Model aircraft construction 1:72

[hasegawa]

This is the first fighter monoplane of the Italian Mussolini Air Force - the Fiat G 50bis. My model was made from an ancient kit from Airfix. In the meantime, there are much better replicas.
RA 20° Gruppo 352 Squadriglia 352-1 Libya, autum 1941.

[hasegawa]

Yakovlev Yak 1M build from an old Kit from Poland in the 1980s Mikro 72 S-02

That's the second one. and last series model of the Jak 1 by Yakovlev. If you compare this picture with the pictures from the I 26 over there in the pictures from flight simulations, the changes during production are visible. The cockpit with all-round visibility, which has replaced the cockpit hood fitted into the fuselage, is the most striking. This plane belongs to the 1st Fighter Regiment "Warszawa" of the Polish Army in the USSR, 1944. Note that the red stars were only attached to the fuselage and not to the wings. The symbol under the cockpit is that of the Polish Air Force from before the war.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_Force ... olish_Army

[hasegawa]

Nakajima Ki-27b Hasegawa

2nd Chutai 24 Sentai, Phillipines, December, 1941
The first monoplane of the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force, Early in the war replaced by the Nakajima Ki 43 "Hayabusa". Not typical is the camouflage of this aircraft. I have seen meanwhile other models here in the internet wih a far more "good" painting quality. But you must know, that this aircraft was first in the typical grey-Scheme, but this camouflage was simply oversprayed. The cockpit struts, for example, still had the original color.

[chopper_nut]

Been back into this again over the last month. Been locked out of PNG now because they're requiring covid vaccination.... Pretty annoyed. Anyway, managed to finish Airfix's Vampire T11. Not a great kit I'm afraid, lots of fit problems but it's done now. Airfix's Jet Provost is the next project.

[Splitpin]

Nice work CN

[jpreou]

You guys are bloody clever - no way I could ever produce results like that.

[chopper_nut]

They key is to start simple and taking your time. I'm no expert at all. Everything is brush painted, no airbrushing here and while some experience helps, there's no reason a novice with a little bit of guidance couldn't build something better.

[chopper_nut]

Latest build complete. Jet Provost 4 of 79 Squadron 1982. 79 was the TWU (Tactical Weapons Unit) based at Chivenor. The JPs were used to train FAC with the last one being retired in the early 90s. Pretty good kit from Airfix although the decals were as fiddly as anything.

[Splitpin]

Nick ...do you spray or brush ?

[chopper_nut]

Only brushing mate. Big, soft, square tipped brushes

[Naki]

Latest build complete. Jet Provost 4 of 79 Squadron 1982. 79 was the TWU (Tactical Weapons Unit) based at Chivenor. The JPs were used to train FAC with the last one being retired in the early 90s. Pretty good kit from Airfix although the decals were as fiddly as anything.

Thats cool...didn't know the RAF had any Jet Provosts in that scheme.

[chopper_nut]

Neither did I until I saw a photo of one landing at Laarbruch. In all fairness I don't think very many of them were painted like that. There was an ATC training unit that may have had theirs painted up the same but by the 90s they had followed the Phantoms and become 'air defence grey'

[chopper_nut]

Latest build completed. Frog Hunter again, this time as an FGA9 of 20 Squadron based at Tengah in Singapore. This particular aircraft XF414 was lost on the 20th Feb 1967 when the engine quit. The pilot ejected safely. 20 Squadron operated in the far East from November 1961 until Feb 1970. It reformed later that year in Germany as a Harrier unit.
Same kit as the first Hunter I built but had a lot more issues with this one not fitting together that well, I think that the plastic was ejected too early. Painting was a pain in the rear far more so than the JP that I built last. Not as happy as I should be with it. Decals are a mixture of the kit decals and FGA9 decals from Printscale which I will avoid in future as they are not only inaccurate but they are next to impossible to work with. As with the last Hunter, ejection seat handles and supports for the 250 gallon tanks added. I also added the aerial behind the cockpit this time.

[chopper_nut]

Another one done. This time the old and terrible Matchbox Meteor NF12. The kit comes with the option to build the NF11, 12 and 14 but it is so much work that when I build another night fighter, I'll get the Special Hobby one. Nothing on the kit fit right and there were no locating pins. I have made a lot of corrections to this one. Early night fighter Meteors were finished in the WW2 night fighter scheme but went to the standard RAF camo just before the introduction of the NF14. The night fighter Meteors were really a stop gap measure until something better came along and this turned out to be the Javelin. This particular aircraft served with 85 Squadron at Church Fenton in the mid 50s.

[chopper_nut]

For those not familiar with the Meteor, here is the evolution from the Meteor F4 on the right to the NF12 on the left. The F4 was in squadron service around 1947 and the NF12 around 1955.

[Splitpin]

Nice work Nick, you've got a real production line going on there

[chopper_nut]

Thanks Marty, have you started yours? Next off the line, probably in a week or two, will be the new(ish) Airfix Gnat.

[Splitpin]

Not yet mate.... have a few bits off the sprue. It may not end up being historically correct, but, then again it might
I've definitely settled on ZK-NQC, but I don't have the hush kits, so it will more than likely be in the 1985(ANZ) scheme when the decals arrive...but then again I have decals for Courier-Post...but the engines will be wrong...gawd

[chopper_nut]

Latest project completed finally. The new(ish) Airfix Folland Gnat. It amazes me that they sell this as a starter kit as it nearly turned me to the bottle. Some of the kit designers are far too clever for their own good I think and the engineering is unnecessarily complicated. Lots of cockpit detail added including, ejection seat handles, ejection seat safety handles and seat belts. Done up in the colours of the Central Flying School at Little Rissington around 1964.

[chopper_nut]

Managed to finish two in one day leaving the bench clear for the first of two Lightnings. This is the Xtrakit Supermarine Swift FR5 done up as a 2 Squadron aircraft based at RAF Jever in Germany early 1961. The Swift was designed as a 'just in case' aircraft next to the Hunter. The F1 and F2 versions were pure fighter aircraft and weren't very good at all at altitude if you needed to turn. The FR5 replaced the Meteor FR9 in the low level reconnaissance role in Germany and were actually quite a successful aircraft having a big fat wing (the same reason they were no good as a fighter) providing a stable photographic platform. Only two squadrons operated the FR5, 2 and 79 and the Swift was replaced in both by the Hunter FR10.

This is from UK retailer Hannants own Xtrakit moldings. My first 'limited run' kit and although it provided some frustrations, it actually came out pretty good in the end. Usual cockpit additions added here but the kit actually came with a resin ejection seat.