Model Maker is the Newsletter of the Modellers of Ballarat Inc

Club Office Bearers

President: Gary Zimmer Vice President: Sean Haley Treasurer: Wayne Eagles Secretary: Steve Pulbrook Committee : Tim Mitchell & Mark Pilbeam Publicity Officer: Yvette Eagles Newsletter Editor: Leigh Edmonds

Address for correspondence : Modellers of Ballarat Inc, Box 1141, Ballarat Mail Centre, Bakery Hill, Victoria 3354

Editorial Address: snail mail, as above. email, [email protected]

Club Membership Fees : (1 July 2008 to 30 June 2009)

Single adult $30 Junior $15 Associate (Newsletter only, on approval from committee) $15

Annual membership fees for new financial year are due and payable from 1 July 2008 (Note: New members who join during or after April and pay full membership are members until the end of the following financial year and do not need to pay again at the end of the current financial year. Fees may be paid in instalments with the agreement of the Treasurer.)

Monthly Meetings: The first Saturday of every month except for January Doors open at 7:30pm. The meeting starts at 8.00 sharp. Location: Kohinoor Community Centre on t333he corner of Errard and Sebastopol Streets, Ballarat.

Disclaimer: Any views expressed in the articles in the MOB Newsletter are not to be taken to be those of the club or its members as a whole unless expressly stated. Accordingly, any concerns in regard to any articles should be addressed to the writer of the article and/or the editor who will pass them on to the relevant person.

The Modelers of Ballarat (MOB) is an incorporated association and operated under the model rules presented in the Associations Incorporation Regulations, 1 Presidential Page

Here I am, it's a new year and I have January hobby seriously. Winning trophies is the most writer's block. Again. Let's see what's happening important thing in the history of the universe. Hang around the world. The black guy in the white house on, the sarcasm chip in my computer has just tripped. who replaced the illiterate alcoholic says times will The Star Trek trivia contest at the December be tough. Can't go wrong predicting that, can he? meeting was a rip-roaring success. It was the best one Now that's easy, I can just rip off his speeches (it's ever, mainly because it was the first one. The not like he writes them anyway). Ok, my fellow answers were Scotty, Scotty, Scotty, Scotty, Scotty, Mobsters, times are going to get tough. Your Scotty, Scotty, and nobody because Spock was half- Hasegawa kits will probably go up by a couple of Vulcan. Greg got that one wrong and scored minus bucks. World economic crisis, sky's falling etc. Part several hundred points. of holding this exalted office is to come up with good As an aside, Johan made a range of model car ideas. Like Hamas, they have brilliant ideas. Here's kits, and one they did was a 1964 Cadillac. Well I Israel on the other side of the barbed wire, they have finally bought one, second hand, missing a few more military kit than half of Europe, so let's fire pieces, and it's started. I am making some progress some rockets at them. They won't react. That's a good but it will be a while before I bring it to a Mob plan. The MOB need a plan too, which is to have meeting. meetings where we talk crap and abuse each other, go So where to in 09? Bus trip in August as to swap meets and buy kits, take the bus to usual, but it might cost a bit more this time. The Melbourne and buy more kits, and take the Mickey show is at the Uni again this year, that's promised and out of anything French. An Australian SAS soldier booked, and the catering problem should be solved was recently awarded a VC. Fair effort, but it's too, a new café has opened out near the big obviously not as prestigious as winning Best of Show roundabout, they are open Sundays too. at expo. Now in December we did a count of all the See you at the February meeting. trophies at the meeting and the total was, er, none. Zim Now come on, you blokes are just not taking this

The Highly Desirable prizes for the Trivia Competition DECEMBER 2008

Well, there’s another year just about over and what a year it has been for scale modellers here in Oz especially when it concerns the continuing decline of the Aussie dollars buying power. The latter part of the year has seen a steady upward spiral in kit prices and associated after market bits and pieces, mind you, the prices have remained fairly steady in some countries overseas but all that becomes irrelevant as our dollar continued to head south and our buying power decreased…..bugger! Aren’t you glad you’ve all become hoarders over the years? Anyway you can all blame Dubya and his lot, and especially the greed driven parasites around the world for the mess the whole western world has More of Admiral Matt’s fleet fallen into, that should start another round of discussions. aircraft on the decks was just Matt proving that his Anyway back to our little world, the last club eyes are still working, do the ships come in other night for 2008 was a great night, there were plenty of colours besides blue and grey Matt? Greg and Alan models to look at, as one wag said (and it wasn’t the accompanied the Admiral for the long voyage but Prez either)” there’s more models on the table than at they added German armour and automobiles to the expo” you lot are nothing more than stirrers who mix. Greg tabled the following Sturmtiger, Famo, Sd should take up fishing as you’d get lots of bites. Kfz 251/1 howling cow or Stuka on foot whatever label you like, a and a Jagdtiger all in 1/35 scale. Alan had a couple of Semis and it looks like his long restoration of the Falcon ute is just about finished. The Prof has some nice Airbus models, a very nice Emily, a French Mystere (naturally) and a

Greg’s Sturmtiger

Part of Admiral Matt’s fleet Admiral Parmenter decided to move his assorted Pacific Naval Fleet from Maryborough to Ballarat for the night, it took him ages to line up and review the fleet, by then it was time to pack up and go home, but they did look impressive, especially through a Baka’s bomb sight and all those tiny couple of Brit Lightning’s and we all know he’s a When Nelson crossed the T of the French hopeless romantic when it comes to them and just to fleet, one of the ships let fly with one of these prove that the dark side moves in mysterious ways, contraption which at the time was filled with every the Prof tabled a lovely little Swedish S-, could thing that wasn’t nailed down directly through the this be the re-birth of a life of tracks and thingies rear of a French Man of War, the hurtling with lots of wheels? ironmongery entered via the Captains Cabin and then moved it and all it contained the full length of the upper gun deck wiping out all and sundry which resulted in the horrendous casualties and with one single shot rendered the French ship ‘Hors de combat’ which dropped out of the line unable to continue, it’s unknown if the French ships ‘Mon Capitaine’ was sipping his Chardonnay from his crystal goblets in his cabin at the time of the ‘Big Bang’ theory for him or whether he was on the poop deck either way, I don’t think he’d be around to admire the latest renovation efforts on his quarters. I finally finished my Draken and was able to table it along with my French Crusader, Danish F- Mark’s Fw190, again 100D and the SU-17 in Angolan markings which by now after being shot down has been turned into about Mark has finished a very nice Fw-190A-5 a 1000 frying pans and saucepans in a village (who would’ve thought that) complete with a stylish somewhere. seagull on the side depicting Fritz Dietrich Wickop’s I have no idea when the newsletter will be markings. But even the poor old Fw couldn’t posted to readers but I hope you all have a happy compete with the scratch built Bertie the Bus and time and 2009 proves to be a prosperous year for all Terrence the Tractor complete with their respective and in the words of that great Irish comedian Dave superb reference material, full marks for including Allen, those old chap, though I must say, looking at Bertie Goodnight and may your god go with you. close up he looks more like his brother, Colin the CIAO Wayne Cockeyed Coach with his Marty Feldman eyes courtesy of his wonky eyes. I loved ‘em. Steve’s fabulous French Hotchkiss Mick brought along his latest in progress armour, a nice looking PT-76 which is just about ready for the paint shop and his neat little M-113 US Cav version. Someone who shall remain nameless deposited a very good life like ‘Barkers Egg’. Either that or it was supposed to be an Italian chipolata, I had no desire to smell or touch it to determine its origins. Steve brought along some of his Hotchkiss family, all different and just the thing for around the farm, a Jagdpanzer and from memory one of Germanys newer SPG the Kanonjager (?) this is a kit I haven’t seen for quite awhile, in the back of my mind (yes I do have one) I think that there was a newer kit being released but don’t quote me on it. Nick brought along his latest creation, a Carronade which is a humongous black powder driven cannon which is capable of sending anything from a bucket of nails to a dunny into orbit. Nick told me that the Poms had some of these aboard their ships at the Battle of Trafalgar.

The Last Jagdpanzer

In the early part of the second world war, the prototypes on various chassis were built. Thus by late principal anti-tank weapons were other or 43 the Germans had 3 classes of antitank vehicle: towed anti-tank guns. The tanks of the period were The Stug operated by the Artillery, the open topped lightly armoured and an anti-tank gun of sufficient panzerjagers, operated by the anti-tank corp (a branch strength was light enough to be easily maneuvered by of the infantry) and the fully armoured panzerjager a small number of gunners. As armour thickness operated by the tank corps. From this time all increased, the need for larger guns meant that the existing tank chassis would have panzerjager anti-tanks guns became harder to move. variants. The Germans were the first to recognize that The final production vehicles had their names heavy guns were difficult to move and slow to deploy changed from panzerjager to jagdpanzer and this in a rapidly moving battlefield and numerous seemingly pointless change meant that the vehicles attempts to increase the mobility of the guns was would now be under control of the panzerwaffe made. Some of these attempts sought only to rather than the artillery. The most famous of these improve mobility such as the mounting of an 88mm vehicles were the Hetzer (Jagdpanzer 38T), the flak gun on a 12 ton half track. Others, sought to Jagdpanzer 4, The Jagdpanther and the Jagdtiger. reduce the vulnerability of the crew by enclosing the gun behind armour. One of the most successful was the Sturmgeschutz , which mounted a 75mm infantry gun under full armour, and on the chassis of a Panzer 3, the standard of the day. Despite the success of the Stug as in the anti- tank role, this vehicle was seen as an attacking vehicle rather than a defensive vehicle. Other attempts to mechanize anti-tank guns were made. The most successful of these early vehicles was the Panzerjager 1. This vehicle utilized the chassis of an Jadpanzer IV L.48 obsolete panzer 1 and mounted a Chech 47mm anti- tank gun behind frontal armour. This vehicle showed The Jagdpanzer proved to be extremely the way for the future and obsolete or captured tanks successful when used in fixed, well camouflaged were thereafter converted to Panzerjager by mounting ambush positions, however when used as tanks a large AT gun behind frontal armour, usually with proved to be restricted due to the lack of a turret. an open crew compartment. This class of vehicle These lessons were well learnt by the soviets who were frequently known as marders. produced the SU85 and SU100 on the T34 chassis Meanwhile, the Sturmgeschutz were doing and allegedly produced vehicles on the T55 and T62 sterling service as anti-tank weapons despite the less chassis as well. than ideal short 75mm gun. This gun was found to be After the war, the West began useless against T34s and KV1’s and in late 1941 to rebuild their armoured corps, initially with US Hitler requested that the Stug have it’s armour and M47 and M48s as the German manufacturing offensive capability increased. The result was the capability had been destroyed during the war. As the Stug 3 Ausf F which mounted the latest 75mm L43 threat of Soviet invasion increased, the Germans tank cannon. The Stug was highly effective as well as sought to reestablish an armoured vehicle being cheaper and quicker to build than a similarly manufacturing capability. The initial vehicles armed tank. The Stug was so well respected that it required were a medium tank and a family of light was copied by the Soviets resulting in the SU-122, support vehicles including a jagdpanzer. The initial mounting a 122mm divisional gun on the chassis of projects were started as joint ventures with other the T34. NATO countries, and a medium tank project was Strictly speaking, the Stug was an artillery started with France. This project failed due to piece but many tank units were issued with Stugs to differing philosophies on the role of the new tank and replace losses. The success of the Stug prompted the the Germans went on to develop the while OKW to request development of a replacement the French developed the AMX30. vehicle, specially for anti-tank work. Several The light vehicle family project suffered a similar fate and the Germans once again were left to These vehicles were assembled in Belgium. their own devices. This project called for a range of The German Jagdpanzer became obsolete vehicles of approximately 20 tons powered by the with the arrival of the Soviet T64 and reactive same engine and sharing all running gear. This armour. The canon was no longer capable of family included a canon armed jagdpanzer, a rocket penetration using kinetic penetrators and shaped armed jagdpanther, an armoured personnel carrier, charges were rendered ineffective by reactive armour. flak vehicles and recovery vehicles. The first fruit of Many of the vehicles were converted to this project was the Kanonenjagdpanzer. Beobachtungspanzers (artillery observation) by removal of the main gun and some remain in service. The Rakete vehicles were upgraded throughout their lifespan as new missile systems came into service. Many canon armed vehicles were also converted to missile armed vehicles and later variants were known as the Jaguar.

Kanonenjagdpanzer The jagdpanzer development began in 1962 and the design was remarkably similar to the WW2 Jagdpanzer 4. The vehicle was armed with a L40 90mm gun capable of using the same ammunition as used on the M48s currently in service. A new powerpack and running gear was designed utilizing a 29.9 litre, 500 horse Daimler benz engine. This gave the vehicle a top Revell 1/35 Kanonenjagdpanzer and speed of 70Kph, considerably quicker than the M48 Beobachtungspanzer . then in service. The frontal armour was 2 inches and This kit is the latest and greatest from Revell the vehicle weighed in at 26T, the same as the WW2 and I was shocked to find one in VHC recently as I Jagdpanzer 4. had only just learnt of its existence. The Kanonen has Concurrently with the canon armed version, not previously been kitted in 1/35 however a 1/48 a rocket armed version was also developed. This remote control kit has been available since the late vehicle was armed with the French SS-11 anti-tank 60s. The kanone has been a vehicle that I had rockets and had 2 launchers. This rocket had a range intended to scratchbuild and I had a couple of of 4KM and was wire guided. The Marders stashed for that purpose. Kanonenjagdpanzer and the Rakete jagdpanzer The kit consists of 7 sprues plus 2 upper hull entered service in 1966. Approximately 700 were parts, a lower hull and vinyl tracks. It includes a built by Henschel and Hanomag. piece of wire for antennae and 4 decal options. The The chassis of the jagdpanzer was intended to kit can be built as either a kanonenjagdpanzer or an be a universal platform but proved less than unarmed beobachtungswagen. There are several successful for other types. The chassis was optional parts and it would not be a stretch of the lengthened and the powerpack redesigned before any imagination to expect a Rakete version or Jaguar other vehicle emerged. The next vehicle was the soon. The colour schemes provided are for 3 kanones Shutzenpanzer Marder, the first Western mounted and 1Beob, the latter in NATO 3 colour scheme. The infantry combat vehicle. (MICV) This vehicle decals are excellent quality and include blank rego entered service in 1971 and it formed the basis of plates and qty 12 of each digit. These are in addition subsequent development of the light vehicle range. to preprinted regos for each of the kit schemes. The Kanonenjagdpanzer found only one Construction export customer, being Belgium. These vehicles Revel have a nasty habit of over complicating utilized the Marder powerpack and also featured a their instruction sheets and this kit is no different, SABCA fire control system and laser range finder. with 51 stages to complete the kit. In reality, this kit is quite basic and a rudimentary knowledge of version requiring any attention. The wire supplied for armour kits is sufficient to see the lunacy contained the antennae is meant to be heated then stabbed into within the instructions. The instructions would have the mount, this would require a feat of precision as you assemble the road wheels to the swing arms prior the wire and the end of the mount are the same to installing in the lower hull. You could do it this diameters. Better to cut the mount at the base and way, but if you want the roadwheels to line up, you drill a small hole to superglue in the wire. are better off attaching the swing arms to the hull and The main gun is mounted into a premoulded ensuring they are straight with a ruler, and let them fabric cover meaning the gun cannot move at all. dry prior to adding the roadwheels. All of the wheels When mounted the gun has a slight downwards are designed to be able to rotate and are held on the angle, which is seen in most photos of the Kanone. swing arms by end caps. I prefer a more stable The coax MG and sight telescope also have transport chassis so the idler and drive sprocket were fixed in covers installed. If these are left off a MG barrel will place. need to be replicated on the RHS. Above the mantlet, The track comes in 2 short lengths per side a xenon searchlight is mounted. This should align and is in the softest vinyl that I have yet found on a with the gun however the fron t mount is too long 1/35 scale kit. This makes it easy to stretch over the and the box is elevated in respect to the gun. I have sprocket but also can cause the paint to flake off left this in place for now but it will be fixed after the easily. The track is joined by the old heat and squash review photos are taken pin method. The upper hull is represented by 4 parts, a front and rear deck and 2 sides. The sides are not a fantastic fit and some putty along the seam is required. Once complete, some holes need to opened up I the sides if snow grousers are to be added, and the front mud guards need to be fitted. The upper hull is then attached to the lower via 6 large locating points. From this point, the external details are added Paining and marking starting with the rear plate. The quality of Revell’s As usual, only Revell paint numbers are armour kits is lagging behind that of their aircraft and quoted. A quick look at Concord’s Armour of the smaller parts tend to need some cleaning up. In most west would indicate the standard colour of cases, the parts have a prominent seam and some bundeswehr tanks during the 60s was olive drab. parts are a little over simplified. One such part is the Humbrol 155 or Gunze H52 are close matches. Later, jerry cans supplied. I replaced these with a Dragon during the late 70s this was replaced by an IR WW2 set which are the same design. Just ensure the suppressive dark green, and then by the standard inscribed markings are facing inwards. Incidently, NATO 3 colour camo. This model base coat was these drums are not usually for fuel as 40 litres would painted in Gunze H52. This paint is semigloss. The hardly cover the bottom of the fuel tank. It would decals were applied with Gunze Mr decal set with no take 40 or so jerrys to fill the tank so the onboard problems. The kit was finished with a couple of coats jerries are either water, engine oil, or petrol for the of acrylic matt varnish and then a thin overspray of choofer. (Burner, stove Mk1, ration, for the heating dark earth for weathering. of.) The tracks were removed and painted separately. This started with a complete coat of Tamiya dark earth. This was followed by a rust wash of dried Gunze rust thinned with Isopropyl alcohol on the track end connectors and guide teeth. The metal wearing parts were the dry brushed with some metallic gray, not bothering to be too neat. The final touch was to paint the upper and lower rubber track pads with some dark gray. When dry, the tracks are refitted to the kit prior to final weathering. The rest of the details are straightforward, Steve with only the selection of the correct parts for the Long Weekends in Obrnice

Obrnice is a small town in the Usti nad two types of bomb rack, bomb, drop tank, rocket Labem region of Bohemia (part of the Czech tubes, different styles of propellers, wheels and tyres Republic) with a population of 2610. It lies 3Km to and two types of canopy. the east of the city of Most, adjacent to some lignite There is a comprehensive instruction manual mines. Its most interesting feature to me is that it has and decals are supplied for an interestingly painted been the location of the world-renowned Eduard machine flown by Emil “Bully” Lang of JG54 on the company headquarters and factory since 1997. Russian front in the summer of 1943. There must be something in the atmosphere of this small town that gives owners Citrad Kuraks and Vladimir Sulc the feeling that we can take all the time in the world to make models in exquisite detail using Eduard’s wonderful kits. All of us who have built their latest 1/48 scale releases know that there are no compromises on quality and accuracy. Some have even described them as ‘over-engineered’. For those of us not yet free from the wheel of life however, there has to be a different kind of kit - something less costly, not quite requiring the same application and expertise, something that can be The Build completed in less than a calendar year – and these This is a finely engineered kit and the fit of two great men have produced a range of such kits. the parts is precise. The buildup is complex due to These are called ‘Weekend Editions’. the extensive internal detail of the engine bay, gun These kits retain all of the superb bays and wheel wells. It is nowhere near as easy a injection moulded polystyrene parts of the more build as the Tamiya and at times even more expensive kits but lack their canopy masks, photo- demanding than the Trimaster/Dragon/Revell series. etched accessories and provide only one decal option. I haven’t got around to the Hasegawa A-6 in my I bought the “Weekend Edition” of the Fw stash but I’ve heard that this kit goes together with 190A-5 kit thinking it would build up rapidly and less aggro than any of the above. give me a bit of practice and a feel for the more The cockpit tub is flawless and probably detailed 1/48 Fw 190 kits in the Eduard range. They doesn’t need any PE. Decals are supplied for the must have very long weekends in Obrnice. instrument panels. When I build the “real” A-5 later I can’t wait to use the coloured PE panels that come with the full version. I added a set of PE seatbelts from the stash to my “weekender”. The engine is a little masterpiece with individually moulded exhaust pipes and mountings. Eduard thoughtfully provides a jig to ensure the alignment of these is correct. The engine bay is well detailed and includes the cockpit fresh air vent and beautifully detailed MG17 machine guns and

The Kit The kit contains 174 parts, most of which are used. The kit parts are cleanly moulded in grey-green plastic. They include a well-detailed engine, very nice cockpit and well-designed wheel well details. The armament bays can be posed open to reveal beautifully rendered cannon and machine guns. Although not used for the kit option, there are also mountings. the blast tubes and Bob’s your uncle. Unfortunately most of this will be hidden by The undercarriage legs look just right – not the 5-part cowling and if the gun cover in front of the like the Tamiya (too short) Otaki/Arii/Airfix (too long) vintage Monogram (too far inboard) or Trimaster/Dragon/Revell (insufficient forward rake). The inner wheel well doors and actuators are flawless. There is only one way the undercarriage legs can fit but it may take some time to get this to happen. The same goes for the actuators. With all of this internal detail the alignment of the fuselage halves is critical and requires care. Any misalignments at this stage will translate into defective fitting of the upper wing halves, little cracks popping open everywhere, and NQR wing dihedral. I had to use a little filler at the cowling/wing/fuselage joint but nowhere else. Once this has all happened the rest comes together quite easily. My only grumble was the slack fit of the tailplane mounting tabs – easily fixed. cockpit is to be closed the lovely MG17’s will have to be mangled, which is a shame. I got around this by lopping the muzzles off a pair from the spares box to fit in the troughs. The kit MG17s have been put aside for another Kraut project. It took quite a while to align the cowling panels (plenty of trial and error, mostly error) so the cowl would fit over the engine and both would remain pointing straight ahead.

Paint and Decal I chose the markings of Dietrich Wickop, an ace on the Western Front with JG1, whose aircraft was conspicuously decorated with a large seagull motif beneath the cockpit. It was finished in standard RLM 74/75/76 with red panels under the cowling. The plane was only a few weeks old when it was shot down, so weathering was kept to a minimum. I used the national markings from the kit and the individual markings from a freebie sheet from \The wheel wells are again things of beauty Kagero. The stencils came from the dungeon. They and build up from several parts. The blast tubes for all performed well except for the two part swastika. the MG151 cannon which pass through their inner It took a while to do but it looks pretty good parts are separate with protruding barrels. It’s a dead for a first try. I’ll be building a few more of these in cert that at some stage one or both of the cannon the more complex versions (probably after I have barrels will break off the tubes before the model is retired – maybe they should be called “long service complete- my tip is to amputate the cannon barrels leave editions” or “retirement editions”). Maybe I’ll and drill out the ends of the blast tubes before be able to visit Obrnice as well and get an idea of mounting the tubes in the wing. When the wing is in what these guys are on. It must be pretty good. place and painted the barrels can then be inserted into Mark Pilbeam. THREE CHEERS FOR MONSIEUR DUJIN

A decade or so ago I decided to find out more what wonderland these kits come from, but I can about French aviation. France has been at the imagine. forefront of development is aviation from the earliest From the range of aeroplanes covered, from days and more recently Dassault, Aerospatiale and the early interwar period to the present day, from Airbus Industrie have produced some of the world’s France and several other European countries, from most important aeroplanes. light aircraft to heavyweight fighters, there is clearly My interest was also spurred by the a vast knowledge of aviation history at work. From appearance of the limited run Azur kits in the model the increasingly high quality of the kits there are also shops, of aeroplanes I knew nothing about. I went skilled modellers at work. I like to imagine a small into Hylands Bookshop (which has everything ) and but dedicated team of highly skilled, knowledgeable asked for a book on French aviation, but they didn’t and talented folks somewhere on the Loire Valley have one. You could get a hundred books on Bf109s who spent the mornings and afternoons working or Fw190s, but not one on the whole French aviation away on their kits and lunch and dinner time eating industry. That got me even more interested. I found and drinking well. They must also be people who myself in the State Library reading old issues of love what they do because, even though the kits they Janes All the Worlds Aircraft , where a whole new produce are not cheap, there can’t be too many world opened up. people in the wide world interested in all the variations in Caudron racers from the interwar period, and wishing to make models of them. These people must labour away for the love of their craft, they can’t do it for mere money. The truth of the matter is probably much less romantic, but leave me with my dreams.

This is recent kit of the SOCATA Epsilon. Decals are a relatively recent innovation Soon I was poking around in the dusty corners of model shops looking for odd and obscure kits of French aeroplanes, mostly old Heller (or Smer ) kits of varying quality. Along the way I came across Mach 2 kits which are, generally speaking, ordinary, but still the only source of kits on some of The first model I made from a Dujin kit was the most important French aeroplanes. Still, the the lovely little Robin Petit Prince. It was a severe more I looked into the history of French aviation (as trial, forcing me to new ways of doing things and the much as is possible with my poor Francaise) the kind of language that would make a sailor blush, but more I realised that there were whole classes of the end result was a lovely looking little model. At French aeroplanes that would never be kitted. I that time I was far from happy but, looking back on thought there wouldn’t be enough interest in these it, making that model was one of the most absorbing obscure aeroplanes to warrant all the effort and cost modelling experiences I’ve had. More recently, I’ve of making kits of them. Then I discovered resin kits made the Dujin Arsenal VG.90, and I’m very happy and soon after that the phenomena that is Dujin . with what I’ve achieved. Dujin kits don’t go together There is another maker of resin kits in France, easily, but once you get used to the Dujin idiom they the fabulous F-RSIN label that makes 1/144 kits of are far from impossible to make. I’ve acquired quite all kinds of airliners. Over the past few years I’ve a few and when life becomes more relaxed, you will had the opportunity to swap emails with Messieurs see more of them on club nights. In the meantime, Mach 2 and F-RSIN but, despite several attempts to when Hannants advertise that they have some more find out where Dujin kits come from, the internet Dujin kits in stock I’m always interested. affords no clue. So I know absolutely nothing about Leigh Admiral Parmenter’s Navy

(One of the highlights of the December meeting was Admiral Parmenter’s fleet. Let’s enjoy it again (Ed)

U.S. Navy Taskforce (circa 1943/44)

This is a representative American Navy Taskforce (part there of) as would have been encountered in the Pacific Theatre of operations during 1943/44. The main job would have been pre-invasion bombardment of a Japanese held island. The task group included a couple of aircraft carriers to provide air cover. The battleships and cruisers would bombard and the other warships would provide anti-submarine escorts. The liberty ship is representative of the supply ships. The capital ships are two aircraft carriers (one Essex class, one Saratoga class), two Battleships of the South Dakota class, three heavy cruisers of the New Orleans class plus three destroyers (two Fletcher class, one Bagley class) plus one destroyer escort plus a navy liberty ship.

U.S.S. Franklin Carrier U.S.S. Fletcher Destroyer U.S.S. Saratoga Carrier U.S.S. Bullard Destroyer U.S.S. Buchanan Destroyer U.S.S. Alabama Battleship U.S.S. Massachusetts Battleship U.S.S. England Destroyer Escort

U.S.S. San Francisco Cruiser S.S.Jeremiah O'Brien Liberty Ship U.S.S. Tuscaloosa Cruiser U.S.S. New Orleans Cruiser

TRUMPETER’S RA-5C VIGILANTE A QUICK LOOK .

For those members who attended last years thick side (hindsight again) but the rest is passable. I MOB Bus trip you may remember that I purchased glued everything in place and then sprayed the one of Trumpeter’s RA-5C Vigilantes in 1/48 scale. interior areas a light grey. The seats were then The kit comes in a very large sturdy box, that sturdy painted by brush and the belts added. When all this is that it took me about ten minutes just trying to get the together you are instructed to install the front lid off the box. I should have taken notice of that undercarriage which becomes a continuing nightmare omen right there and then and sat down and thought in not trying to snap it off inadvertently down the about what I was contemplating. track. Then the two engines are next, these are quite good and once finished they are installed in their respective fuselage halves, to be lost from sight forever. I thought maybe that one would be able to see them so I went to the trouble of painting them. A better solution would be to have just the exhausts and intakes visible via aftermarket bits. All this and more I learned after the fact. If there is one thing modellers can level at Trumpeter is that they are embracing the idea of loading up there kits with a lot of gimmicky bits and pieces. I I’d read everything I could find on this kit on really think that this one of the reasons (among the net so I was prepared for some of the minor others) that Trumpeters prices are nudging and in niggles that had already been mentioned by others. some cases overtaking the big brand names. Is this First off, this aircraft in real life is BIG, so therefore because of feedback from ‘experts’ or are they just any kit is going to reflect this size, in 1/48 scale it “strutting their stuff” so to speak? Their kits are first becomes a not so much as a clear the work space class don’t get me wrong but I think they are trying to table but clear the room now I know why the Prof, put too much into them. Steve and others ply their trade in 1/72. The Vigilante is a great kit but it’s a journey On opening the box you are instantly that really shouldn’t be that tortuous or that reminded on how big this aircraft is. I checked all the expensive. areas that others had mentioned and guess what, all As pointed out to me by others, there are the problem areas were…..still there. The most many small pieces that go together to make up a prominent is a moulding seam which runs the full single unit which could have been done as a single length of the fuselage halves, ok a bit of sanding will piece, the refuelling probe and it’s doors being a fix that, all the surface details are very well done, the prime example, the probe itself looks like a phallic scribed lines and rivet details are all very petite (if symbol that has repeatedly gone a few rounds with a that’s the word I’m looking for) and look in scale. wardrobe door, the doors are three small pieces that The fuselage needs plenty of internal bulkheads to are perfect carpet companions. It would appear that stop twisting and to prevent the interior looking like Trumpeter were hell bent on modellers building this the inside of an empty warehouse. Hindsight is a kit with every conceivable thing that opened or wonderful thing. folded on the real deal being built like that. The only The cockpit is first in the construction steps photos I could find where this was occurring were and it’s not bad either, the seats needed seat belts either on the factory floor or during a major overhaul which were fashioned out of scrap wine bottle foil. below decks. Wings and rudder folded were The instrument panels have a film sandwiched commonplace on carrier decks. between separate panels which really are a bit on the Closing up most of these items also presents fit problems which involve plastic card, putty and up at all until a few days of gentle bending, heating sanding and continuous dry fitting just the joys of and stiffening sorted it all out. normal modelling I hear you say but I wish The undercarriage areas are well made and Trumpeter would give the modeller the option of a the gear struts appear to be very strong and at present one piece closed up look, just like the real thing. The what amazes me that it isn’t a tail sitter. As I told the wings have the option of drooping leading edge and Prof, I’m approaching this kit by using the Steve’s’ trailing flaps, I dropped mine a bit even though all school of armour building, make the kit and then the photos show no sign of droop. The tail hook can point the airbrush at it. The clear cockpit glass areas be lowered or closed up, another item not seen on are quite good except the RAN (back seater) any static ‘Vigie’ photos. As I mentioned earlier, the operators hood had an unsightly seam right down the wing tips can be folded as can the vertical stabilizer middle, a check of photos revealed no seam, so which acts as the rudder as the whole piece pivots, another sanding job which turned out fine until I the rear stabs can be moveable, mine can’t due to a checked next day, the clear hood had fractured major accident which saw the starboard wing, port overnight just sitting on a shelf……..this happened stab and other bits and pieces self destructing. around the time the other bits and pieces were self Trumpeter give you underwing flash pods and destructing. It was at this point that Yvette mentioned bomb racks with bombs if your so inclined but if that I should put the whole kit aside, preferably in a you’re doing a Vietnam era recon bird you can very dark cupboard and do something else. dispense with these, especially the bomb bits and At the time of writing this for the Prof I still pieces I have only seen a handful of photos with flash haven’t painted the kit, nor have I taken any in house pods affixed so if you are going to include them the photos but hopefully I’ll have it ready for our first wings need pre-drilling. club meeting. I lashed out and bought a set of Zots Most part fit really well but all required many decals for it which look quite good, I used Zots on hours of dry fitting and sanding to attain a good fit. the Draken and they perform really well. So here’s The moulding seams are very prominent on the hoping that the finished product looks the goods. As fuselage and the recon canoe which fits underneath, a parting thought, Yvette mentioned that it was quite both required many hours of sanding. The fuselage a large aircraft and where did I intend to put it when halves due to their large sizes require a bit of TLC as it’s finished…..good question, Prof how do you make they flex constantly. I glued stiffeners inside and those boxes again. plastic card along the main join seams to strengthen Wayne these areas. Initially I thought that the two sides came out of different factories as they initially didn’t match OFF THE WORKBENCH

During the December meeting I was talking were attached to the model with only a handful to Mark about something or other and suddenly the remaining, where I could not figure out where or how idea popped out of my mouth that ‘modelling is a they should also be attached. Having constructed this semiotic process’. What does that mean? I’m not fragile little model with all those bits just waiting to sure yet but I’m working on it. In the meantime it set be broken off, I then had to get it back to Ballarat in me to thinking about my own modelling processes one piece - but that’s a different story. and it occurred to me that while there are modellers One photo I had showed an S Tank painted up like Wayne and Mark who approach each model as as a giant blue and yellow Swedish flag but it an individual work, I tend to approach an individual appeared not to be a 103c, which is what the kit model as part of an overall set. That means that I’m provides, so I painted the model in standard Swedish less interested in each model in itself than in how it army colours. I’m happy with it, it looks like an S fits in with the ones that I’ve made and am making. Tank. So, instead of writing about a model that I have or am working on (like Mark and Wayne in this issue), here are a few recent efforts. Trumpeter 1/72 Strv 103 Decades ago I bought the old Aurora 1/48 S Tank kit and banged it together. It looked pretty magnificent, which had more to do with what the tank looks like than my modelling skills. While I admit to a certain weakness for tank models I try to control the impulse by making only French tanks. (I might also be tempted to make a nice Chieftan kit when something better than the old Airfix one emerges.) But when the new Trumpeter kit of the S F-RSIN 1/144 Avro Canada C-102 Tank appeared in the shops I gave way to temptation. The Canadians must have a thing for noses. The box was not big but when I opened it I When you go to the Canadian Aviation Museum just discovered that it had TARDIS like qualities - there outside Ottawa you will find all kinds of interesting were more pieces inside than you could possibly thing including the only surviving parts of two of the imagine by looking at the outside. There was also an country’s most intriguing aeroplanes, a CF-105 nose extensive booklet setting out in innumerable stages mounted on a wall and a C-102 nose sitting quietly the construction process. I got as far as putting the on the main display floor. Like everyone I rushed suspension onto the lower hull and then gluing the over to gape at the CF-105 nose and only paid the C- running wheels together before the prospect of 102 passing interest. I probably have a photo of it having to deal with what seemed like hundreds of somewhere in my boxes of old photos. tiny pieces overcame me, and I put the whole thing The next time I came across the C-102 was on away for a later time. eBay. A little resin kit from a company I’d never Then, in November, I faced the prospect of heard of, but not too expensive. I did a bit of reading spending a week in a motel room in Canberra. To and found out the C-102 came within a few days of take some of the tedium out of the evenings I packed being the first jet airliner to fly in the world and that, two or three kits, including the S-Tank. Perhaps I like the CF-105, it had been killed off by Canadian only needed to take that one kit because it took me politicians. What is it with politicians, can’t they three evenings to finish the construction. Most of recognise a good aeroplane when they see it? I put in that time was spent in trying to identify a tiny piece, a bid and, a couple of weeks later the kit arrived. find it on the sprue, try to figure out where it actually The CF-102 kit was, as I later discovered of went on the model and then get it fixed there without all F-RSIN kits, simplicity itself, with only a handful doing too much damage to the rest of the model. The or well moulded parts that still needed some work. instructions were not entirely helpful and the photos Assembling it was easy but I soon discovered my that I’d thoughtfully installed on the hard drive of my lack of experience with Alclad II and that using gloss laptop computer sometimes weren’t too helpful yellow paint is as trying as gloss white. The result either. In the end, however, almost all the tiny pieces was a disaster that went into hiding until I could face it again. Later I discovered that you can attack the of light grey as the US version. Grump, grump. I paint work on a resin kit with the most savage paint also happened to have a bottle of the correct colour thinner and it comes off very easily and nicely, for the US version and when I went to spray it my without effecting the resin. So I stripped the model airbrush started misbehaving, but since the shade was off and started again. This time I had more success so light I didn’t find out what an appalling texture the and although the model still bears some of the marks paint job was until it was dry and too late. Sanding of my first attempt, it is a pleasant little replica of the back and washing off the model did no good for all original. those fragile little bits. I tried again, this time being much more careful, but still getting the same results. More sanding and washing, with the same results. It is all too horrid to recall now but I solved the problem by buying a new airbrush which worked perfectly first time. The result is an interesting little model, but don’t look too hard or you will see all the signs of the struggle I had in completing this model.

Italeri 1/72 General Atomics RQ-1 I’d read that this kit was due for release so I was delighted to wander into Hearns Hobbies one day and find one on the shelves. What did not please Trumpeter 1/72 BAC Lightning F.6 me was the price, near enough to that of a kit twice or This is the second in my planned collection of three times the size, but since I wanted to make a 20 or so Lightnings, so I’m still learning all the model of one of these UAVs I didn’t have much pitfalls and problems with the Trumpeter kit. I’ve option. Later, peering into the box I found a lot of air already written off one kit by finding out too late that and very little plastic. What there was came on a it is very easy to mount the cockpit incorrectly in the single small sprue which contained a little note fuselage, leading to some tragic distortions in the saying that the contents had been imported from shape of the finished thing, I shan’t do that again. Japan. (I can only speculate on what this means.) I’ve also found a distressing discrepancy between the The kit is not difficult to put together but shape of the wing leading edge of the Trumpeter kit there are some tiny and fragile parts that break off and the real thing. Still, it you don’t look too hard... very easily. (Trust me, I and my trusty vacuum cleaner went over my floor twice for this model.) Apart from that, the only problem was a couple of little gaps that needed some filler and the model was completed, needing only painting. I’ve decided that I like models of UAV’s, you don’t have to spend all that time and energy fitting, masking and painting cockpit canopies. Painting is where all the grief started. The instructions say that if you want to make the US Air Force version you use a very light grey, if you want to make the Italian version, you use a darker grey. I Apart from that, this kit virtually falls happened to have bottle of paint with the right FS together. Apply some nice but long deleted number for the Italian version, so I sprayed on a coat Xtradecal decals and you have a lovely Lightning in and it looked very nice. Then I decided to do some the grey and green camouflage that it flew in for research and discovered that the instructions are many years. wrong, the Italian version is exactly the same shade Leigh

THE BACK PAGE (from your humble editor)

OUR NEXT MEETING versions (October 1965) and how to convert the Saturday, 7 February 2009, is the date for Airfix Beaufighter into a Mk.X (August 1965). our first meeting of the year. It will be at the usual After that he went on to edit and publish Scale place at the usual time, as it says inside the front Aircraft Modelling that set a new benchmark for the cover. Masters Wayne and Zim will probably be quality and variety of its material. having dinner beforehand at the usual salubrious establishment in North Ballarat, I wish I could remember the name. The service is impeccable and quick, which is apparently not quite what some others MoBsters experienced in December at another establishment. If you are interested, give either Master Zim or Master Wayne a call. COMING EVENTS that may be of interest 19 April . Our annual Display and Swap & Sell, at the Caro Convention Centre, University of Ballarat. All the details to come. 6-8 June. Model Expo and Australian Open Plastic & Scale Modelling championships. Sandown Entertainment Centre. Www.modelexpo.com.au. Please let me know if you hear of other events that might be of interest to MoBsters. Let’s not forget the Eastern Suburbs Swap & Sell or the Werribee event this year. THE MIGHT MOB CALENDAR Over the Christmas break Mark has created the MoB Calendar for 2009. Those of you who get your newsletter by mail will find your copy with this issue. Those of you who get your newsletter over the SWEET NOSTALGIA internet will have to wait for the February meeting. Reading of Alan Hall’s death sent me to my This is about the only time when getting a hard copy collection of old magazines. I find that the oldest of the newsletter has an advantage. issue of Airfix Magazine I still own is from August NOTES TO CONTRIBUTORS 1964. Modelling had changed a lot since then, let’s Here we are at the beginning of another year see what’s inside. and my bank of articles is all but empty. So my The first item is Hall’s ‘In the Air’ column suggestion to you is to contribute, often. that has photos of Jet Provosts, Folland Gnats and an SAD NEWS AEW Gannett, among others. Next is an You might have already heard this, but I only announcement of the release of the Airfix 1/144 learned it through ModelArt Australia . Alan Hall VC-10 (only one release this month, two or three died in November last year. If there was one person was more common). Then there’s articles on making in the world who is responsible for modelling being model railway dioramas and buildings, slot car what it is today, it was Alan Hall. Decades ago the racing, shipping news, an article by Chris Ellis on Airfix company decided to publish a magazine to how to convert the Quad from the Airfix 25 pounder promote its products and he was the first editor. By kit into Morris trucks, railway news, racing car news, the time I started reading Airfix Magazine there were a profile of the Westland Whirlwind, a filler other editors but Hall’s name was always visible with photograph of a Lightning F.1A in 111Squadron his regular ‘In the Air’ column and his frequent colours, kit reviews (including Hall reviews of the articles on how to convert existing kits into Aurora Sopwith Triplane and Fokker E.III kits), four something new - for example, how to improve the pages of letters, news from IPMS and a wargaming then ancient Airfix Gladiator kit and make two convention held in London.