Sunday 30 September 2012

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

U.C. Hardgraph X Real Grade Project

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

Saturday 29 September 2012

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

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

Sunday 23 September 2012

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

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

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?

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

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.

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

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".

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

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

Sunday 16 September 2012

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

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

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.

Real Grade 1/144 - MS-06F Zaku II "Elite Guard" - Completed 2 -

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.

Real Grade 1/144 - MS-06F Zaku II "Elite Guard" - Completed 3 -

Gundam hunting then cannon fodder.

Real Grade 1/144 - MS-06F Zaku II "Elite Guard" - Completed 4 -

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!

Real Grade 1/144 - MS-06F Zaku II "Elite Guard" - Completed 5 -

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"

Real Grade 1/144 - MS-06F Zaku II "Elite Guard" - Completed 6 -

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

Saturday 15 September 2012

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

DSC08695

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

Wednesday 12 September 2012

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

DSC08011

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 

Friday 7 September 2012

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

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

London Eye + Parliment

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 - 

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!

Tate Modern -

Tate Modern -

Tate Modern -

Tate Modern - Damien Hirst retrospective

Tate Modern -

St Paul's Cathedral across millenuium bridge.

St Paul's Cathedral -

St Paul's Cathedral -

Last sight before i left Palace of Westminster.

Palace of Westminster

Next trip Budapest.
Ian

Wednesday 5 September 2012

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

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

Sunday 2 September 2012

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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.


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

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