Topics

1

Ground Forces / The Beast

« on: March 17, 2023, 04:53:15 PM »

The center for culture of my municipality organize since a few weeks a workbench for painting figures. I'm painting there a blood bowl team, but applied the techniques learned to a figure printed in 3D by a friend of mine.

Paints used are AK 3D Acrylics + Citadel colors "Nuln Oil" and "Agrax Earthshade" for some finitions.

I'm happy with the result 

2

Aircraft Modeling / Breguet 694 (Special Hobby 1/72)

« on: February 07, 2023, 07:04:17 PM »

Just before the German invasion, Belgium ordered for 30 Breguet 694 to France. Unfortunately the aircrafts were not delivered before the surrendering of Belgium ; but som pilots contrinued the war with their French mates. Before the French armistice, one Breguet 694 was delivered to the Belgians but was destroyed the next day...

The kit is the Special Hobby Breguet 693 (similar to Azur kit). On an exterior point of view, Breguet 693 and 694 were similar ; so I will use that kit with decals from KORA Models to build the only one Belgian airplane...
For what I know, there is few informations about that aircraft. Impossible to be certain that the aircraft beared Belgian cockades or stil the French ones ; impossible to know how the aircraft was camouflaged (French style ? "Belgian Hurricane" style ? Khaki/alu ?). So, I've decided to use the French camo with Belgian cockades...

The work begins with some cockpit amelioration (pilot stick, rudders...) and the rectification of ammo for the machinegun (difficult to remove them from the sprue without any damage)

3

Aircraft Modeling / Renard 36-37-38-40-42 : a loooong time project at 1/72 scale

« on: January 16, 2023, 11:15:04 AM »

Alfred Renard, Belgian aircraft manufacturer, produced a superb fighter just before the Second World War on his own funds, the Renard 36 which was then declined in 37 and 38 versions (the latter with a Rolls-Royce Merlin engine). Despite the qualities of the aircraft whose performance placed it between those of the Hurricane and the Spitfire, the Belgian government preferred to buy Hurricanes. English lobbying was powerful and Belgian politicians clueless!
The French government, for its part, had asked Alfred Renard to study a high-altitude fighter with an ejection cabin. Following the German attack and the defeat of 1940, none of these planes were produced in series.
Alfred Renard also realized in 1942 a sketch of the Renard 42, an aircraft somewhat similar to the P38 Lightning or the Messerschmitt 109Z and whose fuselages would have been those of the Renard 40.

At the hobby level, these planes were made in resin by Dujin, the same molds being used by Vami Models, HR Models and have been reissued for a couple of years by FSC Dujin.
Dujin and Vami are more or less of the same quality; from the point of view of the resin I find HR a bit below and FSC Dujin very below with a lot of air bubbles and defects but a small photoetched sheet is provided with the seatbelts and the instrument panel as well as two canopies instead of one for the others.
As an example to determine the age of the kits, the Renard 37 is marked "1997".
I got these kits in different ways: the Renard 36, 40 and 42 were bought from a friend who was liquidating his stock. Another friend sold me his Renard 38 from FSC Dujin at a good price (bought just for a replacement canopy he needed for his Renard 36) and offered me as "spares" the parts of his incomplete Renard 40. I got the Renard 38 directly from FSC Dujin. As documentation, I not only have two books ("Renard 36/37/38&40" by Nicolas Godfurnon and "Les Avions Renard" by Andr? Hauet and Guy Roberty) but also good contacts at the Brussels Air Museum and with members of the Foundation Renard.

I specify that you have to really like Renard planes to buy these kits and especially want to build them!
Indeed, regarding the Renard 36-37-38-40, the right wing is not as wide as the left wing (whose width is correct according to my documentation); this is the most striking defect. But there are plenty of others...

4

Ground Forces / Benz-Patent Motorwagen 1886 (ICM 1/24)

« on: January 16, 2023, 09:47:45 AM »

I'm not a car-builder but I falled in love with that one 
Incredible speed of 15 km/h, tricycle, mix of wood and steel... A beauty !

5

Ground Forces / Neoclassical bath (El Viejo Dragon, 75mm)

« on: December 21, 2022, 07:05:20 PM »

I've participated to a contest organized by the club of Jemeppe Modelism ; thema was : "Water".
I decided to paint those figures from El Viejo Dragon...

Flesh was made with Abteilung 502 Oil Flesh Set; the rest with acrylics.

Love the result 

6

Aircraft Modeling / SPAD 510 (FRROM 1/72)

« on: September 11, 2022, 10:49:50 AM »

So, FRROM released what was the last French fighter biplane. The aircraft was in competition with the Dewoitine 500 to reequip the Armee de l'Air. Dewoitine won but an order was also placed for 60 SPAD 510, to maintain the activities of the Bleriot-SPAD factory.

The kit looks very nice! FRROM kits are made by Special Hobby and are now of very good quality.

I love the look of that biplane...

7

Aircraft Modeling / KDA-1 (Q-2A) Firebee (ICM 1/48)

« on: November 19, 2021, 08:06:12 PM »

The Firebee is an American drone dating from 50s/60s. ICM released that strange bird at 1/48th scale. Few parts but very nice

8

Aircraft Modeling / Blohm Voss BV ae607 (RS Models 1/72)

« on: November 07, 2021, 08:55:28 PM »

The Blohm Voss BV ae607 is a German "paper aircraft" that existed only on drawings... But the look of that aircraft is IMHO stunning; so I've bought the kit some times ago.

9

Combat Warplanes / Postcards from Florennes airbase, Belgium

« on: June 02, 2021, 05:02:12 PM »

http://www.sbap.be/events/2021/020ebfspc2021/020ebfspc2021.htm

10

Aircraft Modeling / Farewell Mirage 5BD (1/72)

« on: January 27, 2021, 10:14:55 AM »

When the last Mirage 5BD ended her duty in the Belgian Air Force, she received a special livery (silver overall).
Syhart made a decal sheet for that event. Kit is from PJ Production. The kit box gives MK4 seats only; but I've bought PJ MK10 ones.
First step: to remove a panel (needed to adapt the biplace cockpit)

11

Miscellaneous Subjects / Akula

« on: January 17, 2021, 07:20:20 PM »

OKB Grigorov is editing lots of little submarines at little scales. Few parts; resin & photoetched ones.
The Akula (Nato name it "Typhoon") is at 1/1200 scale and, as you can see, the real one is a BIG one!
Building is easy but of course the little etched parts request lot of attention...

Primer airbrushed.

12

Aircraft Modeling / Astir CS Jeans

« on: January 17, 2021, 07:00:09 PM »

This kit was assembled by a friend that gived it to me. Some work needed, like some sanding, some minor corrections like the gap between the Retrowings cockpit detail set and the fuselage. The canopy was removed from the (little) sprue by myself, but badly. I have to correct it adding some matter - Will do that with Crystal Clear or a transparent glue for kids. Anyway I've used Tamiya compund and then Klir.

Interresting kit...

13

Miscellaneous Subjects / Snow White

« on: December 16, 2020, 07:21:20 PM »

I've bought that figure some years ago; now time to paint that sexy young woman with the AK 3D acrylics...

Preparation of the figure revealed some gaps on a delicate location...    - Miliput needed...

14

Miscellaneous Subjects / Halloween (goblin) pumpkin

« on: November 22, 2020, 05:37:19 PM »

A little bit of fun for Halloween : a Goblin pumpkin !
It was a test for the AK acrilycs 3D. Nice and solid but when they say there is no need to shake the bottle before use, it's true for some ones, but not for all. Well, good colors anyway!

15

Miscellaneous Subjects / Steampunk : The Aviator (Dieselkits 1/35)

« on: November 04, 2020, 04:28:42 PM »

OK, let's go with that new one! So, it's a kit printed in 3D; first time I'm working with such a kit...
Parts are really nice. The attachment plots used for printing are removed by the manufacturer but you have to finish the work, sanding the residues. That took me two afternoons because there were lot of sanding to do...

I noticed that sanding was not complete on the propeller... Trying to ameliorate the result, I broke a propeller blade! Trying to fix the broken blade, I broke another blade!!!
...OK, cool, be quiet, keep calm... I remembered that I have on my stash an overtree of Eduard Spitfire XVI. The propeller has the same size than the Dieselkit one; so I replaced the 3-blades propeller of the kit by a 4-blade one...

Then it was time to wash the parts; there were lot of sanding dust on them. I put the parts in a water basin with dish soap; rinced them and then put them on a towel and throwed the water away in the lavabo of the kitchen.
...But back to the workbench I realized I've forgot to remove the windshield out of the basin! Of course, the windshield was definitively gone...
I take a Q-tip plastic coverbox and made a new windshiel with that plastic...

After that, my first work was to dig the exhausts with a drill (1,2mm).

The instrument panel doesn't really exist in the kit; just a part without instruments engraved and no decals. So, back to the spare box; I had a Yahu Spitfire IX instrument panel at 1/72 scale; that fits quite perfectly on the kit part!

I will also use 1/48 WWII Luftwaffe seatbelts 

Then I've glued some parts together.

The figurine is named "Lucy the Cowgirl" but having a cousin that is photomodel, I will better name her "Linda" because she posed for a photograph with a cowboy hat 

Hope to continue very soon...