New Project = 1/144 U.C. HARDGRAPH X REAL GRADE

This has been a something ive been thinking of doing for almost over a year, a 1/144 scale U.C. Hardgraph project using various models, scratch building and the excellent Real Grade kits to build a 1/144 U.C. Hardgraph world.

First idea is to reproduce all the awesome 1/35 scale kit in the U.C. Hardgraph range as 1/144 scale models, which a few i already gotten all across different ranges, all made by Bandai. Since the last year ive been collecting and even started a few kits, some seen here which have all appeared in M.S IGLOO 2, which is the U.C. Hardgraph flagship and my main reference point for all the gear to model. Along with the manga The Iron Mustang ive been getting some great inspiration for my new project and trying to find models which are U.C. Hardgraph or can be converted into U.C. Hardgraph style models.

High on the list of "to do" are rivals from the episode "King of the Land, Forward!"
An Real Grade MS-06F as a MS-06J "White Orge" and to detail the Type 61 twin barrel tank from the HG Zaku Ground War Set.

Time to learn how to do real scratch building and get some weathering practice, U.C Hardgraph has some really dirty gear.
Ian

Eduard Super44 1/144 - MiG-21MF "Fishbed" - WiP ready to paint

One of the MiG-21's all ready to be painted, going to go for the simple silver finish with the red stars which when i think of a MiG-21 is always is what i picture.

The canopy masks which come with the kit a fantastic, fit the clear panels perfectly and made masking very very quick, hope eduard can start a trend with other manufactures with these.

Want to get this, the first Super44 kit completed before any others are released so i can keep up with each eduard release which i plan on buying one of each since there so damn good.

Next new mold is a SPITFIRE!!!!
Ian

[Kit Review] - Trumpeter 1/144 - Northrop YF-23 -

Bought a bunch of of 1/144 Trumpeter kit recently and this is the first one i want to model. Always thought the YF-23 looked alot cooler the the YF-22 with its small wings and long neck, really unique looking flyer.

Not many part but what there is looks good, hope those big parts fit together nicely as that basically the build. Decals look fine, have 1999 copyright on them, wonder of the kit is that old?



From what ive looked at the panel lines are nearly all present and quite accurate. All the trumpeter kits i bou8ght have the same sort of panel line, just like sweet and revell have there own unique style of lines, trumpeter's seem to be quite deep but a little soft.



Typo i reckon, YF-22 was the Lightning II. Scheme you can do is "Grey Ghost" but reckon you can use the decal to do the other prototype "Black Widow".



Looking at the kit think this should be an easy build, easy to assemble and a really easy paint scheme unless i choose a "what if" pattern.
Ian

Real Grade 1/144 - MS-06F Zaku II "Elite Guard" - Completed

So after a year of working on this off and on after a repaint this little beauty is completed.  Even though it took me so long to get this first Real Grade Zaku II done i plan to start doing alot more, alot quicker.

After painting up the different panel in the various shades of green once originally finished i changed my mind on the way i wanted a Zeon Zaku to look and went with the original anime colouring on all one dark green for the torso and a lighter green for the limbs ands head. Really prefer it this way and every Real Grade Zaku and probably all Zeon mobile suits if more are released will be painted like instead of the patchwork quilt which i think look very un-military like.



A much more simplified decal scheme up against the instructions which i thought made the Zaku look a little busy at the 1/144 scale unlike the Gundam where it looks great.

Here you can see the main difference between this mass produced F type and the commanders S type, different backpack, lack of a central vernier on the back of the lower leg and no antenna but the kit does come with 2 to choose from is so wished.



Gundam hunting then cannon fodder.



A marvel a 1/144 scale, really can't believe the level of detail and engineering in these Real Grade kit, plan to get all set in the Universal Century especially One Year War suit, Rick Dom and GM please Bandai!



Emblem on the shield is for Gihren Zabi's Elite Guard or Royal Guard mobile suit patloon, managed to get a great decal for this from Samuel's decals which i saw after reading one of the best Gundam mangas "The Giren Assassination Plot"



Next up is the almost finsihed MS-05 Zaku, had to have a Zaku II done before the old Zak.
Ian

Academy 1/144 - Su-25 Frogfoot - WiP 3 - Assembled and ready to prime

Except for all the wee bits that i would break off during paint this is basically all assembled and ready to get painted. Still not figured what camo scheme i want to paint her up in but and still unsure which country to choose.
Ian

Real Grade 1/144 - MS-06F Zaku II "Elite Guard" - On parade

Back from a fantastic long weekend in Budapest yesterday and now knackered. Will sort out all the photos soon but first i wanted to start posting the first RG kit i started over a year ago!

Really like how aircraft are photographed with all there weapons laid out before them so why not with a mobile suit. More coming soon.
Ian 

Off for a weekend in Budapest, pearl on the Danube.

Off for a weekend in Budapest, pearl on the Danube., a photo by AntSizedMan on Flickr.

Tate Modern, St Paul's Cathedral, London Eye and the rest

Last part of my London trip was to the Tate Modern, St Paul's Cathedral and then walk to the Waterloo train station taking in as many sights as i could before leaving.

Stop at the Tate Modern, most visted modern art museum in the world. The mean reason i visited the Tate Modern was to see the Damien Hirst art on display, shark and butterfly's were the highlight for me.

 

Tate Modern use to be a power station right in the centre of London and the main hall is the massive turbine room, it huge!











St Paul's Cathedral across millenuium bridge.





Last sight before i left Palace of Westminster.



Next trip Budapest.
Ian

Revell 1/144 - F-5E Tiger II - WiP 1- Cockpit about to be repainted

Thought i had this finished but after looking at this macro close-up sure looks sloppy, going to have to repaint before gluing down the canopy me thinks.

What i was going for is the Sundowners helmet that the F-14 pilots used to sport which must have been a part of the Sundowners heritage past on to the F-15 aggressors squadron. Added a pilot because i noticed a real lack of any pilots in there offices on any aircraft ive modelled over maybe a year and thought i do a little dio of this F-5 taxi onto the runway, meant to be looking to the right where a ground crew is directing him.
Ian

[Kit Review] - Revell 1/144 - F-5E Tiger II -

A new kit to me which is an older one bought of ebay, a very similar looking kit to the Alpha Jet quality wise, which must have been released about the same time with the same amount of detail on the sprues. One of the first fighter from the Northrop family which share alot of similarities with the F-16 and F-16, especially notice the wings on each.

All looking detail wise and a nice base for the cockpit with maybe even to much detail added with extra panel lines present and also the weapon pylon on the end of the wings are wrong, need to be spun so that the larger edge is facing out.

Decal are high quality but unfortunately looking a bit old over 10 years i guess.



Panel detail great with what ive come to expect from revell even for an older kit and really like the grill detail.



One of the schemes is for one of those Swiss Air Force birds which have some of there air base cut into the mountains and where to save space have some hanging from the inside of these artificial caves using mountain roads as runways. Always fascinating to see.



Got to dig those U.S. aggressor schemes copying foreign patterns, mostly older USSR colour, this one looks like its based on those really nice soviet navy Su-27 cold blue colours.




Really like to model the same scheme as the box art, an U.S. Marine aggressor but the decals are old even though there super decal per box front and instead will model an aggressor from the U.S. Navy Sundowners using MYK decals which will be a first.
Ian