Fw190

Project #066 is a Focke-Wulf Fw190A-8 and has now reached completion. The last few model kits have been a bit slow going but we got there in the end! I've decided it makes more sense to move posts about model kits to my railway modelling blog so thats where any future posts on kit building will be from now on.

Vampire

The latest model project, project #065 a De Havilland Vampire, has finally been completed after a lot of delay. There always does seem to be a lull in model making in the high summer and it was compounded this year by some house improvements which took up time. But anyway its now done and looking good.

A third Tiger Moth

Project #064 has been completed (bar some varnish) and is my third Tiger Moth. Of course Project #001 which kick started my building of kits after a gap of a couple of decades back in 2009 was another Moth. The other was Project #057 last year. This Moth is a civilian one unlike the others which depicted RAF trainers.

Lightning done

Project #063, an English Electric Lightning, has been completed and lovely it looks too! Next up will probably be another Tiger Moth.

Lightning

Project #063 is an English Electric Lightning, one of the classic Cold War British warplanes and the sort of exotic air shapes that thrilled 60s and 70s British lads (before they discovered girls anyway!) Its progressing well and painting has now begun.

Invicta

Project #062 is nearly completed, the Vickers Vanguard is looking pretty good. The decals were a nightmare though, its always been my Achilles heel and the decals on this model were especially complicated. Nothing broke (too badly) though and the resulting plane is very presentable. I just need to touch up the paint here and there and then varnish.

Vanguard

Project #062 is a Vickers Vanguard and is progressing nicely. Building has more or less finished and now painting will begin. I can't remember seeing many Vanguards but i remember its smaller brother the Viscount was a regular into Birmingham Airport in the 1980s. However as only 44 Vanguards were ever built (compared to 445 Viscounts) i probably did not see any!

Magister

Project #061 and the first of the 2015 model making season has been completed, a Fouga CM170 Magister trainer in Irish Air Corps colours. Next up is a Vickers Vanguard.

Let the model making season begin

The 2015 model making season is up and running and the first project, number 61 is a Fouga CM170 Magister. As can be seen here the building phase is pretty much done and now the painting will begin. I must try and improve on the 2014 count of 9 completed projects of which only 4 were aircraft.

Review of 2014 : Model making

I only managed to complete 9 model kits this year, down on last year's 10 (mind you i should have made quite a lot more than i actually did in 2013 considering the time i had on my hands!) Of the 9 models i did make 4 were buildings for my model railway project which has gradually taken more and more of my time and attention. I did manage 4 decent plane projects though.

The Nieuport was my favourite of the year though the Douglas Dauntless also turned out pretty well. The most unusual model has to be the Shell patrol garage though, i need some HO scale cars now to give the gas station some custom.

I am the Walrus

The 2014 model making season was not as productive as i would have liked though there were a couple of really nice completed projects (and a couple which were not that good to be honest). The season ended with a refurbishment however. Project #019 from way back in 2011 suffered a mishap which detached its top wing. As i repaired it i though i would give it a fresh coat of varnish, giving it the glossier look i prefer these days rather than its original matt varnish finish. The Walrus looks pretty good, i might refurbish a few more old projects next year.

Hurricane

The 2014 model making season draws to a close with the completion of Project #059 a Hawker Hurricane Ia. In truth model making has been a bit of a struggle this year with other things taking up my time however there have been a couple of good kits completed including this one, and a couple of ones that are not quite so good too.

Tiger Moth 2

There has been a bit of a lull in model making lately, for various reasons including laziness! But Project 057 a Tiger Moth is now near completion and just needs varnishing. Its the second Moth i have done, the first of course was the very first model kit i did when i resumed model making after a 20+ year gap. You would think 56 models later i would be a lot better but my skills are a bit meh at the moment so in some ways Project 001 is better...

Shell Petrol Garage

I have my own gas station, in HO scale that is. Project #058 is the latest building model for my Eskalon model railway layout and is a Shell petrol station. Its nearly complete, just needs a bit of painting and maybe some people added.

All quiet on the kits front?

It has been all quiet on the kits front actually, i got a bit bogged down with Project #056 the model of Jeanne d'Arc (dreadful kit to be honest) but that is now in the painting stage and i have also completed building of Project #057 a Tiger Moth. This is the second Tiger Moth i have built of course as Project #001 no less was also a Moth and started this whole model building thing off again...

Jeanne d'Arc

Project #056 is our first ship of the 2014 model making season and is a model of the famous French Cold War warrior Jeanne d'Arc.

N. 28

Project 055 has now been completed, the fourth kit of the year and the second plane. And the first biplane. Most of the backlog are biplanes in fact but they don't hold the same terrors for me as they once did. Of course you just know the next one is going to be a nightmare, but anyway here is the latest completed plane, a Nieuport N. 28 C-1.

Biplane of 2014 #1

Project 055 is the latest model project and is a Nieuport N. 28 C-1 World War 1 fighter. Its the first of a number of biplanes i have in my backlog. Years ago biplanes used to give me a lot of trouble, now i am a lot better with them. They look vaguely flyable anyway! Still twice as much wing to paint of course!

Completed Dauntless

The first model aircraft of the year has been completed, a Douglas Dauntless of course and it looks pretty good even if i say so myself. As i just have.

Dauntless approaches completion

The latest (and first for 2014) aircraft model project, a Douglas Dauntless, is nearly completed. Just a little bit of painting touching up is required then to apply the decals (which is when things usually got a bit Pete Tong to be honest) and varnish!