon – early in 1/35.
Additions to the model:
- 1/35 droid by Legend
- different resin stowage parts
- Voyager Nagmachon lenses
- Some scratch build
- Paints and weathering effects by Ammo-Mig, Tamiya and AK.
By David Guardia | 10.02.2020 11:55
Eduard is characterized by making authentic jewels, both in aftermarkets and full kits. The 1/72 scale is being seen often, benefited with the appearance of models like this one. Inside the boxes called "profipack", which include masks and photo etches, we find kits with some exquisite pieces. The objective of this tutorial is to share my experience during the construction and painting of this model, with problems and solutions I found.
By Andre Pantarotto | 09.14.2020 13:24
The Nissan Sunny is a very nice kit from Hasegawa and a pleasure to build, however being a work truck I felt it needed something more. To place in a vignette was the way I found for highlighting this beautiful model.
Editor note: with the PDF tutorial, DOC files are provided for you to print all the small kit boxes. More will be explained later in the text.
By Andre Pantarotto | 08.30.2020 12:37
I used the Moebius kit that represents the Chrysler 300 car that I modified to match the Petty car, and used a decal set from Power Slide. This is a kitbashing project since some parts of another kit (Moebius Models Tim Flock’s 1956 Chrysler 300 kit) were used to make this 1955 Chrysler a racing car.
By Andre Pantarotto | 07.21.2020 14:47
I wanted to build the #12 Ralph Moody car. Moody won four races in 1956 for owner Pete DePaolo. He finished eighth in the final points, with 21 Top-10 finishes in 35 races. He raced the first third of 1957, until Ford and others American automobile manufacturers pulled out of racing.
By Mario Covalski | 06.01.2020 11:51
This article aims at offering an illustrated guide, with pictures, explaining step by step the tasks that should be done, how to and the reasons, it’s basically a visual guide, based on the construction of two MG models: the 2002 Ferrari and the 2003- GA.
By Ricardo Gonzalez | 05.05.2020 13:26
I decided to build, superdetail and customize this Tamiya kit, due to this subject beautifulness. A stunning futuristic motorcycle where great part of the engine and other structures are exposed which allow modelers show all those details we spent many hours on without the frustration that later will be hidden under the fairing. Thus, it’s possible to present the built model showing all the work made without having to separate the body to appreciate all the details added during the construction.
By Edwing E. Merlo Paredes | 05.01.2020 11:30
MPC stopped manufacturing their kits since many years ago, but now we can enjoy them again since that brand which was eventually absorbed by Ertl, today has been resurrected by Round 2 models that have been releasing during the last years several of those classics that used to be on hobby shops shelves in the 70’s and 80’s.
By Andre Pantarotto | 03.29.2020 15:44
For those who aren't familiar with NASCAR racing, mostly out of USA, Julius Timothy "Tim" Flock was an American stock car racer. He was a two-time NASCAR series champion. Moebiuos offered some time ago the 1952 Hudson “Tim” used two times during 1952, the year he won the session.
By Mark Laird | 03.09.2020 11:36
I got this model back in the 90s for less than 100 US dollars. Although I do not have the “Perfect Parts” detail set for this model, I purchased the Thunder Valley Essentials detail set, which is two photo etched frets, a resin airbox, aluminum funnels, a pack of different pieces of aluminum, clear tubing and shrink tubing....
By Antonio Busciglio | 02.26.2020 12:37
In this article, I want to share how I detailed the 1/20 McLaren MP4/2 as ran (and won) the 1984 F1 championship. The car I wanted to reproduce is the Lauda’s, only driver to have won the championship after a retirement and a subsequent coming back to the races (notably, Lauda is also the only driver that won a world championship after receiving the last rites, after its terrible accident in 1976).
By Mario Covalski | 02.03.2020 15:53
This is the 1/8 Ford Mustang Shelby GT-500TM 1967 from the Planeta Deagostini Publisher. The model is offered in 100 weekly fascicles, each one includes history and parts to build the model. The model is mostly made of diecast and plastic parts, is heavy as 9 or 10Kg, but lacks of details, mostly in the engine bay area, and some parts are odd represented. So I added lot of them, fuel lines wiring...etc. The body and other diecast parts are already painted, the paint is poor and there is differences between panels as there weren’t painted at the same time.
By Mario Covalski | 11.13.2019 18:22
The aim of this tutorial is to share with the reader the modifications made on the 1/16 T-55 from the firm Hooben, to convert it into a Tiran 5 of the IDF (Israeli defence forces), a small modelling project that I wanted to do since several years ago. Besides to help the reader, especially to those who has never built a Hooben T55, to solve the problems I had to deal with, alert them to several problems that appears after some use, like it happened to me with the one built in 2011 (the old kit version). As I said before, I built a regular T-55 of the Russian army and the IDF Tiran 5, but in the basic assembly steps, I’ll concentrate in the general points. So here you will see pictures of different models, about the same topic.
By Mario Covalski | 10.16.2019 12:42
This is the 1/8 Chevrolet Opala SS 1976 from the Salvat Publisher. It’s basically an Opel Rekord born from the fusion between GM and Opel during the ’70. As far as I know, it was only manufactured under the name Opala in Brazil, in two versions, 4 cylinders and 6 cylinders. It looks like a big car for a 4-cylinder engine but you have to consider that it had 2.5 liters of displacement and 80CV. It was available with two types of engine: 4-cylinder "Iron Duke", and 6-cylinder 250 cubic inches, both derived from the Chevrolet Impala offered in USA. According to its manufacturers, this combination was the one that gave the name to this car, since “Opala” can be presumed as an acronym of the name “Opel Impala”, because the Opala was an Opel, with Impala engine.
By ByeongeoSoo Kim | 10.14.2019 12:49
There are lots of reviews of this Academy new kit and many of them include construction details, so I’ll focus myself on the paint and the weathering as aim for this tutorial, using images as visual guide.
By Mario Covalski | 10.09.2019 18:23
This is the 1/8 Ford Falcon 1963 from the Salvat Publisher. The model is provided in 100 weekly fascicles, each one includes history and parts to build the model. The model is mostly made of diecast and plastic parts, is heavy as 9 or 10Kg, but lacks of details, mostly in the engine bay area, and some parts are odd represented. So I added lot of them, fuel lines wiring...etc.
By Edwing E. Merlo Paredes | 09.18.2019 10:58
In this tutorial I’ve made a road vehicle version with own elements of a rally car, and decorated with the Gulf emblems and colors. The kit used to build this model is the Tamiya 1/24 that ran in Monte Carlo rally 1967 (#24048). It’s cheap and is being manufacturing from time to time and can be easily purchased in many online shops
By Edwing E. Merlo Paredes | 09.15.2019 13:34
The Fiat Abarth 695 ‘esseesse’, classic, is one of the most popular European sport cars in automotive history. Its tiny size and body are among its main identity and attractive features. As was to be expected, Tamiya was one of the brands that offered the icon with Italian accent, creating a simple and funny kit with good details and lot of possibilities for modifications with improvements sets and/or scratch. The version presented in this tutorial is a road car with sport details and customized. It’s a type of vehicle that can be found today in concentrations or classic cars rallies.
By Mario Covalski | 07.15.2019 12:39
By Claudio Kalicinski | 07.09.2019 10:01
The kit was manufactured by the Ukrainian company, Roden and without doubt is the best Fokker Dr.1 kit in 1/32. Regrettably, it perpetuates some mistakes common to previous models of the Fokker Dr.1 because all of them have been based on Ian Stair's scale drawings published in the Fokker Dr.1 Special by Albatros Publications. These scale drawings, although are correct in dimensions, have some mistakes like the absence of the opening for the oil filling on the starboard side of the front decking and the lower panel where is located an access hatch to the engine and the incorporation of a detachable axle wing, correct for some versions of the Fokker D.VII, but not for the Dr.1 which its axle wing was fixed.....
By Fabrice Marechal | 07.09.2019 09:59
This project is the result of a request a Dutch collector made me. They sent me the Tamiya kit, an Aber PE dashboard , new wheels, several accessories not necessarily useful and a booklet that shows the differences between a DBS and a DBS Ultimate Edition one.
By David Guardia | 07.02.2019 11:48
The idea of assembling and painting this model was swirling around in my head since some time ago. It’s one of the vehicles of the saga I like best and besides, Bandai, the brand that introduced it on the market, is a very recognized one for manufacturing excellent models with “snap” perfect fit without the need of glue and highly detailed.
By Matej Paluda | 07.01.2019 12:02
To build this model, I used the old Tamiya´s T-34/76, 1943 kit. Although its moulds are from the eighties of 20th century, it is still good and with nice detailing. This article is intended for newcomers to armor modelling showing how to make a winter camouflage.
By Mark Laird | 05.13.2019 13:54
For years I wanted to build the 1/12 Bandai STP Turbine car. It is very unique piece of Indianapolis history, but the price that they were bringing was just more than I was willing to spend. I was lucky enough to find a complete kit on eBay for 200 US dollars. It was a “Buy it Now”, so I purchased it, and waited for it to arrive.
By Mario Covalski | 04.28.2019 12:04
The aim of this tutorial is to help the reader, especially to those who has never built a Hooben T55, to solve the problems I had to deal with, alert them to several problems that appears after some use, like it happened to me with the one built in 2011. As I said before, I built a regular T-55 of the Russian army and the IDF Tiran 5, but in the assembly steps, I’ll concentrate in the general points. Then in a later tutorial I will offer, it will show the variants needed for the Tiran 5. So here you will see pictures of different models, about the same topic.
By Gary Wickham | 01.24.2019 11:58
There has been quite a buzz around this release for one simple reason. Its a "Snap Tite" kit. Ok, so MENG refer to it as "Cement-Free Assembly" but whatever you call it, you are meant to assemble it without the need for glue. Normally this type of engineering is reserved for the basic, beginner style kits to make it easier for novices to construct their first model without making a mess with all that pesky glue. We have come to expect such kits to be very basic, often lacking detail with low part counts, to suite beginners.
By Mario Covalski | 01.13.2019 22:51
Chevron presented us some time ago a conversion kit, that allows us to transform the Tamiya's 1/12 Tyrrell P34 1/12 scale in its 1977 homonym. In this note I will describe which were the problems I found in building this complicated and compound kit, and the way I solved them.
By Mario Covalski | 01.01.2019 00:06
The goal of this short tutorial is to share with the reader the construction of the 1/16 RC Leopard 2A7, based on the Tamiya 2A6 and trying to copy the Meng 1/35 kit, which is an excellent reproduction of the real tank. To avoid creating false expectations about this tutorial, I’ll not make any reference to the assembly of the Tamiya kit, or the painting of the model, I just will focus on the modifications. During the construction I took some artistic license (as I use to do).
By Fabrice Marechal | 12.10.2018 12:02
The kit has been completely reworked so that the front and rear cover and the wheels can be removed and re-placed, I have shared a video to show it. Details have been added to the engine, such as spark plug wires and fuel lines etc. The rest of the build was completely done out of the box, less the necessary modifications to make workable the mentioned parts. The bodywork was painted with Ferrari red from Gravity Colors Spain and has been varnished with 2-component lacquer also from Gravity Colors Spain. Here pictures I have taken during the build.
By Fabrice Marechal | 12.10.2018 12:02
The Ferrari Dino 206 is a Le Phoenix kit which is no longer available commercially and very difficult to find even on collector sites. As the Porsche 917, all air vents have been perforated. The bodywork was first painted in red with DS Colors and blue stripes delimited and painted Gulf blue also from DS Colors. The white lines were made using white decals. The body was then varnished with 2-component DS Colors. Here pictures I have taken during the build.
By Fabrice Marechal | 12.10.2018 12:02
The Porsche 917 is a Paddock kit that is no longer commercially available. It's sometimes available on collector sites such as Modelart111. The body has been completely reworked at the level of the vents, all was perforated. The body was painted with Gulf Gravity Colors blue, the orange decals were then applied and retouched with a brush with X-6 Tamiya orange. The body was then clearcoated with 2-component Zero Paint varnish. Here pictures I have taken during the build.
By Eduardo Andreoli | 12.02.2018 12:40
When I decided that my next kit would be a M3A1 Stuart, there were not many available options so, I had to choose between purchasing an old Tamiya M3 (ref 35042) along with a resin conversion to convert it in a M3A1, or, this Academy kit. Comparing both kits, the Tamiya’s didn’t stand well the passage of time. The tracks are clearly in bad condition, so, they should have be replaced. The hull as well as the turret, have serious problems of size, and the details are nothing especial.
By Fabrice Marechal | 11.18.2018 13:00
Revell have going on offering Super cars and luxury reproductions in 1/24 scale, this article will be about the Porsche Panamera Turbo. I’ll not extend in a complete kit review , however every time I open a Revell box, the first things I examine are: the bodywork, the brakes and wheels. For these last ones, it must be recognized that Revell have improved them. The wheels size is correct and not undersized as it happened at times, besides they are molded in a single part. What still doesn’t’ like me is the chromed they’re provided with, lack of realism and adds extra work to the modeller. Unfortunately, the brakes are not well represented. This tutorial aims at showing with images the steps I followed to correct the problems and get the finished model.
By Mario Covalski | 10.11.2018 14:09
A couple of years ago, I discover www.Ludwigs-Hobby-Seite.de, a web site where Christian Ludwig offers his kits mostly made of plastic, cut with the CNC technology. So, I found a kit to convert a Heng Long 2A6 to the 2A4, that is to say a previous version.
By Mario Covalski | 10.03.2018 14:11
Since I built the Tamiya Leopard 2A6 I was always interested in the evolution of the tank, the Leopard 2A7. I had seen few scratch conversions on forums and youtube but, I’m not brave enough to do that. When OKMO through DKLM offered the conversion I fall in love with it. The parts are 3D printed and of very good quality, includes the FLW 200 robotized weapon station. I managed to add some servos to make the machine gun mobile. I didn’t write a tutorial as I didn’t take many pictures during the build, but this gallery could help others to face the project I hope so.
By Antonio Busciglio | 09.12.2018 11:31
The model I wanted to build was the version that ran on the Tour de Corse in 1984 season, driven by Attilio Bettega (who lost its life in the same car during the 1985 season) with Cresto as a co driver. The Martini livery makes this car absolutely stunning, but also quite demanding for the modeler. Moreover, the only plastic kit available on the market is the not so recent Hasegawa kit. In my opinion It’s quite well designed, easy to assemble parts, good general fitting, good materials quality. However...
By Michael Mandau | 08.09.2018 11:06
Brach Models, who is known for their wide range of conversion sets and full resin kits of almost unknown variants and models of World War II tanks, recently released another great product. This time they brought up a set of Italian Assault Guns, one of them is the Semovente M42 75/18, which I am going to build here.
By Mario Covalski | 06.27.2018 12:29
To improve the Heng Long T-90 I read some books and gathered information/photos from the web. This little research made me know more about these compact Russian tanks T-72/T-90, and so it grew my interest in them. So I bought the 1/16 T-72 Trumpeter kit. This kit was designed not only for static but also for RC. The static version has some extra details and modifications, reminds me the, T-34 from WSN, a brand with which Trumpeter sold the T-34 RC. The philosophy of the T-72 is the same, I still believe that the T-34 gearbox with its motors, would fit in the hull. Perfectly.
By Antonio Busciglio | 06.11.2018 15:27
The model nicely reproduces the shape of the car, but most of the details are missing, or oversimplified due to production and technology issues. On this basis, I decided to build this model adding as much detail as possible for my skills. As an additional difficulty, there are nearly no detail sets for this kit, so it would be necessary to add them from scratch. In particular, I used a large number of resin rivets and bolts, some turned bolts, leftover photoetched from my spare box and a lot of scratch-building. In this tutorial I’ll describe all the building process in detail. I hope you’ll enjoy building this model as I did.
By Michael Mandau | 05.16.2018 11:10
I was always fascinated by those tiny tanks with their unique and compact design and I had planned to build one for quite a while. Recently I got an old 1/35 scale Dragon #6030 Hetzer early version. This kit is almost 13 years old and you can clearly see some missing details but in overall it’s a good model. For some additional details I bought the Eduard 35385 Hetzer photoetched set which would be used. For me it’s a big inducement to use the old despised kits with minor additional parts and show what still could be done out of it. Together with the etch-set the total price was below 20€ and therefore also something for modelers with an economical budget.
By Fabrice Marechal | 05.12.2018 11:39
Certainly, Italeri offer us a kit that, once finished, is really a beautiful and shocking model due to its size, we are not accustomed to seeing a Fiat 500 in 1/12 scale. There is very little to be changed or improved to make the most of it. Unfortunately, some construction steps are not easy to understand and instructions are not always clear. In this respect, Italeri did nothing to facilitate the modelers’ work, and assembling the headlights, window frames, bodywork, etc., are a bit complicated. I built the model almost out of the box, enhancing the painting and assembling was correct and error free as far as possible, and I think it will be an excellent guide for those who want to face this project, having in advance the difficulties you’ll have to face and a good painting guide.
By Mario Covalski | 05.01.2018 12:37
Two years ago when I decided to build all Ferrari's "T" era cars in 1/12 scale, I only had few options. One of the most conflictive models was the 312T3, so many were the differences regarding the Tamiya's T and T4 models that it seemed impossible to start from them. I decided to get all the T3 information I could, pictures, diagrams, etc, it was not so much what I could find but enough to realize the difficulty this project would carry out, having a 1/20 Tamiya's 312 T3 was of great help in this stage.
By Mario Covalski | 04.18.2018 10:59
In May 2001 I wrote a brief preview on the Protar's 1/12 Alfa Romeo 179. This wonderful Formula One was one of the few cars in modern F1 history which chassis and engine were the same brand. Is this model really difficult? This is the key question for this model, and the answer is NO. If it were a Tamiya model, that is to say the same matrix but injected with Tamiya plastic and having the quality control of this huge Japanese company, I would say that this is one of the most delicious models I have ever built. Unfortunately, it has some flaws, mainly due to its poor quality than to the work of the Protar craftsmen.
By Mario Covalski | 04.16.2018 15:26
This article will be useful to anybody who wants to pursue this project, I decided to write it in the form of an instruction manual, following the steps set forth in the Tamiya's instruction manual, but also indicating all modifications to be made in order to insert the "Perfect Parts" metal parts, along with suggestions and advice on my experience with this model on every stage of the construction.
All general recommendations on the use of CA and handling of metal and photoetched parts can be found in the previous articles.
By Jaime Pastor Pueyo | 03.12.2018 11:28
I bought this kit years ago but, as usual, it ended up in the shelves close to dozens of boxes. However, someday I found a photo in a book, and I remembered where the kit was stored. When I opened the box, I could not put it away again.
By Mario Covalski | 03.01.2018 14:44
This article aims at leading the reader through the assembly process of a Tamiya Datsun 240Z in 1/12 scale. On next pages, I’ll explain the different techniques I used for the construction of the models, and though some of them are obsolete, they’re still very useful for beginners. Although this article is focused to novices, I think that even will be useful for advanced modelers to take ideas and several recommendations, if they have not built this kit yet.
By Antonio Busciglio | 02.23.2018 17:17
This tutorial aims at sharing the building process for the Tamiya kit. The Leyton House is a typical Tamiya kit of the nineties, with good quality and details, but with several fitting issues. I wanted to build a curbside model, focusing on the car shape and livery, rather than the inner mechanical details. It would be an almost OOB build, with modifications only when they were necessary to achieve a better fit and / or to increase the overall realism.
By Mario Covalski | 02.18.2018 12:22
The aim of this tutorial is to share with the reader the work of adding some details to the plastic, with nothing more than what I had in the spare box, spending very little money in the electronics, but trying to get a model that looks like a scale model and not a toy. In order not to disappoint anybody, I’ll not going to place the emphasis in the mechanical or electronic improvements since they are widely known, but will share the simple modifications and/or additions I made which are easily reproducible. I took some artistic freedom in some areas, to my personal taste, but I indicate the way it should be.
By Fabrice Marechal | 02.16.2018 12:35
When I was asked to build the Italeri Mirage, I was really excited. I had dreamed since long ago with building and representing the weathering using new technologies on an aircraft. As some friends know, I’m colorblind and never could realize about the colors of an aircraft weathering. I used to build a lot of 1/72 Matchbox kits (some military vehicles) as a child , sometimes painting them. Anyway, nothing to do with the new techniques and besides, since the age of twelve, I’ve not touched a military kit.
By Mario Covalski | 01.09.2018 18:44
This short tutorial is similar to the one I wrote about the Abrams, both were built at the same time and I used common solutions, so the reader will find much of shared text with the Abrams. The aim of this short article is to share with the reader, the work of adding several details to the plastic with no more things that I had in my spare box, with a minimum electronic inversion, gear box, wheels…etc. but trying to get the aspect of a model that looks like an hobby grade RC Challenger and not an expensive toy. In order not to be disappointed , I’ll not concentrate in the mechanical or electronic improvements since they’re widely known and the work done was the minimum as possible.
By Claudio Kalicinski | 01.01.2018 12:04
As you probably already know, the Italeri kit is a reboxing of the Occidental kit. This kit was harshly criticized because it had some nose shape problems. I read in other web pages that the kit was fixed, but it wasn’t. However, this reboxing looks far better, with its stunning box art and large decal sheet, than the previous Occidental release.
By Jose I. Hernandez Diez | 12.13.2017 12:43
Tamiya have been offering high quality motorcycles kits very detailed and good presentation. If you add to this the modern detail sets, the result will be a superb museum piece that will look striking in any showcase, this is the case of the of the Yamaha YZR M-1 (#14104) to which I added several aftermarket. The aim of this article is to share with readers my experience in the construction of this model with these extra sets, so here I will basically refer to their use.
By David Guardia | 12.05.2017 14:52
My dear friend, J.J Aos, who is himself an encyclopedia, gave me all the necessary information to place it in Pakistan. Although it is common to find pictures of Chaffles of late production, the early ones were also seen, included in the last Pakistan's 1971 conflict with India. Of course, exactly when I finished my model painting, Bronco Models offer the final release, Have you heard of Murphy’s law…?
By Alessandro Prini | 12.04.2017 12:00
Building a F50 GT starting from a regular Tamiya F50 was quite complex. The transkits that are available up to the moment I’m writing this article, do not convince me, they have thick parts and lack of detailing.
By Joachim Kutt | 11.12.2017 16:02
This build report is about superdetailing the 1/20 Tamiya kit and turning the Jordan 191 into Schumacher’s ride. The kit, a typical Tamiya product of the time, represents the Silverstone race version most closely, so some modifications were necessary besides adding the correct decals from Studio27.
By Ricardo Gonzalez | 11.05.2017 10:40
The Ducatti Panigale is to my liking one of the most spectacular motorcycles of the past decade. Thanks to Tamiya we can have a model of it, both were the reasons why I decided to build it trying to get the most detailed model I could , taking advantage of the fact that as it was a mass production model, it would be possible for me to get a lot of references. Not only I built and superdetailed the model, but also made a slightly and own customized version, a real Panigale, as I would like to have. The aim of this article, is to show with pictures and their comments the work accomplished as a guide and to give ideas of the details that can be added or showing in some cases how to do the different tasks.
By Jose Angel García Martin | 10.18.2017 12:59
In the air base of Zargoza located 270 km west of Barcelona and 262 km northeast of Madrid, took place the Tiger Meet 2016 which congregated many airplanes from different air forces that have some squadron of this kind. As it’s traditional for this meeting, the planes use to have special decorations that are always in reference to the “Tiger” . In this case, one of the most spectacular and attractive was the Mirage 2000 D belonging to the French L’Armee de l’Air, showing a beautiful tiger decoration in the fuselage and Spanish flags painted in the tail and wings. Just by looking at the pictures, I told myself “I have to do it one way or another”.
By Masa Narita | 10.09.2017 12:11
Building step by step….day by day. As soon as I looked inside this beautiful kit, I could not hold my horse. I had to stop other projects (1/35 Hetzer, 1/32 F-15J). I decided to build this kit straight from the box because I really wanted to see the completion as soon as possible. Also this time, I will update these pages while building the kit. So let's build this wonderful giant kit!!
By Fabrice Marechal | 09.17.2017 11:27
When I received the Revell kit, I realized about its qualities but also about its weak points. And the main, is the way the vent grilles present in the front mudguards, the hood and especially on the front bumpers were represented; and the singular design of the front grille. I invite you to follow the images of this model construction, which was laborious, but with a worthwhile final result!
By Claudio Kalicinski | 09.01.2017 11:45
The main reference I consulted to build this kit was the Grumman F7F Tigercat book (Vol 1y2) by Adam Jarski from AJ Press, but first of all I’d like to advise you to get rid of the tyres supplied with the kit since they have the strange quality of attacking the plastic, melting it just when coming into contact, so don’t keep them….you’ll save yourself a lot of trouble.
By Federico Collada | 08.03.2017 10:58
I received the ICM Opel Kapitän kit as soon as it was released as part of a batch that the producer sent me for reviewing but unfortunately I couldn’t get started with it until 10 months later. When I finally got my hands on it I started to think of a scene.
By Alessandro Prini | 07.19.2017 11:45
A photo gallery of other model from the master!
By Mario Covalski | 07.11.2017 12:35
These are the new times of Pocher, hand in hand with Hornby, the brand that offer models which represent high technology subjects as Lamborghini cars and Ducati motorcycles. Manufactured by Ixo, the Chinese company, they are the fashion of the time, huge 1/8 scale cars with metal body and chassis, already painted (luckily!). They compete with Amalgam and other brands with less expectations but to fit any budget and if you have some experience as model builder, the result will be acceptable and even excellent. The aim of this tutorial is to share the step by step in the Lamborghini Huracán construction, the last Pocher issue explaining the work achieved so that it may be useful for less experienced modelers and collectors.
By Federico Collada | 06.18.2017 11:31
SKP is a polish manufacturer that begun some years ago making mainly resin figures and updates for AFVs. It was not until a few years ago that they started to produce their own full kits. Having the experience and the means they wisely thought that they could include all those nice resin and photoetched sets they know how to do so well in the boxes so we do not need to go any further to complete the model with a delicate finish.
By Martin Klein | 06.11.2017 10:54
The Model Factory Hiro kit is a full detail all metal version and most parts are packed in a plastic box so that they are not damaged during transport. MFH recently increased the price significantly but after inspecting the content of the kit I think the kit is definitely worth the money. The M2 is the last of the ’84 versions that has been released by MFH and so many parts are carried over from the early versions. The M2 was only raced in the last 3 races of the season in Italy (Monza), European GP (Nürburgring) and Portugal (Estoril). With the kit you can build the Monza version. (For the races in Portugal and at the Nürburgring the front wing was changed from the delta shape to a square version similar to the one used the following year on the 156/85)
By Mario Covalski | 06.05.2017 13:51
The aim of this article is to share with the reader the pictures I’ve been taking during the build. It’s NOT a step by step since I worked following a DVD provided by Paul Koo, a friend of mine, which was of good help. However, I think that there were missing things as a better paint description and several problems I’ve found which were not explained in the DVD.
By Mario Covalski | 05.23.2017 10:27
When I bought the Luchs from Classy Hobby and the conversion for RC from 35RCtank I asked about the 38(T) conversion which had been out of stock since some years. They told me that would have a reissue in few weeks so I ordered as well. Here the results, I built both models at the same time. It was funny and easier than the Luchs, less the track links which I had to drill one by one with 05mm first and 1mm then. The 38(T) is like a WWI tank plenty of rivets which makes showy the weathering. I enjoyed the build, and as happened with the Luchs I had to modify the sequence of construction to make removable the upper hull. I recommend the kit and conversion, it's a beautiful small tanks but still 1/16 for those who like the big scale. I didn’t write an article because there are many online and since the point of view of the RC conversion is similar to the Luchs' , so you can have references from there.
By Omoto Kouzi | 05.18.2017 12:35
This is an outstanding work from our friend Omoto Kouzi. We hope you enjoy the pictures and encourage you to build a Tamiya Williams. We have a tutorials about the kit, not so detailed but good guide enough for newcomers.
By Omoto Kouzi | 05.15.2017 11:56
This is an outstanding work from our friend Omoto Kouzi. We hope you enjoy the pictures and encourage you to build a Tamiya McLaren 4/6. We have a tutorials about the kit, not so detailed but good guide enough for newcomers.
By Mario Covalski | 05.14.2017 13:26
When guys from 35 RC tank offered the conversion kit, I got excited and decided to buy the Classy Hobby kit and the conversion. This tutorial aims at sharing with the reader my experience in the construction of this radio controlled model, and even will be useful for those who build it as a static model, since the reviews say much about the kit but little about the problems I found.
By Barlas Pehlivan | 05.04.2017 12:25
The Moebius Ford Range pickup is a beautiful kit, but I wanted something more, so I decided to build a customized model. I wanted a small truck with a very weathered paint and even looking ruined by rust, and a twin wheels axle. Achieving a weathered paint would not be a problem but the rear axle of the Moebius kit is of single wheel, so I would have to search for good references and the material to represent the twin wheels axle. The aim of this brief article is to share the work accomplished.
By Mario Covalski | 05.01.2017 11:23
My first motorcycle models, during the 70’s, were Tamiya’s 1/6 scale models. The parts were big but the building sequence was almost identical to the 1:1 scale models. Beginning with the 80’s I discovered the new scale for motorcycles (1/12), and found out that almost all of them used the same method to build the frame: first paint both halves and then glue them with the FINISHED engine in between. Something similar to airplane models, first you have to finish the cockpit and then you have to glue it between the fuselage sides and then paint everything; the difference here is that in our case (motorcycles) we paint the frame halves before gluing them.
By Mario Covalski | 04.18.2017 11:09
I wanted to add to my F1 1/12 scale collection the 1976 T2. Several years ago I built a Protar T2, but as the result didn't satisfy me, I sold it. Sometime ago I bought another Protar T2 with the intention of modifying and/or detailing more the parts if necessary. After studying the kit very carefully, I understood that this was not possible, at least for me. Then.... what can I do?. Some months ago I had the opportunity of buying several Tamiyas 312T, for different projects I had planned and as I had still one left, I decided to use the T as base and some parts of T2 that I could not make, adding other necessary details. I anticipate you the end, to arrive to what I wanted, the Protar and Tamiya's parts used needed several changes. In the following note I explain you, which were the involved modifications and how I made them.
By Mario Gabas Ruiz | 04.06.2017 15:05
During the whole, the German Army captured and reused hundreds of T-34 Soviet tanks, in many cases the vehicles were used as they were captured with just only addition: the balkenkreuz on the sides. At times, the vehicles were sent to the workshops where the typical accessories of the German tanks such as Notek lights, German radios, lateral boxes for equipment and so, were added. The aim of this note is to share the work especially about painting, over a conversion of the old Tamiya kit.
By Antonio Busciglio | 04.03.2017 15:12
The Tamiya kit represents very well this icon of the 1988 season in its general shape but not regarding the mechanical parts and the cockpit area. As this is one of the F1s I like best, I decided to build it adding the superb Top Studio detail set (TS in the text) that includes resin and PE parts what makes novices to modelling feel fear. Besides, I’ve added several modifications and extra details which were necessary adding an extra effort. This article is to share my work with the hope that those who are less experienced than me, can build this model with some extra help.
By Edwing E. Merlo Paredes | 04.02.2017 17:27
As a modeler, I use to build civil vehicles, but well, building an airplane is not “a bad thing from time to time…”, and besides I don’t like to become immersed in only one specialty of static modeling. I’ve built aircraft from Monogram, Testors, Lindberg, Revell, Italeri, Heller, Airfix, Matchbox among others; but somebody recommended me about Hasegawa kits, which was all the rage among modelers....
By Claudio Kalicinski | 04.01.2017 17:47
The DeHavilland Mosquito was a British combat aircraft that excelled in a number of roles during the Second World War. Originally conceived as an unarmed fast bomber, uses of the Mosquito included: low to medium altitude daytime tactical bomber, high altitude night bomber, pathfinder, day or night fighter, fighter-bomber, intruder, maritime strike and photo reconnaissance aircraft.
By Michael Schneider | 04.01.2017 10:09
Looking through my photos of a Porsche-Alfa-Meeting in Hockenheim in 2004 I found an Alfa Giulia with wide fenders. It was then when I pulled the Tamiya Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GTA* off the self to take a closer look at it. The kit is great and includes an engine, but I wanted a body with wider fenders. Of course, it is possible to widen the fenders with sheet and putty, but I would not need to do so since there was another Alfa from Gunze Sangyo* on my shelf, not so accurate to my eyes, even without an engine, but comprising wide fenders.
By Mario Covalski | 03.21.2017 13:49
Two years ago the Challenger 2 appeared first and then the Abrams in the A2 version Though they always liked me, especially the Abrams, I let them go to keep myself focused in other projects. Some months ago a local importer started offering them and I had the opportunity to see them with my own in live. The HL tanks don’t say a lot when you take it out the box. In general they’re painted with wrong colors, with black plastic exposed wheels look like toys more appropriated for little kids than for older children. But with my trained eye, after having read so many magazines and seen models, told me that both of them had a lot of potential to meet my expectations.
By Jose Angel García Martin | 03.12.2017 12:01
One of my favourite aircraft has always been the F4 Phantom. Since long ago, I wished I could make a 1/48 F4C of the Ejército del Aire (Spanish air force) but the kits available to carry out my project were too poor. It was then when this fabulous Academy kit that was the best fighter aircraft manufactured up to the moment appeared. I could not leave the opportunity of making my favourite aiplane of my beloved Ejército del Aire.
By Fabrice Marechal | 02.10.2017 15:45
When I assembled the Mirage IIIC, I used several products from Ammo Mig. Though I was very satisfied with the result, I decided to use AK Interactive products for the 918 to have a different experience. Certainly Revell have improved the wheels quality and their design but improvements don’t always mean accuracy and I have my doubts about size accuracy of wheels, so I replaced them with the Plamoz ones. I invite you to follow this Porsche model build where I only made two changes in the body to get the result you see here.
By Pablo Raggi | 02.01.2017 10:50
DANA means Delo Automobilní Nabíjené Automaticky, in other words: self-propelled auto-loading gun., an innovator concept The DANA was one of the first truck or wheeled large calibre artillery pieces when it was designed in the 1970s by ZTS Bubnica nad Vahom. Based on a Tatra 8x8 truck the vehicle was, and is, quite advanced with a 152mm gun.
By Ramon Segarra Guerrero | 01.24.2017 15:54
The kit gives the option of building the model in the British, Belgium or Spanish versions and remembering my time in the Spain Marine Corps, I chose this version. The decals supplied with the kit for the Spanish version are not enough, so I had to get the decals of the Marine Corps from FC Modeltips.
The Spanish Scorpions: http://www.modelersite.com/en/737/the-spanish-scorpions
By Mario Gabas Ruiz | 01.08.2017 12:50
To reproduce this mythic vehicle, I used one of the first kits of this new brand Hero Model kits. It’s a very simple kit easy to build where the rear vent grilles stand out cause are very well machined. No doubt is a nice kit to enjoy with the painting stage which I’ll share with you in this article.
By Carlos Escobar | 12.08.2016 10:43
This is the Dragon kit probably packaged only by Italeri. There is no variation regarding to details, even plastic is the same color. There are no improvements and the same limited number of parts, what obliged me to work a lot to improve the model interior and exterior.
By Adie Gerber | 11.01.2016 12:24
This is the Pocher 1/4 Ducati 1299S Panigale. The kit was released in 2015 and reached South Africa in early 2016. I was fortunate to build this one for a friend who collect hi end car models.
By Ramon Segarra Guerrero | 10.24.2016 11:19
The BMP-2 is a Soviet/Russian infantry fighting vehicle, its design belongs to the 70s and was introduced at the beginning of the 80s. BMP stands for Boyevaya Mashina Pekhoty (Infantry fighting vehicle). It was developed to replace the BMP-1. The Zvezda model kit #3554 needs a lot of work to improve its details, since it’s poor and with several parts of the vehicle that don’t come represented.
By Antonio Busciglio | 10.04.2016 12:06
The car I wanted to build is the Kimi Raikkonen’s Ferrari 2007 in the splendid livery that was used in the second part of the season, where the Ferrari fluo red used in the previous races (and years) was replaced by a stunning, very characteristic (sort of) candy metallic red.
By Federico Collada | 09.20.2016 11:18
I received a sample of the Mirror Models kit as soon as it was available, and I was anxious to put my hands on it, I already have made a couple of kits of this company and I was quite happy with them. But this time was a bit different as I already had in mind an idea of what to do with the kit, I had seen many pictures of long time abandoned trucks like this one heavily rusted in the middle of nowhere and I liked much that scenery. So when the model got home I put aside other projects I had running and I started with it immediately.
By Federico Collada | 08.09.2016 11:36
Nowadays it can be a bit reiterative to write an article about the Panzer III history as there is one in every model magazine from time to time, and the web is saturated with them in every language for everyone who desires to read them. So I will concentrate in telling how I built and painted the model.
By Guy Golsteyn | 08.02.2016 11:52
Since it has become a bit quiet at Tamiya headquarters regarding the launch of new 1:20 F1 models, it is nice to see that manufacturers like Fujimi and Hasegawa have picked up the gauntlet releasing new F1 models on a regular base. The Hasegawa kit we will be using here is very well detailed, which means it is possible to build a fine, beautiful looking model building it 'straight from the box’.
By Alfonso Selva | 07.11.2016 11:47
The Dragon kit (Pz.I Ausf.A Modified Version w/Interior ref. 6356) offers very good detail and complete interiors, with no assembly difficulty. The fit parts are excellent and instructions are clear. The kit supplies a PE fret which I complemented with the Eduard PE#35722 and the Aber 35L-90 of 2 barrels for German machine guns to have more detailing options.
By Fabrice Marechal | 07.02.2016 21:06
For this article Ebbro provided me a test-shoot that’s to say a test of an injection mold, and there were no references about the year this DS model represented belonged to, so I started to look around the net for pictures that could help me. Looking at the body carefully and comparing with several photos, it was obvious that I had to make sure about certain points.
By Mario Covalski | 06.01.2016 10:31
During the 80’s decade Tamiya offered what was going to be their last kit in their superb collection of 1/12 F1 models, the car was the Renault Turbo RE20. After that, the modelers had to suffer a drought of 10 years, until we had the chance to see a new model in this very well known collection, the Ferrari 641/2, which was issued in 1991. This is my second attempt with this kit, the first was many years ago, and I only remember that it was “a little bit complicated”. So, I want to begin this note with three concepts which are: 1) this is a very complex kit (I will say why later), 2) objectives, and 3) planning.
By Federico Collada | 06.01.2016 00:16
Not long ago, when Asuka was still Tasca, they started to add some beautiful 1/24 scale models to their catalogue. The Panzer II and the BMW were as outstanding as they 1/35 Shermans, a referent worldwide. When a few months ago I saw the forthcoming Bantam BRC 40 in this scale I was a bit surprised for the model chosen to continue the 1/24 catalogue, a little known Jeep that lost the race against the Willys.
By Antonio Busciglio | 05.10.2016 14:35
In this article I describe the work to superdetail the Tamiya Ferrari F1-2000, the car that brought back the driver championship in Maranello with Michael Schumacher, after 21 years from the last championship. The Tamiya kit is good, but the aim is to add as much details as possible, by using the Top Studio; super detail set, and antenna set, and other aftermarket details (photo-etched bolts, rivets and so on).
By Jaime Pastor Pueyo | 04.13.2016 11:44
Only Tamiya offer several versions of the Bristol Beaufighter in 1/48 scale. Nevertheless, the only way to do the Mk.Ic is to transform and correct some minor errors starting from the Mk.IV that is the most similar. The kit itself is pretty good, there’s no significant differences with others of the same brand and scale, but the scarcely detailed cockpit and well wheels called my attention since are very visible and should be improved as much as possible.
By Fabrice Marechal | 04.04.2016 19:41
This article aims at sharing my model construction which was built out of the box adding a personal touch, removing the chrome from plastic parts that look so unreal, and some details that advanced modelers will be able to reproduce.
By Fabrice Marechal | 04.01.2016 12:13
When AEG electronics sponsored a Sauber C9 Mercedes Benz, the paint design was one of a printed circuit all over the car. No doubt the design was very attractive for the modeler but it also implied a lot of extra work with the painting and decaling of the model. My aim with this note is to share with you, the reader, my experience in detailing this Tamiya kit as well as the process of applying the decals, which seemed quite difficult.
By Mario Covalski | 04.01.2016 11:03
Some year ago I built the large Italeri kit, an amazing piece. It's so big to be static and I converted to RC. I made some modifications to be able to remove a portion of the deck to maintenance and charge the battery. I painted grey as it was before to be fleet to the Pacific.
By Laurent Rolleri | 03.05.2016 12:06
The time that some companies started to gratify us with kits that represent vehicles of the Great War finally arrived; this is the case of Takon that began to offer the Saint Chamond in 1/35 scale.
By Mario Covalski | 03.01.2016 16:56
If this is your first 1/12 kit (it would be better it were not), I advise you to take a decision right now: if you will build it following literally the instructions, if you will add the suggestions provided here, or if you will intend to superdetail the model, trying to copy to the utmost the details that can be seen in the offered pictures.
By Federico Collada | 02.11.2016 10:57
From some time to now ICM is producing very interesting models from the Wehrmacht that were not available in plastic before; the Stoewer Kfz. 1 and 2, the Ford 3000s, the Mercedes G7 and the Henschel 33D1, a very typical truck from the WWII period.
By Mario Covalski | 01.18.2016 12:56
I needed over a year to get one to build and when I had it in my hands, there were several articles and WIP in forums about its construction. But something I noted was that almost all of them are focused on the mechanisms, features, critics…etc. Almost none of them try to give novices a simple guide as help to solve some problems that the construction offers, since building a RC tank is more than applying grease to the gears. So. the aim of this article is to share several advices and tricks to solve construction and painting problems, basically cosmetics, but lead to the final aspect of the model and allow to be proud of it in the end.
By Mario Covalski | 01.04.2016 14:50
I took advantage of the end of the year to make the final touches to the KT Porsche turret. It was all a challenge for me the weathering and made it RC.
By Fabrice Marechal | 12.26.2015 13:24
Looking at the photos of a real 300SL body, we find out Tamiya have made an excellent work. However, it’s possible to go even further and give the body of this Mercedes an additional touch of realism. Regarding the chassis Tamiya also made a hard work with the tubular frame, very realistic indeed! besides of being quite simple to assemble. The engine and cockpit are not far behind. To paint this marvel, I chose silver that is unavoidable for this beauty. So, the aim of this article is to share with the reader the building, painting and weathering process of some parts, in such a way that they can be reproduced by a modeller with a minimum of experience.
By Alex Nahooy | 12.15.2015 11:14
The Derek Gardner designed Tyrrell 007 made his marks true the ’74 and ’75 seasons.In expectation of there new P34 challenger the first 3 races of 1976 were raced by the final and revised version of the 007.
I would liked for MFH to have made the ’75 version,but by making the ’76 version MFH could use more parts of the Tamiya P34…resulting in this beautifull transkit ;correct rear wing and support,rear radiators ect.Most of the rear end parts of the 007 indeed come from the Tamiya donor ( Engine,gearbox,suspension and rear wheels).
By Edwing E. Merlo Paredes | 11.27.2015 11:44
On several occasions, when surfing around HLJ, I saw the Greedy 9 on sale. To be honest, the tuning aspect of the art box showing this magnificent green Mazda RX-7, tempted me more than once, but it didn’t get me very excited cause in the short description of the kit, I realized that this is one of those models which doesn’t feature a detailed engine, and this is exactly, what I like, to get detailed engines. But, in the end, that tempting picture of the box really convinced me, thus I ordered it.
By Michel Perez Blasco | 11.24.2015 11:22
There are only two options if you want to build a reproduction of this peculiar vehicle, the HaPM kit (Sd.Kfz.231) or this one from Italeri. Not much to think, Italeri win. Anyway, once the references were consulted, I found out that it also has errors, mainly due to the fact that the kit doesn’t represent any of the three types of six-wheel vehicles manufactured by Mercedes, Magirus and Busing Nag.
By Federico Collada | 11.17.2015 11:55
The Miniart´s model is accurate, complex and beautiful. A year ago Miniart surprised everybody placing in the stores the three versions of this vehicle in 1/35 scale, it was very good news as it was the first time that a plastic kit of the AECs was available. The first one was the Mk.I model which showed the “state of the art” engineering of the Ukraine firm that provided a kit so full of details and subtle parts that the model became a modellers trending topic at the forums for many days.
By Felice Ferriello | 11.17.2015 11:47
Tamiya offer an excellent model for Ferrari lovers, that can’t be missing in a collection. In my opinion, it’s a very complex kit so not recommended for novices or those who want to spend some time distracted and relaxed with a simple model. Its complexity obliges you to study very carefully the instructions preparing a building plan, altering the instruction steps to get a good result.
This article aims at sharing with the reader the work achieved during several months to superdetail this beautiful model, providing lots of images.
By Edwing E. Merlo Paredes | 11.17.2015 11:33
First of all, it’s necessary to take a look inside the box to be sure if the content is complete and in perfect conditions. One of the most common and discouraging problems is that once the project has started, we can find out that there are broken, distorted or missing parts.
By Pablo Raggi | 11.17.2015 11:12
Since time ago, I’ve been thinking to add a wheeled vehicle to my Middle East vehicles collection. Looking for an interesting kit, I found the Revell Gaz-66 (ref.03051), which is also marketed by Eastern Express. However, after investigating, I realized that there were just a few versions to accomplish Quite apart from the soviet green, there was not much to play.
By Claudio Kalicinski | 11.17.2015 11:00
The kit is Eduard’s Sopwith Triplane (8014). This is one of the earliest of Eduard's 1/48 offerings, dating from 1995, and was the first Eduard kit to not be a limited-run product. It is a mixed media kit and consists of injected molded plastic a large etched fret and a white metal engine and the early horizontal stabilizer, similar to the one used by the Sopwith Pup.
By Pablo Raggi | 11.17.2015 10:41
When I bought this kit, over two years ago, the IDF S’hot Centurion1967 version was not announced yet. Actually this was the model I wanted to build, perhaps I acted hastily and this was my first mistake. The Voyager 35110 etched set was excellent, it was thought for the Australian Centurion Mk 5/1 instead of the Mk 5/2 Nato, for which there was no specific PE available. This was the second mistake. To make things worse, I bought the etched set before purchasing the kit, so I didn’t know whether I would need it or not.
By Dario Risso | 10.28.2015 16:12
This kit is an excellent representation of this vehicle, moulded in Dragon Models Ltd’s traditional light grey coloured plastic including highly detailed parts and several sprues coming from other kits of the same brand, the Panzer I, the Panzerjäger I and the towed sIG 33.
By Patricio Delfosse | 10.01.2015 10:06
I’ve always been building military vehicles. My paint box is full of greens, grays, ochres and browns colors; and sand, gray and beige pigments. My shelf is full of Trumpeter, Tristar and Dragon boxes. Thank you, Verlinden for having launched the aftermarket industry for superdetailed kits for military vehicles. But however…sometimes I wish to build something different. Something glossy, with a lot of decals. Something fast. It’s not my intention to teach to build cars. This note is simply an experiment to see how somebody who doesn’t use to build cars, does it I admit that what scares me most, is to get a smooth and gloss paint finish. I hope to reach a decent final result in the end!!
By Ramon Segarra Guerrero | 09.22.2015 11:14
The new kit from Italeri offered in 2010 is a re-box of the Academy British Tank Destroyer Achilles #1392 released some years ago with the only differences being a new decal sheet and instruction sheet, to be distributed in Europe. Since time ago, I wanted to add the M10 to my collection of armoured vehicles and although there are other available brands such as AFV Cllub and the old Tamiya, The primary aim of this article is to share with the reader the work made on the kit, focusing myself on the showy livery I chose for it.
By Fabrice Marechal | 09.12.2015 10:58
By Federico Collada | 08.31.2015 11:58
Contrary to the real vehicle, the kit is gratifying. It’s no surprising since Fine Molds have always produced full detailed kits and this is not the exception. The weak point is that instructions are in Japanese except for the color overviews. The kit includes a PE part, individual track links and two figures, besides of the plastic parts, of course. To take advantage of the detailed interior, I decided to leave all the hatches open so that everything could be visible.
By Eduardo Andreoli | 08.28.2015 11:38
After suffering so much trying to improve the Tamiya half-tracks; in the end Dragon offer us a series of best quality vehicles and good selection of subjects: from the early M2 to one of the last versions of the M3 chassis, the M16 with quad 12,7mm machine guns. Among all the available versions, the ones I liked best were: the M3 famous French 75mm gun and the M3 105mm. So, as soon as Dragon offered these kits, I purchased one and started its construction.
By Eduardo Andreoli | 08.28.2015 11:10
Over the last years, I did not build any Italeri kit and now I had a great expectation since the Sahariana is now featuring a completely new tooled mold, so looking inside the box, I found a detailed static display model depicting the model 42 Desert Vehicle including resin and etched parts, vinyl tires which look a little soft on tread detail, two resin crew figures and a highly detailed reference manual containing a brief history with black-and-white photos, full-color assembly guide for photo etched parts, and camouflage painting guide.
By Eduardo Andreoli | 08.28.2015 10:54
As soon as Dragon released this kit, I rushed to buy it, but when it was in my hands, I had a lot of doubts about how it would look once built. I wanted to build the African version , my mind visualized it yellow with no camo and I believed it would look like a toy and not real. Thinking the problem through, I considered the hairspray technique would be what I was looking for to get the finish that satisfied me…..and my model. Thus, I started with the construction.
By Federico Collada | 07.29.2015 10:38
It is very easy to find information about the M7 HMC, there many books, websites and articles everywhere for you to consult anytime so I will not extend on this part of the article, instead I will tell you about the model and the work I done with it. Up to some years ago the only M7 you could find in this scale was the old Italeri kit, even if it was not a bad kit, if suffered from the lack of the fine details that are the standard nowadays so if you wanted your M7 to reach the level you had to work a lot on it.
By Antonio Busciglio | 07.28.2015 10:56
This article is about the assembly and detailing of the Tamiya Honda NSR500 from 1984, using the awesome Hobby Design detail set and other aftermarket stuff, such as rivets, bolts heads and so on. The model is a recent release from Tamiya, and the detail of the kit is astonishing. Given the very peculiar characteristic of this motorcycle, as the fuel tank placed below the engine, and the exhausts infront of the driver’s chest, I decided to show the cowling not placed on the chassis.
By Mario Covalski | 07.01.2015 11:38
Among the articles I had in mind to write about, there was one that headed my list, and without any doubt, It was about the Brabham BT44. By the end of my youth, I saw this beautiful, simple and successful car, running in Buenos Aires, driven by Carlos Reutemann, one of the most expert F1 drivers of the last 30 years. The purpose of this note is to show simple guidelines following the instruction manual steps, recommending some details that can be applied to improve even more the original Tamiya kit.
By Marcos Cruz | 06.29.2015 11:12
What I am about to share with you guys does not have anything to do with how much the wiring, plumbing or even photo-etch detail aid or assist in creating a truly unique replica of a real car but rather the basics and fundamentals of obtaining a professional and clean looking model car. For the purpose of this article, I decided to choose the Revell 1966 Chevy SS 396 Hardtop.
By Federico Collada | 06.28.2015 11:32
The recent Canadian firm Mirror Models have started their catalogue with the many vehicles based on the C15 truck in 1/35 scale, with a very high quality plastic, resin and photoetched parts models that includes the Otter Mk.I
By Fabrice Marechal | 06.23.2015 11:29
By Fabrice Marechal | 06.22.2015 22:12
By Robert Hughes | 06.01.2015 12:17
On the 7th of September 1975 Nikki Lauda would drive into the record books with a well driven 3rd place at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza. The race was won by Team mate Carlos Reutemann but all eyes were on the number 12 of Nikki Lauda because finishing 3rd was enough to secure the Drivers Championship for 1975. All of Italy rejoiced at Ferrari's first driving title since John Surtees in 1964. I had this Tamiya 1/12 scale model in my to do pile for quite some time and considering that 2007 was Ferrari’s 60th anniversary year there could be no better time to start work.
By Edgardo Azzollini | 05.29.2015 11:57
The model represents the Ferrari 312/68 (009), drove by Jacky Ickx, French GP 1968. This article has been written following the kit Instructions, showing pictures of each step, and it aims to be a guide for others that want to follow the same way.
By Federico Collada | 05.29.2015 11:10
In a short period of time, three companies have launched a kit of this tank into the market, the first one was Zvezda, next we could find the Meng’s version and lastly the Trumpeters’. Different articles have compared ones to the others regarding price, quality, complexity and fidelity, having each kit, defenders and detractors.
By Dan Parrat | 05.28.2015 20:24
By Fabrice Marechal | 04.28.2015 11:50
Produced since 1961, the popular 4L, debuted at the 1961 Paris Show and ran in production for more than 31 years in France only, and later in neighbouring countries with the only aim to compete with the also famous Citroen 2CV without which, the 4L perhaps, would have never existed! In the 1990 decade, Renault was obliged to resign the production of the 4L, for their inability to adapt to the new European rules against contamination. With more than 8 million units, the 4L is still the best-seller French car. This article aims at sharing with the reader the modifications and improvements I made during the construction of the Ebbro kit.
By Mario Covalski | 04.28.2015 11:31
On the occasion of one of my visits to a LHS, it was offered to me to buy a cheap 1/16 Hobby Boss Tiger I which had the upper hull missing. The Hobby Boss kit was not born to be a static model; some years ago it has been offered by WSN as a cheap RC toy. Good in some aspects while deficient and unacceptable in others. It tries to represent a Tiger I Mid production. With the kit at home, I thought it was a good opportunity of building a Tiger I early since I had a RC toy from Heng Long, a direct but inaccurate copy of the Tamiya Tiger, and that represents the Tiger early version.
By Fabrice Marechal | 04.01.2015 12:02
This kit is typical Revell with 10 sprues that contain around 100 parts. The parts that comprise the interior are injected in red plastic. Like the Superamerica, it comes with a separate hood to leave the engine visible. I’m afraid the weak point of the kit are the low quality over chromed parts. Vinyl tyres with realistic tread and waterslide decals complete the details. The aim of this article is to share with the reader my experience in the construction of this model, with some tips to improve it.
By Michael Capell | 04.01.2015 11:56
No sooner had I finished the Wingnut Wings Roland , than the Hansa Brandenberg out of its box, same day actually, and it is big. There is something about the Hansa that set it apart from other aircraft, even from a distance there is no mistaking it . Several other manufactures have produced it in smaller scales versions , but a combination of modern moulding techniques and Wingnuts reputation will set this one apart from the rest.
By Roy Fitzsimmonds | 04.01.2015 11:49
he large scale Airfix Bentley is a great model, if sometimes a little hard to find nowadays. There are often a few on eBay but you need to be patient to get one at a good price. I’ve seen them go for as much as £100, and as little as £35. I paid £45, which is a pretty good deal. First off, let me say that this isn’t a super-detailing article in the truest sense. I haven’t gone overboard, machining various bits in ally or brass, or re-making pieces in high tech workshops, but there are lots of fairly simple things you can do that will vastly enhance this model. Everything I’ve done can be done by the average "Joe Bloggs" at home.
By Fabrice Marechal | 04.01.2015 11:45
Both the Scania tractor and trailer are well known kits from Italeri. The main interest of this kit is perhaps the very good choice of decoration. The Scania R620 is well designed, however Italeri felt free when reproducing some parts, probably to simplify the kit and offer it at a relatively low price. Here you’ll find a mix of old kits of the series 3. This article aims at showing with pictures, the steps to get a good looking model and the improvements accomplished on it.
By Fabrice Marechal | 04.01.2015 11:43
While Tamiya always seem to focus on the mechanical parts of its models, Revell pays more attention to the variety of kits that we modelers want to see and build, which is the case with the Ferrari 575 Superamerica. The objective of this note is to share with you readers, the improvements which came up along the building process and my experiences with it.
By Antonio Busciglio | 04.01.2015 11:42
One of the most attractive aspects of modelling, in my opinion, is the detailing of mechanical parts, especially for old cars like this. So with this article I’ll share with the reader the work done in the nice Hasegawa Ferrari 312T2 1976 kit. The built model represents the car which Niki Lauda won the GP of Monaco with, over Scheckter and Depailler.
By Federico Collada | 03.31.2015 12:10
The Schneider CA-1 was the first operative combat tank of the world developed in France in 1916. In April 1917 it would be used in large number at Berry-au-Bac during the infamous Nivelle Offensive. This article shows how I built the late CA-1 which was used in Spain after the First World War ended. For this modification, I used the FCModeltips conversion and decals.
By Andreas Rousounelis | 03.13.2015 11:47
The Range Rover is a 4x4 luxury British that first entered production in 1970, and is currently at its fourth generation. The Revell kit depicts the first generation 5-door version. In the following sentences I will share my experience building the kit and some modes I made to improve it, I hope they will be useful for others.
By Gabriel Stern | 03.01.2015 14:35
What exactly is -or was- a Caproni Stipa?. The simila similaribus curator principle of homeopathic medicine states -don't correct me if I'm wrong- that a similar substance heals a similar illness. Hence we can assume that Count Caproni, famed for his bias toward extremely "innovative" designs (do you, by any chance, know about his triplane hydroplane?) associated with Mr. Luigi Stipa in order to get cured. Did it work? We'll see.
By Federico Collada | 03.01.2015 11:00
Hobby Boss is a producer that bets for constant surprising election of their models, far from other companies that provides us with every single version of the ubiquitous T-34, Panther, Sherman, etc. only distinguishable for the angle of that certain part. Hobby Boss may not be as popular but they surely are very original. This time they came up with this particular subject that has never been produced in plastic before, in any scale.
By Geo Tziafas | 03.01.2015 10:44
Model Factory Hiro as usual gave us a outstanding kit made of metal and other multimedia parts. It isn’t an easy task to build this model, but in the end you will get a weighty master piece. With this article I aim to share with the reader what I did, I focused on taking as many photos as possible, adding a short explanation about them.
By Fabrice Marechal | 02.01.2015 10:04
By Fabrice Marechal | 02.01.2015 10:01
By Eduardo Andreoli | 01.16.2015 11:19
There are manufacturers that get better with every kit they introduce in the market, and each one is better than its predecessor in quality, detail, fit, etc. Of course, there are exceptions and sometimes a new kit can be worse than the previous one. In my personal thinking, this is what happened with the M706 Commando Armored Car from Hobby Boss (also known as V-100). Though it was released after the M4 Truck, its overall quality was lower. Something that we have to admit is that this company use to surprise us with different models and at reasonable prices.
By Martin Klein | 01.07.2015 11:54
The 1/20 Tamiya kit provides full engine detail in contrast to the 1/24 version also available. Another difference between the two versions, is that the 1/20 kit also provides the decals for the 1978 version with red and white colour scheme (instead of blue) and so, I decided to build the 1978 version mainly because of the colour. One thing very difficult if you intend to detail such old kits is to find good references. So, I dived into my pile of old racing magazines and found a 1978 issue with a detailed development report of the car, containing several photos of car details.
By Mario Covalski | 01.01.2015 19:24
This is a Heng Long M41 radio controled which I improved... a lot!
By Guy Golsteyn | 01.01.2015 11:36
The Porsche 935 is one out of the seven 1:20 closed wheels kits that Tamiya has ever released. Of course there have been produced lots of 1:20 Formula 1 kits, to improve the detailing level in comparison to 1:24 cars, but as far as 1:20 tin top cars are concerned, Tamiya only produced four Porsches, two Fiat cars and one Toyota. The kit with reference number 20005 (equivalent to the fifth 1:20 scale kit) was this Porsche 935. The kit allows to build either the 1976 factory version with ‘Martini'-livery, or the 1977 customer version with ‘Jägermeister'-livery. Because I couldn’t make up my mind whether to build the factory version or the customer version, I purchased the kit twice so that both versions can be built.
By Jose Angel García Martin | 12.31.2014 11:46
On 1 January 1945, the Fw190 A-8/R2 piloted by Walter Wagner was hit by flak during the attack over St. Trond airfield. The engine died and had to make and emergency landing, and was captured by the USAAF. This aircraft had black/white/black RVT bands to JG 4 and the emblem of the fuselage unit. The aim of this article is to show the two-option scheme of one of the most famous aircraft of the Second World War, Fw190.
By Federico Collada | 11.30.2014 12:49
I had this project on my mind for years, not this precise model but making a destroyed vehicle. I have seen many modellers do it with more or less skill and different results. I do not know when was the first time that I thought that it would be a nice challenge to make my own “scrap” but finally I realized that it would not be a single project but the first of many to come, this would be first and the testing for some techniques that I would have to improve, complete and combine with others along more destroyed tanks to come...
By Edgardo Azzollini | 11.30.2014 12:46
The model represents the Ferrari 312/69 (0019), drove by Chris Amon (NZ), Monaco 1969, 1st practice on Thursday, May 15th 1969. This article has been written following the kit Instructions, showing pictures of each step, and it aims to be a guide for others that want to follow the same way.
By Guy Golsteyn | 11.28.2014 10:50
Before opening the box, I advise you to take some time to admire the beautiful artwork decorating the box. True artists produce time after time gorgeous illustrations at the Tamiya factory, reflecting a perfect image of how beautiful a model you will find inside. On condition that you are willing to invest some time and effort of course. And to help you I will try to guide you through the building process to achieve this goal.
By Fabrice Marechal | 11.04.2014 20:07
By Juan Layos Pantoja | 10.31.2014 10:15
This is one of those kits resting on our shelves which for one reason or another, we’ve never built and perhaps one day, not knowing why, one decides to get down to work! Let me mention that it was not a straightforward kit to build, besides of being an old one, some parts don’t fit properly as it use to happen with some Tamiya kits, especially with regard to the hood which needed to be dry fitted prior to the paint body work and subsequently.
By Federico Collada | 10.30.2014 11:03
For many decades the only 1/35 model of the AMX-30 was the one produced by the French company Heller, which had some nice details but also some troublesome parts and what was evident, it lacked of subtle details so if you wanted to have a nicely detailed model of the French tank you surely had to work a lot. Few years ago, the Meng Models Company from China presented their new kit at the Scale Model World 2012 at Telford and they did it “the big way” placing the real AMX-30B from the Bovington tank museum aside so the modellers could compare and enjoy.
By Pablo Martelli | 10.17.2014 11:54
This vehicle represents a version of a 3 ton SdKfz 11 manufactured at the end of WWII. To save materials, the sheet cabin was replaced with a wooden one. So far, AFV is the only brand that markets this vehicle (a plastic injection release from 2002), though the Azimut resin kit is available. The instructions are easy-to- follow, with no mistakes. There are not too many available pictures of the real thing, anyway, as I didn’t detail my kit further than what was supplied with the box, it was not necessary to search for any kind of specific bibliography .Due to the lack of plans to scale, I compared the chassis to the ones from AFV Club and Dragon models. I took this as base and due to the dimensionally correct and well proportioned parts, no measurements were needed.
By Guy Golsteyn | 10.14.2014 12:21
I intended to build this Ducati almost “out of box”, meaning that I won't execute any sophisticated conversions or intensive super detailing. First of all this kit is already pretty good detailed, in spite of its age, and furthermore it's not a racebike, but a classic streetbike from the ‘80s that has never heard of carbon fiber or electronic devices. The only exceptions I will allow myself are the wiring which I will replace by thinner wires to add some realism, and the joint screws at the cowling exterior...
By Walter Silva | 10.14.2014 10:40
This Eduard kit can be compared with any Tamiya or Hasegawa release, dimensions of scale model are accurate if you take as reference the scale plans from Windsock Datafile Special "Nieuport Fighters Volume 1". It’s important to mention the detailed El Rhone engine and the three-piece figure the kit provides, something that can be used in dioramas.
By Federico Collada | 10.01.2014 11:06
Meng Models is a relatively new manufacturer from China with very good and easy to assemble kits. The subject this article is about, is the M2A3 Bradley IFV, an infantry fighting vehicle used by US Army, designed to transport infantry with armor protection and BUSK III Urban Survivability kit which is the one deployed to Irak.
By Fabrice Marechal | 10.01.2014 11:01
The LaFerrari accelerates from 0-100 km/h in less than 3 seconds and has a top speed exceeding 350 kilometres per hour (220 mph). 499 copies will be produced and sold for an astronomical price more than one million euros, clearly not within everyone’s reach. So, take advantage of this opportunity Tamiya gives us to start building our own LaFerrari…at quite a considerable price…
By Mario Covalski | 09.13.2014 18:53
In December 2004, I published an article about the 1/12 Tamiya Caterhams, based on two customized models I had built during 2004. By then and since 1993 that this kit was released, I had eight custom built Caterhams and with variants on the original subject manufactured by Tamiya. It’s not my intention to repeat all the introduction you can find in the note published in 2004, I invite you to read it > Here. Now, after three years, I decided I would finish some projects I had started, and in this note, I will share with you all about them with the help of good pictures. Though this is not a high technical content article as the one written in 2004, where I explain how every detail was accomplished, I hope it helps to encourage scale car modelers to build some of these beautiful kits.
By Alessandro Prini | 08.29.2014 12:04
The result showed below, is a mix of Tamiya 1/24 Porsche 911 GT3, Scale Production GT3-R transkit, Quik Skins BMW M3 Gtr wheels, Scale Production and Carpena Red Bull decals sets. The Tamiya GT3 is a curbside model, lovely as usual, with the exception of the doors fenders (definitely oversized), taillights and headlights in the area of the turn signals (too simplified).
By Mario Covalski | 08.28.2014 13:00
The aim of this article is to share with the reader the work accomplished to fulfill this version based on the pictures taken during the construction and the materials used for it. It’s necessary to have some experience because I’ll neither go deeper in the basic constructions topics nor in the electronics or wiring, is an article oriented to the static model appearance, then each one will add what he/she wants depending on their skills, liking and budget.
By Federico Collada | 08.28.2014 12:52
I think I may have built more than 20 models of the M3 and variants from many firms and each time I have a new one I feel very excited, so when I received this M5 tractor I felt like I recovered that same old excitement and I just could not wait to start with it. Although this was the first time that I had a kit from Hobby Fan I expected it to be as good as any other……or as bad.
By Claudio Kalicinski | 08.12.2014 11:09
This kit is a release from Eduard company (kit 8024) and represents the version used by the Royal flying Corps. The box supplies decals for two versions but I chose the one flown by Captain William Avery Bishop . This is a high quality kit which can be improved even more, a good help for this was the PE set from Eduard (48249). However, and due to the fact that Eduard used only one mold to release several versions of Niuport 17, some details typical of each version were omitted since each company equipped their aircraft in a different way, this is why the kit needed some changes, modifications and improvements.
By Jaime Pastor Pueyo | 07.31.2014 12:06
First impression the kit produced me was pleasure. Zvedza had made a great work in their incursion to this scale. Perhaps the quality is not comparable with the last news of the more well known brands, but we are speaking about a kit fully detailed comprising 110 parts with excellent fit and the weak point is the lack of details regarding ASh-82 FN engine. Though this does not mean a problem, if we compare the excellent Karaya resin engine or just as I did, we leave all the access doors closed, and the engine will not be visible, of course.
By Keiichi Aoki | 07.31.2014 11:58
In 1970 when I was a little child, my parents bought me the 1/12 Tamiya Gold Leaf Lotus 49B. After 44 years and accidentally I discovered the model kept in an attic at my parents’ house. Fortunately, no part was lost, but obviously quality of construction was very poor, with no major modification and barely painted as well; remember I was a child who didn’t have neither a micro drill or other tools which are considered basic nowadays. Besides, many of the suspension parts even existent, were broken.
By Federico Collada | 07.29.2014 11:50
The AEC Dorchester 4x4 was one of the most common ACV (Armoured Command Vehicle) that the British Associated Equipment Company produced during the World War II, based on the AEC 0853 Matador 4x4 chassis. It was a simple armoured bus with a lot of space inside which made it very popular within the army, so popular that even Edwin Rommel himself used a couple of these trucks captured during the African campaign and named Max and Moritz. As you know the guys of SKP were the first to release theirs and they did it in two different versions, a “normal” one with allied decorations and then this one I made, the Rommel´s captured ones. The painting section of this article will be also valid for the AFV club one.
By Guy Golsteyn | 07.23.2014 12:22
A year or so ago, Tamiya re-issued this famous 1:6 kit. Before that re-issue it used to be a very expensive and rare kit, now it suddenly became very reachable and looking at my Honda CB750 history I just had to get this one. Today has come the day that I decided to start building it. It wasn't an easy decision, because building the kit also means losing it as a kit. But ok, kits are designed to be built and not to be collected...
By Patricio Delfosse | 07.23.2014 12:05
The Hotchkiss H39 first appeared in 1939 and was considered one of the better of the French tanks in 1940. It was intended for use by French cavalry formations. Despite production problems (common to all French tanks in the period before WWII) about 1000 were built. The tank gave a good account of itself in combat during the German invasion of France in 1940, but had too little firepower to compete with the German armor. In addition, French tactics at the time envisaged tanks being used as infantry support rather than in mass formations, diminishing its effectiveness.
By Guy Golsteyn | 06.30.2014 11:29
I have a strong nostalgic band with this bike. My first motorized vehicle was a Honda MT50, the trial version of a Honda MB50, which was more like a street machine. Back in 1979 I hesitated for a while about which model I would purchase, but since my brother went for the MT I decided to do the same.
By Federico Collada | 06.30.2014 11:23
Some years ago a friend of mine gifted me a resin kit, he had made, to convert the Tamiya Type 82 Kübelwagen into a Holzgas powered vehicle. Before that moment I have never seen a picture of such car and when I finally found one it seemed quite peculiar to me. The prominent hunch on the hood gave it a very different look from the normal Kübelwagen.
Editor note: The author refers to a garage kit made by a friend of him, the brand was XS-Project and is not available anymore. Nowadays you can find the Aires kit #3011 for the Tamiya or Hasegawa kits.
By Hakan Guney | 06.30.2014 11:18
I wanted to build a hotrod but as there wasn’t a complete kit that satisfied me, I decided to build my own, starting from parts coming from different kits I had in my spare box and stash.
By Martin Klein | 06.17.2014 11:20
The Honda RC166 is the first historical racing bike of the 60’s that Tamiya ever made. This era of racing was full of technical innovations and so the RC166 is a 250cc 6 cylinder 4 stroke engine with 4 valves per cylinder and double overhead camshafts.
By Mario Zagami | 06.11.2014 12:47
We are talking about the 1/48 Academy (#2179) Peashooter kit, comprises 89 parts one of which is the clear part. It also includes decals to build three versions: two of the 94th Pursuit Squadron 1935-36 and 19th Pursuit Squadron Hawaii 1940. Though it is not a “tamigawa” kit, it’s good, including basic details and appearing dimensionally correct. It offers high quality injection molded parts without flashes, featuring recessed panel lines. The following article describe the construction and improvement made in the kit in order to get an accurate and more detailed model.
By Guy Golsteyn | 06.11.2014 12:25
The Renaissance kit mainly consists of a whole load of resin parts, as usual, with some photo-etched sheets and a few aluminum turned parts to complete the kit. It is intended to be built with an opened left hand side door, which means we are going to an extra effort detailing the interior.
By Guy Golsteyn | 06.09.2014 12:03
To be able to execute this conversion I needed a 1/24 Tamiya Porsche 936 as a base. The question was: which one? Tamiya has two kits available: the 1977 Porsche 936 and the 1978 Porsche 936. More research learned me that the Porsche 908/80 in fact turns out to be a mixture of both models. The overall shape of the Porsche 908/80 comes closest to the 1977 Porsche 936, with the high side wings holding a large rear spoiler. But behind the air scoop of the 1977 Porsche are four air intakes which are not present on the 908/80. The central air intake, escorted by two air intakes to both sides and covered by some protective mesh caps are identical as shown on the 1978 model. So I decided to use the 1977 model as a base on which I made the 1978 adaptations. Finally I could start modeling!
By Alessandro Prini | 06.06.2014 12:53
A mule or prototype car is used to test new materials and engineering concepts, so many details on the final car do not appear on the prototype. In the case of the 911 GT1, the first prototype car tested a new composite fiber material called Duroplast, and it was used on the car nose only. Over a period of eight months, between the end of 1995 and beginning of 1996, Porsche AG started testing its new 911 intended for the GT1 class. Although the styling of the GT1 retains some resemblance with the conventional 911, it is not the usual 911 but a highly advanced pure race version.
By Mario Covalski | 05.29.2014 11:57
For the modelers like me, that build several kits annually, few new kits during several years is frustrating. Wishing to find more fun I couldn't see other way that modifying an existent model. In this article I show my customized Katana. As I would like my 1/1 Katana were, if I had one of course. (the civilian vehicles allow us certain artistic licenses). To simplify things, I worked with simple modifications, that anybody can realize, or take the idea for an own project. I decided that it had to be a quick and funny project, not an incredible one but tedious and endless.
By Alessandro Prini | 05.27.2014 12:26
Following the “cutaway” mood of my Enzo and Testarossa, years ago in the same period I decided to cut even a World Rally Car. At that time Tamiya released its beautiful Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VII WRC, available were also some fine upgrade sets, so I had no doubts …and started cutting.
By Laurent Rolleri | 05.01.2014 11:41
I’m a great enthusiast of kits that represent French tanks from WWII to nowadays. After building the Somua S35 and the AMZ-30, I devoted my attention to a kit that had been waiting in my stash since time ago, the FCM36 from Azimt Productions.
By Mario Covalski | 04.08.2014 11:25
One of the biggest challenges for a modeler who builds motorcycles in 1/12 scale, is to modify a wire wheel and make it look realistic; specially without having to buy an aftermarket kit. Anyway, there are no kits for this kind of modification (except for one of the Acu-stion for the Tamiya XV1600 kit), so it's not possible to get one. So any modeler attempting to do this task must rely in his/her ability in order, to get a good result.
By Martin Klein | 04.01.2014 12:14
After building the Tamiya Honda RC166 I decided that this great bike needed company in my showcase and took out the Gunze (Mr. Hobby) Honda RC110 kit already waiting for a long time in my stash. This kit is sold out at the hobby shops but still available from time to time at a well known internet auction platform.
By Fabrice Marechal | 04.01.2014 12:13
With this kit Revell has appreciably improved the molding quality. In fact, the body surfaces are smooth and shows nearly no plastic shrinkage as it was common before. The panel lines are also nice, the cowling can be opened and fits perfectly between the fenders and headlights, this was not the case in the former Revell Ferrari releases.
By Pablo Raggi | 04.01.2014 12:12
I always liked the transport vehicles especially the IDF transport trucks. When I got the Leyland blueprint and knowing it was difficult that a manufacturer of plastic kits made a release, I thought it was time to build it from scratch. Though it’s not easy to copy a scratchbuilt work, this article aims at sharing with readers the work accomplished, encouraging them to face the process of building a scale model "from scratch".
By Fabrice Marechal | 04.01.2014 11:48
Nissan in collaboration with Autech Japan have made a higher-end performance version of the Fairlady Z called the Nissan Fairlady Z Version NISMO. It received many changes such as a redesigned hood, change of tires to Bridgestone Potenza RE050A (from Potenza RE040); adoption of the VQ35HR engine, which delivers maximum power of 230 kW (313 PS)/6800 rpm, maximum torque of 358 N-m (36.5 kg-m)/4800 rpm and top engine speed of 7500 rpm, exclusive rear bumper, large-diameter sports muffler etc. The aim of this article is to share with the reader, the building process and painting of the model making special emphasis on the paint and problems the kit could have.
By Mario Covalski | 04.01.2014 11:35
By Pablo Martelli | 04.01.2014 11:34
The idea to build this truck came to my mind after looking at a picture. No sooner had I seen it, I knew that I needed to have this model among my collection of desert trucks. Regrettably, manufacturers don’t pay too much attention to trucks and even less if they are British ones. Fortunately, Tamiya make things easier, since this truck shares some parts with the 35045 Quad Gun Tractor. Starting from this kit, and, with some simple scratchbuilt tricks, we’ll get a scale reproduction of the model in the picture that kept me awake.
By Eduardo Andreoli | 04.01.2014 11:33
The art of starting a model or project from scratch, is almost literally, the art of building from the bottom up. This is really exciting. Often a desired model is unavailable in some scale or entirely non-existent. Sometimes the hobbyist may be dissatisfied with the accuracy or detail of kits that are available. Other times a hobbyist will opt to scratchbuild simply for the challenge, which gives us the opportunity to give free rein to our imagination to solve problems of construction and once finished to complete our collection with a singular piece. My intention through this article is to share with you several tips of the scratchbuilding world and the way I solve the difficulties I have to face, in this case building the Ford C11 ADF.
By Jose Angel García Martin | 03.28.2014 15:54
I’ve always been fond of “flying bicycles”, this is to say the old airplanes with propeller, but my favorite airplane is since long ago the F4 Phantom II. I decided to make this model to be presented to the Ejercito del Aire (literally Army of the Air) awards that every year organizes the Spanish Ministry of Defence. This is the only modeling contest which awards are endowed with 3000 Eur plus a commemorative plate, and let me also say that I was the winner in 2007 with a F104 G Starfighter also from the Ejercito de Aire.
By Fabrice Marechal | 03.14.2014 18:40
ABT Sportsline is a motor racing and auto tuning company based in Kempten im Allgäu, Germany. ABT mainly deals with Audi, and the related primary Volkswagen Group brands - Volkswagen, Škoda, and SEAT. It was clear that ABT would not be satisfied just by preparing the new Golf but they would give to the Volkswagen Golf GTI a special treatment as the king of the compacts deserve.
By Mario Covalski | 03.11.2014 14:04
This is the RC version of the trumpeter T34 1/16 scale kit. I painted it with a mix of green enamels and made the weathering (a modest one having in account how the T-34 were battered) with acrylics and pigments.
By Pablo Raggi | 02.28.2014 10:45
The following article is about a very popular kit and subject but not very well known version. I think you’ll find it quite interesting. In spite that it was an export product sold to many countries, most of them used it with one-tone paint scheme: green. The Jordanian, according to their needs, changed the paint scheme and this is what makes the model so interesting. The M47 was used by Jordan in the Six Day War. The version is interesting not only due to its new paint scheme different from the usual Olive Green but also to other details: on the first hand the Jordan used a desert camouflage pattern similar to the British style, that’s to say sand with olive green zig zag patches; on the other hand: over this showy scheme, they applied their so particular markings with patriotic nature.
By Francisco Soldan Alfaro | 02.26.2014 10:48
Fortunately, this beautiful aircraft is on the market in 1/72 scale from Huma Models in the V103 version of the Ju288C. Another 1/72 kit, vacuum- formed and with perfect finish of the Ju288 A V3 had previously been released by Airmodel.
By Roger Knight | 02.17.2014 10:28
When Mario asked me if I would consider writing an article on a project I agreed and then thought, which project would be most interesting… You see the vast majority of my models are very high value large scale Ferraris which although fabulous to build and make fantastic models are not particularly interesting to write about. There’s a lot of scratch building, adding nuts, bolts and some reshaping involved but using none of the skills you are not already familiar with so what might be of interest to a discerning and highly skilled readership…? I was helped when a client commissioned a fairly challenging model giving rise to the sort of project that may be interesting. This commission was for an exact replica of his own 1972 Porsche lightweight Carrera in 1:12 scale.
By Guy Golsteyn | 02.04.2014 10:59
I have been building model cars since the seventies, and amongst the hundreds of models I've built, there is exactly one single truck. About time I started building another truck, and in this case it will be a racetruck. It is the Mercedes 1450 LS in which Steve Parrish became European Champion Truckracing in 1990. The Revell kit is based on the truck as it raced during the Nürburgring GP in which Parrish came second, so that's the one I will be building. The scale of the truck is not 1/24, as you would expect, but 1/25.
By Eduardo Andreoli | 01.31.2014 10:24
Up to a few years ago, if you wanted to have a M10 in your showcase, the only possible option was the Tamiya kit in the M10A1 version. A very bad kit indeed that was almost impossible to correct. By that time, a resin option offered by Accurate Armor (Ref K26 in their catalogue) already existed, but it was much more expensive than any plastic kit.
Only when nearly at the same time, AFV (Ref: 35024) and Academy (Ref: 1393) decide to manufacture a M10, there we find an excellent value for money. Neither of these kits is absolutely outstanding, but at least they are a great step forward with respect to the old Tamiya´s mould.
By Edgardo Azzollini | 01.28.2014 09:24
The Eagle first appeared in F1 racing at the 1966 Belgian Grand Prix. The Weslake engine appeared in the car at the 1966 Italian GP. The chassis was of the “cigar tube” type, constructed from 90% aluminum alloy, with steel reinforcement. As the car was developed, titanium replaced steel for these reinforcement, and thanks to the lightweight achieved the 104 became the winning chassis with Gurney at the wheel. Besides the weight other changes were done on the car but these will be commented later in the article.
By Pablo Raggi | 01.23.2014 11:04
This kit is one of those that you think you’ll never wish to build until some manufacturer introduce one injected in plastic, with good quality details and comparatively inexpensive…something nearly impossible. But Trumpeter made my wishes came true to perfection…In 1938 Henschet started to manufacture a VK30.01(H) prototype. But in 1941 the project was given up to start with the VK36.01 (H) which would give rise to the famous Tiger. By that moment there were several operational VK30.01 (H) chassis. It was decided that two of them, would take the 12,8 cm KL/61 Rheinmetall which was an adaptation of the 12,8 cm Flak Gërat 40. So, the hull of the VK30.01 (H) was lengthened and an eighth wheel was added besides of building a superstructure without roof to protect the crew. The unofficial name of these vehicles was Sturer Emil, though this name doesn’t appear in any official document.
By Alessandro Prini | 01.15.2014 21:07
I have already admitted I do not like the Enzo and, less than ever, now the Fxx. Difficult, in my opinion to build something more ugly, but this car is pure technology and the E.Jan transkit sounded immediately like an interesting challenging project. Once studied the contents, I opted to replicate the Fxx lifted on air jacks, wheels off and doors opened. Obviously with the engine well visible.
By Eduardo Andreolli | 01.07.2014 19:39
The kit I’m referring to, is the old Panzer III N/M from Dragon with PE for the fenders from Eduard #35916 originally for the STuG III Ausf C/D. The aim of this article is to share with you the work to convert the Panzer III M late in an early version.
By Fabrice Marechal | 01.01.2014 11:48
In 1991 Mazda became the first Japanese manufacturer to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Mazda was also the only that produced rotary engines for competition use. Tamiya have offered the 787B chassis #002 in its 1991 Le Mans “Charge” livery. The kit of this article is a reissue of the white 787 and 787B that competed at Le Mans in 1991. Note that #18 is 787B chassis 001, whilst #56 is 787 chassis 002. The 18 finished 6th and 56 finished 8th overall at the 1991 Le Mans race.
By Pablo Raggi | 01.01.2014 09:40
At the beginning of the 50s, Daimler Benz took over manufacture of the Unimog and means UNIversal MOtor Gerät, being Gerät the German word for machine or device. Its four-wheel drive and suspension design allowed the truck to comfortably drive not only on paved roads but over extremely uneven terrain. So much so that many armed forces purchased them in a variety of variants with an equally impressive number of uses: cargo/troop transport, communications vehicles, ambulance, fire engines etc. etc. One of these countries was Syrian that used them as cargo/troop transport and mounting them anti aircraft devices, created an armed version that would be used later by the South Lebanon Army.
By Claudio Kalicinski | 12.31.2013 10:58
The kit offers two versions: the Italian of the 78 Squadriglia and the other is the Belgian fighter piloted by Willy Coppens who scored 37 victories flying Hanriots, becoming not only the maximum Belgian ace but also developing an especial expertise in shooting down enemy observation balloons. I decided to represent the machine piloted by Coppens in mid 1918. It’s a Hanriot HD.1 that belonged to the 9me escadrille “Le Chardon”
By Juan Layos Pantoja | 12.24.2013 10:29
The Peugeot 307 is one of the Tamiya last releases of rally cars. It includes a diecast lower chassis that makes the product more expensive and at first this seems to offer no advantage, however, once the model is finished, we realize the importance of this diecast chassis that not only gives the model the necessary weight but also realism. So no extra weight will be needed....
By Gary Wickham | 12.21.2013 12:13
The infamous Dragon P-51D in 1/32. This model was started before Tamiya announced their kit, and I have to admit that during this build I did consider scrapping it more than once. In the end, I am very glad I did not. Despite the challenges and limitations of this kit, I am very happy (and proud) of the end result.
By Fabrice Marechal | 12.14.2013 10:29
Upon opening the Nissan GR-R box, what attracts attention is that the body is molded in light gray (looks as if primed) with interior and chassis parts molded in black. In my opinion, it would have been more practical to have a white body. Beautifully plated –matte chrome parts are provided for the stylish wheels and other parts. Among other features you may add, the engine, clear plastic parts, decals, masks for the windshields, nylon meshes, metal transfers and the tires. Tamiya made them out of a material that makes them look less real than the ones provided with previous kits..
By Mario Covalski | 12.10.2013 10:26
For those who are motorcycles´ lovers, every Tamiya´s new release is full of expectations …and excitement. The Hayabusa Yoshimura couldn't be the exception, after the success, her "sister", the factory version, had. The goal of this article, is to make comments step by step with photos of the parts and assemblies about some modifications or additions which I'm sure, will be useful, specially for beginners.
By Jorge Juarez | 12.04.2013 10:48
After having been withdrawn from the US Army, it was transferred to the Argentine Army arriving to the country on December 24th 1992 piloted by Lieutenant colonel Carlos Spika. It was assigned to the 603 squadron for pilots’ training purposes. Then, it was destined to the 601 Squadron, first operative unit of this airplane.
By Roman Kepinski | 12.01.2013 11:00
Yoshimura designed and produced an "up grade" kit for the Suzuki Hayabusa. I am not going to tell the whole story about this incredible bike (everyone can read it on the Yoshimura web page) ...just how my experience went with assembly and detailing of this Tamiya model. Tamiya and quality are synonymous, you hear it everywhere...it is the same with this model. My first step was checking out the Yoshimura web site for ideas, reference, and suggestions on how I might want to build "MY" X1 - on one hand I was fascinating with the X1R, on the other I wanted a street bike...resulting in this custom, "MY" X1.
By Pablo Raggi | 11.20.2013 19:58
There are two kinds of modelers: those who build all sorts of military vehicles and those who build vehicles from particular theatres, epoch or country. In my case after some time building any vehicle that came to my hands, I decided to devote basically to the Middle East conflicts, especially to the Arab-Israeli. Now well, looking at an old Churchill Mk.VII Crocodrile from Tamiya resting on my showcase, I asked myself what I would do with it. Searching for some information, I found out that there had been Churchills Mk.VII in Irak, and also I saw a picture of a Jordanian Churchill!!!. Shortly after, I knew that this kit would have a promising future in my hands, and not the sad end, the garbage dump...
By Mario Covalski | 11.16.2013 10:52
Modeler Site’s editorials are in general very well received and read by modelers, but the one issued last month ( Go on buying... though…) seemed to bring a greater effect than the usual, because of the incredible number of emails sent by readers, making comments about it.
By Guy Golsteyn | 11.14.2013 10:35
It has been a while since I last built a rally car model in 1/24 scale. Well, I will not tease the rally fans any longer and get to work: I decided to use a CBCom transkit to convert a Ford Escort group A into a Ford Escort WRC. I'm talking about the Ford Escort used by Belgian rally drivers Patrick Snijers and Dany Colebunders during the 1997 Circuit des Ardennes Rally which unfortunately they didn't finish.
By Jaime Pastor Pueyo | 11.10.2013 11:07
The aircraft that I have represented (SN 270434), has the peculiarity of having a great stain of white smoke that it can be seen from the exhaust to almost the tail, covering partially the fuselage red star. No other P-63 I have seen on photographs had this smoke stain so big. I started this model one year ago, although after a while working on it, I got tired and I moved it away for a while, until I found a picture with the white smoke stain that impressed me so much that I immediately took it up again.
By Mario Covalski | 11.01.2013 11:02
One year ago, I wrote a note concerning the problems I encountered while building the 126C2 in 1994. That kit was all metal and it didn't allow for greater adding or modifications. This article aims at showing all the details I have added in my latest version of the amazing 1/12 Protar / Revell 126C2
By Mario Covalski | 10.30.2013 11:22
Three years ago I bought Chevron's conversion trilogy for the Ferrari 312T to T2 '77, the Tyrrell '76 to '77, and the M23 '74 to '76.
Within a year, I built the two first kits and let the McLaren for the "proper" moment (inspiration, motivation, etc.).
A few months ago I had the opportunity to convince a Japanese modeler, Mr. Kenji Yagi, to translate a few pages of the instruction manual for me. This translation is available with the PDF version of this tutorial.
By Pablo Martelli | 10.30.2013 10:31
The Panther is one of the tanks which received most attention from the kits manufacturers. All operational versions were offered, injected in plastic, besides of some which didn’t go beyond the prototype stage. Here, you have a report of the 1/35 D, A and G versions, which can be easily purchased at shops around the world.
By Mario Covalski | 10.24.2013 13:47
In 1976 Tamiya releases for sale, a Ferrari 312T reproduction in 1/12 scale. With representative features for that time but with details that even today amaze those who confront its construction. With very few addition and very good information we can achieve a nice model that has nothing to envy the most recent Tamiya's kits.A small Japanese company, Chevron models, manufactures a handmade kit to transform the Ferrari 312T into the last and curious 312T2, that highlights for its water radiators and air exit position.
By Christian Franke | 10.23.2013 11:54
Doyusha offered both in the 90s and later only the Monte Carlo’s, making finally the San Remo Rally with the Pirelli team livery.
I’ve been trying to get this kit but it’s discontinued although still it’s possible to find it from some online stores/shops and on ebay. I bought one that had been partially built, which involves double work, missing parts, etc. This article aims at sharing with pictures the experience to rescue and old odd kit, improving it to the best of my skills.
By Patricio Delfosse | 10.17.2013 09:45
Impressive as is, this howitzer must be among the first places of an endless lists of classic weapons of Second World War. Its big caliber, strange tracks and its participation in the famous film about the fall of Berlin in 1945, are their letters of introduction. However, it went unnoticed for the most well known injected plastic kits manufacturers. Just the resin kit companies had it in their catalogue, but so pricey as the howitzer itself.
By Pablo Raggi | 10.14.2013 11:40
The Zil 157 is par excellence perhaps, a general purpose cargo truck and troops transport and for its performance it also served as the tractor for the SA-2 missiles. Although its production stopped many decades ago, still it can be seen in several countries. One of the users of this truck was Egypt and this is the version I decided to do.
By Mario Covalski | 09.23.2013 12:46
In 1993 I had in my hands the 1/12 Ligier kit by Heller; I was about to buy it but the decal sheets were too old and in bad condition. Since that moment, I've always had in my mind the idea of building a model of the JS11 (which impressed me when I saw it in 1979), and detail it as much as possible, because these Heller kits are really poor in quality and inaccurate. So, a few months ago, while I was talking with an importer, I saw the box in his office and the idea came back back to my mind. Needless to say that a few hours later I was examining the kit in my house.
By Edwing E. Merlo Paredes | 09.22.2013 12:33
The aim of this article is to give the reader a detailed and comprehensive guide. Here you’ll have typical indications for the most experienced modelers but very useful for newcomers or for those about to take their first steps into scale model cars. In spite that this kit is simple, it’s very important to follow the instructions to avoid unexpected surprises. In spite that modelers use to skip or change the order in the instruction steps, I’ll build this kit as per instructions.
By Mario Covalski | 09.05.2013 13:36
My objective when I built the PM4/2 was to have a depiction of that car, with the quality aspect of Tamiya's McLaren MP4/6 kit, due to the similarity of both cars, and the building materials. The purpose of this note would not be to tell you how I built the model, because this kit has been discontinued more than ten years ago, so it is quite difficult to get one. I don't think it is reasonable to write a thorough note on specific details; so I will concentrate in general detailing that can be applied to other models with similar characteristics... and quality.
By Crescenzo Consolato | 08.24.2013 09:29
Since time ago, I had in mind to build this Tamiya kit with a higher level of detail trying to replicate the F189 which ran in the 1989 Portuguese GP. Although it’s widely known that the Tamiya kits come highly detailed offering a very good quality, I had to make several improvements to match this one to this Portuguese GP version. The reason is because this Tamiya kit represents a F189 of the early season.
By Mario Covalski | 08.13.2013 11:49
This article aims at providing the beginner a complementary guideline, apart from the Tamiya instruction's manual, including photos of a detailed and quality enough model to encourage him/her in what we could call a hard and laborious work.... facing for the first time with a Tamiya's box.....with a 1/12th inside.
By Nicolas Perez Fiorentini | 08.02.2013 11:07
The model I built represents the motorcycle in the first five races of the 2004 championship. In this model I added all possible scratchbuilt details, no etched parts, resin ones…etc. In the article below, you will have a clear explanation about how I made and added every new part, cable, electronic box,…etc
By Mario Covalski | 07.23.2013 18:53
The first Catherham from Tamiya coming to my hands at the end of 1994, was the “Cycle Fender Special” (10202), since the “Super Seven BDR was out of stock, and it was impossible for me to get it from the stores I used to buy kits. From that moment on, my affair with which, I think is the best scale car kit ever produced, began. And here my comment: probably, you have seen better detailed kits, or even superb models limited editions.
By Mario Covalski | 07.23.2013 11:27
If you reach for the first time to my articles related to the Tamiya Caterham in 1/12 scale, perhaps you’ll surprise yourself with the model I show you this time, but let me tell you that I’ve been building these kits since the first release in 1994. I’ve built 14 models to date, some of them were sold to collectors, others are in my showcase and a couple waiting to be recycled. The article is based on showing the reader how a model can be recycled for its use, converting it in a different project from the original.
By Patricio Delfosse | 07.13.2013 10:55
The Tamiya Leclerc’s arrival caused me conflicting feelings. On the one hand, it’s always a pleasure to purchase a new Tamiya kit. It’s not usual to find daily releases from this company, and modelers get excited when one is introduced. Besides the Leclerc, it’s an important vehicle in the world scene, that’s why having a good kit of that tank, means a joy indeed!. But, on the other hand, when opening the box, I found a couple of unpleasant surprises. Perhaps they are petty details, but an oversight of that kind is unforgivable if we speak about a company like Tamiya.
By Jose Angel García Martin | 06.14.2013 13:27
This Project took me one year of work. The entire scheme was entirely painted without using any decal, and as I’m not an artistic painter, I didn’t use the airbrush. Everything was achieved alternatively as you’ll see.
By Roberto Jacobone | 06.06.2013 10:40
This Porsche 911 has been built in a few nights to be entered at the “Trofeo Tamiya” which took place the day I completed the model. I normally have no problems in starting new projects but then I struggle to finish one, except if I have to enter a contest. At that time the 911 Carrera was a relatively new issued kit, so mine would have been the first one seen at a contest in my area, that’s the reason why I choose a non-standard eye-catching color and showy wheels.
By Alessandro Prini | 06.02.2013 11:05
Alfa Romeo entered the 1996 season with the aerodynamic arrangement from the previous season. After the first two races (two defeats) the Fiat Corse team started developing, step by step, some aerodynamic modifications such as additional front lateral wings, hood louvers and air vents behind the front wheels. I decided to replicate step 1 even if, to do so, I came to a compromise for what concern the livery which is not 100% correct, but I imagined it something like a test car. The car subject of the photo-array comes from the 1996 late season with all the modifications above mentioned; the car is displayed at the Alfa Romeo Museum in Arese (Milano), seat of the remaining Alfa Romeo plant...
By Patricio Delfosse | 05.24.2013 11:42
By Patricio Delfosse | 05.24.2013 11:39
Sometimes a simple trick allows us to get a finishing that otherwise it would take us many hours of work. This is an easy technique that you can take on with excellent chances of success. Try it!
It's based on the use of salt as mask, and it allows you to give the appearance of the chipped paint over any flat surface of a vehicle. The idea is to let the base color ( which can be of any other color, priming or naked metal), show through the last coat applied.
By Juan Romero | 04.01.2013 12:10
Unless you are a Japanese military vehicles enthusiast, the IJA (Imperial Japanese Army) tank destroyer type 2 is unknown for most of scale modelers. This article aims at sharing with the reader the construction of this model and my view of the weathering process, step by step.
By Eduardo Andreolli | 04.01.2013 12:09
The new manufacturers surprise us every day with new releases. Kits that we never thought would appear or capture someone's interest in being produced, are finally available in the market. This is the case of Bronco that delight us with this rarity, an anti tunk gun converted in campaign to be deployed in the North of Africa to tackle the Tigers that had just arrived in-theatre. The gun we are talking about is the 17/25 Pheasant.
By Patricio Delfosse | 04.01.2013 12:03
For years the only kit available to build this Howitzer was the old inaccurate Italeri kit, also a rebox of the old Peerless Max kit without its metal parts. This Italeri/Peerless kit, apart from being extremely simplified, offers many problems such as the incorrect wheels.
By Mario Covalski | 04.01.2013 11:36
I consider of no use to make an introduction about the Pershing, one of the best known military tanks of WWII. In my opinion the Tamiya kit let us represent a superb M26 not only for the scale (1/16) but also due to the level of details. About 30 years ago Tamiya released their first RC tank, the M4 Sherman. Since then, the quality of the models in 1/16 has improved in such a way that this version has nothing to envy his brother in 1/35 scale.
By Alexander Yañez | 03.18.2013 11:02
I had been keeping this 4x4 truck in my waiting list for years and before purchasing it, I had already thought that I would add some off-road accessories. I began cleaning the parts with dishwashing detergent, cutting them from the sprue as I needed. First, I set to work on the body. I used wet sand #1200 to remove flashes, mold marks, and to get a better adherence of paint. I sanded with wet sandpaper until getting a matt body.
By Mario Covalski | 03.05.2013 18:35
In 1976 Kawasaki launched the model Z750, a smaller sister to the Z900, adapted to the requirements of the Japanese market.
To my knowledge, the Z900 was an improved copy of the Honda CB750Four and, as it was common to Japanese manufacturers, each new model included several versions in order to cover the requirements of the Japanese police. This model was inspired in a small picture from the '70 decades. the picture was showing a Z750 model, perhaps a 1978 version, for the police, with the color and characteristics of the Japanese Police.
By Claudio Kalicinski | 02.28.2013 18:50
I decided to scratchbuild this plane after seeing the scale drawings by Mike Fletcher in his web site: The Nieuport Pages. I sent an E-mail to him and he kindly sent me pictures and larger resolution scale drawings. Once I enlarged the plans to 1/48, I noticed how big the plane was....
By Patricio Delfosse | 02.24.2013 11:44
This note aims at showing the corrections made from scratch, as well as pointing out the necessary modifications to include the Eduard's improvement set to the kit. Also, I focused on the painting aspects to get a weathered effect.
By Eduardo Andreoli | 01.12.2013 18:59
When I face this type of project and there’s no commercial kit available, I try to gather as much information as possible, written information and references pictures with the purpose of giving myself the idea of the different parts I’ll need to build the puzzle. Later, I start looking for the kits from which I can take parts from. In this case, I took as base some parts from the Tamiya Ford Quad (Ref.#35045). Besides, I noticed that a feature of this Ford F30 is that it has Chevrolet axles, this was why I had to go to the Italeeri Chevrolet kit. (Ref.#6233)
By Denis R.S.Bomfim | 01.12.2013 11:46
It all started with a joke, I built a rusted Mustang GT 350 to make a gift to a friend who only builds Mustangs. It was at a modelers meeting when he received a homage and the joke consisted of letting him know the arduous remodeling and restoration work he would have with this rusted Mustang. I took advantage of my work and presented it in a contest that took place in Campinas city. Finally, the model was “best of the show” and they called me mad for giving a winning model. My answer was.... I will have to make another rusted model for me.
By Walter Silva | 01.12.2013 10:03
This kit has been built almost completely out of the Special Hobby 1/48 box, The instructions look very nice, they appear to be well made, don’t seem to leave anything out and include a clear rigging diagram as well. The kit is well molded, comprising many resin parts, a fret of photo etched parts, and a piece of film to build all the neat looking instruments. It’s easy to build, just only the struts don't have correct length. Model builders will always appreciate Austro Hungarian army aircraft kit releases.
By Guy Golsteyn | 11.30.2012 10:47
When I started this build, I decided to create a street model in British Racing Green. However, inspired by the Lotus Seven S II used in the Public Broadcasting System series, The Prisoner, I decided to paint the nose yellow. Since this small car would only look great with a successful paint job, I concentrated on the painting of the model first. Once this would be achieved, I could take a look at the detailing job of the other parts.
By Guy Golsteyn | 11.15.2012 10:31
It has been a while since I built my last Formula one model car. But seeing how promising the Ebbro Lotus kit looked, I couldn’t resist building it as soon as I got my hands on a sample. It’s Ebbro’s first attempt to release a 1/20 F1 model kit, and it’s a winner right away!. I think you could use Tamiya kits as a standard, and Ebbro managed to reach the same level instantly. The kit was designed by an ex-employee of Tamiya, and of course it’s showed clearly.
By Fabrice Marechal | 11.14.2012 15:48
By Giovanni Galvan | 07.01.2012 10:00
The Grumman Avenger needs no presentation, being one of the most famous protagonists of the Pacific War. But until the 90’s, there was in 1/48 scale only an old Monogram toy-style model, until Accurate Miniatures released a “state-of-the-art” mold, which is still one of the best kits ever done. Now the mold is also released by Italeri, at lower price, and it’s very recommendable to all modelers.
By Mario Covalski | 04.01.2012 14:39
When I built my first Tamiya's McLaren MP4/6 in 1992, I thought it was the most advanced kit of its time, with an amazing level of details which I could barely follow, and very complex in its building process. Today, after not many years, we have a great realm of information on this car through a lot of pictures, and the Internet. All this pictures shows us that the kit is very well engineered and it has a high quality; but, if you are looking for realism, then there are some missing details, which are very noticeable in the pictures.
By Mario Zagami | 04.01.2012 12:19
The old Hasegawa kit (#JT6), Supermarine Spitfire MK.Vb “ I.R. GLEED”, comprises 82 parts (28 are not used here) and a decal sheet for three different versions: 244 Wing Commander Ian R. Gleed; 40 (SAAF) Squadron 1943 North Africa and the 601 Squadron Royal Air Force Sicily 1943. It’s a good kit for beginners. This articles aims at sharing this kit construction with the not much experienced readers, using nearly no aftermarket (except for some things you will see later) which would mean a complicated building but adding small details with simple materials such as plastic, wire…etc.
By Jose Angel García Martin | 04.01.2012 12:01
For decades, the Drones were just remote controlled airplanes used as practice targets for anti-aircraft gunnery, fighters, etc. This article is based on the Hellcat Edward 1/48 profipack version comprising etched, resin parts and canopy masks.
By Martin Klein | 04.01.2012 12:01
After searching for reference pictures I decided to build the Monaco version. Being a Lauda fan since his early days in F1 this race was one of his few highlights that season qualifying on the second row. Unfortunately he retired after a race accident with D. Pironi. Lauda stepped out of F1 during practice of the penultimate season race (Canada) focusing on building up his airline.
By Patricio Delfosse | 12.01.2011 11:30
The arrival of the Type 5 into the market was a real event for those who love Japanese tanks. No doubt this vehicle, the only prototype built, was worth to be represented in plastic due to its good shape, big size and visually powerful.
By Michael Capell | 10.01.2011 12:04
Wingnut modellers could be considered as the hobby equivalent to Junkies, always looking for the next fix to sedate their plastic passion, and this particular kit delivers by the box full!. It's worth spending some time looking over the instructions, especially as there are options depending on which colour scheme you go for. This is one of the reasons I enjoy modelling aircraft from this period, colour, none of your dreary modern Grey stuff here!
By Christian Jung | 10.01.2011 11:00
The Protar Ferrari B2 kit is based in the 1971 car. So, if you want to get an acceptable 1972 version for your Ferrari collection, you will be forced to scratchbuild some new parts. Besides looking the Protar box you’ll realize that there are some parts really out of scale, especially the tires and the rims which look like truckwheels. Fortunately the body seems to be well shaped.
By Mario Covalski | 04.01.2011 12:19
Over the years, I’ve been tempted by those 1/6 engines from Revell, all of them were reproductions of icons of the North American automotive industry. I feel strongly attracted to these models not only due to their scale but also cause I’m a huge cars fan. Of course these kits don’t represent a full car but, in my opinion, the main part, the engine. This note aims at leading the reader to the construction (very simple) of one of the best of the series, the Hemi Drag, with minor modifications that will improve the final aspect of the model.
By Guy Golsteyn | 04.01.2011 11:51
By Mario Covalski | 01.01.2011 19:48
It has been several months now that I wanted to write an article on 1/12 scale motorcycles for beginners, explaining the basic concepts that are taken for granted in the articles on superdetailing. I built my first 1/12 motorcycle fourteen years ago and if you believe that having worked with 1/12 Formula 1 cars will guarantee success… you are wrong.
By Eduardo Andreoli | 01.01.2011 10:38
Vietnam war is one of my favorite scenarios, this is why in my boxes stock there was a LVTP 5 from AFV Club. It’s a model of considerable size for the scale and with flat shapes, it looks more like a shoebox than a military vehicle. In order to make it look attractive, I decided to make a laborious job of interior detailing.
By Michael Capell | 09.01.2010 19:37
Wait, I know what you are probably thinking, that this is a bi-plane and all that rigging is so hard to do. Before you skip to the next article let me have a chance to convince you otherwise. Eduard was the first company to combine photo etch parts with their top quality kits. Now they have gone a step further with introducing 'dual combo' kits to their range, basically two kits in one box. I suppose if you muck one up we have a spare!
By Guy Golsteyn | 08.01.2010 17:33
To be able to build the 1976 Ensign, first you need to buy a kit of course. The problem is that none of the known manufacturers may offer anything that comes close to this subject. After a long search I found a 1/20 kit by the Brazilian manufacturer RTN Models. Don’t worry, I hadn’t heard of them before either.
By Mario Covalski | 08.01.2010 17:30
Building scale models doesn’t always mean to build static reproductions based on plastic or resin kits. Thus there are modelers who using raw materials, make models from scratch, without a commercial kit, others build models from paper, wood, etc or radio controlled ones…For many years, at the same time of building static models, I’ve been a big fan of radio control; in this way, I built ships, cars, aircraft and of course, I made them operate in the different scenarios they were created for. The aim of this article is to serve as an introduction to the scale RC cars focusing on my latter project, a Fiat Abarth 1000 built from the 1/10 Tamiya kit.
By Roger Knight | 08.01.2010 12:30
The object of this build was to make the model as the Fiat raced in 1907 rather than as it appears now in the Italian museum. It is on this museum exhibit that the Pocher kit is based and it is very different.
Apart from the car being painted entirely red, including the radiator surround and front wheels there are many other differences between the exhibit and the original car.
Other changes to the kit included replacing the 'plastic wood with real wood, floor boards and steering wheel rim and re-modelling the dash board to accurately represent the original.. it was red and not wooden as in the kit. Many plastic parts have been re made in brass and metal and the radiator grill was also remade replacing the plastic item supplied.
The seats where re-covered in leather and all of the straps and buckles have been scratch built. The side 'doors', for want of a better word are canvas on the original and the fabric supplied with the kit is far to thick to ever look convincing. I replaced these with silk as it hangs and folds in a much more realistic 'scale' manner. The engine, being very simplistic in the kit was enhanced using many scratch built parts
The tires on the original were white natural India rubber, as indeed all tires where at the turn of the last century. Carbon black was yet to be added to the rubber in 1907 so the tires supplied with the kit are incorrect (being black) but are correct for the museum vehicle. Model Motorcars ( www.modelmotorcars.com) produce many high quality after market parts for Pocher kits and their extensive range includes a replacement set of white tires for the Fiat so these were used to replace the supplied tires.
This model now represents accurately the 130 hp car in which Nazzaro won the 1907 French Grand Prix
By Jose Angel García | 06.01.2010 11:13
Here I bring you a model which I use to call “Bicycles with wings”, though in this case we are talking about a more modern aircraft than those considered as the aircraft pioneers. To my liking this is a pretty airplane and after the painting and decoration it’ll receive, will be superb.
By William Chan | 05.01.2010 17:41
F310B was a 1997 Ferrari F1 contender. It was very close to take away world championship from Jacque Villeneuve that year until the final nasty collision caused by Michael Schumacher. As a result, Schumacher was the one got thrown off the track and Villeneuve went on the win the driver championship. Later Schumacher was disqualified that year too. Very memorable year especially when Schumacher was fighting all points back and it made thing exciting.
By Eduardo Andreoli | 05.01.2010 11:26
Some time ago the 2.5 tons GMC Jimmy truck from Italeri, came to my hands. It’s a basic kit to which I thought I would add the Eduard ref#35068 and some homemade improvement. But I don’t know why, it still seemed to me it needed something else. Apart form its cab, just a few things of this truck caught my attention. It was one year later when I saw a picture of one of these trucks loading an old big boat.
By Christian Jung | 05.01.2010 10:56
In 1972 Protar produced their first 1/12 F1 scale model, the Ferrari 312 B2 1971. Protar was well known for their fine motorcycles models, but their F1 models weren’t of the same quality. A year before Tamiya released the predecessor of the B2, the Ferrari 312 B from 1970. The kit from Tamiya wasn’t of the same quality as their later 1/12, but it was much better than the Protar one. The first look on the Protar box shows that there are some parts really out of scale. Especially the tires and the rims which look like truck wheels. Fortunately the body seems to be well shaped, so it’s worthwhile trying to improve the kit.
By Patricio Delfosse | 04.01.2010 12:16
This new version of the Nissan GT-R has been painted with the Calsonic Impul team colors and features the aerodynamic modifications of this team itself. This point makes the difference between this and the previous kit Xanavi Nismo (#24308). The body mold captures the complex lines of the car and at the same time it offers a well engineered array of parts and is not very difficult to assemble.
By Pablo Raggi | 04.01.2010 12:00
Several years ago when MIG Productions introduced into the market the first Land Cruiser(s) and they shattered the preconception that a 1/35 is a military vehicle to a 1/35 vehicle which could be used either as a civil vehicle or for military purposes, I was desperate to get a couple. I purchased the BJ44 (ref # MP35-138) with the recoilless gun (ref #MP 35-141). When opening the boxes, I found beautiful and well represented kits, however as it always happens, these resin projects use to rest on the shelves for some time without being touched. I was recently taking a look at my list of kits (yes, I’m so nerd that I’ve an Excel list with the status of each kit) and I discovered the technicals in the column of “ unbuilt kits”
By Mario Covalski | 04.01.2010 11:39
By Pablo Scordo | 04.01.2010 11:15
The M113, received within its vast history, numerous camouflages, being, the one I’m going to show you along this article perhaps, the most atypical. During the O.N.U mission, UNTAES (United Nations transitory administration for east Slovakia), six M113 A2, given by the Canadian government, were assigned to the Argentine Army Combat Forces 1, which together with six Kurassier SK105, joined the Belbat (Belgian battalion), as armoured reserve. From January 1996, and during 14 months, reconnaissance missions, control and protection of engineer equipments developing tasks of terrestrial mines removal were carried out, in Brod Pustara at the North of Croacia. Once the mission was accomplished, they were transported to Argentina where they received the later traditional Argentine Army scheme.
By Martin Klein | 04.01.2010 10:54
As it seems Tamiya lost interest in 1/20 Formula 1 kits and so I am happy that Fujimi is now stepping into fill this gap. There are several versions available of the 126C2 including one with clear body cover. The reason to choose the Long beach version is that it has a unique rear wing configuration arranging 2 smaller wings covering the whole body width. Gilles Villeneuve raced this car to 3rd place in the ’82 Long Beach GP but was disqualified after Ken Tyrrell protested claiming the rear wing configuration illegal.
By Claudio Kalicinski | 04.01.2010 10:54
The P-47 developmental history has been well covered so I will concentrate on the model it self. The model was built as a part of a project by some club members. It should have been a “straight from the box build” but my bad case of AMS attacked me again and I had to make some improvements.
By Pablo Raggi | 01.01.2010 11:13
Looking for new variants of Sherman used in the Middle East and reading the book “Israeli Sherman” by Thomas Gannon, I found out that my next challenge was to make an Israelí Super Sherman. Called by the Israelis Sherman M1 (as all their early Shermans), this is the most well known M4A1 big batch. Actually, in current days is quite simple to make a worthy M4A1, just by choosing among the versions from Tasca or improving the ones from Dragon or Italeri. As I had one from Italeri waiting for me, I decided to start my project and, of course, I was not going to build it straight from the box.
By Sergey Torkhov | 10.01.2009 11:34
The box art from Italeri is beautiful as usual. I was particularly impressed with the sight of the white stripes on red, especially when the truck was standing on the sunrise. After its release in1995, this was the first model I wanted to build. But my dream came true until now. That’s better, because now I have the skills to build it in a better way. I liked the box art so much that I decided to build it according to it.
By Claudio Kalicinski | 10.01.2009 10:51
The kit (8110) was made by the Czech company Eduard and as a "Profipack" release, it does include photo-etch details such as seat belts, machine gun fretted jackets, wing walks, radiator shutters, control horns and small interior details, along with a sheet of masks made in kabuki self adhesive paper.
By Eduardo Andreoli | 10.01.2009 10:36
Going on with the saga of vehicles used in the African front during the Second World War, finally, it was the turn of the SdKfz 253, a small command tank that coordinated the actions in the battle front. To accomplish this project, I used the only kit available on the market, a Dragon release which original mold was manufactured by Gunze. (Ref.#G-744)
By Dario Risso | 09.01.2009 11:12
The options of Panzer IV in 1/35 scale is wide and to fit all budgets. This Dragon kit (Ref#6080) is among the average price. Being neither an excellent nor a very expensive kit, it’s not one of the worst ones and it’s not difficult to build, of course, with the addition of some improvements which will be described in this note.
By Dan Parrat | 06.01.2009 11:03
By Patricio Delfosse | 04.01.2009 12:10
As Tamiya always do, once again they greatly surprised us all with a Char B, unexpectedly They provided us as usual, an easy to build kit, highly detailed, the right combination and therefore, a good choice for the average modeler. In spite of being one of the most important tanks of the early stage of WWII, to date there was no other option for the modeler than getting one of those expensive resin kits from MB Models (discontinued, of course) that needed a lot of work to get and acceptable replica.
By Pablo Raggi | 04.01.2009 11:49
This is a typical Skif kit, bad fit, poorly detailed, too thick plastic. However, Skif offer a catalogue with vehicles that are not marketed by any other brand and this deserves some recognition and effort on the part of us, the modelers, since in the end, we will have something exclusive in our display cabinet.
By Jose Angel García Martin | 02.01.2009 12:27
Everybody knows the story of the battleship Bismarck sunken by one of those beautiful biplanes. Perhaps in the world of airplane model builders, this kind of airship are the most beautiful to replicate, I don’t say that the modern fighters are not admirable, but the complexity of the old biplanes due to the rigging, the wings assembly, the effects that pigments of that epoch caused on the fabrics they used, oil and fuel leakage…etc make these subjects an attractive alternative to build....
By Pablo Raggi | 02.01.2009 12:03
A technical is a type of improvised fighting vehicle, typically a civilian or military non-combat vehicle, modified to provide an offensive capability. It is usually an open-backed civilian pickup truck or 4x4 on which is mounted a recoilless rifle, a machine gun, a light anti-aircraft gun, or another relatively small weapons system. Since time ago, a technical fever which started with the Toyota Land Cruiser release from MIG Productions, lives around the world of modeling...
By Keiichi Aoki | 02.01.2009 11:59
This is not a building work for a brand new kit but a restoration work I built over 30 years ago. The Lamborghini Countach LP400 or LP500 models were released by several manufacturers including Tamiya which offered the 1/24 scale model just recently. However if you look for a big scale kit, Tamiya only offer a 1/12 radio control kit which doesn’t replicate neither interior nor engine. The kit I built is an Otaki 1/12 scale with cockpit, full engine, open doors, and retractable lights, etc. Doyusha as well as Testor offered the kit coming from the same Otaki moulds.
By Claudio Kalicinski | 09.01.2008 12:39
The machine I decided to depict was a Curtiss JN-4D trainer based at Love Field, Texas during 1918. A picture of this plane can be found at the Profile Publications book about the Curtiss JN.
By Michael Schneider | 09.01.2008 12:36
Most fans of modelcars have the desire to individualize their Porsche. The owners of real Porsches visit tuners like Gemballa, Ruf or Techart. Now the modeler has the opportunity to buy the transkit from Scale Production.
By Mario Covalski | 09.01.2008 11:26
If you know the Pocher kits, you may miss out this part of the note to go straight to the construction steps, nevertheless, if you are a newcomer, I guess you’ll be interested in knowing about the Pocher kits which were produced during 40 years. The aim of this note is to share with the reader the experience of the construction of a kit of this nature. You’ll not find here a pure technique article, cause my main guide was a real step-by-step construction guide on CD, I purchased on eBay, including several models, anyway, each Pocher is different, and I’ll add some comments and pictures as well as giving you practical tips, advices about my techniques...etc.
By Karl-Heinz Pfarr | 08.09.2008 12:28
This model was born as a modeling project to show a tank’s interior. A kind of a museum sample to appreciate the interior of an armored vehicle. My intention was not to build an operative and worn out vehicle, on the contrary to stand out and show the vehicles’ interior that on very few occasions we have the opportunity to see in real life.
By Francisco Soldan Alfaro | 07.01.2008 11:59
I always wished to complete my collection of Fw190s, building a A8 Strum as they were modified, with the addition of the armour plates on the fuselage sides to combat the heavy bombers. This Tamiya kit was released years ago, nevertheless, it’s accurate with good fidelity of detail on the parts, and these parts assemble in a trouble free way.
By Alessandro Prini | 04.01.2008 12:22
For 1997, a series of customer 911 GT1 replicas were produced and sold, while the Factory entered a pair of updated 911 GT1 Evo models both at Le Mans and in the new FIA GT championship. The Factory GT1's took charge at Le Mans until both were put out of action during the latter stages of the event due to mechanical failures. The #26 driven by Dalmas-Collard-Kelleners would go down in flames after 327 laps while leading the race. Nearly accidentally, many years ago I bought this UT Models kit, the first UT for me. Since I had doubts concerning the quality and the livery I left the box in my shelf for a long time. Months ago I completed the 1998 GT1 and having yet built the 1996 GT1, it was natural...
By Martin Klein | 04.01.2008 11:40
By Eduardo Andreoli | 02.01.2008 10:45
I’ve always had the intention of building a Tamiya SdKfz 7, even knowing it was a very old kit, and like many old items produced by this and other companies, they were not so detailed and accurate kits. I knew this project would take me several months of hard work ahead, besides of a lot of aftermarket and scratch to finish it to my liking. Anyway, I decided to take it on, since today this is the only kit available on the market and also there are detail sets to correct the main mistakes. So, I started to gather the things I would need.
By Guy Golsteyn | 01.01.2008 10:52
In this article I will explain step by step how to build the Tamiya Porsche 911 Turbo ‘88, without using special or complicated tricks. I will limit myself to the box parts only and use strictly basic techniques without any scratchbuilding or aftermarket parts. Doing so, I will prove that it is still possible to build a nice and realistic “out of box” model.
By Pablo Martelli | 11.01.2007 12:03
When I decided to build a late King Tiger (final version), I chose the King Tiger “late production” from Dragon (Ref #6232). It’s one of the last releases from Dragon with this mould. This box includes late style drive sprocket and also the new pattern track.
By Eduardo Andreoli | 11.01.2007 11:41
The only Churchill kit in injection molded plastic is the old mold coming from Tamiya.. Nowadays not only IMA from Hong Kong, offer excellent conversion kits for this model but also Cromwell Models offer new complete resin kits for the great many variants but, both options are more expensive than the Tamiya kit. If we want to face a straightforward project, we may try converting a Churchill Mk VII into an early model with little effort and some plastic.
By Claudio Kalicinski | 11.01.2007 11:32
The model represents the Nieuport 17 flown by Charles Nungesser while he was attached to the Escadrille Lafayette (Nº124) during July 1916. With this aircraft, Nungesser shot down an Aviatik reconnaissance aircraft over Seuzey, France on July 21st 1916....
By Joel Rydh | 09.01.2007 11:46
In recent years we’ve seen more and more of interesting and colourful liveries in MotoGp. In my opinion this is much welcomed as it is something that has been standard in the 250 series for quite some time. The teams behind Valentino Rossi has been ahead of their time in many areas, including art work, racing remembered liveries as the 2001 Mugello and 2003 Valencia ones. In 2004 I think we saw a break through with full season liveries of this kind, when the Pramac Ducati team entered this lovely magnolia scheme.
By Eduardo Andreoli | 09.01.2007 11:41
Since time ago, I’ve spent my free time building exclusively models from the Vietnam War (just American and Australians) and vehicles that saw service in North Africa during WWII (allied and axis). After so many years devoting to this subject, there are just a few models I’ve not built yet, this is why I’m always searching for new information about kit conversions of vehicles which there is no commercial kit available around the market. And, if I find a picture of a vehicle that doesn’t exist in my collection, I start to think about facing that project.
By Juan Jose Dominguez Calvo | 09.01.2007 11:34
Several weapons systems received their baptism of fire during the Falklands War in 1982. One of them was the BAe Harrier. The international analysts didn’t have too much confidence in the aircraft, even some jocose comments such as that the Harrier was not capable of carrying a box of matches and hit the target on a football field. They were mistaken. As it was demonstrated, the aircraft fulfilled the expectations and became a referent of the CAS (Close Air Support).
By Marcelo Scaminaci Russo | 08.01.2007 10:15
The flying bomb Fi-103 or V-1). The Me 262 W2 was materialized in the program “Heimatschutzer I “(homeland defender I). It was a rebuilt, Me 262 A-1a (W.Nr. 130186) with a Walter HWK 509 “cold” rocket engine on its tail. This last retained its Jumo turbojet engines under the wings. Finally, the W3 should have been powered...
By Davide Negretti | 07.01.2007 12:11
Second consecutive precious chance to verify the efforts of the firm Studio27, again a very recent release. It’s a multimedia kit, according to the Manufacturer standards, curbside version. As usual, the quality of any single component is not bad. The bodywork, made of grey resin, shows a fine surface, rather clean, no air bubble or distortions are present. Engraving is not perfect and somewhat on the soft side. Shape seems well captured.
By David Guardia | 07.01.2007 11:35
The AFV kit is the old Skybow mold; it’s an excellent plastic kit easy to work with, featuring some fragile parts, any kind of glue may be used here. It offers nearly no flash, and though there’s a little problem of fit with the chassis and body, it’s easy to solve.
By Giovanni Galvan | 05.01.2007 12:02
By Edwing E. Merlo Paredes | 05.01.2007 11:16
Gunze Sangyo offer us two high quality kits, good plastic injection and excellent fit, but unfortunately comprising not a great deal of details, just the bare essentials. Nevertheless, parts are made out of top quality plastic with no flashes, showing a few mould marks which can be easily removed by sanding.
By John Horst | 04.01.2007 18:56
By Alessandro Prini | 04.01.2007 12:08
Usually I am not concerned with production cars but, inspirated by some drawings published in Quattroruote (the most important Italian cars magazine) during the 80’s, I decided to start a series of cutaway models, revealing the beautiful technique hidden under their body panels. Some sport cars from the Tamiya range (namely Ferrari) are the perfect bases to carry out this long-term project, so let’s begin with the Testarossa.
By Nicolas Perez Fiorentini | 04.01.2007 11:52
Since it was launched in 1979, it has been among the best comics and film productions of all times, and it has become a success in the modelling market as well, also appearing in series, films, collectibles, toys, scale models, etc. The first story of Gundam (1979) is the starting point for all the animated series (cartoons) and comics (manga), that have...
By Francisco Soldan Alfaro | 11.01.2006 12:49
What else can I tell you about the history of the beautiful Russian fighter that has not been said yet. However, it was difficult for me to make my decision about the camouflage, since the MIG 3, like is not usual with others WWII Soviet aircrafts, offers several options. Finally, and after looking at references pictures and bibliography, I decided to build the MIG 3 “Red 39” belonging to the famous 120 IAP (Istrebitel’niy Aviapolk, or Fighter Regiment) based on Vnukovo, and was part of the 6 GIAK-PVO in Winter 1941-1942. It was a real challenge for me to get the faded and weathered effect on the winter camouflage, since they were painted in a casein based paint. Then, I had to make it look real showing the result of the fume exhausts and hard weather conditions.
By Grant M Vogl | 11.01.2006 11:19
When it came to deciding on a base kit for my Canadian Vc Sherman, there was only really one option for me; the new offering from DML/Dragon. I have long been a fan of Dragon’s high-quality and low price, and its newer kits are especially appealing. While the kit isn’t exactly new, more of a re-tooling of a previously released kit, it does represent the best, and to my knowledge, one of the only injection Firefly kits available in 1/35.
By William Chan | 09.01.2006 14:45
Mclaren MP4/8 is one of the most beautiful Mclaren ever made. It raced in 93 and it was piloted by Senna. Eventhough it was powered by under-powered Ford V8 engine, Senna took this machine with 5 victories. One of the most memorable race has to be Donington Park 93 where Senna mastered his way out in first lap over everyone else.
By Alessandro Prini | 09.01.2006 12:04
By Pablo Martelli | 08.01.2006 10:51
By Le Thanh Tung | 06.01.2006 14:42
Speaking about on board aircrafts, the Prowler is one of subjects that has captured my attention, and as such, it has always looked worn as result of the missions and due to the long periods staying in the open sea. This note offers a step by step assembly of the Hasegawa kit according to references pictures. Le Tanh Tung, this note's author lives in Vietnam, his first language is neither English nor Spanish, so the texts may seem raw, though to the best of my knowledge and belief this is a very valuable article from a technical point of view, inexperienced modelers will find it useful, indeed!.
By Carlos Massuh | 06.01.2006 14:31
The kit I used for this project is the Merkava III from Academy. It’s a good one, with no problems of fit or dimensions, this saved me time and effort that was devoted to modify the turret. The PE from Eduard (Ref #35243) allowed me to detail critical areas such as the rear stowage basket .
By Steve Boutte | 04.01.2006 12:18
While browsing an online photo album of photos from a custom car event in Paso Robles California, I saw a few shots of this particular 1949 Ford. This really inspired me to finally do something with one of the AMT 1949 Ford kits I had been having for a while. One thing was definite, the top would be chopped, but it would also be lengthened a bit , which I feel gives the car a sleeker look. Another change would be raising the front wheel wells a couple of scale inches. This is an easy way to make the body look less heavy, & once again, a bit more sleek...
By William Chan | 07.01.2005 22:49
Here William offers us a large article, step by step, with pictures during the whole building and a commentary about what we are looking, he calls this a diary, but I think that’s the state of the art of the patience to take pictures. Thanks for the time and effort William spent on writing this article for Modeler Site.
By Pablo Raggi | 06.01.2005 09:51
Towards the mid of the 90s, Tamiya introduced to the market their JS-3 (Ref. 35211), which since it was coming from the first manufacturing batches, could not be painted in other way than the classic soviet green. Jaguar tried a resin kit to convert the JS-3 from Tamiya in the JS-3M post-war version, however it was nothing but a failure owing to the great deal of mistakes it featured. We had to wait for the new century to see a real JS-3M, and this time from Trumpeter (Ref.316).
By Peter Go | 04.01.2005 11:39
By Marcelo Scaminaci Russo | 04.01.2005 10:18
Willy Messerschmit's company was one of the most important fighter suppliers for the Luftwaffe and it is no wonder that the number of projects there, was very large. Many versions of existing aircrafts, and specially of the famous Me 262 Schwalbe, were developed in their design bureau..... In several articles written by...
By Marcelo Scaminaci Russo | 02.01.2005 11:41
The Messerschmitt Me 262 Schwalbe (Swallow), was the first operational jet powered aircraft. It was mass-produced in World War II and saw action from late 1944 in bomber/reconnaissance and fighter/interceptor roles. The Luftwaffe began committing this remarkable aircraft to combat when air defence squadrons were...
By Mario Covalski | 12.01.2004 19:01
By Steve Desarzens | 11.01.2004 11:45
I’ve always been a huge fan of “Back To The Future” movies. When I discovered that a Japanese brand I didn’t know the name before had manufactured a kit of the famous Delorean, I had to buy it!. I built the kit following more or less the instructions sheet from Aoshima. The first stage was to place the system that allows the model to fold its wheels. Even if I built the Delorean of the first film, Aoshima has manufactured the kit in different versions according to the films. In the second movie, the Delorean can fold its wheels and turn into an hovercraft. The system is quite clever but once the wheels are stuck, they don’t put very flat on the ground. Therefore, I decided to glue the wheels definitely so as they won’t move when I handle the kit.
By Marcelo Scaminaci Russo | 09.01.2004 11:40
If you want to build this model, you will need to get the ANT-06 Antaresmodels conversion and an Arado 234 in 1:48 scale. The set was developed for Hobbycraft kits, but it can be used on Hasegawa’s Ar 234 ( or on its re-pop, the Revell Germany ones), despite that at the time of releasing the conversion set these last...
By Marcelo Scaminaci Russo | 07.01.2004 14:01
Without any doubt, the most advanced and radical Focke Wulf design in World War II was the Triebflugel. In the actual language of modern aeronautics, Focke Wulf’s “Triebflugel” ( driving wing) projects would be called a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL)...
By Dave Hessler | 06.01.2004 11:35
If you're an avid modeler then I'm sure you're like me and have an overwhelming stash of stuff: complete kits, partially started projects, parts boxes, after-market items, etc. Don't forget that closet that's stacked up to the ceiling with your "next projects". Most of us will have to live to be 100+ years old in order to complete every, single model kit in our collections. Of course, we all still buy more to add to our "collections". Even when I finish a project I have a hard time deciding just which kit I'm going to build next. Decisions, decisions!
By William Chan | 05.01.2004 19:10
By Patricio Delfosse | 05.01.2004 14:10
Here below, you’ll find not only a list with the most common and useful options for the average skill modeller, but also some brief comments about every kit manufactured by Tamiya and other brands. This article aims at offering the modeller, a clear vision about these vehicles, the availability of the kits, and two building reports, beginning the first part, with the Type 90, and the second with the Type 74.
By Mike Parr | 05.01.2004 11:04
By Patricio Delfosse | 04.01.2004 14:05
By Pablo Calcaterra | 03.01.2004 11:06
Several months ago I received this kit as a present. Though at first I was not interested in this plane, the challenge was strong so I decided to go ahead with the project. It was going to be my first kit in resin. The box is very good and the kit is a multimedia one, with pieces made of different materials, like copper, plasticard, etc. Everything is individually packed and the placed inside the box which has bubble plastic film.
By Thomas Halvarsson | 12.01.2003 12:06
By Marcelo Scaminaci Russo | 12.01.2003 11:29
"How the hell am I going to handle this monster? ….There is no other crew except me …!!" This was the first impression of the Feldwebel Rudi Riedl, in his first encounter with a Mistel composite. Riedl was a blind-flying instructor of the Jagdfliegerschule (fighter pilot school ), located in Stolp-Reitz, a German pilot school specialized in training its members on attacking special targets....
By Marcelo Scaminaci Russo | 10.01.2003 14:13
During the Second World War, the German aircraft designers put forth many aircraft projects ideas, which ranged from the practical to the bizarre. In my opinion, the case of the Me 262 Lorin is one of these last. Despite of its fantastic space ship look, the idea of mounting the ramjets above the wings of the aircraft was found impractical, because of high fuel ...
By Marcelo Scaminaci Russo | 09.01.2003 14:08
The Fw 190 TL ( Turbo-Lader Strahltriebwerk - Turbocharger jet engine ) was one of the earliest Focke Wulf projects. This design comprised a simple centrifugal engine of Focke Wulf´s own design, fitted in late 1942 to a standard 190 fighter, instead of the BMW 801 piston engine. The new engine comprised a two stage centrifugal...
By Mike Parr | 09.01.2003 10:55
By Marcelo Scaminaci Russo | 08.01.2003 11:37
Does this fantasy spaceship look vaguely familiar to you?..look again……Yes!! It's a Me 262!!.. Even since I read the book "Me 262" ( edited by MBI Publications) several years ago, I've been interested in all Me 262 projects. One of the most interesting was the W1...
By Marcelo Scaminaci Russo | 07.01.2003 14:04
Como ha ocurrido con otros proyectos alemanes , conocidos como Luftwaffe 1946, el Focke Wulf Fw 190 también fue objeto de estudios y desarrollos a fin de estudiar la configuración de "alas de halcón". Este tipo de ala era un diseño realmente novedoso para la época, ya que presentaba una pequeña...
By Marcelo Scaminaci Russo | 05.01.2003 11:34
Building this odd-looking model in 1:48 scale is really exciting and complex at the same time. Exciting, because we will have a very unusual model on our shelf. Complex, because it's necessary a general planning before starting to build this huge model. We shouldn't forget that this one is a combination of a land...
By Patricio Delfosse | 04.01.2003 14:49
Hey, webmaster! Something's wrong with the scale! This model should be a 1/72... Is it possible for a 1/35 armored vehicle to measure only 9 cm. long? Well… yes! And in the case of this model it must be added that the space is very well distributed. The model is simple and with minimum efforts and a tidy painting we can add an attractive and rare piece. After seeing many Panzers and Shermans, visitors will surely be attracted to this small armored vehicle that looks closer to a bug than a military vehicle. "What is this?" they will ask. And here is the answer.
By Patricio Delfosse | 04.01.2003 11:55
In January 1945, 20 T26E3 experimental heavy tanks that were developed to go against German's Panthers and Tigers, were shipped to Antwerp in Belgium for testing in the battle field. After arrival, they were issued to the 3rd and 9th Armored Divisions. In March 1945, the T26E3 was standardized as the Heavy Tank M26, and named "General Pershing", while tank crews called it "Pershing".
By Nicolas Perez Fiorentini | 02.01.2003 14:16
The models of this wonderful series were made by the Japanese firm NITTO, between 1984 and 1986. They were very detailed and came with several building options; they included photoetch, springs, metal antennas and several interchangeable parts.Step In 1986 the publication of SF3D came to an end due to some disagreements between the...
By Mike Parr | 10.01.2002 11:00
By Paco Porres | 09.01.2002 11:08
Tamiya offered a long time ago a kit of the MS11 model, which had an excellent quality although the model is 33 years old. The curious thing here is that in the original "box art" of 1969 we can see the car driven by Jackie Stewart (huge mistake), but in the new release in 2000 the pilot is Jean Pierre Beltoise.
By Mario Covalski | 09.01.2001 15:12
By Mario Covalski | 08.05.2001 11:15
In this note, I'll try to explain the problems and solutions adopted for the building of the Ferrari 412 T2, from "Museum Collection" in 1/12 scale, which I've reviewed a few months ago.
By Pablo Scordo | 08.01.2001 11:48
By Ricardo Dacoba | 05.01.2001 20:56
By Mario Covalski
By Giulio Marrucci
Basically is a good kit, but if you want “make the difference” you need the photo etched parts dedicated to the Essex Class, produced by the Golden Medallion, providing reels, stairs, radar antennas, all the aerial and a lot of many other details like undercarriage doors covers, landing gear struts etc...
By Martin Klein
The kit has the usual quality known from Iritani and is a mixture of resin, metal and plastic parts. The main body, the wings and the engine air duct are made of resin, the engine and rear suspension are plastic parts (from 70s Tamiya kits). The wheel rims are turned metal parts and the tyres are rubber parts. Together with white metal parts for the wheel centres and front suspension, steel wire for further suspension elements and etched brass sheet metal parts for wing end plates and other car details the kit provides all ingredients for a great Formula 1 kit of the 70s.
By Patricio Delfosse
In 2000, Dragon announced new references among their variety of vehicles mounted on the SdKfz chassis: this time was turn for the closed roof variants, the SdKfz 252 and SdKfz 253. A year later, this last one was released as a kit, but nothing was ever heard about the 252. Today, we’re waiting for it to be released as it’s still being announced but….there’s no news to this respect. Tired of waiting, I decided make this conversion from scratch since in point of fact, it would not mean a lot of trouble. I took as base this old kit from Tamiya, the SdKfz 250/9, simply because I had it handy. I could have chosen any Dragon kit that are comparatively better in quality than the Tamiya’s and would have been a good option.
By Pablo Martelli
There are several ways to build a Sturmtiger, but undoubtedly trying one from a Tamiya kit will be easier. In spite of being somewhat old (the first and only release is the one from 1994), keeps a high level of details and excellent fit. Other possible options are the Sturmtiger from Italeri and the Royal Model conversion designed to convert the Late Tiger from Italeri.
By Mario Covalski
This note aims at offering the reader an idea about the tasks he/she will have to achieve and how to, in case of coming across a model in plastic or metal like this. This text will be a guidance for restoration, detailing and painting, leaving to the reader the work to restore the mechanism, if possible...
By Osvaldo Viggiani
By David Guardia
By Modeler Site
By Mario Covalski
By Mario Covalski
There are a lot of plastic models manufacturers, whose instruction manuals are clear and well structured. However, there are others quite complicated in their sequential steps, making the building a real nightmare for the beginner. This happens even with the more experienced companies. From our personal point of view, the least explicit manuals are those by some American companies (AMT, ERTL, Revell and Lindbergh) because, in most cases, they don't even include a color guide. Some of the most prestigious companies have well illustrated manuals with an excellent information, although they have a certain difficulty in the building process, making the sequence difficult to follow.
By Jose Antonio Solbes
By Marcelo Scaminaci Russo
By Jose Antonio Solbes
By Mario Covalski
By Rick & Jannine Bennett
By Carlos Massuh
By Paul Adams
By Paco Porres
By Mario Covalski
By Pablo Martelli
By Christian Jung
By Dan Parrat
By Akiyoshi Kishino
By Javier Rubio Capella
By Christof Bircher
I do not exactly remember why I bought the Tamiya 1/18 kit of the Lola a few years ago. At that time, I was not too much into model building yet. But I guess I was just intrigued by this red powerful CanAm racer from which as far as I know no other model (whatever scale) is available.
By Fabian Vera
By Marcelo Scaminaci Russo
In early 1944, the design office of Willy Messerschmitt’s company put forward a proposal for a rocket-boosted version of the Me 262. This had the Walter HWK 509 A-2 rocket engine mounted in a jettisonable fairing beneath the fuselage. This proposal was further..
By Mario Covalski
Looking at racing motorcycles, under the point of view of the real machines, I'm not an expert, that means, I'm not thoroughly informed about world championships, and I'm not a fun of these mechanical wonders as well.....just I feel pleasure when constructing these kits, straight from the box. However, I know that the 211 is a real new, because of its engine, and races won (which I guess this model follows getting with the 2003 version).
By Paul Koo
By Mario Covalski
By Pablo Raggi
By Claudio Fernandez
By Patricio Delfosse
By Nicolas Perez Fiorentini
By Kelly Zak
By Mario Covalski
By Mario Covalski
By Giovanni Galvan