This was done just for fun and wound up with just as much heartburn as any other kit. Now mind you, it dates from 1955 so you can't expect too much and they delivered..not much. Zero interior, two figures that look more like construction workers than military pilots, LOTS of rivets and raised panel lines and decal locators, immovable turrets molded into the fuselage, no nose gear well and on and on. However, and surprisingly, with a little care the fit was pretty good requiring a minimum of putty and the clear parts were quite good. I sanded off all that raised detail, but that's pretty much all I did. The NM finish is Alclad. I put a coat of DullCoat over the gloss on the control surfaces, cowlings and gear doors. That way when you apply the Alclad it has a different finish there than on the rest of the plane. Kind of breaks up the monotony. The decals were excellent and went on very easily. Now, mind you, there are many many flaws in this model most of my own making. That's why there are no close up photos. Anyway, here's a blast from the past.

I have a Heller J-37 Fighter Version kit. It only lists numbers for paint needed but provides no descriptions of the actual colors these frepresent. - Can any one send what these numbers mean in other paint manufactures paints or Heller's descriptions? - Instructions from any Jaktviggen Fighter Version that show what colors to paint the main body and details? Bob Walker - IPMS 17121 Email - walkerhollycat@aol.com Thanks

Good morning. I was hoping someone might provide some advice on how to paint these very thin lines on the Mk. 20 Rockeyes. I practiced with a short liner brush and made a real mess of it. Masking the lines is difficult due to space and obstructions. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Eric, At what point do we historically open a forum heading for the upcoming convention? We have a pretty big announcement coming down in the next day or two (venue AND date change for 2024), so I'm hoping we can have a dedicated spot to discuss '24 convention stuff. Thanks, Jeff

Got the 1/48 Hobbycraft T-33A Shooting Star done. The build started as the HC RT-33 kit, which was converted to the T-33A by grafting a spare Hawk kit Shooting Star nose onto the HC kit. I also added a Verlinden interior, simply because it was in the box. The markings are for a T-33A in Korea using an Aeromaster sheet. I should have had one of the USAF's most important trainers on my shelf long before now, but glad one's finally there now! Gil

The NCC is in the process of updating the Modeler's Guide and Competition Handbooks. The following is DRAFT changes for Chapter IV - Ships. I have previously distributed this document to my alternate head judge and to several of my senior judges and has been submitted to the NCC. Mark P had wanted to get these inputs incorporated 'by summer', so that while they might not be in place for the convention, they could be addressed. I am hesitant to drop this on my line judges on Friday judging night, rather would solicit some comments after some consideration. Expanded category definitions are presented. This change was driven in-part by changes made to the automotive categories for 2023 that explained the definitions of many categories. This change increased the page count on the annual category list document. Making the change here to [hopefully] clearly define the categories once rather than annually expanding the category list seems to be preferred. The Entry Evaluation Criteria section is a list of items which I would expect my line judges to consider; presentation, construction, detail, and painting/finishing. There are no weights or point values assigned. This is an expansion over the prior evaluation criteria which was dated given the advances in the hobby over the last decade. Formatting? The PDF looks much better before being cut into this forum format Thanks in advance for constructive comments/ Ed Grune NCC Head Ship Judge ---------------------------------------------------------------------- IV. Ships The scales referenced in this section refer to the following convention: 1/700 refers to scales 1/451 and smaller. 1/350 refers to scales 1/450 to 1/101 (and larger as applicable) 1/72 refers to scales 1/100 and larger. Category Definitions Aircraft Carriers: 400 (1/700) and 401 (1/350) - Entries in these categories shall consist of purpose-built or converted ships with large decks whose mission is to launch and recover aircraft. These categories do not include other types of ships which have a flight deck or launch recovery mechanism and may be considered ‘aircraft capable’ (i.e., destroyers, CAM ships, landing craft, etc.). Battleships, Battlecruisers, and Cruisers: 402 (1/700) and 403 (1/350) – Entries in these categories shall consist of large to medium ships whose mission is battleline, scouting, screening, and/or commerce raiding. The time frame of these entries represents the Dreadnought to modern era. See category 408 for earlier time frames. Other Surface Ships, smaller than cruiser-sized: 404 (1/700) and 405 (1/350) – Entries in these categories shall consist of other medium to small ships, destroyers, escorts, patrol craft, larger landing craft and commercial ships. A commercial ship entry may be either a purpose-built ship (cruise ship, container, bulker, etc.,) or a de-militarized ship (e.g. Liberty or Victory-type bearing shipping house markings/flags) Sailing: 407 (all scales/eras) – Entries in this class shall consist of wind-powered craft with rigging. Masts, yards, and rigging are expected. The presence of sails is not required. Oar-assisted ships (galleys, bireme/trireme, etc.) are also entered in this category. The inclusion of wood material, sail-powered ship models in this category is expected. Early Steam and Sail: 408 (all scales) – Entries in this category shall represent the transition period of propulsion power, the time frame is from the American Civil War, through the Victorian/Edwardian period, generally ending in the Spanish-American or Russo-Japanese Wars. This category will include ironclads, rams, and pre-dreadnoughts. Submarines: 412 (1/700, all eras) – Entries in this category consist of small-scale submarines of either submersible or modern type. Submarines: 413A (1/350, origins to 1945) – Entries in this category are submersible craft with characteristics similar to a surface ship; sharp bow, open conning tower, railings. Submarines: 413B (1/350. 1946 and later) – Entries in this category are true submarines in that they have a shape optimized for extended underwater operation; streamlined, enclosed conning tower and few if any rails. The date separation of this and the prior category is based on design dates put forth by Dr Norman Friedman in is reference books on US submarine design Submarines: 415 (1/72, all eras) – Entries in this category are large-scale submarines of either submersible or modern type. Boats, Speedboats, Motor Torpedo Boats, Motor Patrol Boats, Landing Craft, etc.: 418 (all scales/eras) – Entries in this category consist of small craft which are capable of being taken out of the water (although not required) for transit on a larger ship or other means of transport. Naval Technology: 420 (all scales/all eras) - Entries in this category consist of standalone naval equipment, such as gun turrets, gun or missile mounts, boat davit sets, or aircraft catapults. Chibi Maru/Egg Ships will also be considered in this category. Entries in this category were removed from inclusion in the Miscellaneous Class (Category 860) for 2023. Conversions and Scratch-Built: 423 (all scales/eras) – · A Scratch-built entry is one for which there is no commercially available kit. The modeler develops the entry using scratch-building materials and methods to create the parts and model in accordance with plans. o A totally 3D printed model is not considered scratch-built. o Commercially available detail parts (i.e., photoetch, resin, 3D print, metal) may be used in the completion of the model, but will not comprise the major portion of the scratch- built entry. · A conversion entry is a commercially available kit which has its class, configuration, or silhouette SUBSTANTIVELY CHANGED by the modeler, using either a commercially available conversion set, scratch-building materials or parts from another model. · The effectiveness or complexity of the conversion or scratch-built entry may be considered. Basic Kit Build: 426 (all scales/eras) – A Basic Kit Build entry shall be composed of single-media only built from the contents of a kit. Only the primary material type contained in the kit may be used in the completion of the entry. No other type of material contained in the kit may be used. The entry must be accompanied by the instruction sheet so that adherence to the single media criteria may be confirmed. If the instructions are not provided or the entry is determined to not be of single media construction the model will be moved to the appropriate standard category. Ship Vignette: 440 (all scales/eras) – A ship vignette entry is a single ship subject interacting with the environment to present a theme or ‘slice of time’. There is no story line required in a vignette. The totality of the presentation; model, base, finish, and action will be evaluated. All components will be considered with equal weight. Ship Diorama: 442 (all scales/eras) - A ship diorama is one or more ship subjects interacting with the environment, each other, and/or an off-scene element to present an event or story. The totality of the presentation; model(s), base, finish, action, and strength of story will be evaluated. The strength of the story presented will be given an equivalent weight to that of the model(s). A note about Hypothetical Ship entries, for at least the last 20 years it has been the understanding among the ship model judges that if plans have been drawn (officially or unofficially) and a modeler develops his entry in accordance with those plans, it is not hypothetical. The model may represent a ship which never actually appeared presented configuration (example USS Lexington as a battlecruiser). Entry Evaluation Criteria Presentation · A model entry may be presented as whole hull or waterline. · A whole hull presentation will include the running gear (shaft(s), propeller(s), and/or rudder(s) typical of the prototype. · A whole hull entry may include underwater details such as: sonar domes, sea chests, intake & exhaust ports or other fittings on the prototype. The absence of these details is not a downgrade criterion. · A whole hull entry may be presented on pedestals, keel blocks, cradle, or other mounting base. · A waterline presentation is representative of the ship visible from the waterline up. As such no underwater details are expected or required, · A waterline entry may be presented without a base, on a sea-base, or a plain material base. · With the exception of the Vignette/Diorama categories, bases will not be evaluated as part of the model entry. · The simple dynamic movement (bow waves, wakes) of a waterline ship presented on a sea base will not be required for placement into a vignette/diorama category. Similarly, a ship ‘doing what a ship does’ with its basic mission, as in an aircraft carrier launching an airplane, does not necessarily place the entry into a vignette/diorama. o The modeler may choose to place an entry, with a possible poorer vignette/diorama quality into the vignette/diorama categories, understanding that the totality of the presentation will be evaluated. o The modeler may choose to place a vignette/diorama model entry into a standard category understanding that only the ship subject will be evaluated. The evaluation of ship vignettes and dioramas will include the base and other structural components to determine the effectiveness of the presentation of the vignette ‘slice of time’ or diorama story. Basic Construction · No glue strands or fingerprints · Flash, visible trademarks, mold seams, sink marks, ejector-pin marks, and similar molding flaws eliminated. · Seams filled. Details lost by filling/sanding will be re-scribed/replaced. · Cylindrical items (masts, yards, gun barrels) will remain round. They must not be sanded to an oval shape. · Alignment: o When viewed bow or stern on: § Periscopes, masts, and projections are vertical and aligned parallel to the central axis of the ship unless presented otherwise on the prototype. § If whole-hull bilge keels will appear symmetrical. § Yards are aligned perpendicular to the mast axis unless presented otherwise on the prototype. Sailing ships may have yards arrayed at ‘off angles’ to catch the wind. § Signal halyard lines shall run from the yardarm to the flag bag and not have visible frayed cuts at the tie off points. § Antenna runs shall be prototypically taut and shall run between antenna lead-in points. Antenna insulators may be applied with drops of glue. § Superstructure bulkheads shall be aligned vertically and parallel with the central axis of the ship, unless otherwise on the prototype § Superstructure decks shall be generally parallel with the main deck, unless otherwise on the prototype. Deck camber should be considered. § Railings should stand vertical, neither leaning in nor out o When viewed beam on: § Periscopes, masts, and other projections are generally vertical in appearance. Masts may display a fore or aft rake consistent with the prototype. § Mast stays, lines, antennas, and other rigging will be prototypically taut and not have frayed cuts at tie-off points. Fabric lines will be waxed or otherwise treated to minimize fuzzy appearance. § Superstructure bulkheads shall be aligned vertically and perpendicular with the central axis of the ship, unless otherwise on the prototype § Superstructure decks shall be generally parallel with the main deck, unless otherwise on the prototype. o When viewed in plan (topside view) § Photoetched railing details should not appear wavy. § Gun alignment – gun barrels are aligned with the train of the turret/gun mount. Barrels do not point off in wonky directions. Gun elevations may be different as per the prototype. · Glue puddles around figure’s feet or flaked-in lines should be minimized. · Shiny glue beads along railing runs should be toned down and blended into the surrounding structure with a dull coat Detailing · All small parts (including masts, bulwarks, splinter shields, railings, and rigging) should be thinned as close to scale as possible. · Small details sanded off during construction should be replaced with scratch-built or aftermarket material. · Gun barrels and vents should be drilled out whenever possible. · Sailing ship rigging and lines should be correct for the era being modeled. Rigging should be appropriately taut and attached properly (no frayed or flyaway ends at tie-off points). · Dead-eyes and blocks should be in scale and in proportion to the rigging lines used. · Shell/expansion plating or oil-canning effects may be added. They should be in scale and relate to the prototype internal structure. · Kit-included detail materials, with BKB/Single Media exceptions and limitations, may always be used. Aftermarket or scratch-built detail items of diverse materials such as plastic, resin, wood, cast metal, photo-etched, 3D-printed, thread/monofilament, etc. may be used in the standard (non-BKB/Single Media categories). · Photo-etched detail parts: o Nubs and burrs where parts are removed from sprue must be eliminated. o Paint should cover applied brass details completely. There should be no brass color showing at nicks, cracks, cuts, or bends. o Parts should not be unintentionally damaged or bent. o Radar screens or netting pieces will not have grids filled with paint or glue o Glue marks and buildups should not show. They should appear seamlessly blended. o Parts (e.g., rails and stanchions) should not overlap. o Railing runs should have logical starting/ending points (stanchion, bulkhead, gun tub, etc.,) They don’t just end in mid-air. o All railings should be straight when viewing the model bow to stern (no wavy railings). o Railings must line up horizontally and vertically where they join. o Corner (box) seams created when parts are bent to shape should be filled. Painting and Finishing · No paint fingerprints. · Care should be taken with the wooden models and deck details. o Distracting 1:1 scale wood grain effect should be minimized. o End grain pieces should be finished to a similar consistency as long grain parts. · 3D printed models and parts will be primed and finished in a manner to minimize the striation affects often present in the media. · Paint should have a matt or satin finish unless a different sheen is being used to create a special effect. · Paint should be even and smooth, exhibiting no brush marks, masking ridges, or "orange-peel" effect. Unintentional overspray of adjacent surfaces is minimized. · Except for natural wood models, the model surface should be painted even if the model material is the same color as the desired finish. A clear coat could be used but must be applied in a manner to prevent application faults. · Unless appearing on the prototype, deck colors should not wrap onto the bulkheads, nor the bulkhead colors wrap onto the decks. There should be a demarcation in paint between the surfaces. · Decals: o Aligned properly. Unusual markings or markings placement must be documented. o No silvering or bubbling of decal film. Decal film should be eliminated or hidden to make the markings appear painted on. · Weathering should be consistent and appropriate across the entry. But the nature of a ship and its environment may lead to inconsistent upkeep.

This one took a lot longer than I expected, but here it is, done. I used the Tempest Mark 5 Eduard kit and with the conversion kit converted it to a Mark II. I do not remember the vendor name of the conversion kit. I removed the engine cowling of the Mark 5 from the kit and grafted the Mark II radial engine assembly into it. I noticed that Eduard introduced a complete Mark II version (late WW2) with the markings of Charles Dyson, Wing Commander, RAF just recently. It featured a red lightning bolt draped on the port and starboard cowling and extended backwards toward the cockpit area. It’s not perfect, but after a series of setbacks it will do.

After three long years, it is done. A lot has happened in my absence and I apologize for my lack of modeling activity. It isn’t perfect, but at least it’s finished. Happy Modeling, Mark Fiedler IPMS # 14333

Just got done with the 1/35th Miniart D8500 tractor with a Miniart driver and ram. No real story. The title comes from a book which did involve sheep and rams. Dak

This is the very rare Attack Squadron resin Grumman F2F-1 Barrel; the smaller engined forerunner to the more famous F3F Barrel series. This is a very well engineered kit. The interior is cast as one piece except for the seat and stick, which slides into the completed fuselage. The cabanes struts are molded aspart of the upper forward fuselage. It has pe parts, including the main IP which is backed by film instruments. The engine is finely cast with the exhaust tubes on the back, and fits perfectly into notches cast inside of the cowling. The only fit trouble was the upper forward fuselage section to the fuselage. I just made sure the cabanes were aligned correctly when I glued it in place, and then filled and sanded as necessary. The only other trick to the kit is with the main gear. The instructions would have you glue the pe triangular support struts to the gear leg, and then glue the assembly to the fuselage. It's much better to glue the legs to the fuselage at the correct angles, and then glue the gear supports into place. Care must be used since they are pe parts and somewhat flimsy. The pe gear doors need a bit of concave shaping before adding too. The main gear legs are wire reinforced and quite strong. I added wire "pins" to the bottom wings to strengthen the butt joints. The fit of the wings and the tail planes was good enough to paint and add them all afterward. The green trim colors were all painted. The green fuselage strip had to be pricesly measured to be JUST wide enough for the "-F-" in inside of it. I used the kit white strip decals on the top wing chevron, but painted the rest. I used the kit decals, which worked quite well. Glad to have this rare subject in 1/48 on my shelf! If I ever get my Grumman FF-1 "FiFi" built, I'll have the entire Barrel family! Comments welcome as always! Gil

Need to replace a couple old decals on Monograms X-15 kit. Found a source for the placards and stenciling but the US Air Force fonts are to small. Trying to find a sheet of white 45 letters 5/32" tall. Might be able to use 3/16" letters. I have Squadrons 45 degree white letters but they are the wrong size. Same with the other sheets I've got. Anyone know of a sheet with letters the height I need? Thanks, Eric

As the title suggests, I'm seeking the True Details 1:32 resin PSP base. I can buy outright, or I have a couple of extra out of production Eduard 1:48 scale bases, and could trade one-for-one, with some extra cash thrown your way. Thanks a bunch, Kevin

Hi, I have an MPM 1/48 Pe-2 kit I would love to build. A little problem, the vacuum formed canopy has "yellowed".... What should I do? Thanks in advance for your input Fred

I never met Jim Sullivan but I still call him a friend. We first got in contact with each other back in 2012 due to a question I asked about F4U-1's (Go figure, Jim answering a question about Corsairs!) in GSB. He also helped me in picking up one of these -5's in a trade (For a Hasegawa P2V7 he was going to convert to a P2V5)....then proceded to ask what unit & markings I was going to do. Of course he had almost every pic. I could hope for. We kept in touch due to him answering WAY too many of my questions and not just about F4U's but also my PBY, AD-6, SBD among others. We both swore to never build another Monogram 1/48 PBY and yet, strangely enough, we both had another in the stash! I was informed that Jim passed away on Friday the 12th and to say I was shocked is an understatement. A few pics I'd like share are the three Hasegawa F4U's Jim helped me with...if only I could build like him, they would look better. You will be missed, rest in peace my friend. F4U-5N F4U-5NL F4U AU-1 This is Jim's 48th PBY....unique marking scheme. And Jim's 32nd Matchbox SBD that he scratched out an interior!

Several of the Platz 1/144 kits come with decals for well more than one plane. Has anyone built any of the 1/144 P-51Ds (or other US planes) and have some leftover decals? I'm in the Dallas area, but could also pay for shipping.

And yet, another '109 completed. My plan is to finish as many of this kit as possible between when I started last month and the IPMS/USA National Convention. Then I will enter the 5 most "OK" ones in the "Collections" category. I figure it'll be fun to lose in a whole new category! Improvements include: Added rivets to entire airframe Masked and painted all markings except gun covers and unit badges. Quinta Studios #72037 interior decals. Ceramic wire antenna aerial. Anti-vibration cones molded from plasticard. MRP acrylic lacquers airbrushed through Iwata HP-C and Custom Micron-C.

Brought to you by IPMS-North Central Texas! When: Saturday, June 3, 2023 Where: Grapevine Convention Center, 636 South Main St, Grapevine, TX 76051 Time: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. For entry forms, contest rules, and further info, visit: http://ipmsnct.net/Scalefest.htm

I was glad when this kit came along and I was able to add to my classic Hollywood figures and busts. This is Marlon Brando as seen in On The Waterfront. Looking for any color image of the character, I only came up with the colorized movie stills, and of course he's not wearing the same jacket. So I did my best to assign a color to the different hues of B&W. Here's a pic of Brando from the movie. The kit is 1:4 scale and Miguel Zuppo once again does a very nice rendition of the character.

Just finished this one up for the Review Corps. Very nice kit of one of my favorite aircraft.

I'm working on a Panther that ended ups under a Chevrolet sign in Belgium in 1944. Dak