Author: Bruces Scale Models

Kittyhawk 1/48 Super Etendard

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  • Built: 2017
  • Aftermarket Used: Dedicated Eduard PE set
  • Decals: Kit

The Kittyhawk Super Etendard Modernise was another build done for The Modelling News.  

www.themodellingnews.com/2017/01/build-guide-review-pt-ii-bruce-finishes.html#more

The only addition was an Eduard Zoom Set to help the cockpit. It was finished with Gunze paints and the decals from the kit. It went together pretty well with a minimum of filler, however if you are one of those modellers that don’t enjoy the construction phase, Kittyhawk kits aren’t for you.  Just about all the parts need refining with flash and ejector pins needing removing before assembly.  That said, I still enjoyed building this kit.  However should you wish to build an early Argentinian jet used during The Falklands War, you are best getting the Kinetic kit, as that includes the proper bullet fairing on the tail.

 

Bronco 1/48 Curtiss Tomahawk 81-A2

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  • Built: 2016
  • Aftermarket Used: Nil
  • Decals: Kit

This was the second review I did for The Modelling News and I had high hopes for it.  Unfortunately  the kit was  a bit of a chore, whether this was because I had just built a kittyhawk, or because of all the remedial work required,  I found myself having  to dig deep to finish the build.  
Despite its inaccuracies, the kit has some nice features, although I can not recommend it given the Airfix kit is far superior.  I imagine this will be relegated to the shadows, especially in the Western market.

Curtiss 81-A2 Hawk. American Volunteer Group. China. 1941

Special Hobby 1/32 Brewster Buffalo Mk1

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  • Built: 2016
  • Aftermarket Used: Nil
  • Decals: Montex masks

This one had a period on The Shelf of Doom due to me damaging the windscreen.  Special Hobby kindly came to the rescue and supplied me a new one free of charge.  Exceedingly generous of them seeing as I was the one who cocked it up.  I added a few additions to the cockpit such as a British reflector gunsight and armoured glass screen to reflect the British modifications. All markings are sprayed using Montex masks.  I have since discovered a few colour inaccuracies, the fuselage band should be sky blue and there should be no yellow ring on the underside roundel.  I still like it though.  Its actually a kit that I would like to revisit as I do i have a soft spot for the tubby Buffalo.  This being the third one I have built, well fourth, as I remember building the old tamiya kit as well. 

Brewster Buffalo Mk 1 67 SQN. R.A.F Burma 1941

Eduard 1/48 N.A.A. F-86 Sabre

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  • Built: 2016
  • Aftermarket Used: Multimedia kit OOB
  • Decals: kit

This is Hasegawa’s still very nice plastic rebooted by Eduard and supersized with some of their excellent resin and Photo etch.  

This was built for a review for The Modelling News, and rather than go through the build again, I will just send you there via this link

I was quite happy with the finished model and it still resides in my cabinet.

North American Aviation F-86F Sabre 390th FBS, Alexandria AFB, Louisiana, USA, 1955

Hasegawa 1/48 P-40E Kittyhawk

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  • Built:   2016
  •   Ultracast P-40 seat
  •   Ultracast P-40 Block tread wheels
  •   Ultracast P-40 Tubular exhausts

Decals:            Combination of Cutting Edge Pyn Up and Aussie decals

​Hasegawa’s P-40 series seems to be one of those kits modellers either love or hate 
 Flick through any of the fora and you will find modellers that rate it as a horrible fitting kit through to other modellers that have had no fit problems at all.  It does require care in assembly – like any kit – but I found mine went together reasonably well with only a small amount of iller needed around the gun ports and fuselage.  To be honest, I found the Cutting Edge decals a real disappointment, thick and reluctant to conform to recessed details.  The nose art decals, although very thin, were not sharply printed.  I dare say though printing technology has improved since these decals were first released.

Curtiss P-40 E-CE Kittyhawk

A.M.T 1/48 Douglas A-20C

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  • Built: 2014
  • Aftermarket Used: Master barrel brass gun barrels, RedRoo Models tropical cowls, Vector corrected control surfaces, MDC main wheels.
  • Decals: RedRoo Models

The second of a parallel Boston build, This one was finished as a RAAF machine. All the comments from my first Boston Build apply here too, including the spindly landing gear.

Douglas A-20C 22 SQN Royal Australian Air Force .

Goodenough Island New Guinea 1942

AMT 1/48 Douglas A-20 Boston IIIA

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  • Built; 2014
  • Aftermarket Used: True Details wheels, Master Barrel gun barrels Vector control surfaces
  • Decals: Various spare decals with nose art being hand painted.

Another two builds of the same kit in parallel.  AMTs kit is getting rather old now and we really need a new one.  Detail is soft, although there are now sets available for it from Vector, and it has several inaccuracies including metal control surfaces where they should be fabric and I believe the main landing gear is to far backward, or forward, cant remember which.  That said, it is a pretty viceless build.  The only weak point being the undercarriage attachment.  It is incredibly flimsy.  Mine have sheared off twice!!.  The doors also have poor attachment points.
I cut out all the control surfaces and replaced them with the Vector resin replacements,
I built the RAF one for a group build on an on-line forum.  It was the first time I had used the salt chipping method, and I was quite pleased with the results.  I wanted an machine that reflected the haste with which some units applied their invasion stripes., so the stripes were hand painted using vallejo paints.

As there are no decals for this scheme in 48 scale I used various generic sheets for the codes and national markings and hand painted the nose art.  She was flown by an Australian crew.  Im really hoping a new tool kit of this important aircraft is released soon.  The A.M.T kit has served well, but is long overdue for replacement.

 Xtracolour enamels were again used

Douglas Boston Mk IIIA Royal Air Force. England. 1944

Tamiya 1/32 Supermarine Spitfire MkVIII

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Date Completed:2015
Aftermarket:  barracuda Starboard cockpit sidewall. Barracuda Spitfire Block tread Wheels
Decals: Victory Productions Commonwealth Spitfire Aces

This Tamiya kit lived up to all the hype about it, which is just what I needed after coming out the other end of a mojo drought.  I didn’t bother with the engine, knowing it would slow the build down.  Rather than opting for the kit shark mouth scheme, I went for something different choosing Group Captain Clive Caldwell’s machine.  Codes and unit markings were from Victory Productions Spitfire Aces sheet, whilst all national markings were painted. A real joy from start to finish.
In retrospect though, I lightened the dark earth a little too much, so it doesn’t quite capture the darker looking camouflage of our spitfires. 

Spitfire MkVIII 80 Wing Royal Australian Air Force. Moritai. 1944

Special Hobby 1/48 Brewster Model 339 Buffalo

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  • Built: 2014
  • Aftermarket Used: Nil. OOB
  • Decals: Kit

The second part of my double Buffalo build. Like the other build, this one also went together quite effortlessly.

To paint it I used the then popular “black base” technique. I remember not liking it that much as I didn’t think it gave you a lot of range with the colours. The colours on this were all lightened considerably to portray a faded machine that had been operating under a blazing hot Northern Territory sun.

Extracolour paints were again used from my now diminishing supply.

I think this one turned out better than the U.S one I completed just prior.

Brewster Buffalo. 1 P.R.U SQN Royal Australian Air Force. Hughes Air Base.N.T 1942

Special Hobby F2A-3 Buffalo

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Date Completed: 2014
Aftermarket Used CMK Armament set, 

Decals:  Montex masks

 


Another double build in which was eventually a pretty productive year after a few false starts!
From memory these Buffalos were lovely kits to build, being fairly straightforward, even the CMK gun bays fitted without too much scraping and grinding
The completed models were painted with extra colour paints which were my preferred brand until export restrictions stopped them coming into the country.  I still have several tins I am slowly using up on current projects.
For the USN one, I could not go past those oversized early war stars, which I found on a Montex mask set.  This were the second set of markings I had masked after my dakota  I found the process a little more difficult lining up all the elements and there was a fait bit of touching up to do.  I cannot remember what colour I used for the USN blue grey, the underside grey was Extracolour with a dark wash from Flory Models.  A small piece of brass mesh was inserted behind the oil cover opening.  Looking at the model now, you can see I have rushed the weathering with none on the undersides or gun bays.  Despite this, it still looks nice sitting in the cabinet with those big stars.

Brewster F2A-3 Buffalo MCAS Ewa  WMF-221 Hawaii. USA 1942