Diego Quijano's Starfighter

Guys, you gotta see this. This is another example of artistic craft and modelling experience. Please welcome maestro's Diego Quijano's 1/48 scale F-104 Starfighter (click the thumbnail to see the whole article):

slavatrudu 1/72 models

My bad. I haven't updated for a while... Frankly speaking, simply don't have much time. If anyone want to join and publish your works/photos/articles here, please use contact form below and just share your ideas. 

What I've found interesting and inspiring lately - couple of 1/72 scale builds by slavatradu. I really admire his works and he's truly talented modeling artist. Check out for yourself:

1:72 Blohm & Voss BV P.209.02

1:72 Payen P.350 Coupe Racer (scratchbuilt)

I'm thinking of contacting slavatrudu (aka Alexander Nevzorov) to ask for the interview. Would you be interested to read?

Corsair weathering

Just found great pictures and tutorial (sort of) of awesome Corsair Birdcage weathering:

And here's the tutorial. Enjoy!

I-16

Here's some interesting for all I-16 fans. This time it's restored (and flying) I-16 (please comment of the type) from Novosibirsk. Click picture to see the whole gallery.

panel line weathering

I hope you guys are doing dreat during these summer days and enjoy sunny beaches and having sun bathes before the long cruel winter :)

here's great picture showing modern aircraft panel line weathering:

It's AN-12 and the panel lines seems to be post shaded using Chris Wauchop technique :)

source

Scale Aircraft Modelling Safety Issues

Here's what happens when you don't pay attention to your safety when modelling:

B-25J Mitchell

Daniel Zamarbide shows his fantastic modelling skills with step-by-step feature of Monogram's 1/48 B-25J Mitchell. Just too awesome! You'll definitely something to learn.

Starting with this:

And finishing with something like this:

Another 1/72 masterpiece by Scalephantomphixer

Just too awesome to describe - you got to see yourself:

Brad Cancian saves Albie

This is really fantastic! Brad Cancian saves poor old broken Eduard 1/48 Albatros. Click the picture to whole forum thread..

Modern Helicopter Weathering

Talking about modern aircraft/helicopter weathering...

Su-27 weathering

He's one for your perfect weathering examples archive. So next time someone will try to criticize your Sukhoi SU-27 show him this:

Mig-31

Found and want to share with you great collection of Russian Mig-31 pictures. All photographed by the pilot. Really great pictures and nice information of the weathering.

note the faded insignia on the photo above

note that a/c under the bridge :)

this is the author of all the pictures that can be all found here

Felixstowe F.2A

This is Felixstowe F.2A diorama in 1/72 scale built by Pierre aka Madman aka Scalephantomphixer. 

Click the image to see the whole building and detailing process. Marvelous and genius!

Pre-war US Aviation

Here's the great collection of US aviation between WW1 and WW2. Really great pictures - especially Kitty Hawk flight.

(Click the picture to see the whole gallery)

Cleaning Aztek Airbrush

Here's a great article for those lucky Aztek airbrush users - Aztek Airbrush Nozzle Cleaning

Eduard's 1/32 Bf109 wheels

Last year, just after Eduard had published pics of their 1/32 scale Bf 109, I did a small preview of the kit with my feedback on the kit here. The kit was (and still is) a popular. But what I like about Eduard is that they respond on the feedback and critique. They implement the changes and fix the kits. 

So in October Eduard started selling 1/32 early Bf-109 resin wheels from their new Brassin series. Just check these photos:

- the original early Bf 109 tyres

- early Bf 109 resin wheels by Eduard in 1/32 scale

 

- Eduard's 1/32 Bf-109E series wheel in the kit

The difference is obvious to see, I guess. So should get myself a 1/32 Emil?

Interview with Chuck Wojtkiewicz aka chukw1

- Hi Chuk! Really glad to see you on the blog. I guess everyone would be interested to know more about you and what do you do when you're not modelling? 

Hello, Arseny- nice to be here. When I'm not hunched over my bench in reading glasses and optivisor, I'm hunched over my drawing table or tablet at blur studio in Venice, California. I'm the lead concept artist there, and design and illustrate characters, environments, props and vehicles in historic, cartoony, sci-fi, fantasy and realistic styles. I storyboard a lot of our features as well. It's the greatest job in the whole wide world! At home I enjoy life in Redondo Beach with my dear wife Marc and our English Bulldog Dynamite. 

- Standard question: How long have you been modeling and what was your first build scale model kit? 

Batman made me do it! I got that Aurora kit of the Caped Crusader for my birthday when I was six or seven- and was immediately hooked. My big brother Marty helped me glue it together and paint it- he was an expert car modeler at the time. He's now a sculptor at GM. I built tanks and dioramas as a teenager, thanks to those wonderful Shep Paine pamphlets in the Monogram kits of that era. In college I got hooked on balsa free-flight models, and stayed with them for twenty years. After we moved to LA in 2001 I switched to styrene. There's simply no room to fly, and too much wind from the sea. I sometimes miss the smell of balsa dust... 

- Your online builds really stand from the crowd. That's most probably because of those funny (and informational as well) cartoon style pictures, which are very unique - tell us more about the cartoons. 

I really fell in love with the online modeling community and wanted to contribute. My first posted work was just typed text and photos, but I can't type and hate to do it. I got a Cintique 21UX drawing tablet at work, and within a week I was so hooked I had to buy one for home. That meant I could simply write my captions on the screen, and readers seemed to like it. My little friends evolved from hand-drawn smiley faces, to simple chuk heads, to the curvy assistants I have today. Lil' Chuk was the sailor who guided my Helldiver build, and I thought long and hard about who would be featured on a Nazi plane feature. In the end it seemed that a good girl and a bad pfennig would be a nice balance, and the other characters grew naturally from it. The Kommandant is Lil' Chuk's evil twin- I never thought I'd use that cliche, but it is fun to play the villain! The art is really an excercise to learn to draw better directly on the screen. I've been getting faster and more accurate as a result, I like to think. 

- What do you like most about the scale modelling? Is it scratchbuilding, gathering information, painting, weathering, etc. ? How often do you model? 

My favorite part of the hobby is and has always been problem-solving. Figuring out the best way to replicate some complicated and beautiful shape or mechanism in the tiny scale of our models is endless fun for me- and so satisfying when it works. Painting and weathering are a close second- today's techniques amaze and delight me. Filling seams remains a chore- maybe someday I'll come to relish that as well, but don't hold your breath! ;D 

- How do you choose your next builds? Are all your models built involving scratchbuilding or are there OOB (out-of-box) as well? 

My wife will tell you that I'm a real nutcase when it comes to the next project. I have a rather daunting stash, andjust about every kit cries out to be built. Often it is the level of detail I can cram ionto a project that brings it to the fore, but often a kit's simplicity will plunk it down on the bench. AmTech's Huckbein won out for it's simple grace- but I still had to animate the flying surfaces and jazz up the cockpit a bit. I'm hopeless! My next build will be Planet Model's Ju 388- MPM gave me a vac canopy for the 410 and a choice of any kit from their catalog in exchange for me building it with Fritzi and Hannah. How could I turn down such a generous offer- and such a fabulous kit? 

- What's your favorite model and is there one? Are there models that you've started to build, but left unbuilt? How many scale models have you built already? 

I still have a soft spot in my head for my He111- it was the first scale model kit I built after more than twenty years, with all the new technologies- PE, Resin, etc. I'm tempted to build another! A few balsa models laguish on my shelves, along with a Marvel Incredible Hulk that just needs some paint. I try to keep just one project on the bench, but I'll be juggling a few in the coming year. I'm participating in the Well Done group build at the Tank s & Things forum, featuring a French well from Monroe Perdue as the common element. An armor build after thirty years? This ought to be fun! 

Cheers! 
chuk



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Here're some of the recent Chuck's builds and articles online:
Me 410- Promodeler plus kitchen sink

Helldiver, all out build!

Photo Phixes with Lil' Chuk!

Egg of the ApeDog!

1/48 Tamiya Avro Lancaster Mk.III

1/48 Tamiya Avro Lancaster Mk.III with many modifications and scratch-building by Alex Kontiveis. Click the pictures to see the whole building progress. No comments...

P-47 Razorback weathering

Here's another great example of P-47D Thunderbolt Razorback weathering. You can see the wing root chipping quite nicely in this photo:

FW190 A8 Tamiya's 1/48

Here's a little update of my Tamiya's 1/48 scale FW 190A-8. There're some details to be added, but the model is almost ready. But most of all I wanted to show that I build models too. :) Sometimes.

Please feel free to post your comments and critiques.

 

I also would like to thank JimMrr from Aeroscale for supplying me with fresh new canopy. The kit's canopy was ruined while experimenting with Klear - not far as good as Future Floor Mix... 

Thank you Jim! Without you this model would never be built.