Good morning!
It's rainy and windy, but it's a holiday week, so plenty of time to model. :-)
On Sunday we had the MKB meeting, and I'm happy to say my T-2 Buckeye was deemed worthy of a bronze medal (or more precisely: a bronze helmet). I entered the model in the Advanced category of 1/48 planes, so I'm very happy with the honour.
Model and award are now in my shop window, so everyone can admire it here. :-)
My Bergepanther did not win any prizes, but considering the competition that's no wonder. The craftsmanship (dare I say artisanship?) on display was certainly very impressive. I can only encourage anyone interested in the scale modelling hobby to visit an event to meet fellow modellers and take inspiration from the works there.
The next event is very close by: April 19th the Duffel club is organizing a modelling day at Den Biet, Naalstraat 43F, 2570 Duffel, from 10 until 17. I will be there with a small stand, everyone is welcome to visit.
So, the Bergepanther. I think it's as good as finished.
I sprayed some matt varnish over the superstructure, then treated the tarp to a layer of Light Dust pigment and painted some smudges of Fresh Engine Oil and Fuel Stains to dirty it up. Maybe it could use some more... Here's a top view:
I also opened up the driver's visor and installed the MG on the front.
I'm thinking about adding some human figures and putting everything in a small diorama, but that's for the future.
Space King figures are very nearly finished. I used a sharpened toothpick and some black oil paint to add pupils to Chestnut's eyes:
He's the only one who has pupils in his helmet lenses, the others received a small highlight, added with white oils.
Space King marines use pink laser weapons, so I painted the inside face of the big barrels in a pinkish colour, then tried to add a 'glowy' illusion using a wash of very thinned white oil paint.
As you can see, Bryce's shoulder insignia still need their final yellow colour, and his 'eyes' need a highlight.
As for the bases, I'd been thinking how to paint them, until I saw there's a kind of swirly, snaky pattern molded in the top. New idea: prime black, spray gold, sand/scrape off the gold from the very top and end up with a black pattern over a gold base. Finish it with a gloss coat to represent a gaudy spaceship floor.
I think it worked out very nicely:
To be perfectly honest, I feel the other way round would have been even better. Black floor, gold pattern; but I didn't feel up to the incredibly precise job of sanding off the black topcoat. One too many scrapes and you're right back down to black...
On the Ford Focus front: nothing to report. The body shell will need several more applications of
primer and
Satin White before I'm able to add the decals...
Meanwhile, I've been working in secret on two new projects.
First off: the
Dora Wings Bloch M.B.152. It's a very interesting subject of a pre/early-World War II French fighter plane, made by Marcel Bloch (who after the war adopted the name Dassault, after the nom de guerre of his Resistance general brother). The kit is okay-ish, but it lacks location points and as a result needs very careful assembly. The pilot seat is made of photo-etch and there is no plastic alternative in the kit. Looks good, though:
I'll finish it as a Vichy plane, with the striking yellow-red markings, but I do expect a bit of a struggle going forward...
At the same time I'm building another plane, this one the
Special Hobby AJ37 Viggen. I've always had a soft spot for Swedish aircraft. I've built the
Tunnan and
Draken in the past and I still have a L
ansen and
Gripen in my stash. All Saab planes, (mostly) designed, engineered and built in Sweden, a relatively small country on the world stage. As a neutral country, the Swedes found it imperative to be able to provide for their own defense material.
I've got a lot of after-market stuff for this one. Cockpit PE, metal pitot tubes and most importantly: paint masks for the famous (and notoriously difficult) splinter camouflage.
Still in the cockpit stage at the moment:
I think that's all for now.
See you next week!
