Steve Budd received his recently ordered Bristol Fighter from Wingnut Wings …. you may have heard of them recently? 😉 He shares this in-depth kit preview. Genesis of a Fighter Of all the British aircraft designs that took to the air during the Great War, only the Bristol aircraft company’s F.2b was universally both loved and respected by its crews
Read moreKen Judt submitted this kit preview of Academy’s F/A-18A Hornet. From the sound of it, this is a very nice kit! Thanks Ken! History: (From Wikipedia.org) The McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) F/A-18 Hornet is an all-weather carrier-capable multirole fighter jet, designed to attack both ground and aerial targets. Designed in the 1970s for service with the United States Navy and
Read moreJeff Adair (jeff8600) sent in this preview of Revell’s great big honkin’ Ju-88. History: Designed by Hugo Junkers’ Junkers company in the mid 1930s, the Ju-88 became one of the most versatile combat aircraft of the war. It was used successfully as a bomber, dive bomber, night fighter, torpedo bomber, reconnaissance aircraft, heavy fighter, and even as a flying warhead during the
Read moreShortly after Hornby purchased Airfix in late 2006, rescuing the iconic British model-maker, I had the chance to talk to Airfix’s product manager, Martyn Weaver. At the interview’s conclusion, I wrote “Mr. Weaver concluded his answers by saying that under Hornby Hobbies LTD., the ‘future looks bright for Airfix.’” Since that time, Hornby has guided Airfix through some great releases,
Read moreHistory In September 1952 the United States Navy called for a carrier based supersonic fighter, Chance Vought answered the call. In June 1953 the Navy made the decision for Chance Voughts V-383 design and the F-8 Crusader was born! On the 25th of March 1955 the Crusader made its maiden flight and set a record for being the first aircraft
Read moreThe older I get the more nostalgic I get. I find myself longing for the simpler days of youth. Thankfully, I can still get a dose of it through this hobby. Hobby. HOBBY. More on that later….. I’ve been on an odd kick in my building lately. My friend Mike Grant sent me a couple of 1/72 Italian biplanes, a
Read moreThe IPMS chapter I belong to, Lafayette Scale Modelers, recently held it’s annual show and contest. As at most shows, a raffle was held. Part of the raffle was a table full of Hobbyboss’ 1/72 scale Easy Assembly kits- the whole line of them. As at most raffles, I came away with a good haul. For my $10 of tickets,
Read moreDrew Hatch sent in this preview of Czech Model’s JRF Goose, a fun looking kit that would certainly be a neat addition to any modelers’ display shelf. Grumman’s Goose is almost instantly recognizable to the masses. It’s robust airframe and distinct design have allowed it remain flyable since 1937 to present. Although initially designed to fill a gap as an
Read moreThe Focke-Wulf Fw-190 is one of the “iconic” aircraft in the WWII modeling stable. While there are dozens of aircraft from the WWII era that hobbyists can choose from, the Fw-190 is usually at the top of the list when it comes to sheer popularity. No surprise there- it was a great looking aircraft, with lots of variants and marking
Read moreSteve Budd sent in this great preview of Pacific Coast Models’ Spitfire Mk. IXc, an aircraft that you can never have to many of. When I wrote my full build report for the 1:48 Airfix Spitfire MkI elsewhere on the site I commented: “Has there ever been an aircraft type modelled in plastic that’s been more heavily scrutinised with each
Read moreWill Nichols (“Spaced” on the AgapeModels.com forums) just received his order of Accurate Miniature’s F-4C/D Pahntom, and couldn’t wait to share it with us. And I’m glad he did- I’ve been waiting to see this one! Much can be said and has been said about the McDonnell F-4 Phantom. “Rhino”, and “Lead Sled” are two nicknames that come to mind,
Read moreDrew Hatch has a new addition to the stash, the unique looking Draken, new from Hasegawa. I have to admit, I don’t know a lot about the history of this aircraft, though I’ve always thought it to be a pretty darn cool looking machine. Then again, knowledge of a kit’s history isn’t required for assembly! (Though it is part of
Read moreDrew Hatch is back with one of the most talked about kits to come out recently, Eduard’s 1/48 F6F-3 Hellcat. It’s been the talk of many a message board. I guess it proves any publicity is good publicity, because as far as I can tell, it’s flying off the shelves like…. well like Hellcats off a carrier deck! Let’s see
Read moreI don’t know if I’ll ever tire of modeling. It’s a hobby that relaxes me and clears my mind of the day’s work. And praise the Lord it’s the basis for my ministry! You can’t beat that with a stick. One thing modeling can become is a search for something a little different. I love building the old standbys- most
Read moreI’ve come to the conclusion that I’m on a short run kick. I just recently finished a P-66 from Sword. I’ve picked up a P-43 from Pavla, and two Spitfires- a Mk. XI and a Mk. XVIII- from MPM. And today, fresh from it’s recent appearance on Ebay (I bid victoriously!), LTD’s 1/48 Commonwealth Boomerang arrived in good order. I’m
Read moreNew contributor Kevin Johnson gives us this nice preview of a very eye-catching kit, Tamiya’s F-84G in the colorful markings of the US Air Force’s Demonstration Team, the Thunderbirds. Everyone likes to build a sharp-looking model. As a relatively new model builder, I’m usually happy just with showing an improvement over my previous effort. I tend to shy away from
Read moreI drop by my local hobby shop, Hayes Hobby House, quite often. I like to see what’s new, and talk to my friend Mike who works there. It’s a great way to get a break during the day. Mike’ a smart guy- he really is. He knows that if he sees me heading towards the entrance, all he has to
Read moreDrew Hatch reports on his latest styrene acquisition- HobbyBoss’ FJ-4 Fury. And he only sounds a little bit excited about it. 😀 I can’t wait to see the final build! The FJ-4 Fury was the last variant and epitome of the Fury series. Designed specifically for the Navy and Marines, it had an improved 7,700 lb thrust J-65 turbo jet
Read moreSteve Arnold tell’s us about a great Christmas present he received- Eduard’s 1/48 scale P-39L/N Airacobra in the MTO Dual Combo. Two great models in one box- I’d call that a very Merry Christmas! The Bell P-39 Airacobra represents perhaps the first application of “weapons system” thinking to aircraft design. The P-39 was only the second design to emerge from
Read moreOne of the things I love about modeling is the times that it puts me back in touch with my childhood. Despite the years, the hobby connects me with simpler times, when I spent many an hour building kits. When I received my Airfix Club package in the mail today, I had one of those times. If you are not
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