Homepage Text - August 2008

Sunday,    Aug 31  2008

  Malaysia National Day 

  Trinidad and Tobago National Day 

I have a massive update with 20 articles honouring Malaysia  and Trinidad.  Well done everyone!!!

KH Lee has done an outstanding job building and finishing his 1/72 Italeri BAE Hawk.  KH finished his Hawk in 50th anniversary "what if" markings to create this colourful Hawk.


CK Loo has done a wonderful job detailing, finishing and weathering his 1/48 Tamiya Pacific Buffalo.   CK reworked the pilot figure and carefully cut open the canopy to display it in the open position.  


Ken Duffey has done an exceptionally nice job building, detailing his  and finishing his  1/72 Heller Su-30MKM.   Plenty of scratchbuilding was done by Ken to create this aviation gem.


Vincent Yong has put quite a bit of effort into his sharp looking  1/72 Italeri C-130H.  Vincent had plenty of the usual disasters which he tells about in his article, but that didn't stop him from keeping at it and turning on a fine looking C-130. 


Fernan De Gannes has done a marvelous job building and finishing his  1/48 Grand Phoenix Lightning F6.  This kit is loaded with resin goodies and although this does add to the challenge of building this model, Fernan does show that it builds up into a first class kit in the hands of a skilled modeller. 


KH Lee is here with his beautifully attractive 1/72 Revell S2 Tracker.   KH built his Tracker out of the box with homemade decals.  I really do like the red paint scheme.


Mej(B) Wan Hashim bin Wan Ahmad is here to wow you with his big 1/32nd Scale TUDMs' Maritime Strike Aircraft.  This big beautiful Hornet has added resin conversion parts and decals from F-4dablemodels to create the Malaysian version of the F-18.  I love the look of the pilot figures.....they look excellent.


Fernan De Gannes has done a marvelous job detailing and weathering his 1/48 Tamiya Skyraider.   Fernan started with a  first class kit and added aftermarket goodies to improve the detail, before he finished it off with a great looking paint job.  


Thomas Ng has done a lovely job building and weathering his 1/72 Supermodel MB339.   This MB-339 was built out of the box with some custom and after market to get the markings Thomas was after.


Fernan De Gannes did an outstanding job super detailing his 1/35 MRC AH-1W Super Cobra.  Fernan added a combination of aftermarket parts from Cobra Company and Eduard and plenty of scratchbuilding to create this amazing Super Cobra.  It was all finished with sexy noseart on the nose from Twobobs.  


Nebuchednikov Nizam Rusli is here to show you his outstanding 1/48 Airfix Hawk Mk 108.  This beautiful Hawk had some scratchbuilding done to it to create a Malaysian Hawk and this is all explained in this article.  


Nazaruddin Hashim has done an outstanding job building and finishing his 1/48 Mini Hobby Model + Zhengdefu SU-30MKM Nazaruddin added plenty of extra scratchbuilding to complete this kit bashed conversion with excellent results.   


Jason Koh is a master when it comes to faded paint job and you'll see that when you look at his 1/48 Tamiya Brewster Buffalo.  Jason finished his Buffalo in RAAF based in Sungai Petani, Malaya 1941


Wong KwongYan has done a very fine job building his  1/48 Academy Mig-29NUB.  The markings for this sharp looking MiG-29 are from ScaleNutz, which is a good source of decals for building this MiG-29.


Thomas Ng took this older 1/48 Monogram Hurricane Mk IIB and turned it into a fine looking model.  Although this is an older kit, it does build up into a fine model in the hands of s patient skilled modeller.  Thomas used kit bashed parts in the cockpit and did some weathering before finishing it off in RAF markings.


Brian “Mr B” Param has done an outstanding job building and weathering his 1/48 Hasegawa F-4E.  Brian added aftermarket resin from True Details and  Hawkeye decals to finish off his Phantom on Australian markings.  


Ismail Baharuddin is here with his first article on ARC.  This is his 1/72 Italeri C-130H Hercules.  Ismail built his Hercules with aftermarket decals and custom painted markings to create a C-130 with the Malaysian Air Force back in the 1980's.  Welcome to ARC Ismail!!!   


Brian “Mr B” Param really has a talent for weathering and you'll see that when you look at the panel lines on his 1/48 Hasegawa F-16B.  Brian used Neomega seats and Siam Scale decals to complete his eye catching F-16.


Thomas NG and Brian Param have been busy with their double build for a Buffalos Over Jungle display at a local public display.  Both of these models have chipped paint and weathering to add realism.  


Mohd Amzari has done a wonderful job detailing, finishing and weathering his 1/72 Italeri Hawk 108.  This Hawk came out looking excellent, but that is the result of a patient skilled modeller.  

Saturday,    Aug 30  2008

  Turkey Victory Day 

  Kyrgyz Republic National Day 

METIN TURKOGLU is back today with many more photos of his AY YILDIZ.  This "What-if" aircraft is based on the Turkish Flag and the extra photos show how all the scratchbuilding was done.  


Özkan Türker joins us on Turkey's National Day with his 1/32 Hobbycraft Spad XIII C1.  Özkan is a first class modeller and you will enjoy seeing how well his Spad turned out.....this one is a beauty.     


Zafer Yilmaz dropped by the ARC Corporate office in Turkey today with his  1/72 Fujimi Mig-21 Bis.  This particular Mig-21 has some very interesting history when the pilot defected to the other side in a conflict.  Zafer tells the whole story and how he built this excellent looking MiG in his article.    


Ayhan Toplu has done an outstanding job building and finishing his 1/72 Revell F4-E.  The shading and weathering on this Phantom really bring it to life. 


Aykut Bilir is here with his first article on ARC.  This is Ayhan's fine looking 1/72 Italeri F/A-18D finished off in the eye catching Fighting Omars decals from Twobobs.  Welcome to ARC Aykut!!!    


Ceki Erginbas is a very skilled modeller when it comes to weathering and shading and you'll see that when you look at his 1/48 Tamiya Brewster Buffalo Mk.I.  Ceki used aftermarket decals to finish off his Buffalo in the markings for an aircraft stationed in Singapore in Dec 1941.    


Aykut Bilir is back today with his 1/72 Eduard L-39 Albatros.  Aykut finished off his L-39 in Iraqi markings and then gave it a fine looking weathering job.  


Matt Bacon is here to mark the Slovakia National Day  with his 1/48 Eduard Avia B.534 IV.  Matt built this in honour of his friend and this diorama tells quite the story as the ground crew waves to the pilot as he begin to taxi away.  I added this article to yesterdays update late in the day, so here it is again in case you missed it.

Friday,   Aug 29  2008 

  Slovakia National Day  

I'm pleased to welcome a new ARC Sponsor.
From Switzerland , the home of ticking clocks, sumptuous chocolate, and skiing breaks come a virtual museum for modelers and a great deal besides.
What is more you can exhibit your own models online at www.swapey.com/modelling,  discuss and rate models in the museum and send messages to other members.
swapey has just started recently but there are already more than 700 models on display and almost 1’000 members contributing on a daily basis."

Matt Bacon is here to mark the Slovakia National Day  with his 1/48 Eduard Avia B.534 IV.  Matt built this in honour of his friend and this diorama tells quite the story as the ground crew waves to the pilot as he begin to taxi away.


Today's update features over 500 photos taken by ARC forum members Zmey Smirnoff and kap64 at the IPMS US Nationals 2008 in Virginia Beach.   This will be the last update devoted to the US nationals, but when I saw the photos I couldn't resist.  Use the slideshow feature and you'll be able to view the photos easier.  

Zmey Smirnoff is here with General Convention Photos from the IPMS US Nationals 2008 in Virginia Beach.  


Zmey Smirnoff is here with photos of the Aircraft Models at the IPMS US Nationals 2008 in Virginia Beach.   


Zmey Smirnoff is here with photos of the Armor Models at the IPMS US Nationals 2008 in Virginia Beach.   


kap64 is here with photos of the Jet Models at the IPMS US Nationals 2008 in Virginia Beach.   


kap64 is here with photos of the Jet Models at the IPMS US Nationals 2008 in Virginia Beach.  


kap64 is here with photos of the Armor Models at the IPMS US Nationals 2008 in Virginia Beach.   


kap64 is here with photos of the Prop Models at the IPMS US Nationals 2008 in Virginia Beach.   


kap64 is here with photos of the Prop Models at the IPMS US Nationals 2008 in Virginia Beach.  


kap64 is here with photos of the Helicopter Models at the IPMS US Nationals 2008 in Virginia Beach.   


kap64 is here with photos of the Car, Truck & Motorbike Models at the IPMS US Nationals 2008 in Virginia Beach. 


kap64 is here with photos of the Space & Sci Fi Models at the IPMS US Nationals 2008 in Virginia Beach. 


kap64 is here with photos of the Ship Models at the IPMS US Nationals 2008 in Virginia Beach.  

Thursday,   Aug 28  2008

  Polish (Military) Aviation Day 

Yvan Vansteenkiste is here with Part 2 on his 1/32 Tamiya F-16.  This is a Greek F-16 wearing special Anniversary markings with big colourful artwork on the tail.  This one is a beauty.  


Terry Chan has mastered the sun bleached look on his 1/48 Academy CH-53E.  Have a close look at the photos then read Terry's article as he explains his easy to follow technique to help you achieve a sun bleached look.   


Erkin Bora is here with his 1/144 Revell A 319 in the more interesting colour of Mexicana airlines.  Erkin used aftermarket decals and a good amount of skill to turn out this fine looking airliner.  


Doug Fede has done a marvelous job building and finishing his1/48 Hasegawa Corsair.   Doug finished his Corsair in Argentine Navy markings with careful weathering.


Benny Attar is here with something a bit refreshingly different.  This is his 1/72 Bedford MK Truck posed next to his 1/48 Jaguar model.  This truck would be a nice addition to any airfield diorama.   


I have a preview of the new 1/48 JAS-39 Press to Test Gripens decal sheet from Twobobs Aviation Graphics.  This sheet features enough markings are included in this sheet to build four complete Gripens.   


I have a review of the new 1/32 F-14A Adversary Bad Cats decal sheet from Fightertown Decals.  This new decal includes markings for 6 different 1/32 F-14's in those Adversary paint schemes everyone likes so much.   


I have a review of the new  1/48 F-15S, F-22A, F-15K, AC-47D, AC-130U decal sheet from Wolfpak Decals.  This new decal sheet includes markings for 5 different aircraft including a F-15S, F-22A, F-15K, AC-47D, AC-130U.  

Wednesday,   Aug 27  2008

  Moldova National Day 

Here's the latest Hot Babe of the Week! photos from TwobobsThese A-10 photos were taken by ARC's very own Ken Middleton.  Great looking photos Ken!!!  I love the Bald Eagle artwork on the ladder door.


Lyle Brown gets things started today with his Eurofighter Artwork.  This particular piece of art is a pencil drawing.  You can see more of Lyle's art at his website at www.lyleart2000.com


Georg Fuhrmann is here with his very special 1/32 Academy F-18C HornetGeorg added formation and nav lights as well as lighting up the HUD and 3 screens on the instrument panel.  The model looks first class with subtle weathering and careful panel line shading.  Check out the lighting....this is very cool.  


Brian Pruitt has been busy capturing history as he built his 1/72 Dragon / Northrop P-61B Black Widow.  Brian used resin engines to add detail and chose aftermarket decals to get the marking with noseart for a very special WW2 aircraft.....possibly the last aircraft to score a kill during WW2.   


Christophe Coudert is here with his first article on ARC today.  This is Christophe's 1/48 Revell Sukhoď Su-7 BMK finished off in the colourful markings for the Indian Air Force Su-7 complete with a shark mouth.  Welcome to ARC Christophe, I look forward to seeing more of your work on ARC.  


Fernando I. Moreno Villa joins us from sunny Monterrey, México with his 1/72 Heller A1-H Skyraider.  This is not the best kit but in the experience determined hands of a modeller such as Fernando, it can be turned into quite the excellent looking model as you'll see when you read Fernando's article.


I have a review of the new  1/32 P-39 Airacobras in the PTO decal sheet from Zotz DecalsThis new decal sheet features 4 different P-39 Airacobras in the PTO, some with sexy nose art. 


Laurent “Angus” Beauvaisis is here with a review of the 1/48 Kayaba “Ka-Go” model 1 by AZ Model.  


Peter Marshall is here with a review of the diorama bases from Mark.58 Diorama bases.  These aircraft diorama bases come in a variety of scales and a variety of textures.

Tuesday,   Aug 26  2008 

Vladimír Žucha starts today with his impressive 1/125 Heller Airbus A380.  Vladimír was careful to get all the details correct and this required making his own custom decals to complete this Airbus paint scheme.  I really like how this big Airbus turned out.   


Daniele Dotti visits us from sunny Italy with a beautifully done 1/72 Academy Focke-Wulf Fw-190A-6.  WW2 Luftwaffe paint schemes are difficult to do but Daniele had no problem getting the right look on this Fw-190. 


Derek "HAZER" Heyes has been busy getting the details correct on his 1/48 Hasegawa CF-18 Hornet.  Derek put in extra effort on his CF-18 to add special CF-18 detail before he finished it off with Leading Edge Decals and full but subtle weathering. 


Alan Williamson has gone to great lengths detailing and finishing his 1/48 Tamiya P-51D Mustang.  Alan added plenty of resin items to his Mustang and finished it off in the markings of a famous WW2 ace.  Wow....nicely done Alan. 


Yun Chong has done a fine job building his 1/72 Academy Apache.  Yun Chong used drybrushing to do the detail painting in the cockpit.  The whole model was built mostly out of the box with fine results.  


I have a preview of the new 1/48 F-16C Buckeye Vipers #1 decal sheet from Twobobs Aviation Graphics.  This sheet features three jets from the 162nd FS of the Ohio ANG are represented on this sheet. 

Monday,   Aug 25  2008

  Uruguay Independence Day 

This weeks Twobobs Newsletter is up.  Click here to read the latest from Twobobs.  Bob has info on new releases he's working on including a The Wisconsin sheet featuring 11 jets!!! Also Bob has info and images of F-105, Viggen, A-10 and F-16 sheets that are in the works.


Richard "RJ" Tucker has a passion for US Navy aircraft and today he is here with his 1/72 Fujimi TA-4F Skyhawk.  RJ goes into careful detail about the history behind the 2 seater Skyhawks that started the technique of dropping laser guided bombs with the USN and then he details what is involved to build this special Skyhawk, complete with custom markings.  RJ never fails to deliver something special for the USN fans.


Rick Reinbott has done a fine job on his 1/72 Testors F4U-1A Corsair.  Rick gave his Corsair extra scratchbuilt detailing to bring up the level of detail on his Corsair with very fine results.   


Pantelis Antonoglou has done a beautiful job building and painting his 1/48 Τamiya F-84G ThunderjetPantelis finished his Thunderjet in the markings for the Hellenic Air Force and except for the seatbelts he added, this beauty is built out of the box.  The paint is a flawless multi-shaded bare metal finish.


Rafi Ben-Shahar is here today with a Luftwaffe heavy.  This is Rafi's  1/72 Revell Focke wulf Fw-200C-8 done up in the usual high degree of skill that Rafi is well know for on ARC.   

I have a p review of the new 1/72 JAS-39 Press to Test Gripens decal sheet from Twobobs Aviation Graphics.  This sheet includes enough markings to build four complete Gripens.  These are all demo or test jets and the most colorful is the blue tailed test jet from the Empire Test Pilot School from the UK.  


I have a review of the new  1/48 AC-47D Spooky Gunships decal sheet from Zotz Decals.   This decal sheet features 6 different AC-47D Spooky Gunships in Vietnam and Central America, some with nose art.  


Max Bradley is here today with a review of the new 1/72 resin GBU-38 JDAM from Modern Hobbies.  

Sunday,    Aug 24  2008

  Ukraine National Day 

No update today......I've been very busy with visiting family this weekend.  

Friday,   Aug 22  2008 

Carmel John Attard joins us from sunny Malta with his COD USN aircraft of VR-24 attached to the 6th Fleet 1.  Carmel includes his Grumman Trader I built from a conversion kit and his scratch built Hawkeye.  Wow....both of these are stunning to look at.


Paolo Yuen is here from Hong Kong with his 1/144 Revell Airbus A-321.   Paolo finished his award winning airliner in Dragon Airline markings.  Very nicely done.  


Bob Bartolacci has really done a fantastic job on his bare metal 1/48 Hasegawa P-47D.  Bob finished his P-47 with different shades of silver and finished if off in markings that include noseart. 


Eric speedlimit Salazar has been busy adding detail to his 1/48 Hasegawa F-4F.  Then Eric painted the artwork on his sharp looking Phantom to finish off the model in Luftwaffe markings.


Floyd S. Werner, Jr. is here with a product announcement of the new Silent Wings-The American Glider Pilots of WWII DVD from Aeroplane Books.


Max Bradley is here with a product announcement of the new 1/72 resin AN/AAQ-33 Sniper XR Pod from Modern Hobbies.   

Thursday,   Aug 21  2008 
I've added the IPMS UK U.S. Air Force Special Interest Group  (http://www.usaf-sig.org) to the ARC links pages.  This UK website is dedicated to building a single source of information for modelling USAF/ANG/AFRES aircraft, mainly in 1/72nd scale.  They also have a forum at  www.usaf-sig.org/forum.

Aleksander Gorski starts things off today with his first article on ARC.  This is Aleksander's 1/48 Ltd CA-13 Boomerang done up with some light paint chipping around panels as well as some careful weathering.  I do like how this Boomerang turned out and I'd like to extend a warm welcome to Aleksander!!!  


Paul Nortness has racked up quite a bit of experience building  the various Tomcat kits.  Today Paul joins us with his 1/48 Academy F-14A Tomcat that Paul finished in the markings for VF-14 Tophatters markings from Desert Storm, but the real story of this F-14 is the first rate weathering job Paul did on it.   


Serge Dompierre has done a marvelous job building and finishing his  1/48 Pro Modeler FW-190 D-11.  Serge built his Dora out of the box with exceptional results.


Murat Akbulut joins us for the first time today with his beautifully done 1/48 Fine Molds X-Wing.  Murat is a big fan of Star wars and his X-Wing looks just like the weathered X-Wings in the movie.  Welcome to ARC Murat, I look forward to seeing more of your models on ARC. 


Sébastien "Tyconderoga00" Stock joins us from France with his first article on ARC.  This is Sébastien's 1/48 Accurate Miniatures TBF-1C Avenger given a truly amazing paint job.  This looks exactly as I imagine the real plane should have looked.  Beautiful work Sébastien, welcome to ARC!!!  I look forward to seeing more of your models on ARC.


Anatoly Sushon joins us with a review of a selection of 1/72 & 1/144 Su-17, An-12, Su-25, Su-24, Tu-160, IL-76 decal sheets from Authentic Decals.


Floyd S. Werner, Jr. is here with a product announcement of the new 1/48 resin AH-1F IPS and Debris Deflector from Werner’s Wings. 

Wednesday,   Aug 20  2008

  Hungary National Day 

Here's the latest Hot Babe of the Week! photos from TwobobsThese F-16 photos were taken by Andrew Oehlke. 


Artur Oslizlo is here with a very special 1/48 Airfix Dassault Super Etendard.  Have a long careful look at the stunning cockpit detail painting Artur did to the resin cockpit.....simply amazing.  Artur also added other detail parts to his Super Etendard with excellent results.


Darius Aibara never does anything the easy way.  I was puzzled to see Darius building a kit from Tamiya......then I read his article I realised Darius was doing quite a bit of scratchbuiling to create his 1/48 Tamiya Avro York.  I've always admired Darius and this model will show you why. 


Francisco Lara "Manimal" has done an exceptionally nice job building, detailing his  and finishing his 1/32 Tamiya General Dynamics F-16CJ.  This is a "What if" F-16CJ finished in Spanish markings.  This one is a beauty and Francisco did a large amount of work on it and added plenty of aftermarket detail items.  


Alan Williamson is here with one of his beauties.  This is Alan's 1/48 Tamiya P-51B with an Aires cockpit set  and markings for Shangri-La flown by Capt. Don S. Gentile 336th FS/ 4th FG 1944.  Alan gave this Mustang his usual skilled painting and weathering job to bring his Mustang to life.


Here is a product announcement for a new book titled A History of Chinese Aviation - Encyclopedia of Aircraft and Aviation in China until 1949 from Lennart Andersson.


Mark Buchler is here with a product announcement of the new 1/48 Resin Update Set for Academy/Hobbycraft Polikarpov I-16 from Model Shack. 

Tuesday,  Aug 19  2008

  Dieppe Raid 1942  

No update today.  I'm bogged down in some behind the scenes work.

Monday,   Aug 18  2008

  Afghanistan Independence Day 

This weeks Twobobs Newsletter is up.  Click here to read the latest from Twobobs.  Bob does a final wrap up on the US Nationals and news about reprinting their Viggen sheet, the Wrap-Around Thuds sheet and they'll be refreshing our VFC-111 sheet (new jets) as part of this next round of releases! 


I have a special announcement from Testors® about their new  Model Activity Sets.  You have a choice of “Heroes Of The Sky” 1:72 P-51D Mustang and F4U Corsair. and “Rad Rides Of The Road” 1:32 the Dodge Viper and Saleen S7.  These set are aim at introducing youngsters and families to the joys of model building.  Testors is to be commended for their efforts to introduce kids to the hobby. 


Raul Corral has done a stunning job on his Academy Thunderbolts in 1/72.  Raul built both of these beauties out of the box and you will be very impressed once you look at the finished photos of these P-47's.  The paint job look fantastic.  


Steve 'Cloggy' Cladingboel is well known for the wild paint schemes he is able to create on his models.  this 1/48 Hasegawa A-7E Corsair in Tiger markings for the Greek Air force.  Steve created these eye popping markings himself and I must say they came out looking flawless.   


Juergen Klinglhuber is here with something very unique today.  This is his 1/72 ExtraTech, Vought Sikorsky VS-300 and although this is a resin kit,  Juergen got it built just fine and finished it off with a bare metal finish and now has a beautifully done delicate little chopper for his display case.


Jaime "JGV" Vinha is here with his Portuguese 1/72 PM Northrop T-38 A.  This is a very inexpensive kit and the quality was a bit on the low side to say the least but that didn't stop Jaime from turning out one fine looking model of the Portuguese Talon.  I found his weathering techniques to be quick, easy and very effective.  


Louis Chang has been using his modelling skill to detail and build his 1/48 Eduard BF-110C.  Louis is well known here on ARC for his modelling skills and this Bf-110 is up to his usual high standards.   

Sunday,    Aug 17  2008

  Gabon Independence Day 

  Indonesia Independence Day 

Ali A. Yulianto joins us today from Indonesia to begin this special Indonesian update with his first article on ARC.  This is Ali's 1/48 Italeri TNI AU F-5E Tiger II done up in a very attractive camo scheme and Indonesian markings.  Ali scribed the panel lines to improve the realism of his F-5.  Welcome to ARC Ali!!!   


Alex Sidharta is here with a special 1/72 Zvezda Su-30MK TNI AU desktop model that he created for the Indonesian AF Deputy Chief of Staff.  Alex had to convert the basic Su-30 model into the Su-30MK TNI AU.  Alex then displayed it wheels up with a in-flight stand.   


Andreas Sunarso is here with his 1/48 Classic Airframes DH Vampire finished off in a very well done multi shade bare metal finish.  Andreas modeller his Vampire after one he saw in the Indonesian Air Force Museum in Yogyakarta.   


Alex Sidharta has done a lovely job on his 1/72 Platz RQ-1A Predator.  Alex explains this kit very well and that will be a big help to anyone interested in building their own 1/72 Predator. 


Prama Aditya Sobari did an excellent job on his 1/72 Hasegawa F-18F.  Prama added a resin cockpit from Eduard and decals from Twobobs to bring his kit up to a higher level of realism with excellent results.  


Alex Sidharta is back again with his 3rd article today to celebrate Indonesia's Independence Day.  This is Alex's very attractive 1/48 Hasegawa F-16B TNI AU and you need to have a close look at the way he shaded the fuselage panel by using a lighter color of paint in the centre of the panels.  Alex then finished it off with Zotz Decals.  


Diego Romero Rodríguez is here to celebrate his friend Tony's birthday with his 1/72 Hasegawa F/A-18D.  Diego did quite the fine job on his Hornet including adding Eduard PE seatbelts and scratchbuilding an instrument panel and finishing it off with careful weathering.  

Saturday,    Aug 16  2008 

Jason Brewer is here with his first article on ARC.  This is Jason's very nicely done 1/48 Tamiya P-51B Mustang.  Jason made good use out of the knowledge base here on ARC and I must say I'm quite impressed with how his Mustang turned out.  Welcome to ARC Jason!!! 


Dalibor Repic has done a marvelous job building and weathering his 1/72 Academy Canadair F-86F Sabre.  Dalibor gave his Sabre just the right look of realism and displayed it on a diorama base to complete this great looking Yugoslavian jet .   

Friday,   Aug 15  2008

  India Independence Day 

  Congo National Day 

  Republic of Korea National Day 

For anyone in the UK (resident or visiting), the IPMS Avon annual show will be held on Sunday 17th August at Yate Leisure Centre, Yate, Bristol, BS37 4DQ. Plenty of club displays to give you inspiration, and traders to supply your needs. Doors open 10:00 am. Yate is about 10 miles north-east of Bristol, with easy access from M4 and M5. For further details email ipmsavon@aol.com  
Don't miss one of the premier events on the UK show circuit.
The IPMS Avon folks look forward to seeing you.

Leonard Prakasam is here to honour India on India's Independence Day with his 1/72 Italeri Sea Harrier FRS.Mk.51.  Leonard finished his Harrier in Indian Air Force markings after adding extra scratchbuilt detail and some careful weathering.  I do like seeing a Harrier in Indian markings.  


Igor Svetlov (IS) has gone to great lengths improving the detail level on his 1/72 Hasegawa Grumman F4F-4 Wildcat.  Igor used a combination of resin aftermarket detail items and plenty of scratchbuilding to improve his model and then finished it with a very realistic looking paint scheme.   


Petit James is here with his excellent looking 1/48 Revell Mirage 2000-5f.  Tigermeet aircraft are a favourite of most modellers and this Mirage by James is a treat for the eyes.  


Francisco A. is here with a special model built in the memory of Spanish soldiers that died in Afghanistan.  This is Francisco's 1/72 Heller AS 532 Cougar done up with plenty of scratchbuilt detailing and a very nice looking paint job and weathering using his own mix. 


Lyle Brown is here with his Eurocopter Artwork.  You can see more of Lyle's artwork at  www.lyleart2000.com

Thursday,   Aug 14  2008

  Pakistan Independence Day 

Keith Hudson is here with something I've never seen before.  This is the tiny 1/72 Aeroclub Pou Du Ceil which Keith did some scratchbuilt detailing to before he finally finished it off.  This is quite the tiny little model.   


Paolo Yuen is here with his award winning 1/144 Revell Airbus A-320.  Paolo finished his Airbus airliner in Dragon Airlines markings on an airport runway display base.   


Serge Dompierre joins us today with his nicely done 1/48 Tamiya Dornier Do 335A-1 that he built out of the box.  Serge tells the story of this D0-335 and it's eventually end in America.   


PJ from Brazil has been busy building and weathering the old 1/48 Monogram F-105D Thunderchief.  PJ tells the story of building this fine vintage kit.   


Rick Reinbott has redone his 1/72 Hasegawa Spifire Mk. 1.  Rick went with markings from the Battle of Britain in 1940 of the aircraft for New Zealander Al Deere of No. 54 Squadron, RAF. 


John Vojtech of UMM-USA is here with a preview of his UMM Universal Scriber.  You may recall John's award winning B-2 from a previous IPMS US Nationals and he's here today with one of his scribing tools. 


I have a review of the new  1/72 or 1/48 or 1/32 or 1/24 Albatros DIII Vol 3 decal sheet from Spada Decals.   


Floyd S. Werner, Jr. is here with a  review of the new Army Air Forces Newsreels-1939  from Victory Films.  

Wednesday,   Aug 13  2008 

Thomas Neuss hit the mark perfectly when building and detailing his 1/35 Accurate Armour Lynx AH.7.  This represents the Lynx as it appears in recent years and Thomas's combination of scratchbuilding and skill pulled it all off perfectly for this British chopper. 


Keith Hudson has been busy building something different.  Keith did a bit of scratchbuilt detailing on his 1/72 Frog V-1/Loon and finished it off in a cool looking paint scheme using a vintage photo as a guide.


Alan Williamson is here with one of the better known P-51's from WW2.  This is his 1/48 Tamiya P-51D Mustang & U.S. Army Staff Car.  Alan chose the markings for Big Beautiful Doll and finished off this classic American fighter with his usual careful attention to detail and weathering.  All this adds up to one fine looking Mustang and Staff car.


Shailesh Karkhanis is here with his very nicely done 1/48 Academy MiG-21 bis.  This particular MiG-21 is finished in Indian Air Force markings which is always good to see. 


Rai has dropped by the ARC Corporate offices in Singapore with this beautifully 1/48 Tamiya Mitsubishi Ki-46 Hyakushiki Shitei III Dinah.  Rai paid careful attention to the weathering which always brings a model to life. 

Tuesday,   Aug 12  2008
No update today.  I was pretty tired on Monday night and went to bed early.
Monday,   Aug 11  2008

  Chad Independence Day 

For anyone in the UK (resident or visiting), the IPMS Avon annual show will be held on Sunday 17th August at Yate Leisure Centre, Yate, Bristol, BS37 4DQ. Plenty of club displays to give you inspiration, and traders to supply your needs. Doors open 10:00 am. Yate is about 10 miles north-east of Bristol, with easy access from M4 and M5. For further details email ipmsavon@aol.com  
Don't miss one of the premier events on the UK show circuit.
The IPMS Avon folks look forward to seeing you.

Anthony Wan is here with some photos of the People and scenery shots as well as sprue shots from the  Models IPMS US Nationals 2008.   Yes.....that is Anthony with a  couple of girls working the Fightertown decals table.


Anthony Wan is here with some photos of the Prop Models including the scratchbuilt 1/24 Bronco from the IPMS US Nationals 2008. 


Anthony Wan is here with some photos of the Jet Models from the IPMS US Nationals 2008.   


Anthony Wan is here with some photos of the Jet Models from the IPMS US Nationals 2008.   


Anthony Wan is here with some photos of the Helicopter Models from the IPMS US Nationals 2008.  


Anthony Wan is here with some photos of the Armor Models from the IPMS US Nationals 2008.   


Anthony Wan is here with some photos of the Figure Models from the IPMS US Nationals 2008.  


Anthony Wan is here with some photos of the Space and Sci-Fi  Models from the IPMS US Nationals 2008.  


Anthony Wan is here with some photos of the Automotive, truck and motorbike Models from the IPMS US Nationals 2008.   

Sunday,    Aug 10  2008

  Ecuador Independence Day 

Alfredo Jurado is here from Ecuador  on Ecuador Independence Day with his 1/48 Hobbycraft Lockheed AT-33.  This AT-33 is painted in Ecuadorian Air Force markings and was built for the pilot of this particular aircraft.   


Ralph Koziarski has been very busy on his 1/48 Hasegawa SBD-3 Dauntless.  Ralph put quite a bit of effort into his Dauntless and the crowning achievement was the carefully applied faded paint job.    

Saturday,    Aug 9  2008

  Singapore National Day 

  Nagasaki Atomic Bombing Aug 9 1945  11:02AM  

  Peacekeeping Day in Canada 

In memory of  9 peacekeepers killed on Aug 9 1974

Mark Chen joins us from Singapore on this special day with his flawless 1/32 Academy F-16C Block 52.  Mark gave his Viper a stunning paint job and a full weapons load and finished it off in Singapore markings.   


Leslie Choy  is here from Singapore on this special day with his selections of 3 models all in Singapore markings.  These 3 models include the 1/72 Heller F5-S, Italeri F5-T and Airfix RF-5S.  Leslie made these mostly out of the box with a bit of sctatchbuilding.  A very nice display in honor of Singapore's National Day.  


Matt_S is here with some photos of the Prop Aircraft Models from the IPMS US Nationals 2008.   


Matt_S is here with some photos of the Jet aircraft Models from the IPMS US Nationals 2008.  


Matt_S is here with some photos of the Automotive Models from the IPMS US Nationals 2008.  


Matt_S is here with some photos of the Helicopter Models from the IPMS US Nationals 2008.   


Matt_S is here with some photos of the Space, Ships and Misc. Models from the IPMS US Nationals 2008.   


Matt_S is here with some photos of the Armor Models from the IPMS US Nationals 2008.   


DarylH is here with some photos of the Aircraft Models from the IPMS US Nationals 2008.   


DarylH is here with some photos of the Ship Models from the IPMS US Nationals 2008. 


DarylH is here with some photos of the Automotive Models from the IPMS US Nationals 2008.  


DarylH is here with some photos of the Armor Models from the IPMS US Nationals 2008.   


DarylH is here with some photos of the Helicopter Models from the IPMS US Nationals 2008. 


DarylH is here with some photos of the Figure and Space Models from the IPMS US Nationals 2008. 

Friday,   Aug 8  2008 
Today's update is devoted to the IPMS US Nationals in Virginia Beach.  Use the slideshow feature in each article to easily view the photos in a slideshow.  There are over 400 photos in today's update.

Matt_S is here with some photos of the Prop Models from the IPMS US Nationals 2008 in Virginia Beach.


Matt_S is here with some photos of the Jet Models from the IPMS US Nationals 2008 in Virginia Beach.


Matt_S is here with some photos of the Auto Models from the IPMS US Nationals 2008 in Virginia Beach.


Matt_S is here with some photos of the Helicopter Models from the IPMS US Nationals 2008 in Virginia Beach.


Matt_S is here with some photos of the Armor Models from the IPMS US Nationals 2008 in Virginia Beach.


DarylH is here with some photos of the Auto and Motorbike Models from the IPMS US Nationals 2008 in Virginia Beach.


DarylH is here with some photos of the Prop Models from the IPMS US Nationals 2008 in Virginia Beach.


DarylH is here with some photos of the Jet Models from the IPMS US Nationals 2008 in Virginia Beach.


DarylH is here with some photos of the Armor Models from the IPMS US Nationals 2008 in Virginia Beach.


DarylH is here with some photos of the Figure, ship and space models from the IPMS US Nationals 2008 in Virginia Beach.

Thursday,   Aug 7  2008

  Cote d'lvoire National Day 

IPMS US Nationals are building steam. The vendors room has been popular and the models are increasing in number more and more each day.

Bob Sanchez of Twobobs decals is here with his Day 1 report from the IPMS US Nationals 2008 at Virginia Beach.  Check it out.....Bob has the first winner for the Blue Angel watches he's giving away....way to go Bob!!!  Plus....Bob saw some Dolphins!!! 


Mario Fernandez is here with a plane that is something he's wanted to build for a long time.  This is Mario's 1/72 Gremlin Resin Piper Cheyenne 400LS  done up in fine style.  Mario scratchbuilt some items and made his own decals to get his Piper looking "just right". 


Paul Nortness is here with his very nicely done 1/32 Revell F-14A Tomcat.  Paul chose some very colorful markings for his Tomcat and I must say I liked how this finished F-14 turned out. 


Andrew Doppel is here with his first article on ARC.  This is his 1/48 Heller Ecureuil 'Fire Bomber' that he converted to Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) AS350B Squirrel.  Andrew added a good amount of scratchbuilt detailing and also used a conversion set to create this very delicate looking Aussie Chopper model.  Welcome to ARC Andrew!!!   


Jeffrey Leung dropped by today from Hong Kong with his 1/72 Zvezda Mig-23MLD.  Jeffrey explains how he does his camo painting and his end results definitely do look good. This MiG has that faded weathered look to it.


Serge Dompierre is here with his sharp looking 1/48 ICM Yak 7D1.  Serge built his Yak out of the box and finished it off with one of his great looking paint jobs and eye catching markings.   

Wednesday,   Aug 6  2008

  Bolivia Independence Day 

  Hiroshima Atomic Bombing Aug 6 1945  8:15AM  

IPMS US Nationals began today!!!!  I'll bring you updates on the convention as I receive them.

This weeks Twobobs Newsletter is the last newsletter before the IPMS US Nationals.  Click here to read the latest from Twobobs.  Twobobs is having a sale at their table during the Nationals plus news about the Twobobs Hospitality Suite and much more news.


Philippe Dognon starts today with part 2 of his article on his 1/48 Scratchbuilt CH-54A Tarhe.  Philippe gave his model an extreme level of detailing and you see that in some of today's photos. 


Rick Reinbott is here today with his 1/48 Testors F-5A Freedom Fighter.  Rick chose to finish this sharp looking F-5 in South Vietnamese Air Force (VNAF).  I love how this one turned one.......the checker board markings really do look fine.   


Farouk Tan has done a beautiful job on the bare metal finish on his 1/72 Academy P-51D Mustang.  Farouk used a very creative way to shade some panels to different shades on his baremetal finish and finished his Mustang in the markings for the Philippine Air Force during WW2. 


Patrick Vossenberg is here to show you a stunning finishing job on his 1/72 Revell Su-27 Flanker.  I'm speechless when I say how perfect the paint  job and weathering look on this Su-27.  Wow!!  This really is a great looking model.  Patrick also added some aftermarket detail items and scratchbuilt details to improve upon the kit details. 


Tony Feredo dropped by the ARC Corporate office in the Philippines with his 1/48 Tamiya G4M1 Betty.  Tony is creating a collection of aircraft used in the Philippines during WW2.  Tony did some careful paint chipping on his Betty and gave it a wonderful camo job.

Tuesday,   Aug 5  2008

  Jamaica National Day 

  Croatian Victory Day or Dan Domovinske zahvalnosti 

 (similar to a Thanksgiving Day) 

 Russia - End of Kursk operation (1943) 
No update today.  I've been busy over the past few days getting a modest little $300 above ground pool set up for my kids.

Fightertown Decals has some more info about their plans for the IPMS US Nationals at VA Beach including the Fightertown Girls that will be working the Fightertown Decals Tables at the Nationals as well as all the details of the website sale!!!

Monday,   Aug 4  2008

  Burkina Faso National Day 

IPMS US Nationals begin Wednesday!!!!

Fightertown Decals is having a website sale for everyone not able to make it to IPMS US Nationals at VA Beach.  Also if you click the image to the left you can see the Fightertown Girls that will be working the Fightertown Decals Tables at the Nationals as well as all the details of the website sale!!!


Philippe Dognon is here today with Part 1 of his 1/48 Scratchbuilt CH-54A Tarhe.  This article ran already on ARC, but part 2 will be on ARC tomorrow and I thought it would be good to run Part 1 today to refresh your memory.  The detail on this Skycrane leaves me in awe.


Michel Vallet has done a marvelous job finishing his 1/72 Fujimi MiG-21 Bis.  Michel added some scratchbuilt detail to the cockpit on his MiG and finished it off with a darn fine looking camo paint job for the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Air Force.    


Matt Bacon drops by today with something very special.  This is his 1/24 Airfix Spitfire Vb done up with scratchbuilt detail and a first class paint and weathering job.  It really is a treat to see this big old kit done up to this high level of perfection.  


Nikos Zorotheos is here with his 1/48 Hasegawa F-16C Aggressor.  The Aggressor schemes are the most popular paint schemes among modelers and after seeing Nikos' F-16.....I can see why.  Nikos added a resin cockpit and a careful amount of weathering to finish off his F-16.  It does look great!!   


Paolo Yuen joins us today with his 1/72 Hobby Boss A-7H Corsair II.  This is one of the better looking A-7's I've seen, but I've always enjoyed seeing Tiger Meet jets and Paolo did his Corsair II up very well. 

Sunday,    Aug 3  2008 

Greg Leszczynski (lgl007) is a bit of an expert on building the 1/48 Eduard Mirage 2000N and you'll understand this when you read his detailed article about the tricks to building this kit.  Of course Greg turned out a stunning model of the Mirage 20000N with weathering, extra scratchbuilt detailing and a full weapons load.


Mark L. Rossmann has a touch of history with his sub-hunting 1/48 Accurate Miniatures TBM-3.  Mark tells the story of the sub hunting Avengers and some info on painting his Avenger.  Beautifully done Mark.   

Saturday,
Aug 2  2008

  Former Yugoslavian Republic of Macedonia  National Day 

Micah Reysio-Cruz starts today with his well done 1/72 Academy F-51D.   Micah built his Mustang as a Korean War bird with a carefully done bare metal finish with some scratchbuilt details and weathering.  


Petit James joins us with his  1/48 Hobbycraft Skyhawk A-4q.  This is an Argentine Skyhawk finished off with RBF tags and weathering to bring this Skyhawk to life.   

Friday,   Aug 1  2008

  Benin Independence Day 

  Switzerland - Foundation of the Swiss Confederation 

A new ARC Group Build began today.  This is the Gone But Not Forgotten Group Build and will last from Aug1, 08 to Feb 1, 09.  This Group Build is for A/C and or Squadrons that have been Retired, Disestablished, Cadred, or that were Planned but never stood up. from Korea til Nowadays.

Dan Parsons starts today with his special article titled 'Have Guns...will Dance'.  Dan has built the 1/72 Academy F-86E Sabre and the 1/72 KOPRO MIG-15 in an in-flight diorama with baremetal finish and colourful markings.  And you must check out the special hand signal the F-86 pilot is giving the MiG pilot. 


Ben Z. Nielsen has been busy scratchbuilding details on his big 1/35 Scale Academy UH-1C Huey Gunship.  Look closely at the photos and you'll see Ben added plenty of detail and then finished off his Huey with sharksmouth markings for a chopper in Vietnam.   


Franz Galli had a heck of a challenging time with his 1/48 Academy Mirage IIIR.  As I read his article I couldn't help but think of certain kits that have frustrated me in the past.  But Franz did get his Mirage IIIR finished with scratchbuilt details and an excellent looking paint job in great looking camo colours.


Gary Wiley is here with a sharp looking model of one of the top fighters from the Pacific theatre during WW2.  This is Gary's 1/48 Tamiya F4F-4 Wildcat built mostly out of the box with the addition of  a resin seat to dress up the detail in the cockpit.   


Andy Davies is here with something very unique.  This is his 1/200 Revell Boeing 2707-100 SST which is an aircraft I've never heard of until now.  Andy did a stunning job on this 40 year old model.