Revell 1/125 Type VIIB U-Boat U-99 built.

My first submarine model.

Revell 1/144 VIIC/41. Modified to depict Alberich covered U-480, one of Hitler's stealth subs. Modifications to kit include induction piping added to conning tower to schnorkel, Scratch built flak 38 quad anti aircraft gun on rear wintergarden.

Part of a D-Day anniversary Group build on the Britmodeller forum.

Type VIIC U-Boat, U-480. coated with Alberich, 9th Flotilla, 2nd patrol. Departed Brest 3/8/14, Arrived Trondheim 4/10/44. Was in position approx 15 miles SW of Isle of White on 10th August 1944. Sunk the following day SE of Isle of White; i) HMCS Alberni, corvette 21/8/44, ii) HMS Loyalty, minesweeper 22/8/44. iii) British merchant Fort Yale 23/8/44. iv) British merchant Orminster 25/8/44.

The U-480 now lies SW off the Isle of Wight as a war grave, as sunk on its third patrol by a minefield laid over its stalking ground between its 2nd and 3rd patrols, recently identified in 1998 by Innes McCartney in National Geographic Documentary after being discovered in 1997 by accident by a team of divers.

Revell 1/144 Type XXI U-boat Wilhelm Bauer research submarine.

Originally U-2540 which was raised after being sunk, refurbished and put into service testing new weapons systems, then sold to the German maritime museum, who restored it back to its original configuration and is now on display at Wilmhaven in Germany.

Hobbyboss 1/350 PLAN Kilo 877, Peoples Liberation Army Navy (Russian export) Kilo.

Revell 1/400 SSBN Typhoon, 2002 edition.

Built OOB, cold war speculation model re release of original 1990 issue minus sonar bulge on nose. Revised decals including waterline decals. Of note colour scheme and actual model far cry from reality, propellers in shrouds to highlight just a few of the discrepancies.

Horizon 1/6 Michael Keaton, Batman from 1989 movie.

My first venture into Vinyl and acrylics, with fabric cape.

SSN 571 USS Nautilus, Nautilus Class SSN, the world's first nuclear powered submarine, 1/700 Hobbyboss Kit

SSN 772 USS Greenville, Los Angeles Class Flight III SSN, 1/700 Hobbyboss Kit

SSN 688 USS Los Angeles, Los Angeles Class Flight I SSN, 1/700 Hobbyboss Kit

SSN 711 USS San Francisco, Los Angeles Class Flight II SSN, 1/700 Hobbyboss Kit

SSN 23 USS Jimmy Carter, Seawolf Class SSN, 1/700 Hobbyboss Kit

SSN 21 USS Seawolf, Seawolf Class SSN, 1/700 Hobbyboss Kit

SSN 774 USS Virginia, Virginia Class Block I SSN 1/700 OKB Grigorov Kit.

Block I boats were built in 10 modules with each submarine requiring roughly 7 years (84 months) to build

Block II boats were built in four sections rather than ten sections, saving about $300 million per boat. Block II boats (excluding SSN-778) were also built under a multi-year procurement agreement as opposed to a block-buy contract in Block I, enabling savings in the range of $400 million ($80 million per boat). As a result of improvements in the construction process, New Hampshire (SSN-778) was 500 million USD cheaper, required 3.7 million fewer labor hours to build (25% less) thus shortening the construction period by 15 months (20% less) compared to USS Virginia (SSN-774).

SSN 784 USS North Dakota, Virginia Class Block III SSN 1/700 OKB Grigorov Kit with masts added.

SSN 784 through approximately SSN 791 are planned to make up the Third Block or "Flight" and began construction in 2009. Block III subs feature a revised bow with a Large Aperture Bow (LAB) sonar array, as well as technology from Ohio-class SSGNs (2 VLS tubes each containing 6 missiles). The horseshoe-shaped LAB sonar array replaces the spherical main sonar array which has been used on all U.S. Navy SSNs since 1960. The LAB sonar array is water-backed—as opposed to earlier sonar arrays which were air-backed—and consists of a passive array and a medium-frequency active array. Compared to earlier Virginia class submarines about 40% of the bow has been redesigned.

JMSDF Oyashio, Oyashio Class SSK, 1/700 Hobbyboss Kit

SS 212 USS Gato, Gato Class SS, 1/700 Hobbyboss Kit

Predator from original Predator film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Predator played by Kevin Peter Hall. Model 1/6 vinyl, manufacturer unknown.

Picked up at a car boot, painted in two tone metallic for 50p, stripped paint and re painted as per film version.

Shadow Ship, Warp resin model.

Ship from the TV series Babylon 5. Very brittle and a modelling challenge

White Star (shadow killer) cruiser from the TV Sci-Fi series Babylon, Warp 1/750th scale.

The Interstellar Alliances main warship, combining Minbari and Vorlon technology in a hybrid ship, equipped with jump engines unheard of in a ship this small. Able to create its own jump point into hyperspace. This ship first appeared in series 3. The kit is by Warp and is a resin and white metal construction, painted with metallic acrylic paints. The paint job is by hairy stick and acrylic marker, with a fine coat of silver over the top to tone down some of the colours. A note for modellers this model is very brittle and requires some careful handling while building and afterwards.

Anubis Guard from Stargate Movie. MRC 1/9th scale.

The Anubis headpiece is used to deceive humans into believing he is a god serving Ra. The model is in injection moulded plastic, brush painted in enamels, some custom mixed for the right colour. The tarnished gold appearance was achieved by successive washes of green thinned paint, 3 in total to get the desired effect after freezing the DVD copy of the movie on my PC to study the real thing.

Stinger - one man submarine from the TV series Seaquest DSV. Monogram 1/20th scale.

The model is injection moulded plastic, brush painted in enamels. A nice build OOB the only spoiler are the two lights either side of the pilots head, these never appeared in the show, the pilot had unrestricted view in the TV show. I chose to leave them as the kit due to location marks on the canopy which would have been evident had they been left off.

Robby the Robot from the Movie Forbidden Planet, holding Altaira. Polar lights, 1/12th scale.

Altaira is by Jimmy Flinstone USA. Robby is injection moulded plastic, Altaira is solid resin.

The Pose never occurred in the movie, only on the film poster ( pretty girl in arms of robot, come and see the movie, typical 50’s marketing). Brush painted with enamels, Altaira’s dress based on dress in end of the movie, she required some slight remodelling to achieve this, as the model had earrings and the dress sash didn't quite match. After completing this kit with the aftermarket Altaira, Polar Lights re released it with an Altaira figure based on the movie poster.

USS Sturgeon, SSN 637, 1/700 resin model with photo etch propellers by OKB Grigorov of Bulgaria

USS Sturgeon, SSN 637 was launched on 26 February 1966. She was the lead boat in the new Sturgeon class, replacing the Permit Class SSN. She served from 1968 to 1994 at the height of the cold war.

USS Parche, SSN 685, 1/700 resin model with photo etch propellers by OKB Grigorov of Bulgaria

USS Parche, SSN 685 was launched on 13th January 1973 as a long hull sturgeon. During her career, Parche was involved in recovering Soviet missile fragments from the seabed following test launches. Much of her operational history was spent undertaking missions of a clandestine nature, and as of late 2009, a vast majority of the missions undertaken remain classified.​

From 1987 to 1991, Parche underwent an extended refuelling overhaul at Mare Island Naval Shipyard during which she was modified for research and development work. A 100-foot (30 m) – long extension was added to her hull just forward of her sail. The added section was flat-topped (looking somewhat like the missile deck of a ballistic missile submarine) and provided the space required to support a larger crew and additional equipment. These additions included an extensive array of signals intelligence collecting antennas, electronics gear, and other navigational and ocean engineering equipment. The overhaul also added many auxiliary navigational and maneuvering features, including both upward and forward-facing short-range sonars, and a suite of armored spotlights and closed-circuit television cameras for under-ice operations.

As of 2007, Parche was said to be "the most highly decorated vessel in U.S. history", receiving a total of nine Presidential Unit Citations and ten Navy Unit Commendations. The submarine also received thirteen Navy Expeditionary Medals during her thirty years of service. She served from 1974 to 2004 at the height of the Cold War.

USS Archerfish, SSN 678, 1/700 resin model with photo etch propellers by OKB Grigorov of Bulgaria

USS Archerfish, SSN 678 was launched on 16th January 1971. She was the first of the Long Hull Sturgeon sub class, being some 10m (30 ft) longer than the original Sturgeon class affording more room for crew and equipment. She served from 1971 to 1998 at the height of the Cold War.

USS SSN-21 Seawolf submarine, Trumpeter, 1/144th scale.

USS Seawolf, painted in humbrol enamels, of note those wishing to tackle this model the two body halves are not the same length, the trick is to align the rear end of the halves and glue one side a bit at a time, then starting at the rear on the second side repeat the operation, this should leave you about 1mm to fill between the nosecone and the body on one side. Forewarned is forearmed in this case, there are some horror stories out there about this kit. This being really the only issue with the kit other than a set of decals to apply to the masts, which I discarded in favour of just painting them, a lot easier than fiddling with decals around a shaped mast.

USS SEAWOLF was the first ship of a revolutionary new class of fast attack submarines. Originally this class should consist of 29 submarines but just three boats were authorized. USS SEAWOLF is the third ship of the Navy to bear this name. The name comes from a solitary fish with strong, prominent teeth and projecting tusks which give it a savage look. Launched and Christened: June 24, 1995. It is said that SEAWOLF is quieter at its tactical speed of 25 knots than a LOS ANGELES - class submarine pierside. The name of this ship was never officially confirmed because the name was given by Admiral Watkins who wanted to return to the old tradition that attack submarines should be named after animals living in the oceans. But he was not authorized to do that because the names of ships are announced by a SECNAV Instruction. Another mistake is the ship’s number, SSN 21. This number was created by Vice Admiral N. Thunman. He said that the submarine for the 21st century should be named SSN 21. By doing so he made the mistake that every ship’s number can only be given once and the number "21" was already given in 1912.

"2001 A Space Odyssey". Spaceship Discovery & Monolith with Apeman. Comet Miniatures.

The discovery was a comet miniatures release multi-media kit consisting of brass tubing, white metal container pods, engine exhausts and antenna with solid resin command module and engine module. All glued with superglue and painted with humbrol enamels. Cross hairs on the antennas added in fusewire. A challenging build as all the containers had to be individually glued and positioned on the brass tube. Main joints had to be pinned for added support. A very heavy kit when built, needed both ends supporting.

The base is a garage kit from Portugal bought on ebay, its solid resin consisting of base monolith and five pieces for the apeman, all mounted on the top of an ovaltine container. Painted with humbrol enamels and a coating of pva on the base with a sprinkling of scenery powder. The base had to be filled with polyfilla to counteract the weight of the discovery, main support arm on the right is 3mm dia steel rod, the additional front support is 3mm dia acrylic rod both painted black.

Type A Ko-hyoteki IJN Midget Submarine (Pearl Harbor). Finemolds, 1/72 scale.

This is a beautiful model with even the welded seams recreated in the mouldings. To finish the model you need to add some plastic rod for the rear stabilisers, to the rudder and planes and also something to recreate the rigging (I used 2lb fishing line). There were no fit issues and no filling needed, the only join that had to disappear was the front torpedo tube moulding attached to the main body. This was achieved easily with a little sanding. The model included markings for various deployments and with a little digging I discovered that the five submarines involved in the attack on Pearl Harbor had their markings removed. The diorama was built on a base I already had, adding wooden posts and aquarium backing bought from Europe and trimmed to suit. The seabed was created using Wilko all purpose filler, profiled with a dessert spoon, then given a coat of PVA glue and sprinkled with scenery sand.

This is an abridged history regarding the attack on Pearl Harbor ... For a number of years many believed that Japanese mini-submarines successfully attacked the Pacific Fleet based at Pearl Harbor on December 7th 1941. Researchers such as Burl Burlingame now believe that the following happened: five mini-submarines carried piggyback-style by normal submarines approached Pearl Harbor to within a couple of miles of the harbour entrance. All five mini-subs were released to approach their targets.
- Mini-sub #1 was sunk by ‘USS Ward’ and did not fire either of its two torpedoes.
- Mini-sub #2 got into Pearl Harbor and fired its two torpedoes. Both missed their targets, but Number 2 was then sunk by two American warships.
- Mini-sub #3 ran aground and did not fire either of its two torpedoes. Its surviving crew member became the first Japanese POW.
- Mini-sub #4 was found in 1960 with both its torpedoes still on board. It now stands outside of the Japanese Naval Academy.
- Mini-sub #5 remained a mystery as to what it did and what happened to it. However, a submariner explorer based in Hawaii, Terry Kirby, believes that he has now solved the mystery. He claims to have found the remains of #5 three miles from Pearl Harbor. Lying on the sea floor, the remains of the mini-submarine are in three parts. Kirby also found that its two torpedoes were missing from #5 and presumably had been fired. If one hit ‘USS West Virginia’ what happened to the other? Survivors on the ‘USS Arizona’ claimed that they saw a torpedo trail heading towards their ship. With twice the explosive capacity of a torpedo carried by an aircraft, a successful impact would have been obvious. So what happened? The clue to this may be found in a Congressional report by Admiral Nimitz on the attack on Pearl Harbor that stated that an unexploded 1000 lb torpedo had been recovered – Japanese torpedo bombers carried 500 lb torpedoes. Therefore, though survivors may have seen a familiar torpedo trail, it seems as if the torpedo itself did not explode.

HMS Astute – HMS Astute is the lead boat in the Trafalgar class replacement, being built from 2001, a total of 7 boats are ordered with the seventh long lead items already ordered.

In 2012, during simulated battles with the United States Navy latest Virginia Class submarine USS New Mexico, it was reported that the Americans were "taken aback" by Astute's capabilities. Royal Navy Commander Iain Breckenridge was quoted saying: “Our sonar is fantastic and I have never before experienced holding a submarine at the range we were holding USS New Mexico. The Americans were utterly taken aback, blown away with what they were seeing.

The model is by OKB Grigorov and is at 1/700 scale and made of resin parts, painted in humbrol matt and satin enamels.

HMS Upholder – the Upholder class was Britians last conventional diesel/battery powered submarine, 4 boats being made between 1989 & 1993 SSK.

All Upholders were sold to Canada in 1998 leaving the Royal Navy with only nuclear powered submarines.

The model is by OKB Grigorov and is at 1/700 scale and made of resin parts, painted in humbrol matt and satin enamels.

HMS Oberon Modernised– the Oberon class was upgraded with improved sonar on the bow and the original 3 bladed propellers replaced with 5 bladed propellers.

The Oberon class was arguably the best conventional submarine class of its time, with an astonishing reputation for quietness that allowed it to exist into the late 20th century until replaced by newer classes. HMS Onyx served during the Falklands War, being the only Royal Navy conventional submarine involved.

The model is by OKB Grigorov and is at 1/700 scale and made of resin parts and photo etch, painted in humbrol matt enamels.

HMS Conqueror – the Churchill class were externally the same as the Valiant class, the differences being internal upgraded systems and sound deadening applied. 3 boats being built between 1967 & 1971, HMS Churchill, HMS Conqueror & HMS Courageous, all hunter killers SSN.

HMS Conqueror is recognised for the sinking of the Argentinian battleship Belgrano during the falklands conflict with a ww2 vintage torpedo. Of note HMS Churchill was the first Royal Navy submarine to be fitted with rubber anechoic tiles in 1980 which greatly increased the submarines stealth capabilities.

The model is by OKB Grigorov and is at 1/700 scale and made of resin parts and photo etch, painted in humbrol matt and satin enamels.

HMS Vanguard – the Vanguard class was the replacement for the Resolution class missile boats, being fitted with the Trident missile system. 4 boats were built between 1986 & 1995 SSBN. They carry 16 trident missiles, each with 14 individually targeted nuclear warheads, this is Britains current nuclear deterent.

The model is by OKB Grigorov and is at 1/700 scale and made of resin parts, painted in humbrol matt and satin enamels.

HMS Valiant- the Valiant class was a direct development from Britians first Nuclear powered submarine HMS Dreadnought, built between 1962 & 1967, with two boats being built, HMS Valiant and HMS Warspite, their primary role was as hunter killers SSN, in 1980 they were retrofitted with the harpoon missile system.

The model is by OKB Grigorov and is at 1/700 scale and made of resin parts and photo etch, painted in humbrol matt enamels.

HMS Turbulent – the Trafalgar class were built between 1979 & 1989 as a replacement for the Swiftsure class, with 6 boats being built, the lead boat HMS Trafalgar had a conventional propeller, HMS Turbulent was the first of this class to be fitted with a propulser (similar to a ducted fan), it is unclear if Trafalgar was retrofitted with one. These are in service today but gradually being phased out by their replacement.

The model is by OKB Grigorov and is at 1/700 scale and made of resin parts, painted in humbrol matt and satin enamels.

HMS Oberon – the Oberon class was built between 1957 & 1963, being diesel/battery powered patrol submarines primarily tasked as hunter killers SSK with a reported capability of being able to dive to a 1000 feet, with a total of 13 boats being made.

The model is by OKB Grigorov and is at 1/700 scale and made of resin parts and photo etch, painted in humbrol matt enamels.

HMS Resolution- The resolution class was britains first ballistic missile submarine carrying the Polaris missile system, 4 boats HMS Resolution, HMS Revenge, HMS Repulse & HMS Renown SSBN being built between 1964 & 1969.

The model is by OKB Grigorov and is at 1/700 scale and made of resin parts and photo etch, painted in humbrol matt and satin enamels.

Vickers Viscount 800 - S&M Models, 1/144th scale.

My 6 Month Challenge 2015 entry. Is it a plane, is it a submarine or both? You decide. It was great fun making it from the kit provided by Tony

Bane – Dragon, 1/9 scale.

Bane was played by Tom Hardy in the film The Dark KnIght Rises, the last of the Christopher Nolan Batman Trilogy.

The kit uses a rubbery type plastic material that was a push fit assembly with a little glue added for good measure. The figure was painted in humbrol enamels, the flesh was custom mixed to match photos of real character, with various dry brushes and mixing to achieve the finish. An enjoyable build of something a little different, no fit issues and detailed enough to pick out buckles, laces etc.

Type IIB (Late 1943) U-Boat by ICM. 1/144th scale.

This was built OOB with scratch built handrailing from 0.5mm dia. plastic rod and 2lb fishing line. The rigging was also fishing line with No. 8 fishing weights for insulators. The model was hand painted and weathered with humbrol enamels, with the exception of Tamiya rust weathering powder used in places. Sadly this kit was lacking all the parts to build as per instructions due to an oversight by ICM of not including all the parts needed on the sprues provided. This I did get confirmed by e-mail from ICM, fortunately Chairman Dave came to the rescue by giving me Revell's reboxed earlier version which had the parts I needed to complete this model.

The U-boat depicted is the U-23 with an enlarged wintergarten behind the conning tower with an additional anti-aircraft gun.
She was launched, 28 Aug 1936 and was scuttled at 2210hrs on 10 September 1944 in the Black Sea, north of Agra, Turkey, in position 41.11N, 30.00E. During her career, Unlike many other U-boats, which during their service lost men due to accidents and various other causes, U-23 did not suffer any casualties (we know of) until the time of her loss. She was captained by 11 different commanders, a number of whom were german cross in gold holders as well as Knights Cross holder Otto Kretschmer, who went on to command U-99 (the golden horseshoe).

7 Feb 2008: the 3 boats, U-19, U-20 & U-23,have been located. They are reported to be in excellent condition and are currently recorded dive sites.

X-craft by Merit. 1/35th scale.

This is a modified build of Merit's X-Craft, incorporating Eduard photo-etch and scratch built components to accurately depict one of the first batch of X-craft, X5 to X10 which were used in “Operation Source” in an attempt to sink the Tirpitz. The figures are Italeri 1/35 MTB crew, the one with the aldis lamp is out of the box, the other is a modified figure to depict the craft's commander. The model was hand painted using humbrol enamels.

Further details about this model can be found by clicking on this link X-Craft Build Notes.

Alien Wall Plaque in resin, scale approx. 1/6, painted in humbrol enamels with effects using Kristal clear.

Alien (1979) directed by Ridley Scott, was his first outing into science fiction films, it was also Sigourney Weavers first role as a leading lady. The alien was designed by H.R. Giger a Swiss sculpture renowned for his bio-mechanical designs.

HMS Dreadnought SSN in 1/700 by OKB Grigorov in resin and photo etch, painted in humbrol enamels.

The seventh HMS Dreadnought was the United Kingdoms first nuclear powered submarine, built by Vickers Armstrongs at Barrow-in-Furness. Launched by Queen Elizabeth II on Trafalgar day 1960 and commissioned into service with the Royal Navy in April 1963, she continued in service until 1980. The submarine was powered by a S5W reactor, a design made available as a direct result of the 1958 US-UK Mutual defence Agreement.

SSRN Seaview and giant octopus, Polar Lights, 1/300th scale / Papo.

This is the re-issue of the original Aurora 8 window movie version of the Seaview, by Polar Lights. It is painted in humbrol enamels OOB, surprisingly for an older mould there was very few fit issues requiring filler. The only real issue was the window fit being snug one side and proud the other. The Papao giant octopus was added in homage to the TV series, which made at least one appearance during the 4 seasons of the show. Great fun, I remember building this as a youngster, many many moons ago.

Russian Project 941 Akula, NATO name “Typhoon SSBN”, modified Alanger model, 1/350th scale.

This is my accurised version of a Typhoon ballistic missile submarine, referring to reference material available on the net and a National Geographic documentary, "Megastructures – Breaking up the Biggest (Typhoon)". The Typhoon is the world's largest submarine produced at the height of the cold war. The kit came with no decals and was slightly distorted, so with some careful glueing the two main halves were straightened out. Two towed array feeder tubes were added down the sides, from the front of the sail and faired into the rear fins. The two escape capsules were scribed either side of the sail. The colour scheme was deduced from various photos and video, with the red only being applied at the sonar arrays and to mark the rear shrouded propellers area. She was painted in humbrol enamels and given a satin cote to finish.

Type VIIC U-boat, U-479. Hobbyboss, 1/350th scale.

U-479 was a type VIIC u-boat, laid down in Kiel on 19 November 1942 and launched 14th August 1943. The boat began her service career as part of the 5th u-boat flotilla for training, before moving to the 8th flotilla for operations. She sank no ships during her career, but on 18 July 1944 U-479 torpedoed and damaged the Soviet submarine-chaser MO-304 in Vyborg bay.

1st patrol: Her first foray proper saw her depart Helsinki on 13 July 1944, arrive at Esplanade (on the southern Finnish coast) on 25 July and move back to Helsinki on 1 August.

2nd and 3rd patrols: Her second and third sorties were both launched from Helsinki in August and were uneventful.

4th patrol: The submarine's fourth patrol was only different from her second and third efforts in that it terminated at Danzig, (now Gdansk).
Loss.

The U-boat was sunk by a Soviet naval mine in the Gulf of Finland on 27 November 1944 and found in the summer of 2014 in position 59°20′N 23°10′E.

The model is a modified Type VIIC u-boat kit. She is hand painted in humbrol enamels and rigged with fuse wire. The modifications were a scratch built rear wintergarten and gun added behind the conning tower’s existing wintergarten. This was a very fiddly build, but enjoyable. The level of detail on the hobbyboss kits at this scale is very nicely done.

Underwater Demolition Team boat and frogmen. Monogram / Revell, 1/35th scale.

This is the 1967 Monogram / Revell release built OOB into a 150mm (6 inch) square vignette with overhang. Painted mainly in enamels with acrylic paint used for the sea colouring. The UDT were the forerunners of the US Navy Seals. The fish in the vignette are by Manta miniatures, supplied cast in resin and unpainted.

Batmissile. AMT, 1/25th scale.

The Batmissile is from the movie "Batman Returns". It is painted in Humbrol enamels.

Romulan Warbird, AMT, 1/4064 scale.

This the Romulan Warbird from the TV series Star Trek - The Next Generation. Painted and weathered in Humbrol enamels and fluorescant paint used to highlight engine clear panels. The model required a lot of filler to the trailing edges and neck joints. Windows effect created by a light drill touch to model surface exposing lighter base coat.

Batwing, AMT, 1/25th scale, from the 1989 "Batman" movie.

This is the original release, it goes together well with little to no filler. Brush painted in Humbrol enamels and a satin clear cote.
Of note, the original stand is not up to the job and had to be reinforced with a pair of acrylic rods. This has been taken care of with AMT’s recent re-release of the kit which consists of a metal rod to support the model.

Batwing, Revell, 1/25th scale from the "Batman Forever" movie.

It goes together well with little or no filler. Brush painted in Humbrol enamels and a dry brushing of blue acrylic paint over the chrome. The original stand is not up to the job and had to be replaced with a pair of acrylic rods. It states 1/25th scale, but by comparison with the original Batwing it seems a very cramped cockpit!!

Model diorama of Japanese temple/shrine based on Asukura Temple by Fujimi, with 1/700 Eduard photo etched & coloured figures (Air carrier figures), magnifying glass required!

The model is hand painted in Humbrol enamels (no masking – so don’t look too close lol), with ground texture done with flat bladed screwdriver.

Grundhai DSV, Schatton-modelbau, 1/72nd scale.

This is a model of a WW2 German project that did not make it off the drawing board. She was designed to dive to a depth of 1000m and crawl along the seabed. There where several ideas behind her purpose. One was to attach cables to sunken u-boats to re-claim them for the reich as an alternative to building new ones. The other was to cut underwater telephone cables, cutting off allied communication. Due to the advance of the war, none were ever built.

The model was resin and hand painted in Humbrol enamels with a satin clear cote on top, the base was scratch built from plasticard and scribed with a sharp knife.

USS Triton SSRN 586, OKB Grigorov resin and etch kit, 1/700th scale.

The USS Triton was the first submarine to circumnavigate the world submerged (Operation Sandblast in 1960), following Magellan’s original course. Taking photos through the periscope as she went, scaring some native fisherman in the process. She only broke surface once, leaving the hull awash with just the sail above water, just enough to evacuate a crewman needing urgent life-saving surgery. She is still the only Western submarine ever fitted with twin nuclear reactors. Originally designed as a radar picket, the role was short-lived as after two years the role was taken over by carrier based AEW planes. She was re-designated SSN with the distinctive hump at the rear removed which housed the radar and became the COMSUBLANT Flagship.

The model was hand painted in Humbrol enamels with the addition of 1/700 Eduard pre coloured photo etch carrier crew to show crew on deck at the end of her historic voyage with flag raised on a fuse wire periscope.

Sherman Tank, Meng World War Toons, no scale!

Lovely model, snap fit, great fit and no filling with rubber tracks and great fun.
Hand painted in Humbrol enamels with a light dry brushing of Tamiya weathering powder.

AMT k7 Space station fron Star Trek TOS, required a lot of sanding and filling as a rereleased original Aurora mould.
Hand painted in humbrol enamels
The visitors are AMT 1/2500 TOS set comprising the original USS Enterprise, Klingon D7 and Romulan Warbird.
All hand painted in enamels, each comes with a comprehensive set of decals.

The model is based on TOS episode "The trouble with Tribbles" the Romulan Warbird did not appear in this episode but was a nice inclusion.

Leonardo Da Vinci one man submarine, based on his sketches, approx. 1/16 scale.
Leonardo da Vinci himself said that because it was a lethal weapon, it must not fall into enemy hands. This may be another reason why instead of drawing the final project, he drew it disassembled and in a way that makes it difficult to understand. A boat with sails has a part that is submerged in the water and invisible to enemies. The pilot used a passage to get into the lower part undercover: the Mechanical Submarine. A pulley and rope system lowers the submarine, which can unhook itself underwater and proceed invisibly towards the enemy. The submarine has two air chambers, which can be used for steering and for air needed by the pilot, who has a mouthpiece. Steering underwater is done by means of a mechanical system.

The model was handpainted in acrylics with a black wash to give a more wooden look and enhance the surface detail of the kit.

Romulan Valdore from Star Trek Nemisis. This is a Larsens designs model that needed a little work to more accurately depict the valdore, scale unknown.
Hand painted in enamels.

USS Enterprise NCC-1701 refit 1/2500 as appeared in 3 Star Trek films, The motion pictur, Wrath of Khan and the search for Spock.

The kit is from AMT, simple to build but the decals are not for the faint hearted being a total of 41 on a model that is only 130mm long.
Hand painted in humbrol enamels with a clear satin cote to finish.

USS Enterprise NCC-1701-A refit 1/2500 as appeared in 3 Star Trek films, The voyage home, The final frontier and The undiscovered country.

The kit is from AMT, simple to build but the decals are not for the faint hearted being a total of 59 on a model that is only 130mm long.
Hand painted in humbrol enamels with a clear satin cote to finish.

USS Enterprise NCC-1701-B 1/2500 as appeared in the Star Trek film, Generations.

The kit is from AMT, simple to build but the decals are not for the faint hearted being a total of 62 on a model that is only 170mm long.
Hand painted in humbrol enamels with a clear satin cote to finish.

USS Reliant 1/2500 as appeared in the Star Trek film, The Wrath of Khan.

The kit is from AMT, simple to build but the decals are not for the faint hearted being a total of 30 on a model that is only 130mm long.
Hand painted in humbrol enamels with a clear satin cote to finish.

Klingon K'Tinga class cruiser as appeared in the Star Trek films The motion picture.

The kit is from AMT, simple to build but tricky to paint the subtle details on the raised parts.
Hand painted in humbrol enamels with a clear satin cote to finish.

Borg Cube as featured in Star Trek the Next Generation.

Model by Furata with a custom paint job in humbril enamels.

Ferengi Marauder 1/3700 Scale

AMT model painted in humbrol enamels

USS Enterprise NCC-1701-D 1/2500 as appeared in the Star Trek the next Geneartion and the film, Generations.

The kit is from AMT, simple to build but the decals are not for the faint hearted being a total of 72.
Hand painted in humbrol enamels with a clear satin cote to finish.

USS Enterprise NCC-1701-E 1/2500 as appeared in the Star Trek films, First Contact, Insurection & Nemesisi.

The kit is from AMT, simple to build but the decals are not for the faint hearted being a total of 65.
Hand painted in humbrol enamels with a clear satin cote to finish.

Cardassian (no not Kim) Galor Class cruiser 1/2500, from Star Trek next Generation and Deep space Nine.

The kit is from AMT, simple to build but the decals are numerous being a total of 42.
Hand painted in humbrol enamels with a clear satin cote to finish.

Klingon Bird of Prey 1/537 as appeared in the Star Trek films, Search for Spock, Generations and TV series.

The kit is from AMT, simple to build but the instructions are a bit vague regarding the wing assembly.
Hand painted in humbrol enamels with a clear satin cote to finish.

USS Enterprise NCC-1701-C 1/2500 as appeared in the Star Trek the next Geneartion.

The kit is from AMT, simple to build but the decals are not for the faint hearted having disentergrated on application, therefore replced with a more accurate set from federation models.

USS Saratoga 1/2500 as appeared in the Star Trek the next Geneartion and the Deep Space Nine.

The kit is from AMT, simple to build but the decals are not for the faint hearted.

USS Defiant 1/2500 as appeared in the Star Trek Deep Space Nine and the film, First Contact.

The kit is from AMT.

Catwoman on the Batpod, from the Dark Knight Rises movie, 1/18 kit by Moebius

This has been built mostly OOB, this was a build i was looking forward too immensely. Having obtained some reference photos to use of the real thing it soon became apparent that Moebius had dropped the ball, despite having the licence.

Heres a list of the inaccuracies found;

1) At the front of the engine is a distinct circular air intake filter, not on the kit you have a pivot tube stickin up!
2) The engine cover/seat fairing is too short on the model, missing a number of fairings off. It actually sits at least a further 6 inches down on the real thing.
3) The steering piston is mounted on an angled offset bracket on the real thing, Moebius have built it on a vertical inline bracket?
4) The air bottle above the steering cylinder has the air gauge on the wrong way round, facing in, not out?
5) There is missing a mounting behind the cannon air cylinders on the front wheel, both sides.
6) The arm protection fairings are missing flutes and some surface detail.

On to the build, this does build up nicely if great care is taken especially with alignment of the front wheel assembly. I did have to cut down the front axle to allow an equal gap either side of the front wheel and cannon fairings.
A nice resin figure of Catwoman is included, this was painted in humbrol enamels. The gloves and boots were painted in gloss black which was too shiny, so i gave them a coat of satin cote to reduce the shine but keep the subtle difference between the satin black body suit.
The face was a mix of humbrol flesh and satin white to match Anne Hathaway's pale appearance. The hair was a brown mix with toothpick applied streaking.
The Batpod was painted in black satin, with silver fairings coated with satin cote to seal the fragile silver finish. With painted chrome for the piston rods, the wheels were rubbed with sandpaper to get the slightly used look.
I decided to just build OOB as i had already made a start, a more accurate version i may attempt in the distant future.

Deep Space Nine (Terok Nor) space station from Star Trek Deep Space Nine TV series.

The model is AMT's 1/2500 kit hand painted in humbrol enamels with The USS Defiant mounted on it.
This kit requires a lot of work in aligning the ring which is in 3 segments and filling the many misalignments.

Terminator 2 Hunter Killer Tank 1/32 OOB kit by Pegasus Hobbies
A challenging build as not normal plastic but ABS requiring to be glued together with superglue. The paint finish was also challenging as i brush paint, not spray. Ended up using 2 coats of humbrol enamel chrome and a flat brush.
Surprisingly i achieved this finish without a primer coat of flat black (which i did try), although i tried a number of paints and methods before the final one.

Type UB-1 WW1 u-boat UB-10 1/144 kit by Mikromir
A nice build, with the flood holes opened out, scratch built ariels and handrail from brass rod. Finished in humbrol enamels

This is Mengs quirky type VII U-boat, OOB

This was a fun build, well fitting snap fit painted in humbrol enamels. For the rivet counters amongst you you will notice there is no rear dive planes LOL