Mike J. Idacavage

I recall seeing back in the fall that one of the major kit companies (Zvezda) announced that they will be releasing a new 1/144 F-16 in 2026. Based on other Zvezda kits that I have, this might be the best of class when available. Have fun modeling! Mike

Outstanding news, Kursad! Having grown up in South Jersey, I have been hoping for NJ ANG F-4 decals for years, especially in 1/72. Have fun modeling! Mike

Pretty much what everyone has said in this thread so far is correct - it depends. In my case, I work mostly in the 3D Printing industry (semi-retired) and had my first experience with liquid resin 3D printing in the early 1990s. I am on the Board of one established 3D printer company and advise multiple companies on resin 3D printing. With that said, I elected to not get my own system to print at home. Partly because that is what I do professionally but mostly it is not worth the investment in time when I can buy aftermarket parts to meet my modeling needs. In my case, I decided that I would

The best source that I have found for light blue that NASA has used for some of their aircraft over the years is Testors Light Blue enamel in the small bottles. I finished a 1/48 Hasegawa F-104 using the Caracal decals and Testors Light Blue enamel for the underside and am happy with the results. Have fun modeling! Mike

Excellent Hasegawa F-16DM build, Steve! The decals look really good on this jet. Have fun modeling! Mike

I would be a very happy camper if both of these schemes would make it on a decal sheet, especially in 1/72. I have been wanting to build a F-22 in the Raptor 01 scheme since its first flight. Have fun modeling! Mike

I agree with airmechaja . My "Go To" clear coat after painting with either acrylics, acrylic lacquers (like MRP) and enamels is Alclad's Aqua Coat. I then do my weathering and follow up with another clear coat such as Alclad's semi-matte depending on what I want the final sheen to be. Have fun modeling! Mike

This is a great looking QF-4E, well done!! Have fun modeling! Mike

Wow, your canopy looks fantastic! I think you nailed it, Dai. Have fun modeling Mike

Great suggestion, I fully agree! Have fun modeling Mike

Modeling the NASA M113s has been a major modeling interest of mine for years. While my personal favorite NASA M113 wears the all white scheme, I will definitely be making a few that wear the yellow/lime colors. Here's a few of the off-the-shelf mode paints that match up close to the colors worn by NASA's M113s. Note that in addition to the lime green in the photo above, they can also look more yellow in some of the photos I found. Here are a few model paints that I have found and have used to paint some test pieces: tru-scale paint TCP-559 Fire Engine Greenish Yellow Gravity G

Outstanding QF-4B build! I may need to look at the Tru Color International Orange when I get around to using my set of Caracal decals. I REALLY like the way your Phantom looks. Have fun modeling! Mike

I want to thank everyone who offered great suggestions on how to attend an airshow that restricts camera bags with a camera. I ended up using a combination of camera vest and a clear bag when I went to the Miramar air show last month. I had zero problems getting in even with my 200 mm lens wrapped up in a towel as a cushion. While I don't have a top of the line camera and ended up having dust and some fibers/hairs inside the camera body (Photoshop works wonders getting rid of that!), I was happy with some of the photos I took. For the non-static display shots, I did need to crop the photos oth

The term resin is used to describe just about any plastic or plastic-like material. Most of the 3D printed parts and kits that are available are made using liquid resins as you can get extremely fine detail that can rival or exceed injection molded styrene or cast resin parts. The vast majority of 3D printed liquid resins are in the acrylate family of materials, think acrylic plastic. Because of this, they will not be able to be glued with classic liquid glues that are used on styrene kits. BTW, while the solid filament type 3D printers mentioned by MoFo above use a single plastic material, th

Thanks O! This is a new approach to me on hauling camera gear to an airshow. A mesh backpack sure does sound more comfortable than the clear plastic backpack that I picked up! Mike