MERRY CHRISTMAS

Peace, family, love, giving, food and k-on = awesome.
Ian

F-toys 1/144 - Aichi E13A "Jake" - Complete

Finished remodel of a very nice little kit from F-toys the "Navy Type Zero Reconnaissance Seaplane" or Jake for short.
 
Wanted it to be a nice quick build and it was, will remember next time to add a bit more filler to the join between the fuselage and wings, thought it was fine until i gave to a panel line wash. Really gave her a good weathering too, wanted to get rid of the very clean shine i had when i first thought she was finished.



The decals which came with the Minicraft kit where very poor, wonder what the newer Minicraft kit decals are like, some nice option with those.

Been looking for reference about this actual floatplane and had no luck finding out about "omi 5" ?


Ian

F-toys 1/144 - Aichi E13A "Jake" - Wip 2 - Paint

From green to grey, real easy repaint. Next decal the bird up the ones supplied with the minicraft kit, panel line and weather.

Compared the model to some references ive found and it looks like this kit is perfect panel line wise.

Ian

Revell 1/144 - F-104 Ferrari Starfighter - WIP 2 - Decaled

All decaled and only needing to add a few bit and have ago at detailing the Spanish starfighters cockpit.

Last thing ive done was a panel wash, which looks really good on the grey one and just enough on the red to make it look less bright.

Using the Airfix decals was great, very fine, unlike what ive heard about them.
Ian

Quick build - F-toys 1/144 - Aichi E13A "Jake" -

New "quick" rebuild of the Allied reporting name Jake or Aichi E13A or even "Navy Type Zero Reconnaissance Seaplane", one of the most important float plane in the IJN.

Got the Minicraft kit first which i really do not like, a repackage of the 40 odd years old Crown kit. After seeing some great photos of the f-toys Jake decided to get that and model it using the decals from the Minicraft in the ghost grey that i prefer. Really happy with the canopy no sprue or injection imperfection to be seen.


After being taken apart, scratched a very simple cockpit and then glued back together and the quite big seams filled and sanded while still not quite dry, hope that the putty won't shrink overnight.

Will prime tomorrow then hopefully be able to airbrush soon after. Sanded off some of the marking hoping that they to reduce what will show through during painting.

Ian

Revell 1/144 - F-104 Starfighter - WIP 3 - Paint

All painted airbrush yesterday and the details done today. Red finish really zings in the photos, do like the finish but i think i might have over painted the grey, no more undershading on that one. Recently glossed, ready for decal which i hope i can do next weekend.

Ian

Hasbro Star Wars - IG-88 - Or maybe its the Death Star 2 main computer.

Was in the local supermarket and from a habit which i can't seem to doing even though i don't collect anymore i thought i check out the toy aisle, which i always do anyway. Looked at the new Hasbro 3 3/4 IG-88 and thought  "your mine"



EU - IG-88 > DEATH STAR 2 MAIN COMPUTER, fair enough.

Been a while since i actually bought a Star Wars action figure that's not a Clone or Stormtrooper, this guy is quality!  Great detail and lots of articulation, which is much better than the 1/6 scale one i got up in the loft somewhere.

All i got to do now is resist buying more except some Jawas, they'd be cool to get.
Not as affordable as i remember?
Ian

Starship Operators

Quite a good watch i just finished, short at only 13 episodes but good that it leaves you wanting more. Basic plot is about a bunch of military cadets (mostly gals) who decide to operate there starships and fight an a empire whose taken control of the home planet that surrendered instead of fight.

One of the real themes of the show is that to fund there resistances they get a TV show broadcast showing them waging war, sometimes live which give the enemy great intel or so they think. Copying what on British television at the moment which i endless reality TV, which i can't stand but at least there Doctor Who.

Would say the animation could have been better, made in 2005 when alot of anime had gone digital. Unlike now where it looks good, when it was first started happening in the early 2000's i felt that the anime had lost something which attracted me to it in the first place. CG mecha and starships instead of beautifully drawn ink and paint like Macross Plus.

Ian

Revell 1/144 - F-104 Starfighter - WIP 1 - Built, primed and ready for paint.

Got these 2 Starfighter built during the week, kit went together smoothly, separate one piece nose redome added last so no over sanding ruining the shape.

Primed Ferrari Stafighter on the right is ready for lots of red and on the left im still working on the cockpit.
This cockpit below is for the Ferrari Starfighter which is going to have a closed canopy so still kinda plain, but the Spanish Starifghter cockpit will be more detailed which i hope to have open.


Ian

[Kit Review] - Revell 1/144 - F-104 Starfighter -

Next build is going to be the "Pencil" or "Missile with a man in it" or due to its safety record "Widowmaker" or "Flying Coffin"

Got a whole bunch of the Revell kits  but first going to build 2 with decals from the Airfix kit, which is a crown re-issue. The nifty looking Ferrari Starfighter and a Spanish Air Force jet, later a two-seater NASA chaser, USAF silver bird and  then maybe a German or Norwegian F-104.
 

Ian

The Freedom Project - Freedom

Rather unique anime i recently completed from Akira creator Katsuhiro Otomo, where from what i can tell have all be animated in the computer instead of traditional draw and ink.

Cool story about colonist living on the moon who think that the Earth has been rendered uninhabitable by giant squid. Kids find out its a lie and adventure follows.

Quality design through out with that distinctive Otomo character design and futuristic yet real world hardware.

One thing that makes you laugh is the blatant sponsors, Pot Noodle. Every episode the cast rally enjoy a pot. Cheesy but it got this made so that can't be bad, just like the Russian movie Night-Watch, lots of Nescafe.

Ian

Revell 1/144 - Dassault Rafale M - Completed

The recently finished fantastic little kit from Revell of Germany Dassault Rafale M, the Navy variant.
Really excellent little, which you can tell see in photos the great panel lines and screw marks which come out really nice after a wash.

One thing i should replace it the front landing gear, after assembly i realised how chunky that is, will have to replace next time if ever build this kit again, two-seater variant please Revell.

Built straight out of the box, no scratch building and painted using Vallejo Air Light Gray.





Decided to do a 3 fuel tank version, can also model a one fuel tank with 2 extra weapons on the wings.




Really fine lines on the missiles which means you can get some water down paint to run into nicely.
Reckon that no missile would have its name on but the decal was available and i liked the idea on a little magic added.





The next builds im going to start doing in two's hurrah, by two hurrah.
Ian

HAPPY HALLOWEEN - 2010 Jack O Lanterns

One of my favorite holidays, you get to eat sweets, dress-up (zombie of course) and carve a pumpkin or two.

But these outside the front door so to welcome the Trick or Treatier, only ONE this year ONE, unheard of and it was a fine night, not wet and retentively mild. Wonder what happened there.

"Oh well, will have to eat those Haribo myself, sign, puff"

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

Revell 1/144 - Dassault Rafale M - WIP 2 - Painted and decaled.

Got this little bird all decaled yesterday, after it was airbrushed during the week. Looking forward to getting the wash on this to bring out all the lovey detail. Working on the landing gear and weapons right now.

Ian

Dual-Combo - Revell 1/144 Sukhoi S-37 Berkut X Mig 1.44 Mfi -

"Dual-Combo" decided to start making my fighters in double as quite a few of the models kits i buy come in 2 anyway. Will go along the direction of either markings of the origin country and then one in a foreign air force (F-104, Mig-29), High Vis / Low Viz (F-/A-18, F-14), 1 seater / 2 seater (A-7, Me-262) or even variants (A-6/EA-9, Mig-25/Mig-31)

As these 2 Russian jets where both advanced technology testbeds built at the same time i reckon i can start of with these as a Dual-Combo.

Anyway check out the size of the beast, the Spitfire looks incredibly small next to these 2 giants.






Got a few Dual-Combo's ready to go soon, F-104, Hawker Hurricane.
Ian

Variable Fighter Master File - VF-1 VALKYRIE -

Brilliant new mook i got sent from Japan published in 2020 by the Macross Broadcast Agency. Filled with lots of cool almost photo realistic pictures, drawing and so much information (but of course in Japanese, only know 200 Kanji i can only really read the Kana).

As soon as i finished geeking out over the great photos in here, i dug out some of my 1/144 F-Toys VF-1's to get cracking copying some of the cool new marking from this. This is only stratosphere Valkyries with no Super parts present except for an drawing, hope another for space valks comes out in the future.

First photo in the book is a great sunset flypast the SDF-1.


Nice shot over the mountains at the top and classy shot from the ground of a landing brownie.



VF-1D two seaters goodness.



Cool photos on the bottom of a Valkyrie dispensing flares and i wonder if the LM on the right with the Valkyries in front of the SDF-1 means Lynn Minmay? Nice fly past the SDF-1 by brownies from the TV Series.



Angel Birds from episode 1 with nice little Fanracer action.



Thats a quality pic of a DYRL? VF-1S



Nice sunset shots, especially the one of the SDF-1 street view from Macross City and theres the quality Ark Royal Valkyrie.



VF-1 and VF-0 in the same photo, along with the two seater electronic VF-1G and the unknown to me VF-1N. Battriod Max VF-1A and Hikaru VF-1J TV.



 

Transformation of a VF-1A from Battriod  - Gerwalk -  Fighter. Got some cool marking design.



Plenty of info like this showing where whats what and where it should go, pages on every detail.



Few pages on the CVS-101 Prometheus are cool, this thing can sink to the control tower just showing above the surface so its harder to track, nice.



Like the fly over the Prometheus by Roy Focker and Brownie,must be just before the series starts.




Before and after the VF-1, F-14 and the awesome VF-4!



Eight single pages of these Squadron Marking's of the Valkyrie all in 1/144 scale, lots of cool schemes i would like to do.




Got to do the Ark Royal Valkyrie being a brit, oh a pink one, lovely and it zentradi or would that be meltradi.



Will review the VF-19 master file once received, no word yet on another one, would expect VF-25 next.
Such a quality book, hope i don't wear it out thumbing through it too often.
Ian

Revell 1/144 - Dassault Rafale M - WIP 1 - All built and ready for paint.

So i built this fantastic little kit in no time, seriously this is one top quality kit. Now that ive built it straight out of the box i'm thinking of getting a few more adding a little scratch detail and making a dio.

Check out the detail and the perfect fit! Wonderful kit!

Great little cockpit, painted black then dry brushed. Next time i build will add some more detail and a pilot maybe.



Ian
Reckon this one will be completed in record time.

Crusher Joe

Crusher Joe, an anime movie and 2 OVA's which i think is just THE perfect space opera (on a par with the original Star Wars Trilogy) . I watched these with absolute joy, i just couldn't believe how damn good they where.

It has everything i enjoy about anime and sci-fi in general, One of the best looking spaceships ive seen the Minerva, a great cast of lovable rogues, lot of action and comedy, pirates, big fleet battle ships with always a personal favorite awesome military designs, robots, a cute girl and again always constants action, no let up perfect space opera.

Oh! i wish there was more than what there is but at least what there is, is now a personal favorite.