Around the modeling interwebs, it seems like everyone is suddenly kung-fu fighting about “basic modeling skills” and, honestly, I have no desire to join in. It’s all stupid for a few reasons. There is no agreed-upon threshold for “basic”, so it’s all subjective. People who throw the term around non-ironically are usually humorless pedantic assholes,…
Tag: 1/32
1/32 F-104G Part 2 – Painting a Distressed Finish
The worst part about working on a 1/32 scale F-104 is contending with its shape. The combination of a long, cylindrical body and short, stubby little wings makes maneuvering the thing to different positions a logistical nightmare. The complete inability to securely position it at anything other than an upright angle has led to plenty…
1/32 Italeri F-104G Part 1 – The Pre-Build
Two and a half years ago, I put the finishing touches on Italeri’s big F-104, which I’d built as an Italian F-104S ASA. At the time, I was not particularly kind to the kit. The kit has just enough charm to pull you through the early stages of the build, and once you’re closing the…
Does It Fit – 1/32 Academy F-16 Edition
Resin aftermarket often seems to exist in some weird fog, where you can’t find good, high-res photos or instructions online, much less actual thoughts from people who’ve used them. Even harder is finding a straight answer to the question central to many a resin purchase: Does it fit? This DIF series is my attempt to…
Does It Fit – 1/32 MiG-23 Edition
Last night, I was scouring the interwebs investigating my aftermarket options for a potential project, and I kept coming up against the same basic image, repeated over and over again, probably associated with the item’s presence in a few dozen online storefronts. And…that’s it. No deeper looks. No in-depth reviews. No advisories on what needs…
Tamiya’s New 1/32 F4U-1D Corsair – Quick Thoughts
UPDATE: Additional photos, some formatting fixes, one or two additional thoughts Tamiya’s next 1/32 kit has broken cover, and I believe Marcus Nicholls deserves credit for sharing the first photos of the new F4U-1D Corsair chilling at the Tamiya booth at the Shizuoka Hobby Show. While the -1D is hilariously being greeted with yawns of…
Talking with Tanmodel – 1/32 Su-33 Sea Flanker Edition
Back in the fall of 2015, I conducted an interview with Baris Tansoy, founder of the then-largely-unknown Tanmodel. This was just as they were starting to really share details of their RF-84F Thunderflash, which has gone on to earn plenty of praise for not only its design, engineering and fit, but accuracy as well (see…
Quick Review: 1/32 Special Hobby Hawker Tempest V
Around the time Alaric was leading his Visigoths toward Rome, Special Hobby began work on their 1/32 Hawker Tempest. Okay, maybe not that long ago. But this kit has been in development for years. Now that it’s out, I told my usual aversion to short run kits to STFU and snagged one. In part because…
1/32 Trumpeter SBD-5 Dauntless – Part 1
When The Weathering Magazine’s aircraft-focused spinoff, Weathering Aircraft, reached out to me about doing a build for an upcoming publication, the request was pretty wide open. World War II, with a focus on painting a camoflage scheme. After a few false starts, I decided to tackle a late-war SBD-5 Dauntless. The Douglas SBD Dauntless is…
Review: 1/32 Fly Hawker Hurricane Mk.IIc
Not too long ago, I had a thought. And that thought quickly turned into an effort. Contributor-funded, contributor-selected kit reviews. How’s it work? Simple. Contributors donate into the Review Fund and select the kits to be reviewed. Then I review them, with an exhaustive focus on how – and how well – they build. These…
Doogs Models 