Hawker Fury Mk.I, K5670 / 3, 5 Flying Training School – Airfix, 1/48th scale. OOB build with knit-in elastic rigging.
Some say that the Hawker Fury should only be seen in an all-metal finish. I decided to follow the Alley Cat approach and go for the flight training school scheme of yellow and aluminium metal. The model represents K5670 at 5 FTS, though there’s some interpretation as to the wheel hub colour and the propeller colours. I used Humbrol rattle can aluminium for the metal as a base coat, with Vallejo Chrome overlaid on top. The yellow is Humbrol Trainer Yellow, again from a rattle can. Rigged with knit-in elastic, except for the tail support wire (topside) with is Albion Alloy metal wire. Vallejo Matt Varnish to finish over the home-made decals and kit roundels.
Considering the age of the kit, the fit is not too bad and the decals were really good. The only major problem was the strut arrangement for the fuselage to upper wing which I couldn’t get to work without breaking and re-aligning.

Tiger II Ausf.B with Porsche Turret, Revell, 1/72nd scale.
OOB build with decal spares. Vallejo Model Color Dark Yellow as base and Revell Acrylic #363 - Dark Green for camouflage splodges. Tracks done with a Vallejo Flat Brown / Natural Steel mix. Weathering: Artist pastels mixed with Humbrol Decal Fix and applied as washes. The Pz.Kp.(FKL) 316 (attached to Pz.Lehr Div.) had 5 Porsche turreted King Tigers numbered 02, 11, 13, 10 and 12. I chose "11" for its seemingly unusual paint scheme, added to the fact there are some reference photos. I suspect, however, that they further illustrate I'm further from the historical truth than even I envisaged. Tiger experts will notice immediately that the Zimmerit is missing, among other errors!
The tracks took a while - again. General fit was very good and no problems. Quick to construct, but hard to find colour schemes for the 50 tanks that were deployed with this turret. As with the Tiger I.

Royal Navy Tow Tractor, Skunkmodels Workshop, 1/48th scale.
OOB build (minus the deck crew) and representing a tow tractor from the early 1980s when deployed aboard HMS Hermes and HMS Illustrious in Operation Corporate.
Humbrol Yellow #69 from a rattle can was used for the main colour, with detailing from Vallejo paints including Black-Grey, Flat Red, Flat Brown, Andrea Blue, Chrome and Natural Metal. Artist Pastels used for weathering. Some home made decals for the extinguisher, "dashboard" and red tank on driver's left. It's difficult to get all four wheels to sit correctly on the floor without some messing about and the tyres are a very poor fit and require a lot of work to sort out the seams. The kit instructions require some proof reading and there are none for the deck crew, but they do come on their own little sprue sections. Crew access ladder - Vallejo flat red / black-grey.

Royal Navy Tow Tractor, Skunkmodels Workshop, 1/48th scale.

Again OOB, this being the second complete kit in the box. This time done in the dark green scheme that was used in the late 1980s I believe. Base coat was a Humbrol rattle can Dark Green with Vallejo paints for the detailing as before. Wheels and tyres still a problem. No weathering this time - thought I'd leave it clean!

Avro Lancaster Bomber, Meng Kids, no scale.
A simple snap-together kit designed for kids - of all ages. I replaced the kit decal markings with those of "Dagwood", ND619 / CF.D of 525 Squadron, RAF. This aircraft was one of the survivors of the Nuremberg raid of 30/31 March, 1944, where the RAF lost just over 100 aircraft out of 700 on the raid, there biggest single loss of the whole war.
The nose art "Dagwood" comes from the character Dagwood Bumstead in the Blondie comic strip created by Chic Young in 1930. Painted with Vallejo Model Color - Black, Black-Grey, English Uniform (as Dark Earth) and Humbrol Dark Green from a rattle can. Life Color Silver used on the wheels. Klear + Vallejo Matt Varnish finish. Home made and kit decals.

Hawker Fury Mk.I, K8262 / 3, 8 Flying Training School, Montrose, late 1930s – LifeLike, 1/48th scale.
OOB build with knit-in elastic rigging.
Build alongside the Airfix version, I decided to finish this one in the revised trainer camouflage scheme introduced in the late 1930s in the prelude to World War II. The aircraft represented is a guess based on a photograph of thre flying in formation. It may well be inaccurate in a number of respects to the scheme's pattern and coverage. It's close enough for me.
I used a mixture of Vallejo, Xtracrylic and Humbrol paints - the latter from an aerosol can for the yellow in producing the finish. Knit-in elastic was used for the rigigng and a matt varnish applied to finish. I used a combination of old kit decals, spares and home-made for the markings.

British Airways "Offworld" Space Shuttle & Boeing 747, Hasegawa Eggplane, no scale.
Out-of-the-box build but with a mixture of home-made and kit decals to an entirely fictious theme (at the time, anyway!).
They say never say never, but this is my last eggplane build. Time to stop laying and move onto some boring modelling. I thought I'd end with another dream, that one day British Airways will offer a flight in space, courtesy of some reconditioned NASA Space Shuttles converted to take some Executive Class passengers in the former cargo bay hold. To pay tribute to what many regard as Britain's greatest explorer, the shuttle is named "Capt. James Cook" and the 747 is "Bounty" (serial G-COOK). The old speedbird logo has been resurrected from the logo archives to celebrate this new service.
Vallejo paints, principally White and Intense Blue and a mixture of decals from the kit and made-up at home.

Roland D.Vib, 7502/18 "P132", McCook Field, Dayton Ohio USA, May 1920. Fly Models, 1/48th scale.
An approximation of a Roland D.Vib that was shipped to America after the end of the First World War. It was used as a test bed for experimental camouflage schemes alongside the evaluation of its performance.
I happened to see this scheme on a model and thought I'd have a go at it. I also know some of the basic structure of the kit (e.g. ailerons / tailplane) are also incorrect for this version. It was yet another WW1 model where the instructions for the completion of the cockpit leave a lot to be desired. Outside of that, it went together fairly well, I used a mixture of paints for the scheme including Revell Aqua Hellblau, Aqua Schwarzgrun, Lifecolor Sand and a mix of Vallejo Intense Blue, Flat Red and White for the main scheme, together with Vallejo Chrome. Knit-in elastic was used for the rigging and I produced the decals on an inkjet printer. Vallejo's matt varnish was applied over Humbrol Clear for decals.

Sea Harrier FA.2, N94422 / XZ439, Art Nalls Aviation, 2017 Airshow season scheme. Airfix, 1/48th scale.
I decided to model the Sea Harrier flown by Art Nalls in the USA. At this time, it is the only civilian-owned Harrier that is currently flying. Art Nalls purchased the aircraft in 2006 and performed his first airshow with it in October 2008. Nine years and well over 200 display flights later they are still going strong. Using the Harrier SIG build guide for this kit, I made a number of modifications, most visibly replacing the heat shields. The MB seat has to be replaced, so I used a Stencel seat from and AV-8B together with an old Airfix pilot to represent Art at the controls. It does have some additional markings for Art and his sponsors, thus some home decal making. The paint is Xtracrylix Medium Sea Grey - notably darker than the Humbrol equivalent I used on my other FA2. A few other greys were used to simulate replacement panels and paint aging. Decals came from the Harrier SIG Sea Harrier End of an Era sheet for the RN elements. Vallejo matt varnish was applied to finish. I then added the various additional bumps and blades that now adorn the aircraft.

Dassault Rafale A - Technology Demonstrator, June 1989. Heller, 1/48th scale.
Rafale A, Technology Demonstrator, as seen at the Paris Airshow in June 1989. Rafale translates as "squall". The aircraft finished test flying in 1994 and now resides in the museum at Le Bourget. This aircraft used two General Electric F404-GE-400 engines whereas the production Rafales use home-grown SNECMA M88s. This is an OOB build, I tidied up the intake internals and added weights to the nose. The instructions are not very helpful when it comes to the undercarriage, you'll need some reference images to help. The biggest problem in the end were the decals - many started to break up as they were applied. The stripe that passes just above the canard is also a nightmare to sort out. The paint scheme is the in-house scheme of Dassault and the roundels/squadron badges reflect the intended use of the aircraft by the French Air Force and the French Navy. I sprayed the aircraft with Halfords White Primer and gave it a top coat of Humbrol Gloss White. The Magic missiles were painted with LifeColor FS36320, everything else was Vallejo acrylics, with the Mica missiles being a flat red/ white mix. Decals were from the kit, except for the addition of the tail markings.

SEPECAT Jaguar GR.1A, XZ398/A, 41 Squadron, RAF. Squadron's 75th Anniversary Scheme (1916 - 1991). Revell, 1/48th scale.
Built from the kit parts and decals, substituting the kit ejection seat with a resin one from Omega and using the Xtradecal sheet X012-48 for the anniversary scheme markings. This was a build for the IPMS Special Schemes SIG for our SMW 2017 display. I decided to go with one from 41 Squadron to complement my 41(R) Squadron Harrier. This is not exactly a great kit and the decals aren't as accurate as they might be, but both are now showing their age. The kit instructions take some interpretation, particularly regarding the main undercarriage. I added some plasticard to the intake doors to more accurately represent the aircraft at dispersal. I used Humbrol's Dark Green rattle can and their Dark Sea Grey acrylic paint (brushed) for the main scheme colours. The red is Life Color's Flat Red. Undercarriage bays are painted with Xtracolor's Chromate Yellow and the undercarriage is Vallejo Model Color's USA Grey. I used the kit's decals for the stencils as they were better than the few that were included in the Xtradecal set. I used Vallejo Matt Varnish to finish.

Hawker Typhoon Mk.Ib, MN666 "Silver Bullet", Flight Leader School, RAF Milfield, late 1944. Airfix, 1/72nd scale.
A OOB build of the "bubble top" Typhoon using the kit parts and a combination of kit, home-made and spare decals. I came across the story of the "Silver Bullet" in the Airfix Typhoon supplement to their 1/24th scale kit. Apparently this is the only Typhoon to have flown in service in a bare metal finish. It did however retain a camouflaged rudder, which was presumably a replacement rather than the fact they had run out of paint stripper. And what a glorious model it is - it went together beautifully with the minimum of fuss and the only mistakes are mine alone. I used Vallejo Model Color Aluminium to represent the bare metal with some black undercoating in places and a mix with Vallejo Model Color Silver on some panels to give some very subtle shading effects - too subtle unless you know where to look. I used a coat of Klear for decal preparation but for some reason, and it happens occasionally, it pooled in a few places and left some tide marks. In the end I left these to represent a bit of weathering, else it looks fairly pristine.

Hawker Hurricane Night Fighter Mk.IIc, QO.A / BN185, 3 Squadron, RAF Hunsdon, September 1942. Hasegawa, 1/72nd scale.
Another OOB build, I decided to do a Night Fighter scheme. I found an image and profile of a 3 Squadron aircraft and decided to go for this particular aircraft, BN185. There's some work to do to get the kit to fit together - the underside wing being particularly poor. A pilot was added from the spares box. In real life, the Day Fighter Scheme was over-painted with a matt black distemper called Special Night RDM2. Apparently this had poor adhesion qualities, so was sometimes touched up with Night, other times aircraft were left looking blotchy. I decided not to paint the Day Fighter scheme underneath and went for a Vallejo Model Air Black tinted with Vallejo Model Color Intense Blue to create the Special Night. Having read a bit more, the blue tint probably applies more to Night. Home made decals provided the serial number and squadron code and the roundels and fin flash were from spares. I sued some artists weathering powders to simulate a bit of wear and tear, finished off with Vallejo Matt Varnish.

Ansaldo SVA.5 (Late), unknown serial, Training Squadron 2, Polish Air Force, late 1920s. Fly Models, 1/48th scale.
I was going to build this kit using one of the decal options in the box but I thought where's the fun in that. Turning to the wondrous web, I found Fly had done a kit with a Polish Air Force example. I managed to find one article in Aero Technika Lotnicza (6/1990) and one small photo, but no real details on which to base the build. It was built using the plastic and resin parts in the box. For the rigging I used knitting-in elastic instead of metal wire which I used on the Early version.
The green is a guess as no paint references are provided and the article simply says "khaki". I chose to combine Vallejo Model Color Intermediate Green with their Brown Violet to create a suitable looking green. Vallejo Aluminium was used for the metal cowling. Decals are from the spares box and are simply the national markings. I had to spray the markings with gloss as the first one I used split into multiple pieces.
The mixed orientation of the chequerboard is deliberate and is based on one surviving image found on the web.

Hawker Hurricane Mk.IIc, PZ865 / G-AMAU, Hawker P.1127 Conventional Flight Trials, early 1961. Hasegawa, 1/48th scale.
PZ865 was the very last Hurricane completed by Hawker in 1944. It was purchased back from the Air Ministry and christened "The Last of the Many". It was used by Hawker test pilots and then placed on the civil register as G-AMAU. During the 1950s it participated in a number of air displays, air races and starred in a number of films including Hawks in the Sun, Angels One Five and the Battle of Britain. Following a major overhaul and restoration in 1960 when it was restored to its original paint scheme, it was then used as a chase plane during the early transition trials of the Hawker P.1127 prototypes. Today it is now part of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight. The model is an attempt to represent PZ865 as she was during the P.1127 flight trials. It's the standard Hasegawa Hurricane Mk.IIc kit with the "Last of the Many" decal options with the addition of some new exhausts. There were no major issues with the build and I used Humbrol Dark Green, Vallejo Model Air Ocean Grey, Medium Sea Grey and Pastel Green (representing "Sky") for the camouflage scheme. Decals were as provided in the kit. Vallejo Matt Varnish was used for the final finish.

Harrier AV-8B II FSD (Full Scale Development), 161397 / #2, McDonnell Douglas, early 1980s. Monogram, 1/48th scale.
AV-8B II Full Scale Development aircraft is seen here in the McDonnell Douglas company’s own scheme of red, white, black and gold. As you would expect from a development aircraft, several items were trialled, including the use of two rows of auxiliary intake doors and wings unadorned with vortex generators. This is the old Monogram kit and was built OOB, with the exception of some resin pylon fairings which were used in place of the outer pylons. For the scheme, I used spray can acrylic Humbrol White Gloss, Vallejo Model Color Black, LifeColor Red (FS31302) and Microscale Decals Trim Film Gold (FS17043) cut into strips for all the trim. I haven’t quite got the gold striping correct, but it’s close enough. It might even reflect some airframe differences between the real life and the kit – my excuse anyway. A few decals from the spares box and some home-made ones completed the scheme. The aircraft was finished with Klear to represent the gloss scheme that it wore. No weathering applied.

Sea Harrier FRS.1, XZ452 / 101 VL, IFTU (700A NAS), October 1979. Kinetic Model Kits, 1/48th scale.
For my first build of a Kinetic Models Sea Harrier, I chose one of the first Sea Harriers delivered to the Royal Navy and which was assigned initially to the Intensive Flying Trials Unit, 700A NAS. XZ452 arrived at the unit on 12th October, 1979 and before the end of the same month was aboard HMS Hermes for trials work. After a category 3 accident in March 1980, the aircraft was repaired and then allocated to 899 NAS. On 1st May, 1982, XZ452 flown by Flt Lt P Barton shot down an Argentinian Mirage IIIEA but was later lost when it is thought it collided with XZ453 in bad weather on 6th May, 1982. The pilot, L/C J Eyton-Jones, was killed.
The model is painted in the Sea Harrier’s original Extra Dark Sea Grey and White scheme using Xtracrylix and Vallejo paints respectively and originally sprayed with Halfords white primer. Decals for theunit badge are from Model Alliance decal sheet (48-153) and the remainder from the Kinetic kit. Klear was used for the gloss finish.

Harrier GR.5, ZD402, Rolls-Royce Pegasus 11-61 Flight Trials, August 1989. Hasegawa, 1/48th scale.
The Harrier GR.5, ZD402, which set new Federation Aeronautique Nationale VTOL Time-to-Height records for 3,000m, 6,000m, 9,000m and 12,000m on 14th August, 1989 when flown by test pilots Heinz Frick and Andy Sephton.
A pylon free Harrier was a novelty and required the use of the fairings from a T.10/T.12 conversion and a scratch built pair of fairings for the inner pylons. The “official colour” of the scheme is 75% Roundel Blue and 25% Black. My unofficial colour is a Vallejo paints mix of Dark Prussian Blue, Intense Blue and Black to get to what I hope is a close approximation. Vallejo white was used for the wing and tailplane tips. The aircraft’s scheme was only painted once, so replacement parts (rudder and auxiliary door) were sources from GR.5s and were thus NATO Green. The tail cone is also green as they were provided unpainted from the manufacturer. Decals were from Vingtor (sheet 48-122 Harrier Test & Demonstration Aircraft #4) and a Vallejo Matt Varnish was applied for the finish. It seemed appropriate to build the aircraft in-flight!

Harrier TAV-8s, 01-808 / 8, Escadrilla 8, Spanish Navy Air Arm, Rota, 1995. Kinetic, 1/48th scale.
Kinetic kit of the first generation Harrier trainer. I was fortunate to get an early copy of the kit and with under two weeks before SMW in which to build and finish the kit for the Harrier SIG display. I decided to go for the scheme I've always wanted to do - the shark's mouth scheme of the TAV-8S with the Spanish Navy's air arm. The Harrier, or the Matador as she was officially known in the air arm, was nicknamed the shark because "the Pegasus engine ingests everything". The aircraft also carries the "25.000 horas" markings celebrating 25,000 flying hours of Escadrilla 8.All-in-all, the kit goes together very well, with only a few problem areas to address. I replaced the kit's Martin Baker seats with some Stencel seats from an AV-8B kit. Other than that, the parts are all from the kit. I even managed to add some of the photo-etch. For the main scheme I used Life Color FS36320 with some white added, and Vallejo Model Color White and Black. The decals are from the kit for stencils and markings, Aztec for the shark's mouth and home-made for the 25.000 hours markings. The finish is Vallejo's gloss varnish.

Harrier AV-8B II Plus - 165570 / WE09, VMA-214, OIF II, 2004 - Hasegawa, 1/48th scale.
A USMC Harrier in the shape of an AV-8B II Plus with VMA-214 “Black Sheep”. This particular jet was a participant in Operation Iraqi Freedom II when the unit’s Detachment A, assigned to the 11th MEU, was embarked aboard USS Belleau Wood with HMM-166 and later ashore at Al Asad between May and November 2004. The model is depicted with a typical stores load for the early days of the conflict, namely gun pods, Litening Pod, fuel tanks and a single 1,000lb GBU-16 LGB. Most jets had their gun pods removed after a short period to reduce weight as the guns were not being used. I left them on just for variation from strakes! The aircraft is in standard HTPS of FS36118, FS36231 and FS36320, for which I used Life Color acrylic paints. Decals are from Flying Leathernecks decal sheet FL48006 and the spares box. Some weathering was added using artist pastel powders and zip brushables. A coat of Vallejo's Matt Varnish was applied for the finish.

BAE SYSTEMS Hawk Mk.120 - 272 “Vlaggie”, South African Air Force. Kinetic Hawk 100 Series 1/32nd scale kit.
The South African Air Force (SAAF) painted two Hawks - 271 and 272 - of the 85th Combat Flying School (85 CFS) in the colours of the South African Flag in early 2008. The scheme is referred to in Afikaans as “Vlaggie” - the “flag”. There are certainly a few challenges in putting this kit together and sadly the Kinetic instructions are not the clearest. Some knowledge of the Hawk would be desirable as I found out when trying to determine what was applicable. I had to add the rear chaff and flare dispenser using plasticard and a couple of rocket project heads from a 1/72nd scale WW2 kit. I used the following Vallejo Model Colour paints: Scarlet, Park Green Flat, Intense Blue, Black and White. I used Humbrol Trainer Yellow for the final colour, sprayed from a can. Xtracrylix Light Aircraft Grey was used for the undercarriage together with a range of Vallejo and Life Color paints for the greys, metals, etc. Finished with Klear prior to decal application. For the decals, I made my own SAAF insignia, badges, mark designation and serial numbers, the rest of the decals were from the kit, though only a limited number were applicable.

Dassault Rafale B, 118-HT, #323, ECE 1/30 Côte d'Argent, Mont de Marsan, l'Armée de l'air. Revell, 1/48th scale.
The Rafale has certainly got some great special schemes. I chose the two-seater B version using the original release of the Revell kit. It's not strictly correct for the scheme which was applied to the aircraft for the NATO Tiger Meet in 2013. There are no major difficulties with the build, but you do have to sort out the see-through to the rear via the intakes - I simply painted the insides of the aircraft black - and the intakes needs some work to clean up. Aside from some fiddling with the undercarriage struts to get them aligned. For once the canopy is a reasonable fit. The scheme was somewhat more challenging. It was decided to do the scheme in decals. I damaged parts of them slightly when putting them on so had to mix up some paint to blend them in. The remainder of the aircraft is brush painted - I chose to use Life Color FS36270 for the main scheme. I used FS36320 in the undercarriage bays and the remainder of the aircraft was painted in Vallejo acrylics. Some kit and Syhart decals were used for the non-scheme items and Vallejo Matt Varnish applied to finish.

Saab Gripen JAS39C, 39238, 211 Taktická Letka, Czech Air Force. Italeri, 1/48th scale.
211 Squadron is the sole operator of the Saab Gripen in the Czech Air Force. The squadron has produced a number of schemes for the Tiger Meet and (3)9238 was painted with the "Picasso" tiger tail for the 2013 Tiger Meet in Orland Norway. The Italeri kit builds into the JAS39A Gripen and not the C. I wanted to do a special scheme and they're quite limited for the A version. The kit is definitely showing its age and many modellers will probably want to invest in some resin and photo-etch to bring it up to modern standards. On the whole, the kit goes together reasonably well, but you do have to do some work to blend intakes and fill gaps, etc. The scheme is fairly simple, I went with some Lifecolor paints - UA046 FS36173 Neutral Grey (modified with Vallejo Silver Grey to lighten) for the upper surface colour and UA036 FS36373 (Grey Reflectance) for the lower surface colour. Undercarriage bays were painted with Vallejo Silver Grey and the undercarriage with Vallejo White and left glossy. Decals were home-made, having been scanned and modified from various web photographs, with only a few stencils being used from the kit. The model was finished with Vallejo Matt Varnish.

Harrier GR.7, ZG475 / U, Air Warfare Centre (AWC), RAF, circa May 1995. Hasegawa, 1/48th scale.
To the UK for a jet flown by the Air Warfare Centre whose main activity is the test and evaluation of aircraft and weapon systems. It was formed in 1993 and operated a number of Harriers of which ZG475 / U was one. This particular aircraft is assumed to be in an experimental scheme as it has FA.2 style roundels, fin flashes and warning markings which are unique to this GR.7 I think. Aside from an unusually bulged canopy which took some effort to get back into shape, it's a standard Hasegawa Harrier build. Taking advantage of the fact there's no definitive description of the colour scheme, I experimented with using Vallejo Medium Sea Grey (71.307) for the main scheme. Despite its fresh coat of paint, the back-end got very sooty based on the photographs I've seen, so I used some Tamiya weathering powders to achieve a similar result. Decals were a mixture of home-made, kit and after-marked ones from the FA2. Vallejo matt varnish was used to finish. The canopy MDC was a vinyl mask this time and not a decal. A little bit more challenging to apply, but it has the advantage that if you get it wrong, you can cut another one!

Harrier T.12, ZH661 / 109, 20(R) Squadron, RAF, circa 2008. Hasegawa 1/48th scale with T-bird conversion set via Harrier SIG.
The RAF, operated a number of T.10s, some later upgraded to T.12s. It was converted to a T.12. A foray into second generation two-seater Harriers, courtesy of the resin set mastered by the leader of the IPMS(UK) Harrier SIG. Aside from the resin, there's a vacform canopy to cut and fit. Everything you need to do the conversion is in the set if you have a donor Hasegawa / Revell GR7/9 kit. The parts were well cast and generally caused few problems. For the MDCs, I had a template from which I was able to cut some white vinyl using a Silhouette Portrait Cutter. With some alignment marking and patience, I was able to apply the masks to the inside of the canopy. I used vinyl strips for the MDC that runs around the outside of the canopy. Masking was also used for the internal windscreen which I then painted, the vinyl holding the paint surprisingly well. This time I used Xtracrylix Dark Sea Grey and Dark Camouflage Grey for the main scheme and their Medium Sea Grey for the obvious replacement parts acquired from other aircraft or spare stock. Decals were from the kit, home-made and spares as required. Vallejo matt varnish was applied over some Tamiya Weathering that was sealed with Humbrol Matt Varnish from a rattle can.

Harrier T.10, ZH656 / 104, 3(F) Squadron, RAF, circa 1996. Hasegawa 1/48th scale with T-bird conversion set via Harrier SIG.
3(F) operated the Harrier from 1972 to 2006. The two-seater T.10 arrived in 1995 and continued until 2006. Photographs of 3(F) T.10s in the NATO Green / Lichen Green camouflage scheme are very rare and the only reference one I could find was for ZH656. As I wanted to do this scheme and this squadron, I had to make do. This kit was built at the same time as the T.12, so suffered all the same problems with the canopy I documented previously. Other than that, it was all relatively simple. Decals are once again a mixture of home-made, kit and after-market. For the scheme, I used Precision Paint's NATO Green and Humbrol #102 Army Green. I've used the latter before in place of the Xtracolor Lichen Green as they are pretty similar and I prefer to use acrylics where I can, although Precision Paint's enamels behave very similar to acrylics. Weathering and varnishing as per the T.12. I used Lifecolor UA036 (FS36373) Grey Reflectance over the base colours on the fuel tanks to represent ARTF which was applied to the jets during Operation Warden. I then scraped some off to give them a weathered look.

Sea Harrier FA.2
Sea Harrier FA.2, ZE695 / 711, 899 NAS OEU, RN, July 1993. Kinetic 1/48th scale.
ZE695 first flew as a FRS.1 on 12th January 1988 and ended flying as an FRS.1 on 27th June 1991 after 20 flights. Conversion to a FA.2 (FRS.2 officially at the time) followed and ZE695 flew again in this configuration on 2nd April 1993. In June 1993 the aircraft was allocated to 899 NAS OEU which was based at Boscombe Down at the time. My first build of the Kinetic version of the FA.2, all previous builds having been of the Airfix kit for this variant. There's a few things that require altering, but overall it's a more pleasant build experience than the Airfix kit and shows clearly the age gap between their production. I chose ZE695 because I wanted a representative of the 899 NAS OEU and also wanted a FA.2 in something other than Medium Sea Grey, in this case the trials scheme of Dark Sea Grey. I chose Xtracrylix Dark Sea Grey for the main scheme and used a Xtracrylix and Vallejo paints for other items. The decals are from the kit, the spares box and home-made where necessary. A dab of weathering and Vallejo Matt Varnish complete the finish to Harrier build number 36.

Harrier T.60, IN654 / 54. Indian Navy. Kinetic 1/48th scale.
Harrier IN654 was the last of four T.60s delivered to the Indian Navy on 14 January 1992. It was operated by 300 Squadron, 551B, later 552 Squadron under the guise of SHOFTU (Sea Harrier Operational Flying Training Unit). The Indian Navy purchased 6 two-seaters in total, the last two being ex RAF/RN aircraft subsequently converted to T.60 standard after delivery. This is my second build of the Kinetic two-seater. There's no major issues with the kit, but be sure to do your research beforehand to know what combination of noses, tails, aerials, etc., you need to fit. As an example, the Indian Navy used Sea Harrier pylons on their trainers and so for this example the kit ones do not need to be modified. I chose one of the later delivered T.60s as they were painted in the revised camouflage scheme of Dark Sea Grey topsides and Light Aircraft Grey undersides. Reference photos are rare and some poetic licence is probably in effect. Xtracrylix paint was used for the scheme together with Vallejo acrylics for the other items. I used Tamiya Weathering powders and decals are from the kit, spares box and some home-made. Vallejo matt varnish was used to finish.

Dassault Rafale B, Revell, 1/48th scale.
Dassault Rafale B, 113-HU, #322, Escadrille SPA 79 (Tête de loup), Escadron de chasse 1/4 Gascogne, Saint-Dizier, l'Armée de l'air.
As the kit contained 6 GBU-12s, I plumped for an aircraft that participated in Operation Serval in 2013 and thus carried these as live ordnance. I selected B322 based on photographs of it with this configuration and some interesting hydraulic leak markings on the upper fuselage. Note the carriage of 6,000 litres of fuel in the non-supersonic configuration drop tanks. To complete the kit, I acquired a Damocles targeting pod from L'Arsenal in France and added a third drop tank from another Rafale kit. As with the previous kit, I blanked off the intakes with plasticard. Once I switched from doing the special scheme, progress was reasonably quick as it is a one colour paint scheme (I used Life Color FS36270). Vallejo paints completed the other colours, except for the Damocles pod and Paveway bombs which used Xtracrylix FS37375. Decals were from the kit and the Syhart Rafale standard markings sheet (48915). Vallejo Matt varnish was applied to finish and weathering was done with Zig Brushable pens applied on the matt varnish.

CF-188A Hornet, 188734 / 734, 425 Tactical Fighter Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force, 2017. Kinetic /148 scale.
This is the RCAF 2017 Demonstration CF-188A Hornet in the scheme which celebrates Canada's 150th Anniversary of Confederation. I used the Kinetic kit and decals, the only addition being a L'Arsenal Rafale pilot. Construction is relatively straightforward, the main effort being in the masking, painting and decaling. Laying the decals down proved that using paper cut-outs of the decals means you don't get a perfect view of how they will sit on the various curves, etc. (Do not use the masks provided in the instructions as they look under-sized but photocopy the decal sheet instead.) As a result, I had to touch in with grey, white or red as required. Aligning the maple leaf on the upper fuselage with the flaps and slats requires some planning and care. I used Xtracrylix FS36375 for the lower Light Compass Grey, Vallejo White and Vallejo Scarlet (70.817) for the upper surfaces. Vallejo acrylics were used for the other items. Johnson's Pledge multi-surface polish provided the basis for the kit decals. The scheme white and red were finished with Vallejo Gloss Varnish and the grey with Vallejo Matt Varnish. For the door edging I used a permanent ink marker pen which ended up a little more orange than that which is seen on the real life jet.

BAE SYSTEMS Hawk Mk.128 (T.2 Prototype) - ZK010, Warton, 2008. Airfix, 1/72nd scale.
The Hawk Mk.128 was the company designation for what the RAF refer to as the Hawk T.2. ZK010, one of two prototype/development aircraft for the variant, The Hawk 100 series retains the look of the original Hawk series, but has been brought up-to-date in terms of systems and avionics, a revised wing and an up-rated engine are among the changes. Sold as a Lead-In Fighter Trainer (LIFT). It is not the best kit ever produced by Airfix in terms of moulding and decal quality. However, it was a simple and quick build and the chosen RAF trainer scheme is easy to paint. The decals were okay, but most of the stencils I thought were over-sized. I used Vallejo black acrylic paint and a few coats of Klear to finish. The cloud is polyester stuffing!

Harrier TAV-8B, MM55033 / 1-02, GRUPAER, Marina Militare Italiana, 2010. Hasegawa kit + resin conversion, 1/48 scale.
The Italian Navy operate two two-seater Harrier TAV-8B. This aircraft, MM55033 / 1-02, made an appearance at RIAT in 2007. From a modellers' perspective it should be noticed that only the middle wing pylons are fitted and strakes are always mounted on the two-seaters by the Italian Navy. Fuel tanks are the typical day-to-day fit on the pylons. I used an AV-8B NA kit as the basis for the build, adding a resin AV-8B nose, a 65% kit LERX (all the trainers have this fit) and two pilots to the T10/T12 resin conversion produced by Nick Greenall of the Harrier SIG. Two kit-included Stencel ejection seats were swapped for the Martin Baker Mk.12s in the conversion. I made up some pylon fairings using plasticard to complement those available in the conversion. The MDCs are home-cut vinyl masks. For the painting I used Lifecolor FS36231 and FS36320 paints for the standard Dark Ghost Grey over Dark Compass Grey scheme, supplemented by Vallejo acrylics for other parts. Decals were a mixture of Tauro, Model Friends, kit and home-made. Weathering, such as it is, is a mixture of artist pastel chalks, Zig brushables and Tamiya powders.

Harrier T.8 - ZB603 / T03, SFDO, Royal Navy, 2016. Kinetic 1/48th scale.
The Harrier T.8 was the last of the two-seater trainers for the first generation Harrier and used specifically for the training of Sea Harrier FA.2 pilots. All 7 aircraft in the series were conversions from the T4 / T4N variant. ZB603 was the last of the T.8 conversions (January 2000). Later she was transferred to the SFDO - the Royal Navy's School of Flight Deck Operations based at RNAS Culdrose in Cornwall - to be used for ground handling instruction of flight deck personnel. It was there that I had the opportunity to sit in the rear cockpit of this aircraft and be towed from the dummy deck to the hangar. I can now say I've sat in a moving Harrier! I dated the model as 2016 because I added the pitot tube to the nose as per normal. The model is the Kinetic version with the addition of a few home made decals for the SFDO markings. It is brush painted with Vallejo black acrylic for the main scheme. Fairly simple, but the major issue was with the gloss finish. I originally used Vallejo's gloss polyurethane varnish but found it hard to avoid brush marks. It also remained tacky to touch even after being left 3-4 days to dry. After a week I tried a coat of their normal gloss varnish. Very little weathering was applied because the black paint tends not to show it and the jet is maintained in very good condition, as befits a working but non-flying aircraft.

BAE SYSTEMS Hawk Mk.127, A27-16, 76 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force, New South Wales, February 2003. Airfix 1/48th scale.
The Hawk 100 series was the next step in the evolution of the original Hawk. The scheme on this jet was applied in 2003 to enhance the visibility of the aircraft at airshows and demonstrations. Airfix appear to have taken their original T.1 and modified it to the Hawk 100 standard without really adding very much. This is basically an OOB build, with more taken away than added. The decals for the scheme are included in the kit and actually go on quite well, even though they are not of the highest standard. I used brush-painted Hataka Blue Line acrylics for the two-tone grey scheme: FS26375 base with FS36237 patches. Vallejo Black was used on the spine and tail and Hataka Light Aircraft Grey for the undercarriage and bays. Pledge multi-surface polish was used for the decals. No weathering or other varnish was applied, leaving the Pledge to show a slightly glossy finish. Aside from the usual jet aircraft problem areas - intakes - there were no major hassles in the build, but it is pleasing to the eye and adds another special scheme aircraft to the collection.

Saab JAS-39A Gripen, 39-2, 1994. Italeri 1/48th scale.
The Swedish Government gave the go-ahead for the Saab Gripen in June 1982 and the first of 5 prototypes flew on 9th December 1988. Prototype 39-2 (code 52), took off for the first time on 4th May 1990. The aircraft was initially used for testing. The aircraft displayed at Farnborough 1992. It was later painted black - 1994? - and then black and white when it undertook spin tests and high alpha tests. This new paint scheme gave better contrast on films and photos. I was not able to find many photos, so artistic licence has been employed in the build. This is the Italeri kit which has not been modified from its "A" representation - I couldn't be bothered to research the differences to please the rivet counters. I added some AIM-9s and AIM-120s and their launchers from the spares box, else it is straight from the box contents. This configuration was based on the few photos I did find in its all-black scheme. No additional decals were required. It is brush-painted using Vallejo Air Black for the scheme and various other acrylics for the usual equipment as in my previous Gripen build. The AIM-9 blue is a mix. I used Johnson's Multi-Surface Polish ("Klear") and Vallejo Matt Varnish for the finish. No weathering has been applied.

Harrier T4N - XZ445 / 721, 899 NAS, 1995. Kinetic 1/48th scale.
XZ445 was originally built as a Harrier T.4A for the RAF and first flew in March 1979. It was transferred to the Royal Navy on December 1986. It was then given the designation T.4A(N) and transferred to 899 NAS in July 1987.
It's a OOB build from the Kinetic kit, albeit with an interesting paint scheme. This is a result of a wing swap from a GR.3 which had clearly not had time for a visit to the paint shop. It's also unusual in that it is a Medium Sea Grey and not Dark Sea Grey which was typical for the Royal Navy's T.4N fleet. I used slightly whitened acrylic Hataka Blue Line Medium Sea Grey for the main scheme, with some Vallejo Medium Sea Grey for some replacement items visible in photographs. Xtracolor zinc chromate colour was applied to the outriggers and outer wing fences to simulate the unpainted replacements. The canopy MDCs were enhanced with vinyl-based MDCs and strip produced with a Silhouette Portrait cutter. The 899 NAS "winged fist" emblem was from an old Airfix Sea Harrier kit, otherwise decals are from the kit. I added a couple of resin CBLS-100s to add a bit of interest. A Vallejo Matt Varnish was applied to finish.

Lockheed Martin F-16C Block 50, 98-004, 85th TES, USAF, 2019. Hasegawa Eggplane.
The 85th Test and Evaluation Squadron is part of the 53d Wing at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. Its mission is to "improve future AF combat capability". This is another scrambled eggplane. It is in fact the Mitsubishi F-2 kit masquerading, not necessarily very accurately, as a F-16 Block 50 - . In a recent acquisition of Hataka paints I got some of the new "Have Glass Grey" paint (FS36170). Having seen a few photos of the "Dark Viper" scheme F-16s and having the very similar but not quite the same F-2 kit, I thought I'd marry the two together to create another lash-up. F-16 and F-2 experts will already have noted the obvious use of the F-2 canopy on the model. The kit is built from the F-2's parts, but I had to use a mix of F-16 Aggressor decals from TwoBobs and some home-made decals for the tail to achieve something close to the chosen aircraft. Close, but definitely no cigar. Aside from the Have Glass Grey, I used Vallejo white and tyre black and more Hataka paints on the pilot. I left it in a slightly glossy "Klear" finish to highlight the new paint.

Harrier T.4(I), IN656 / 56. Indian Navy. Kinetic 1/48th scale.
Harrier IN656 was the last of Harrier to be delivered to the Indian Navy alongside IN655/55. Both aircraft were ex-RAF T.4 aircraft. They were then refurbished, upgraded and converted by British Aerospace over the next six years before their delivery in 2002. I think these two, together with IN654, made it through to the end of Harrier flying in the Indian Navy in 2016. It has the GR3-style nose and all the auxiliary doors closed. For a change I decided to go with a wheels-up version, not having tried this yet with a Kinetic Harrier. There were no major traumas, but you do have to use a bit of filler here and there around the gear doors as there are a few gaps. Although not viewable in the photo, this is the same scheme as my previous T.60, namely Dark Sea Grey over Light Sea Grey. This time I used Hataka Blue Line paints and very nice to work with they are too. Decals are a mixture of kit and after-market and the MDCs are vinyl. Some grime was added using Tamiya weathering powders and Vallejo Matt Varnish completed the finish.

Leonardo M-346A Master, 150 Squadron, Republic of Singapore Air Force, BA 120, Cazaux, France, 2018. Kinetic 1/48th scale.
The Leonardo (formerly Alenia Aermacchi) M-346A Master originates from the partnership with Yakovlev to develop an advanced/lead-in fighter trainer for modern fourth and fifth generation aircraft. In 2018 Kinetic Model launched a new "Gold Standard" series and the M-346 was the first in the series. The instructions need some improvement, but then that's why you dry fit, check placement and use reference images! The decals are very nice indeed, as you would expect from previous offerings. Yahu have a cockpit set for the M-346 and although I don't normally indulge, I thought I'd give it a go. Looking at reference photos, it's not clear which variant the set was aimed at, but nevertheless it does bring the cockpit to life a bit more than my manual painting might otherwise do. The RSAF are alone in using a 3-colour scheme for their Masters and I chose to use Hataka Blue Line paints for the job, namely FS36118, FS36270 and FS36375 as specified. The Hataka paints were very easy to work with and I'd highly recommend them. The tail was painted with Vallejo white and over-laid with a home-made decal of the special scheme.

Harrier II AV-8B Plus, 164129 / 88, VX-31 "Dust Devils", NAWCWD, October 2018. Hasegawa 1/48 scale.
The subject of this build was the first version of the Harrier II AV-8B Plus variant produced by McDonnell Douglas. Its first flight was in September 1992 and the aircraft appears to have spent most of its flying career with VX-31, the "Dust Devils". In September 2011, the jet made its first flight with a 50:50 mix of JP8 fuel and bio-fuel. As it is a test aircraft, it does appear to have a number of lumps and bumps not normally found on the variant. Likewise, the fuel tank I think has been converted to a camera pod, hence the strange colour and the odds bumps down the side. Normally I'd open the nose-wheel bay door, but as a couple of images showed them closed on this jet I went with this. For the scheme, I used Vallejo FS36118 and Hataka FS36231 and FS36320 acrylics. Recent images of the jet flying through "Star Wars Canyon" shows the the jet is heavily weathered and therefore I got to work with the Tamiya powders, artist pastel chalks and Zig Brushable pens. I had to make-up a few decals and obtained the remainder from the kit and the spares box. For the first time I used Winsor & Newton Galleria matt varnish to provide finish and I was suitably impressed.

BAE SYSTEMS Hawk T.1A, XX322, Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, The Red Arrows, 2014. Revell, 1/32 scale.
I decided to do it in the 2014 50th Anniversary Year scheme, decals for which are available in other scale kits, I therefore had to make up the tail decals from images and profiles. I posed it in-flight and acquired some RAF pilots from PJ Productions. I added a back-seater represented the flight engineers. The canopy MDCs are vinyl masks I created. I used masks to allow painting of the white stripes as the decals are a little transparent. I should have masked the text and roundels but decided to go with the decals. I used Hataka Signal Red and Vallejo White acrylics for the main scheme. I used Humbrol spray gloss varnish for the finish.

Harrier II AV-8B - 163664 / WL06, VMA-311 "Tomcats", USMC. Hasegawa 1/48 scale.
The air war of Desert Storm began on the night of 16/17th January 1991 and the Harriers of VMA-311 "Tomcats" were the first in action with an attack on an Iraqi artillery battery targeting Khafji. Four Harriers, each carrying 4 Mk.83 bombs and fully loaded 25mm cannon pods were assigned to the target. one of the Harriers, 163664 / WL06 was flown by Major Cary Branch and is the subject of this build. In all, the "Tomcats" flew 1,017 sorties totalling 1,200 combat hours during the operation. General Norman Schwarzkopf Commander-in-Chief, US Central Command, regarded the Harrier as one of the most important weapons of the war. A basic kit contents build, with the addition of 4 Mk.83 bombs from the Hasegawa Weapins Set A and a mix of kit, home-made and Superscale decals. Brush painted with acrylics. I used a mixture of Life Color FS16099 + FS36173 to provide the "dark grey" and Hataka FS36320 for the "light grey" applied in the standard dark grey / dark green camouflage pattern. The colours were "mixed in theatre" and thus you have a bit of leeway as to what you use. I used vinyl for the MDC. a touch of weathering here and there with the usual materials and a coat of Winsor & Newton matt varnish to finish.

Dassault Rafale M, #5, Flotille 12F, BAN Landivisiau, l'Aéronavale, 2018. Revell, 1/48th scale.
The Rafale M is operated by 3 squadrons (Flotilles) in the French Navy: 11F; 12F; and 17F. Thus in 2018, 12F celebrated 70 years of service and Rafale M, serial number 5, was given a special tail scheme for the occasion. The five aircraft represented on the tail are: Dassault Rafale M; Vought F-8 Crusader; Supermarine Seafire Mk.III; Grumman F-6F Hellcat; and Chance-Vought F4U-7 Corsair. I used the original boxing of the Rafale M. It was therefore a straight-forward build with just the usual problems to contend with for the kit (intakes fit and wing fit). I went with the recommended paint scheme colour of FS36231 and used the Hataka Blue Line version of the colour. Various other Hataka and Vallejo acrylics were used for the other colours. I was going to create the tail art myself but in the end I managed to enlist the help of Tranquil (Mark) on the Military AI Works forum who very kindly did all the hard work for me, I just had to provide the sizing and tail template. The decals were then printed on an inkjet. The remainder of the decals were from the later boxing of the Revell kit (04517) as the original kit decals were not appropriate. I used Tamiya powders and artist's pastels in Decalfix for the weathering and then a matt varnish to finish.

Harrier II AV-8B NA
The United States Naval Air Test Center (US NATC) based at Pax River, Natuxent, has responsibility for the testing of all aircraft types destined for operations in the US Navy. Harrier II AV-8B NA 163871, the subject of this build, was the 10th production aircraft of the Night Attack variant and was based at the NATC in the early 1990s, and possibly earlier. The aircraft today (2020) flies with VX-31 "Dust Devils" and therefore continues in its testing role. The model has the overall dark green / dark grey camouflage scheme applied to the USMC Harriers in the mid-to-late 1980s and is based on a couple of photos which show the aircraft in 1990. It is fitted with the UK variant's outrigger missile pylons, blanked off chaff / flare dispensers. At the time it also lacked the usual in-flight refuelling probe. I used Life Color paints for the main scheme and a mixture of Vallejo and Hataka acrylics for the other items. Decals were a mixture of after-market, kit and home-made. Weathering powders were used to add a touch of the usual lived-in look that Harriers are famous for. I reverted to Vallejo matt varnish for the finish. Not much else to say really, other than that was Harrier build number 44.

Superrmarine Spitfire Vb, ZX-L / AB324, 145 Squadron RAF, North Africa, June 1942. Airfix 1/48 scale.
On the 8th June, 1942, Sgt Horace James (AB324 / ZX-L) and Flt Lt Joseph Sabourin (AB321 / ZX-N) of 145 Squadron, RAF, attacked and destroyed a Messerschmitt Bf109 15 miles southwest of Tobruk, thus registering the first kill for the Spitfire in North Africa. Each was credited with a half-share for the kill. On 1st June, the pair had jointly damaged a Junkers Ju88 on a reconnaissance mission, the first recorded combat of the Spitfire over the desert. Sgt James was killed in action a month later on 5th July 1942 and Flt Lt Sabourin was killed in action on 16th September 1942. Both are buried in the war cemetery at El Alamein. This is an OOB build of the Airfix Spitfire Vb kit. Whilst it's hard to dislike any Spitfire, I'm not a great fan of this kit, in particular the plastic and the fit of some parts is not particularly good. I couldn't find any commonality in the various "Azure Blues" on offer, so I decided to mix my own. using some Vallejo colours. Hataka's Dark Earth and Mid Stone were used for the upper camouflage colours. I used the decals from the kit, just having to add the serial numbers. I doubt it's historically accurate, but there's only one reference photo (which is more than you get with most Spitfires I agree). Finished off with a coat of Vallejo matt varnish and some light weathering with artist powders.

Yakovlev Yak-38 "Forger", #25, 299th-IRSSAR, Afghanistan, 1980. Hobby Boss, 1/48th scale.
This model is based on one included in the Begemot decal sheet (48-025) for the Yak-38 although I used the kit decals. Yak-38, factory number 0409, belonged to the 299th-IRSSAR. It was one of four Yak-38s deployed to Shindand airfield in Afghanistan in May 1980 to test the aircraft in combat conditions. In total they flew 107 combat missions on "Operation Romb" before their return to Novofedorovka. The Hobby Boss kit generally goes together fairly well. The instructions could be better, both for the build and the painting. I've no idea how accurate the kit is and didn't particularly care. The model's scheme came from the Begemot decal sheet and I found one single reference photo. I don't think any others received this particular hybrid scheme and presumably it was all part of the test - which scheme worked best. It was never used again, not that this might mean much. I used Akah Green (73007) and Life Color "Neutral Grey" UA046 for the main scheme. A mixture of Vallejo and Hataka acrylics were used for the other colours. The weathering used was artist pastel powders in Decalfix. I can't say I'd rush to build one again, but it is nice to have an example of the "Russian Harrier" ,as it was called, alongside the real deal.

Lancaster B.I, NG414 / ZN-K, 106 Squadron, RAF, 1945. Revell 1/72nd scale.
This is my interpretation of NG414 / ZN-K of 106 Squadron, RAF on 16 April 1945. Based at Metheringham in Lincolnshire, this aircraft was the last aircraft "lost" on operations by 106 Squadron in World War 2. As NG414 trundled down the runway for take-off, fully loaded with a 4000lb "Cookie" and 15 500lb bombs, it careered off the runway, collapsing its undercarriage after striking the FIDO installation. The 7 crew vacated the aircraft unhurt and left the burning aircraft. The bombs were disarmed the following morning and the crew given one week's sick leave. On the 25th April, the squadron flew its last operation and was subsequently reassigned to Tiger Force Operations. This is an out-of-the box build of the Revell kit. It generally goes together well with only a few minor niggles. I can't speak for its accuracy, but most comments are around the outer wing dihedral which doesn't concern me. Brush painted with a mix of Vallejo and Hataka acrylics and finished with matt Vallejo varnish. Decals from the box, except for aircraft serial number and squadron codes. Weathering was done with artist pastels and Tamiya powders.

CF-104 Starfighter, 104880 "Checkerbird", 441 Squadron, CAF, 1983. Kinetic 1/48 scale F-104G kit.
The model is a representation of the "Checkerbird" from 441 Silver Fox Tactical Fighter Squadron of the Canadian Air Force. 104880 was 441's specially painted aircraft for the 30th anniversary of CFB Baden-Sollingen, Germany as a Canadian base. I've never built a F-104 and the Kinetic Gold Standard kit was the opportunity to rectify that. Trouble is, I wanted a special scheme and really liked the "Checkerbird", but Kinetic have yet to release the CF-104. No worries, the G is close enough for me! Aside from a couple of very minor issues, the kit was a real pleasure to build. After a coat of black primer I brush painted it using Vallejo Model Air Black and Vallejo Silver for the undercarriage bays and gear. The decals are from Leading Edge Models (#48.11) and includes the resin parts required to adapt the F-104G to the CF-104. I applied the decals to an all-black base and aside from some alignment issues (the decals are for the Hasegawa kit) I had no problems with them. They stood up to some rough handling - the entire check pattern is only 3 decals for each side - and settled easily with Revell's Decal Sol. Highly recommended if you want to do this scheme. I left with it with a Klear gloss finish, except for the radome which is matt. A fantastic kit to put together and I'd have no hesitation in recommending it. The kit certainly lives up to Kinetic's Gold Standard.

BAe Hawk Mk.50 Demonstrator, G-HAWK / ZA101, 1979. Airfix 1/48 scale.
The kit is the ancient, but often re-boxed, Airfix kit. It's nowhere near their current standards, which is a shame as the Hawk was and is a successful trainer aircraft that deserves better. It is also, I think, a good looking aircraft and has some great special schemes that can be applied. I suppose Airfix can keep churning out the old mould as the Red Arrows scheme will make people very forgiving of the kit's numerous shortcomings. Anyway, enough of the gripes, on with the show. I chose to do G-HAWK for obvious reasons and settled on its North Africa / Middle East scheme which was applied in the late 70s as part of the sales campaign to the Middle East. I decided not to add any after-market resin to improve the kit and built it as is, with the exception of adding some Matra rocket pods from another old kit. I home-produced the G-HAWK specific decals. Its brush painted with Hataka Dark Earth and Mid Stone and a mix of Vallejo white and blues for the underside colour. Hataka Light Aircraft Grey was used for the undercarriage and bays. Vallejo matt varnish completed the finish. It looks like a Hawk and ultimately that was the point, but I hope not to have to build another Airfix one again.

Hurricane Mk.1, L1965 / SW.R of 253 (Hyderabad) Squadron RAF, August 1940. Airfix 1/48th scale. This is the first aircraft of my commemorative tribute to two of the five former pupils of Emanuel School who flew in the Battle of Britain and who had very contrasting fortunes. Colin Dunstan Francis from Stoke d'Abernon, Surrey. On the 30th August, he was posted as 'missing' on his first combat sortie and only his 22nd flight in a Hurricane. He had taken off in a section of three aircraft, led by Tom Gleave, the Squadron Commander, to join the rest of the squadron in attacking a force of over 50 bombers and escorting fighters. Gleave, who survived the battle, stated "after Brown was shot down, Colin and I went in by ourselves. We went right into the middle of them and I never saw him again. Francis was only 19 years old. His aircraft, Hurricane Mk. I, Serial No. L1965, together with his remains were unearthed in August 1981 from Percival's Farm, Wrotham in Kent. L1965 was a re-winged Hurricane, having originally been built with fabric wings. Not much else is known and the model's details are largely guesswork. I've not been able to obtain any photos of 253 Squadron Hurricanes during the summer of 1940. Aside from home-made and 3rd party decals, the kit is from the box contents and is brush painted with acrylics. I used Hataka Dark Green and Vallejo English Uniform for the upper surface colours and a mix of Vallejo Pastel Green, White and Silver Grey to represent "Sky". Winsor & Newton matt varnish completes the finish together with some weathering with pastel chalks. Aside from a few ill-fitting parts, the build was relatively painless.

Spitfire Mk.1a, R6979 / PR.A of 609 (West Riding) Squadron RAF, August 1940. Airfix 1/48th scale. This is the second aircraft of my commemorative tribute to two of the five former pupils of Emanuel School who flew in the Battle of Britain and who had very contrasting fortunes. Horace Stanley "George" Darley from Wandsworth, London. He was to then Command 609 Squadron on 28 June 1940 where he remained throughout the Battle of Britain. During his command, the squadron claimed 85 enemy aircraft shot down for the loss of 7 pilots. Darley personally was credited with 3.5 kills and 3 probables. On 22 October 1940 he was awarded the DSO. During his 27 year service career he flew 65 different aircraft types, commanded 11 RAF Stations and retired at the rank of Group Captain. He spent another 14 years as a "Whitehall Warrior" in the Intelligence Services and died in November 1999. R6979 first flew on 22 July 1940 and was eventually struck off charge on 6 March 1945. George is recorded as flying the aircraft 44 times out of a total of his 89 flights whilst with 609. As with the Hurricane, there are no published images and thus I've interpreted some details. Aside from home-made and 3rd party decals, the kit is from the box contents and is brush painted with acrylics. I used Hataka Dark Green and Vallejo English Uniform for the upper surface colours and a mix of Vallejo Pastel Green, White and Silver Grey to represent "Sky". Winsor & Newton matt varnish completes the finish together with some weathering with pastel chalks. There's a few issues you need to overcome in construction, but overall it's a simple build.

Northrop F-5E Tiger II, 5291 / 00312, 7th FTW, ROCAF, 2018. Freedom Models Compact Series
In 2018, the Republic of China Air Force (ROCAF) held an open house at Taitung Air Base, home of the 7th Fighter Training Wing (FTW). F-5E 5291 was painted in a tiger scheme along with two F-5Fs. This model is one of a series in Freedom Models' Compact Series and is pretty much a snap-together type aimed at young modellers or young-at-heart ones. The aircraft is brush painted using Hataka Blue Line FS36375 and the darker tiger stripes are decals. Various other acrylics were used to complete the model.

Northrop F-5EFTiger II, 5395 / 830121, 7th FTW, ROCAF, 2018. Freedom Models Compact Series
In 2018, the Republic of China Air Force (ROCAF) held an open house at Taitung Air Base, home of the 7th Fighter Training Wing (FTW). F-5F 5395 was painted in a tiger scheme along with another F-5F and an F-5E. This model is one of a series in Freedom Models' Compact Series and is pretty much a snap-together type aimed at young modellers or young-at-heart ones. The aircraft is brush painted using Hataka Blue Line FS36375 and the darker tiger stripes are decals. Various other acrylics were used to complete the model.

Rafale C, 118-IX, Escadron de Chasse 2/30 Normandie-Niemen, Mont-de-Marsan, 2012. Revell 1/48th scale. My fifth Rafale build is the single-seater "C" model used by the French Air Force. The model is finished in the 70th anniversary scheme from 2012 of the 2/30 Normandie-Niemen squadron. The scheme celebrates the squadron's original deployment to Russia in late 1942. This was an out of the box build for the basic aircraft. I added a L'Arsenal Damocles pod and a GBU-24 from the Hasegawa Weapons set. Decals are from Authentic Decals. There are no major fit issues with the kit. Unfortunately the decals are a disappointment. There's two red stars on the sheet - no explanation why as they looked to be the same. However it was just as well as the first one became a 500 piece jigsaw puzzle after immersion in water. The second, which I immediately sealed with gloss varnish, would also have gone the same way. To cap it all, it's actually the wrong size and shape, which proved to be a pain when you've just settled it down over some ridges and bumps. The rest of the decals stayed in one piece, though some of the text ones are slightly over-sized. For the painting I used Hataka FS36270 for the standard Rafale grey, Life Color FS34079 Dark Green and Vallejo FS36081 "London Grey" - all brush painted. Note, the painting diagrams are also not 100% accurate, particularly the trailing edge position of the camouflage on the wing. Best refer to some photos as reference. No weathering on this one, just a coat of matt varnish to finish.

Sopwith Camel BR.1, B3858, 3 Squadron, RNAS, Walmer, Kent, Winter 1917. Wingnut Wings, 1/32nd scale. The precise story and colour details of the scheme for this Sopwith Camel are shrouded in the mists of time. This aircraft, B3878, along with some others, was given a "non-standard" paint scheme. Interpretations vary as to the colours, but I followed Ray Rimmel's interpretation as shown in the Windsock Camel Squadrons book. The aircraft is said to have been flown by FSL A B Ellwood and FSL E Pierce, amongst others. The aircraft is credited with 9 or 11 enemy aircraft shot down, again references vary, before the aircraft was shot down in combat on the 4th July, 1918 and struck off charge. Why did I choose it? The association with Walmer and the challenge of the scheme! This is the Wingnuts kit. Aside from some guesswork as to the correct options for rigging, propellor blades, gun configuration, windshield, fuel pump location and other minor details, it was a straightforward construction. The major task was of course the masking and painting of the fuselage. Once done, the tudor rose decals needed to be created and the serial number (only required on one side). Finally, the rigging, which was done entirely with knit-in elastic later coloured with a felt tip pen. The model is brush painted with the following colours: Vallejo Flat Brown; a mix of Life Color Sand, Vallejo White and Vallejo Silver Grey; a mix of Vallejo Park Green and Barley Grey; Vallejo Barley Grey: Vallejo USA Grey; and Humbrol wood with some artist acrylic brown shades. Vallejo matt varnish applied as the finish. All decals from the kit except where noted above.

It's a bit odd, for sure, but it's different and if it's nothing like the original, what does it matter?

Harrier II AV-8B Plus, 165388 / WP02, VMA-223 "Bulldogs", 2010. Hasegawa 1/48th scale.
VMA-223, "Bulldogs" received their first Harriers in 1987, transitioning from the venerable A-4M Skyhawks which they had flown for the past 22 years. Starting with the AV-8B, VMA-233 then flew the AV-8B NA and then the AV-8B Plus. The unit is based at Cherry Point in North Carolina, sited alongside VMAT-203, VMA-231 and VMA-542. According to current plans, the Bulldogs will be the last operators of the Harrier for the United States Marine Corps. I originally planned to do this model with one of the Bulldogs' special tail schemes, but the decals for the tail proved to be completed off-colour and I reverted to the standard scheme for the jets for the chosen time period, 2009-10. At this timw the VMAs were re-painting their aircraft in the new two greys HTPS variant seen here.
This is the usual out-of-the-box build with the addition of a resin pilot, Eduard LAU-10/A Zuni rocket pods and Triple Ejector Racks (TERs) from a Hasegawa Weapons Set. Decals are from the Superscale 48-1249 sheet. Brush painted with Hataka acrylics, using their versions of FS36118 and FS35237 for the main scheme. After some experiments, I decided not to gloss coat the model prior to the application of the decals, simply sealing the original paint with a coat of matt varnish after a bit of light sanding with 12000 wet and dry. Miracle of miracles, it turned out exactly the same as if I had used gloss, and in some areas probably better. Chuck away the Klear, you don't need it for modern printed decals I'd say.

Lotus Type 91 (1982) British Grand Prix, Ebbro 1/20th scale.
Slightly off the beaten track for me, I thought I'd go back to my model-making roots and build a Formula 1 car (that was back in the day when the sport was exciting). I've no idea if this model is accurate to the 1982 season car driven by Nigel Mansell, but it went together reasonably well, although I probably have something out of alignment as it's quite difficult to get all the body shell parts on and snug without them trying to ping off! I didn't bother trying to do engine wiring etc as I'd probably make things even more unrealistic. Brush-painted with Vallejo and Hataka acrylics. Kit decals. Winsor & Newton gloss to finish.

Eurofighter EF2000, 30+25 German Air Force, TLG 71, (60 years Geschwader Richthofen), 2019. Revell 1/48th scale.
Taktisches Luftwaffengeschwader 71 "Richthofen" of the German Air Force celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2019 with a special paint scheme on one of its Eurofighters, 30+25. The scheme was christened "The Spirit of Richthofen" and made an appearance in the UK at RIAT in July. I never quite got around to buying and building a Typhoon / Eurofighter until now, but seeing this scheme at RIAT and then finding Revell releasing it as the kit decals meant I had to have a go. It requires quite a bit of remedial work, including lots of flash removal, some gentle bending of plastic and lots of sanding and shaving. The undercarriage doors fit remain a bit of a mystery to me as to where and how they are supposed to attach sensibly. Also, the closed airbrake and spine just require too much work to make this kit anything but a chore. And if that's not bad enough, you then have to apply 140 decals with some of the larger ones having to wrap around multiple curved surfaces on the rear fuselage and requiring some guess work on alignment. However, it's nothing that patience, cups of coffee and thinking about the final image can't resolve. I used Hataka FS35237 for the scheme grey and their Barley Grey for the radome and other greys visible on the airframe. Black and white were used on the fuel tanks. All brush-painted acrylics as per usual. The decals were applied over a matt varnish and sealed with a matt varnish. A dab of weathering was applied to the undercarriage and exhaust nozzles. Overall a reasonable result I think given the fun of getting there and I'm glad I made the effort - a pig with lipstick, you might say.

Harrier T.2 - XW265, A&AEE Boscombe Down, late 1970. Kinetic 1/48 scale.
XW265 was the second production T.2 and the fourth two-seat Harrier built. It had its first flight on 28 February 1970 and was delivered to Mod(PE) for trials and certification. It was used for the next 15 years in various trials at Boscombe Down and Hawker Siddeley at Dunsfold before transferring to the RAF and 233 OCU in May 1986 where it remined until its last recorded flight was in August 1995. The cockpit section was last seen with 2345 Sqn ATC at Leuchars. The model represents the aircraft in late 1970.
This is my sixth Kinetic twin-seat Harrier but the first in the original RAF colour scheme. I used Hataka blue line acrylics. Aside from some decals from another kit and vinyl MDCs, there are no additional items to the kit. The gloss varnish is Winsor & Newton's Galeria. Not much else to say really, other than I'd already committed to gun pods before deciding to make this a trials aircraft. They probably were fitted at some point, I just do not know when. It's the first twin-seat Harrier build where I've added them.

Harrier T.4, XW267, Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE) / Strike Attack Operational Evaluation Unit (SAOEU), Boscombe Down, November 1986. Kinetic, 1/48th scale.
The SAOEU, resident at Boscombe Down at the time, was tasked with bringing the Harrier GR.7 into service. Capable of operating in all weathers and at night, it required a night-attack system. This Harrier T.4, XW267, was used in the trials of an experimental FLIR (Forward Looking InfraRed) system, an updated HUD, INAS and video camera. The FLIR was mounted in the nose. The aircraft was on loan at the time to the RAE (December 1987 through to April 1987) and was christened "Night Bird", some suitable artwork being applied either side of the forward fuselage. This is a standard build of the kit with just a FLIR and pitot added to the LRMTS nose. I didn't modify the cockpit as I've no idea what the changes were and you'd not be able to see them anyway. Brush-painted with Hataka acrylics. I created the nose artwork and RAE decals. Not an exact colour match, but they were vinyl stickers anyway. The decals were applied over W&N Galeria matt varnish and a sealing matt coat added afterwards. A dab of weathering applied here and there with Tamiya powders and Zigg Brushable pens.

Harrier TAV-8A, 159379 / KD01, VMAT-203, USMC, circa 1985. Kinetic 1/48th scale.

Another bash at the Kinetic t-bird, this time as a TAV-8A with the USMC's Harrier training unit, VMAT-203 "Hawks". For something different, I went with the low visibility markings applied to the jets in their later years of use. Brush-painted with Hataka and Vallejo acrylics. Kit + spares decals. Vallejo matt varnish finish.

KAI T-50B, #6, The ROKAF Aerobatic Team, the "Black Eagles". Academy 1/48th scale.

Very nice kit, other than it is black plastic which makes it tricky to work with small parts. Good to see pilots included with the kit. A challenge with decal alignment and fitting, but ultimately worth it. Brush-painted with Vallejo Air Black. Other acrylics for bit parts. Decals on Galleria Matt varnish finish.

Harrier GR.9, ZD401 / 30, IV(R) Squadron, Joint Force Harrier, 2010. Hasegawa 1/48th scale.

Another GR.9, this time using a Hasegawa kit. IV(R) became the Harrier OCU in April 2010 and ended in December 2010 when Joint Force Harrier was scrapped and the Harriers sold to the USMC. Brush-painted with Hataka and Vallejo paints. Decals were a mix from Kestrel set + Revell / Hasegawa + home made for wildcat badges. Galleria matt varnish finish. Weathering powders.

Sukhoi Su-33 Flanker-D, Bort #87, 2nd Aviation "Tiger" Squadron, 279th Shipborne Fighter Aviation Regiment. Kinetic 1/48th scale. .

A challenging build due to some poorly fitting parts and inadequately detailed instructions. However, got there in the end and decided to do in-flight, as most modellers choose on-the-ground, wings-up mode. Pilot from spares. Paints were all mixes - Hataka/Vallejo/AMMO Mig: Darker blue = AMMO Mig 229 + Hataka Roundel Blue; Lighter blue = Vallejo Andrea Blue + White + FS36495; Grey = FS36495 + FS36237 + Andrea Blue. Decals from kit and applied over Galleria Matt varnish. Vallejo Matt varnish to finish. Stand kindly made by Iain - thanks again

Harrier T.52, G-VTOL, Hawker Siddeley Aviation, 1973. Kinetic 1/48th scale.

Unique in the Harrier fleet, G-VTOL (also registered temporarily at one pint as ZA250) was the only Mk.52 Harrier. It was a T.2 in-effect, but with some equipment modifications for use on civilian air routes. Over its working life it had 3 different schemes, and this one is the second, painted in preparation for a sales tour to the Middle East. The 330 gallon ferry tanks (3D printed) were used on its sales tour to South America. The aircraft now resides at Brooklands Museum in Weybridge. Brush-painted with Hataka acrylics. Vingtor decals applied over Galleria matt varnish finish.

Rafale C - HJ-113, EC 1/7 "Provence", French Air Force, Tiger Meet 2013. Revell 1/48th scale.

This is one of the many striking schemes applied to the Rafale in the French Air Force and was used for the Tiger Meet in 2013. It's the basic Revell kit with Syhart decals (sheet 48-075). A few challenges with alignment, but decals went on very well considering. Highly recommended. Brush painted with Hataka and Vallejo paints; yellow - Hataka Golden Yellow + dash of red - Vallejo Gloss finish; blue - "Mix" - Hataka Oxford Blue + Hataka Dark Camo Grey + Hataka White - Vallejo Satin finish; grey - Hataka 36270 (now lightened with white) - matt finish.

Harrier GR.1 XV758, Harrier Conversion Unit, RAF, September 1970. Kinetic 1/48 scale.
Harrier GR.1 in initial Harrier camouflage scheme and carrying the squadron markings of the Harrier Conversion Unit. This unit would subsequently become the Harrier Operational Conversion Unit and then 233 OCU. Decals for unit badge are from Vingtor decals. Brush-painted with Hataka acrylics, Vallejo Gloss Varnish to finish.

Harrier TAV-8A, 3101 / 1, Royal Thai Navy, 1998. Kinetic, 1.48th scale.
The Royal Thai Navy bought the remaining Spanish Harriers when the Spanish Navy converted to the second generation Harrier. Problems with spares, maintenance and general funding meant very few hours were flown and they were officially retired from service in 2006, though probably most of them had stopped flying long before that. No additions to the kit, but I did add vinyl MDCs and the nose badges and formation lights were from a Siam Scale decals sheet. The model is brush-painted with acrylics. I used Tamiya weathering powders and finished with a coat of Vallejo matt varnish.

F-22A Raptor, AF 04-4082, 192nd Fighter Wing, Langley AFB, Virginia, 2008. Academy 1/48th scale.
I chose one of the aircraft that appeared at RIAT in 2008 for the model, but the final scheme and weathering is based on looking at many F-22 images and making something up. The "metallic sheen" finish which means the aircraft never looks the same in each photo is what gives you artistic licence to play around with the colours - and also the patterns due to repairs and replacements. The model is brush-painted with a mixture of various brands of acrylics. For the base colours I used lightened Hataka FS36375 for the leading / trailing edges, a mix of Vallejo FS36173 and silver for the main grey and the darker grey camouflage pattern was a mix of Vallejo FS36176, FS36231 and silver. The nose cone is AMMO Mig FS36270. Touch-ups and replacement panels were with other greys and/or mixtures as required by artistic licence. Decals from the kit - which are not very good and the instructions are often misleading and I'm pretty confident they are not right in their colours, but it was not worth the investment in an after-market set for one model. I used a variety of weathering powders and Zig brushables and a satin varnish to finish. Not a bad kit to build and I'm fairly pleased with the result. My attempts at trying to reflect part re-paints may just turn out to be regarded simply as dodgy painting.

Leopard 2A6NL , 1/35 scale by Revell with giraffe crew.
Leopard 2A6NL, A Kompanie / Tankbataljon 11, The Netherlands Army. Bet you didn't expect to see this in my model gallery, did you? Shows you can't rely on anything these days! This is the an-out-of-the-box build, because what I know about targets, sorry tanks, can fit on the proverbial postage stamp. And for the fun of it, I made a diorama base - no expense spared. Brush-painted with acrylics: Hataka NATO IRR Green; Andrea Color Leather Brown / Reddish Brown mix and AK Interactive Rubber Black. A variety of MIG weathering pigments were used to make it look slightly used, but not excessively so, as modern tanks don't quite need the blast and rust treatment that modellers typically give tanks. A bit of painted gauze was added to the storage bins - no expense spared. The crew - giraffes naturally, are available as resin items. They were given suitably Dutch-coloured hats and standard camouflage patterns and paints of the species. They are a little under-sized (as they are meant for Toon tanks), so regard them as juniors in training. Yes, I shall go lie down in a darkened room now.

VAAC Harrier T.4A, XW175, DERA (Defence Evaluation Research Agency), Boscombe Down, 2000. 1/48th scale by Kinetic.
No two-seat Harrier collection would be without the VAAC (Vectored thrust Aircraft Advanced Control) Harrier operated by DERA and then QinetiQ to evaluate advanced control concepts for V/STOL aircraft. First flown in 1969, it was transferred to the Royal Aircraft Establishment in 1975 and then onwards to DERA and ultimately QinetiQ. It's last flight was in 2008 and as of November 2021, is up for sale with Jet Art Aviation. This is the Kinetic kit with the addition of resin instrumentation pods, courtesy of Tony. Aside from that, it's a kit build. Decals are from Vingtor decal sheet 48-118. Brush-painted with Hataka acrylics - Signal Red, White and Roundel Blue. Gloss varnish to finish.

Sea Harrier FRS.1, XZ460 / 26, 800 NAS, Operation Corporate, April 1982. Kinetic 1/48th scale.
This model represents XZ460 on 21 April 1982 when Lt Simon Hargreaves intercepted an Argentinian Boeing 707 on a reconnaissance mission looking for the British Task Force. By the end of the conflict, XZ460 had dropped sixteen 1,000lb bombs and fired four hundred 30mm cannon rounds. I used the Kinetic kit with a pilot from the spares box and some modified gun pods in resin. Decals are from the kit. Brush painted with a new paint to me, AK Interactive's 3rd generation acrylic Extra Dark Sea Grey. Vallejo satin varnish to finish.

Bell AH-1W Super Cobra, 440-QT / 162544, HMT-303, United States Marines Corps, November 1991. 1/72nd scale by Revell.
A friend of mine said he was never going to build this kit - would I like it? Why not?, I thought, you never know, I might just build it one day. Not long later, that one day came along and here it is. To keep things simple for a subject I know nothing about, I chose one of the schemes in the box. Painted using acrylics and some weathering added to mimic the effects of time spent in the run up to Desert Storm. An interesting diversion from my normal builds and it has now gone back to its original owner for display. He seemed happy enough to be relieved of the need to build it.

Harrier II AV-8B Plus, 162548 / 750, VX-9 "Vampires", Naval Air Weapons Station, China Lake, 2007. 1/48th scale, by Hasegawa.
My third and final Air Test & Evaluation Squadron jet, this time an AV-8B Plus with Air Test & Evaluation Squadron 9. Formed from VX-5, the VX-9 Harriers have now moved on to VX-31 "Dust Devils", whose stated mission is: Conduct safe, effective, and efficient flight test; representing the needs of our fellow aviators; Support other test organizations with highly skilled personnel and specially configured aircraft; Provide highly skilled and capable search and rescue support for our aviators and community within the 2508 range complex and Point Mugu Sea Range. They form part of the Naval Air Warfare Centre. I used AK Interactive's 3rd Generation acrylics on this one with a combination of Microscale, kit and home-made decals. I created paint masks for the modex number and VX-9 badge on the tail. Matt varnish finished with a few bits of weathering powders thrown on for effect. Oh yes, and the now normal vinyl MDC in the canopy. I like these new paints and expect to use them more frequently in the future.

General Dynamics F-16D Block 52+ Jastrzab No 4082, NATO Tiger Meet 2013. Kinetic, 1/48 scale.
I've finally got to build a large-scale F-16 after eggplanes. This is a from-the-box build of the two-seat version with kit decals. Brush-painted with AK Interactive 3rd generation acrylics and finished with some light weathering and Winsor & Newton matt varnish. I can't vouch for accuracy, but it goes together reasonably well. The instructions are definitely not Kinetic's best and the decals for the conformal tanks are a little undersized. Ultimately, it looks like an F-16 to me!

Dassault Rafale M, #36, Flotille 11F, Tiger Meet 2017. 1/48 Scale by Revell.
Another Rafale build and another Tiger Meet scheme, this time one from 2017. An out-of-the-box build with the Syhart decals from sheet #48117. Brush painted with acrylics, using Hataka Blue Line white, AK Interactive's FS36231 and Medium Sea Grey. Vallejo satin varnish provides the finish. And just in case you are wondering, there are 322 decals on this aircraft. Takes a while, but I hope you agree the results are worth the effort.

McDonnell Douglas / Boeing F-15C Eagle, AF79041, 173rd FW 75th Anniversary scheme, Oregon ANG. Revell 1/48th scale.
Having done an egg version of this F-15 Eagle, I thought it was time I did a 1/48th scale version. This is the latest issue of the venerable Revell F-15 with the decals for the scheme in the box. I didn't add anything to the kit in the way of after-market stuff. Apparently no F-15 in this scale is regarded as the definitive model to build and I was happy to build it as is. There's a few bits of the fit that need some effort and a few donations to the swear box. I used AK Interactive FS26251 for the base grey and Vallejo "Ocean Grey" for the camouflage elements. The decals went on reasonably well, but could be improved by using an after-market set as the colours and shapes are a little off. No big deal as you'd have to use images alongside for comparison. Winsor & Newton matt varnish was applied for the finish and weathering kept minimal. By the way, if you're not a fan of raised panel lines, you may want to look at a different kit, or be prepared to re-scribe. Needless to say probably, but I ignored them.

Harrier GR.3, XZ971 "Hod Carrier", 1417 Flight RAF, Belize, 1993. Kinetic, 1/48th scale.
Another day, another Harrier and a step closer to the one-of-a-kind goal. This is an interpretation of one the last Harriers to be deployed to Belize in Central America as a deterrent to an invasion by Guatemala. After initial deployments from 1(F) Squadron, a permanent flight was established in-country with 4 aircraft available for use. By all accounts, both flight crew and ground crew enjoyed their secondments in this wonderful country. I recommend a visit. This is the Kinetic kit with two aftermarket 330 gallon ferry tanks, a baggage pod and the unit decals from an Xtradecal set. Brush painted as always with AK Interactives' 3rd Generation Air acrylics.

Harrier GR.9A, ZG506, Joint Force Harrier, December 2010. By Hasegawa 1/48th scale.
This is the specially painted "retro scheme" Harrier flown by Group Captain Gary Waterfall during the final days of service of the UK Harrier fleet in December 2010. This is the Hasegawa GR7/GR( kit with a replacement ejection seat and decals from the kit + Model Alliance. Brush painted with AK Interactive acrylics. Klear applied for the gloss finish.

Type 22 "Houbei Class" Missile Boat, Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy. By Trumpeter 1/144 scale.
Based on an Australian-designed wave-piercing catamaran hull, these stealthy fast attack craft are armed with 8 YJ-83 anti-ship missiles and have a crew of 12. In service since 2004, the PLAN allegedly has over 80 vessels, operating in the South China Sea. I fancied doing a ship again and when I saw this I thought it would be suitably different and offer an interesting challenge with the scheme, and so it proved. Not entirely happy with the finish, but it's done now. Left a few bits off - you can work out what they are. Brush painted with acrylics. Matt varnish finish.

"You're Having a Giraffe" - Westland Wessex, Matchbox, 1/72nd scale.
Yeehah, we've brought back our 6 Month Challenge competition and my lucky dip was the Westland Wessex. What does one do with this? I asked myself. First of all, I looked to see who had flown the Wessex and I found out that in 1966 Ghana purchased two Westland Wessex Mk.53 helicopters. They were withdrawn from use in the mid 1970s. I couldn't find any photos, but in some idle Googling I found a story about a Delta Airlines tweet which celebrated the USA beating Ghana in a World Cup football match. They used a photo of the Statue of Liberty to represent the USA and a giraffe to represent Ghana. Unfortunately, you will not find giraffes in Ghana (except maybe in zoos?). The Twitterati enjoyed making merry at Delta's expense. Continuing the theme, I decided to convert the Wessex into a toboggan / bobsleigh and give it a zebra coloured giraffe camouflage scheme and crew it with Giraffes with zebra stripes. If you're going to make mistakes, make a few! Some home-made decals for the sponsor - Delta Airlines - and it was job done.

F-104DJ Starfighter, 36-5012, 204th Squadron, JASDF, Autumn 1980. Kinetic 1/48th scale.
Having built the single-seater Kinetic F-104, I thought I'd have a go at the two-seater and decided on a JASDF (Japanese Air Self Defence Force) version in natural metal finish (the kit offers a trial camouflage scheme version). I managed to find a couple of images of a 204 Squadron aircraft in metal with the orange bands and went with that, rather than an all-metal appearance. There's a few guesses here and there to complete the paint work. Construction didn't seem as straightforward as the single-seater for some reason - or I've forgotten the previous build. I left the canopy internals out as in trying to close the cockpit I clearly had something in the way. Kinetic's instructions drive you to an open canopy finish I'd say. Brush-painted with AK Interactive acrylics for the scheme and Vallejo Silver for the undercarriage. Paint sealed with Klear for the metals and matt varnish for the rest. Decals are from the kit - any serial number can be generated.

Alenia M-346 Master, Initial Production SN.00, CMX617, Leonardo, 2015. KInetic 1/48th scale.
This is my second M-346 build and I decided to do the Initial Production jet in the red scheme rather than the blue metallic scheme of the prototype, basically because of paint availability and the model more closely represents this version than the prototype. The build was pretty much as the last one - so I had the same issues plus a rather annoying problem with the paint. I used the AMMO Mig metallic red and it simply refused to dry. It literally took weeks before it was anything other than tacky and even then it still seems to be attracting dust like it is going out of fashion. I tried to put a coat of gloss varnish on it but that didn't help much. Eventually I got a coat of Klear on it, but I'd still say it's tacky. In the end, I ploughed on regardless and added the decals. A gun pod and bomb dispenser pods were acquired from contacts on Facebook and I added two drop tanks from the kit. I had to touch in some decals due to my mistakes with positioning. All-in-all, not a happy build, but it's done. One to be kept in a storage box!

"Sherman Calliope", US Army. Meng Toon Tank scale.
In an imagination far, far away ... I like these Meng Toon tanks and thought I'd try one out. I didn't particularly want to build it as-is and with a giraffe tank crew spare, that had to be used. I also liked the Sherman Calliope as an idea and thought some Kinetic Harrier matra pods could be used to represent the rockets as they dont have any other use. Painted with AK Interactive Olive Drab. Simple, easy-to-build (snap together) and quick. What's not to like?

Rafale C - 4-GI, Rafale Solo Display 2018, French Air Force. Revell 1/48th scale.
This is the Rafale Solo Display scheme for 2018 when flown by Captaine Sebastien Nativel, callsign "Babouc", of squadron ETR 3/4 "Aquitaine". The "Babouc" is a species of spider native to Reunion where the pilot was born and this scheme represents the stylised shape of the spider. This is the basic Revell kit with Syhart decals (sheet 48-116). I added some smoke winders taken from the Academy T-50B kit.
As with any scheme of this nature, there were some challenges with the alignment and placement, but I got there in the end. It's worth photocopying some of the decals and placing them on the jet to check where your paint boundaries need to be. Brush painted with Hataka and AK Interactive paints. Vallejo satin varnish to finish.

King Tiger (Porsche Turret), German Army. Meng Toon Tank scale.
In an imagination yet again far, far away … my second outing with the Toon Tanks after all the fun with the first one. This time a parody that encompasses: the death of Oberst Martin Hessler from the film "The Battle of the Bulge"; the incorporation of the Carling Black Label parody adverts from the 1980s; a giraffe in charge of a tiger tank; and a model base that is constructed from polyboard and is covered with biodegradable cat litter. Painted with AK Interactive and Vallejo acrylics and weathered with AK Interactive weathering powders. Immense fun once again ... I can feel another Toon coming soon. But what to do with it?

Harrier GR.7, ZG857, FJWOEU, RAF, 2005. Hasegawa 1/48 scale.
Another Harrier trundles off the production line. For this one, I chose a jet with the Fast Jet & Weapons Operational Evaluation Unit based at RAF Coningsby, circa 2005. The configuration is based on an image I've seen of the jet when out on trials at China Lake in the USA. Painted with AKI Interactive's acrylics and using the decals from the Revell kit. Paveway II, TIALD pod and the ejection seat are aftermarket items.

PZL M-28 Skytruck, RAN-48, Nepalese Army Air Service, 2017. Aeroplast 1/72nd scale.
Something slightly different with this one. I wanted to build a couple of models for the Asian Air Arms SIG and chose Nepal, a country I've visited, as the first model The Nepalese Army Air Service does not many options to choose from, but a kit was available for the M-28 Skytruck and I preferred that to a helicopter build. The kit is from Aeroplast and whilst it has some good features, it suffers from excessive flash, over-scaling for the smaller items and poor fitting in some places. The instructions were well printed, but gave no clues to internal colours. In the end, I made them up based on best guesses of other aircraft with other operators. I used AKI 3rd gen paints for all but the main scheme - this was a mix of Vallejo Flat Green and Luftwaffe Camo Green in roughly equal portions. Vallejo satin varnish completed the finish. I didn't put sufficient weight in the nose and have therefore mounted it on a base. Note the instructions do not mention anything on the matter.
Overall, a nice diversion from my normal stuff and not a model and scheme I expect to see very much elsewhere.

Yakovlev Yak-130, 18-01, Myanmar Air Force, 2022. Zvezda, 1/48th Scale.
The Yakovlev Yak-130 (NATO codename "Mitten") is a consequence of the falling out between Aermacchi and Yakovlev in the development of a subsonic two-seat advanced jet trainer. The first flight took place in 1995 but by 2000 the partners went their separate ways. The Yak-130's development continued and first entered service with the Russian Air Force in 2010. Myanmar ordered theirs in 2015 and received the first 3 of 18 in March 2017. The aircraft is also in service with Algeria, Bangladesh, Belarus, Laos and Vietnam. Its western equivalent, known as the M-346 Master, is in service with Italy, Israel, Poland, Qatar, Singapore and Turkmenistan with new orders from Egypt, Greece and allegedly Nigeria and Azerbaijan.
The first thing that strikes you with this kit is the completely different design approach to that of Kinetic with their M-346. A multi-part fuselage approach requires lots of dry fitting and a reasonable grasp of what the end product will look like. Having done both kits, I much prefer the simplicity of the Kinetic one for what is basically the same fuselage shape, though the Yak-130 does have some complex intake door arrangements for their choice of engine and the requirement for off-runway operations. Aside from that, the kit goes together reasonably well and there's a good choice of markings and weapons. I chose the Myanmar Air Force as the 2nd model this year for the Asian Air Arms SIG. For the two blues colour scheme I used AMMO Mig Dark Grey Blue for the darker pattern blue and made a mixture of Vallejo FS36495, Hataka Oxford Blue and Vallejo Pastel Green for the lighter blue. A bodge but it looks about right. The decals cling quite quickly but are good quality. A coat of Vallejo matt varnish finished off the model.

Mirage 2000N, #353 125-AM "100 Years EC2/4 La Fayette" 1916-2016, French Air Force, 2016. Kinetic 1/48th scale.
It's been a long time in the planning but I finally got around to building a Mirage and what better first choice than a special scheme version? As the title says, the scheme is to celebrate 100 years of the La Fayette squadron, EC2/4. The La Fayette Escadrille was the name of the French Air Force unit escadrille N 124 during the First World War and was composed largely of American volunteer pilots flying fighters. It was named in honor of the Marquis de Lafayette, French hero of the American Revolutionary War. In September 1917, the escadrille was transferred to the US Army under the designation 103rd Aero Squadron. In 1921, The French Air Force recreated a N124 unit who claimed lineage from the war-time La Fayette escadrille and is now part of the EC2/4 La Fayette. This particular aircraft participated in RIAT 2016 as part of the squadron's Ramex Delta display. The Mirage 2000B/C/N is one of the early Kinetic kits and has a few challenges, not least of which are checking the instructions for the correct assignment and use of parts. The cockpit needs some work to be accurate but for my level of interest in accuracy, it was just fine. The decals are from Syhart - though Kinetic have now issued a release of this kit with the decals in the box. Some of the alignments didn't work for me and there's one glaring error on the upper surface decals that escaped the quality check. Brush painted with a mixture of AK Interactive and Vallejo acrylics.

Tornado IDS, CSX 7041 RS-01, "60th Anniversary" 311° Gruppo, Italian Air Force, 2016. Italeri, 1/48th scale.
I've not built a Tornado since the original Airfix 1/72nd version of the prototype and that was a very long time ago. It seemed an appropriate time to have a go at another one, with a special scheme of course. This aircraft flew at RIAT in 2017 and naturally generated a lot of interest. The good news is that Italeri put the scheme into the kit. I'm not sure there's any more good news. The kit builds up okay, though there are a few problem areas when joining the various components together. The cockpit is pretty basic, as are the seats and there's no protection for look throughs for the engines nor the folding wings. Nothing you can't fix one way or the other. That all pales into comparison when you get to the decals. Italeri took the easy approach and covered the aircraft in decals - no fancy masking required. The problem is the decals just don't bend around corners. Laid flat they are fine, but joining them at the wing and tail leading edges is very difficult. The spine one also refuses to conform. It doesn't help that they are a little over-sized in places. Anyway, lots of swearing, decal setting solution and paint touch-ups, I finally got there - mostly. Maybe it's just me. Just don't look too closely. The paint was AK Interactive's white, black and Hataka's Signal Red. I used a variety of weathering items to give it the lived-in look. This is mostly on the underside where of course it's hidden. Look at photos to see what fun you can have with leaking hydraulic fluid. This particular jet has been spared the usual sooty tail look of all Tornado aircraft.

F-16A Block 20 MLU, E-007 / 87-0007, Esk 727, Royal Danish Air Force, 2023. Kinetic, 1/48th scale.
The Danes, along with the Belgians, Dutch and Norwegians became the first users of the F-16 in Europe. Denmark received their first aircraft in 1980 and all current aircraft have been through the Mid Life Update (MLU) programme. The scheme for this aircraft is one of the first of the current fleet of Danish F-16s to be painted in the new single grey "Have Glass V" paint scheme, equivalent to FS36170 and which is the standard on F-35s. The RDAF is the first to use this scheme on F-16s outside of the USAFThe kit is the new Kinetic F-16 MLU Gold Series effort released in late 2022 and is the first of their new re-engineered F-16s, replacing the older ones in their catalogue. There's been the usual hot air and warm pee on various modelling forums and Facebook pages about certain inaccuracies and fit issues that make it "unbuildable" and no match for Tamiya. I'd say ignore them. If you're into your rivets, you can make up your own mind. If you don't know your F-16 from your F-15 you'll be just fine. I did have a couple of fit issues, but I think they were as much of my own making with cleaning-up and lazy dry-fitting than are inherent in the kit. It certainly is better than their older F-16s. You'll need some supporting references to get the options selection correct if you want more accuracy as this kit will also build a Block 25 C model. I used the Hataka Blue Line version of the paint and applied a matt varnish as finish. The decals are from Lima November. I think they may have been sized for the Tamiya kit as there were some alignment / sizing issues. They were also incredibly thin and sticky - more care than usual is required to use them. I went for a QRA (Quick Reaction Alert) weapons fit of 2 x AIM-120 and 2 x AIM-9 with centerline tank as my weapons fit.

Rafale C, Pre-production aircraft 01, 1994. HobbyBoss, 1/48th scale.
The first Rafale C, the single-seater, made its maiden flight in May 1991, during which it achieved Mach 1.2. Only one was built and in contrast to the demonstrator Rafale A, was painted in all black instead of white. The aircraft completed 1,592 flight hours between 1991 and 2003. After storage, the aircraft was re-painted and transferred to the HQ of the French Ministry of Defence and mounted on a pole - sacré bleu.
This is the HobbyBoss version of the Rafale C and includes the decals only for the pre-production aircraft. It's very similar to the Revell kit and pretty much has the same issues. Depending on the timeframe and your source of reference material, various parts can be included or omitted as you see fit. I chose to model it in its early life with no refuelling probe (only did dry contacts anyway), no pylons and no ILS aerials on the tail (least I assume that's what they are). For an even simpler life, I did it wheel up and produced a new format of stand (thanks to fellow club mate Alan who did most of the work on this to me design). The aircraft is brush painted with AK Interactive acrylics and finished with Vallejo matt varnish. Decals are from the kit.

Harrier GR.3, XZ138 / V, 1453 Falklands Flight, 1984. Kinetic, 1/48th scale.
At the end of Operation Corporate, Harriers remained on detachment to the Falkland Islands to provide air defence. Aircraft and personnel from the Harrier squadrons were rotated through the Harrier Det. until August 1983 when it officially became 1453 Flight. In later 1984, the 4 Harriers on the islands had tail codes of V, T, O and L - clearly reflecting the boredom of being marooned a long way from home! In May 1985, the new RAF Mount Pleasant airfield was opened and Phantom FGR.2s took up residence for air defence duties. The Harriers were finally heading home long after the Sea Harriers had left.
This is the Kinetic kit with decals from Xtradecal for the unit badges and codes. I added the I-band transponder under the nose using plasticard. Other than that, it's the usual Harrier build. The aircraft is brush painted with AK Interactive acrylics and finished with Vallejo matt varnish.

Mikoyan MiG-15Bis, 2315233 / 233, 1st Squadron 821st GvlAP, 190 IAD, Korean People’s Democratic Republic Air Force. Monogram, 1/48th scale.
Another build for the Asian Air Arms SIG, this time a MiG-15Bis flown by Deputy Squadron Leader Maj V N Zabelin on behalf of the North Korean Air Force in February 1952. The pilot recalls in response to the question you fought in one airplane only? " ... In the 821st Regiment, in 233 only. When I was transferred to the 256th IAP, I flew in other aircraft. But I still have a warm feeling toward 233. It was my true friend in the sky which never failed me."
This is the old monogram kit first released in 1976. Almost as ancient as me! Very basic by today's standards, but goes together pretty well without too much trouble and there aren't too many parts to sort out. A relatively quick build hampered by a lack of reference images and colour callouts, naturally! I chose a scheme based on one listed in a decal sheet and created the "233" code and used the markings from the kit. No stencils on decal sheet and not sure what would have been on the aircraft. Brush painted using AKI's Natural Steel 3rd gen acrylics.

Harrier AV-8C, N719NA / 719, NASA, 1990. Kinetic, 1/48th scale.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) acquired one of the early Kestrel aircraft after the completion of the Tripartite Evaluation Squadron trials and later acquired an ex-USMC Harrier AV-8C (158387) as part of its continuing investigations into V/STOL. This particular aircraft has flown with VMA-513, VMA-231, VX-5 and NATC before arriving at NASA in January 1986. It was used for aerodynamics testing and later transferred to the Flying Leatherneck Museum.
This is the Kinetic AV-8A kit with a few scratch-mods to upgrade it to an AV-8C (wings and tail). NASA decals are from my friend Fabian at FABDecals. Brush painted with AK Interactive acrylics. And yes, that sticker on the intake says "Thank God I'm British".

Chengdu J-20 "Mighty Dragon" Prototype, PLAAF, 2011. Meng, "compact" scale!
The J-20 "Mighty Dragon" is China's first multi-role stealth fighter which first flew back in 2011 and is now entering front-line service. This model is eggs-actly based (LOL) on the prototype and is a click-together kit from the Meng Kids range. I did actually glue some parts together and gave it a coat of black paint. The decals are self-adhesive stickers.
A little bit of fun for the afternoon and another addition to my "egg" collection.

Mikoyan MiG-29SE, 36507, 8 Sqn, Bangladesh Air Force, 2022. Academy 1/48th scale.
The Mikoyan MiG-29, known to NATO as the Fulcrum, first flew in October 1977 and was purchased by the Bangladeshi Air Force in 2000, receiving 6 single-seaters and 2 twin-seaters. They have subsequently been upgraded with new avionics, etc. It's likely they will be replaced in the next few years with a more modern equivalent.
This model uses the old Academy kit. It has a few fit issues and compared with today's tooling standards, looks its age. However, the end result is okay for my purposes. The official paint scheme colours are hard to pin down and references back to Federal Standard colours are of course meaningless. In the end, I went with some home brew mixes after looking at as many photos as I could find. I used Hataka, AK Interactive and Vallejo acrylics, hand-painted of course. Decals are a mix of spares and home-made, courtesy of my friend at FABDecals.

Bristol "F.34B", Bristol's Bra Fit Co. Wingwalking Team. Eduard, 1/48th scale.
Yes, it's that time of year again and my entry into the club's 6 Month Challenge Competition. The gods conspired to give me the Eduard Weekend Edition Bristol F.2B "Brisfit" fighter. A little bit of imagination later, I decided to build the Bristol F.34B, a post-WW1 one-off version of the F.2B adopted for the formative stunt display flying teams of the early 1920s. This aircraft, a full-scale flying replica of the original with registration G-BOOB was sponsored by the Bristol's Bra Fit Company for the 2023 season and formed the basis of their wingwalking display team. It's known affectionately by the team as the "Brafit". The tablets aren't working - again.
Painted with AKI acrylics, home-made decals, rigging with Prym knit-in elastic. Scratch-built harness for wingwalker.