PeepingBear

Yess! So we don't have to live with that much-too-high upper edge of the IP? Or is this part lower (= better) in the 1/48 scale kit than in the big Thud kit? Now, when does LuckyModel get their next truckload of F-105es? Cheers, Ja

HeavyArty, thanks for giving some more detailed information. The picture I found is so small that the "Venom" grafitti is not really readable without a hint. I've read the books from Bowden and Durant a few years ago, I deeply respect the soldiers who had to wade through that quagmire. Cheers, Jan

If you want a "Op. Restore Hope" Blackhawk (Blackhawk Down, anybody?), AFAIK, these were "older" MH-60L variants, not MH-60Ks. Check photos for the detail parts that you'll need. For the movie they used a MH-60L, with the smaller nose radome and separate FLIR under the chin. Maybe you're interested in this article on the web. On a long, rainy weekend you might want to browse the WWW for several hours, there are lots of sites with information, although there seems to be no central, comprehensive website, what with SOAR and their work being quite hush hush... I think Italeri's Pave Hawk kit

Gern geschehen!

Hi! OK, a Bundesluftwaffe F-4F Phantom II in Norm '72, that means you need the following colours: RAL 9006 "Weissaluminium", freshly applied, this is a metallic colour that ages quickly to a light grey with only a very weak metallic sheen, you should mix F.S. 36375 (lt. compass grey = Gunze H308) with a smaller part of silver or aluminium metallic colour. RAL 7012 "Basaltgrau", this is a dark medium grey with a blueish tint. It is a bit lighter than F.S. 36152 (gunship grey = Tamiya XF-24 or Gunze H 305), and a bit darker than F.S. 36173 (dk. grey = Tamiya XF-53 or Gunze H82)) The origin

If you can find the older RoG boxing of the UH-1D (German SAR on box top, Stock-No. 04452), it has several parts for the MedEvac's interior: stretcher, hoist, gears helves and the medical gear rack shown in the picture you quote. With the rest you can still build a troop carrier. I remember seeing a vast number of BMI Huey pictures on the web several months ago, but can't come up with the URL, you have to search for yourself, sorry, BUT THEY ARE OUT THERE AMONG US! BELIEVE ME! ;-) HTH Jan

Hi! Italeri's MH-60K (SOA) in the grey paint scheme does NOT have the parts for the M134 7.62 mm miniguns! The kit offers only M60s. If you want miniguns, look for the Pave Hawk boxing, it has the miniguns, their ammo boxes and a pair of M2 0.50 cals for the sliding doors. I'd like to build my SOA Hawk with the M134s as well. Italeri's 60K kit is, well, a bit half-cocked, they offer many - but not all - parts for the protective sensors, but do not show their potential use in the instructions, if you want to build a helicopter similar to the box cover, you MUST check for yourself which parts

The funny thing is, if you enter a BLw or MarFlg (Bundesluftwaffe / Marineflieger, BTW not Marinefleiger, can't say how often I saw that misspelled) F-4 or F-104 in a contest, you could paint the underside with RAL 9006 and show off as the only one with knowledge. At least, one can expect the freshly applied colours of cold war aircraft to be of a reliable quality. I really like the discussions about the correct paint shades of this or that WW2 aircraft. Yeah, sure, paintshop personnel during wartime really cared for a perfectly mixed ANA xyz.... Now let's enter the realm of weathering for a

Glad I could help, Mark! @Jennings: Well, as I already wrote, the colour "Weissaluminium" doesn't have a bright metallic sheen, even if newly applied and it ages / dulls to a dirty light grey qickly. Luftwaffe sources are clear: RAL 9006 is the correct colour to use. But, for a properly weathered F-104 or F-4 model, painting the underside with RAL 7001 or a mix of RAL 9006 and RAL 7001 will result in a realistic look. The underside of "Norm '72"-painted aircraft usually looks greyish with more or less of a metallic sheen. In the mid 80es, the "Norm '72" polygonal / splinter camo (olive dr

I am sorry, it seems I must correct Jennings' statement. Being from Germany and with contacts to technicians from the Bundesluftwaffe, I asked around and the unanimous answer was that the (T)F-104G -- and also the ( R )F-4E/F -- were painted with RAL 9006 Weißaluminium (white aluminium) paint. RAL 7001 Sibergrau (silver grey) was the typical underside color before the so called Norm '72 was implemeted (in 1972). We German modelers had the same question time and time again, due to conflicting sources and due to the effect that White Aluminium aged / weathered quickly to a dirty light grey

Break, break! There is a sheet from Model Alliance: MA-155 "World Airpower Update !" Among other aircraft, it offers this: "... Eurocopter EC-665 Tiger ARH, A38-001, Australian Army Air Corp, School of Army Aviation, Oakey, Queensland, April 2007..." a widely striped tan / green / black machine. Availability as stated on their website. RoG's release of Italeri's EC Tiger has good decals for the UHU (UnterstützungsHUbschrauber = support helicopter), alas not a regular unit serial no. There are other decals with German numerals in 48th scale, so putting together a line-unit reg.-no. isn't

Yesss, masster! Superbly built kit. Did you mix the darker shade (topside) to be greenish or blue? All sources state a dark blue, like dark sea blue (USN WW2), but to me, all photos seemed to show a dark blue-green. Again: A top model, an inspiration! Horrido! Jan

Great Aircraft! I hope you will show the finished model to us at ARC. The EF is just great with it's canards. Finally a 21st century aircraft for the Bundesluftwaffe. Horrido! Jan

A Hobby Boss Mi-24? Did I miss something? Can you shed some kight on this? Horrido! Jan

Well, TankFarm, if you're from the land that hosts the 2008 Olympic Games, you might want to check Luckymodel as a web-order store. For further modelling hints, just read and ask a lot around here, I've found ARC and it's members always very helpful. And Trumpeter, yes, they offer cool kits. I'm just building a Sea Hawk Mk.101 (see on http://www.flugzeugforum.de/forum/showthread.php?t=47330, alas in German language) and their Wyvern is in my stack. Chinese model-kits are definitely making an impact on the scene. F-105D from Hobby Boss, anybody interested? Regards Jan

Hi, welcome back to modelling! Q.1: The toothpick is a good disposable variant, but your plastic sucker (a pipette?) is good as well, because after spraying, you 'll have to clean the paint reservoir of your airbrush, a pipette is quite handy for that. I use a glass pipette from my lab, storing it immersed in a small bottle with thinner / cleaner during an airbrush session (after pumping a few times to loosen the paint left inside). A pipette or a disposable syringe (with wide bore needle, tip ground flat) also helps when mixing paint. Q.2: An airbrush will clog from dried paint on the need

Just saw this build, you are a master! A very instructive and inspiring thread. Airfix' 48th scale Lightning is in my to-do-stack, so your passion for DIY detail is a perfect guide. Keep up the good work! Horrido, Jan

Thanks to both of you for your answers. Trigger, I live in Germany, so I think your friendly offer might be a tad impractical, considering the usual S+H costs. Nonetheless, I appreciate it a lot! Classic ARC member spirit! I'll ask a further question: do the kit-included M2s look good? Or aren't they worth buying another Academy kit that will end up as a donor? Horrido! Regards, Jan

Hi folks, I am searching for 0.5 in. "M2" MGs in 1/48 scale. AFAIK, these are part of Italeri's "Pave Hawk" kit, and also of the "Pave Hawk" variant from Academy (Minicraft). I already have Italeri / RoG's MH-60 kit (without M2s) and thus would prefer to get another Blackhawk from Academy. Could somebody please confirm if the M2 guns are included in Academy's MH-60K kit as well (or not)? TIA Jan

Hi, no, it is not as good as the newer CH-46 and ch-53E kits, but it is not a bad kit at all. Fuselage detail is mostly fine and good, the HIRSS are simplified, but not ugly, The rotors need some DIY modeling (some piping), but this woudn't be different in a Hasegawa kit. One weak point is the interior: No 3D instruments, simplified seats for pilots and passengers, no detail on the floor (tie-downs) nor on the cabin ceiling. The other weakness is the lack of correct detail for the different variants. Check Eduard's PE sets ort Cobra Compans resin sets for VERY nice extra detail. Dependi

Hi, Jon, if by any means possible, there should be decals for the operation "Normandy" aircraft, that breached Iraqi's RADAR in Desert Storm. You told me that one of the Apaches was "Rigor Mortis", did it carry some kind of nose-art or just it's name? My copy of your new Squadron WA-book has not arrived yet, I don't know if you show the "Normandy" Apache(s). The AH-64 isn't exactly beautiful, but it sure has "character" / "personality". Greetings from Germany Jan

You are right on the money! Now that the draken is about to hit the shelves, we absolutely need a good JA / AJ 37 Viggen model kit. ESCI's kit has the average early 80es quality (not much to speak of), its a good kit to prove you're a real builder, not just a kit-assembler. Outer shape is not bad, but detail? What detail? You need NeOmegas cockpit and Twobob's decal sheet. Let's chant it together in any other thread! (Esp. if it is about some completely different aircraft -- TA-4 anybody??) Horrido! Jan

Consider it done! Gimme a day or two, send me a PM with your e-mail address and make room in your inbox. HTH Jan

Yes! That's just great, an up to date F-15 book. Jake's A-10 guide is so great, that I just have to get the coming Eagle guide. Regards Jan

Hi! The RAT was supposed to extend automatically with the LG, so it is correct to show it open on the ground. ANd yes, the fan-blades could be thinner, but that's just a few swipes with a file. HTH Jan