Spitfire Mk IXc Tamiya 1/32. Cockpit (Part 1)

COCKPIT STAGE 1: I used resin sets from Barracuda Cast for the cockpit sidewalls, seat and control stick. I also used Eduard´s photoetched sheet for the rudder pedals and some details of the seat. The Tamiya photoetched sheet that includes the kit is also useful for some details. Other details are made from scratch with white styrene pieces from Evergreen. The wires are made with lead wire from Plusmodel and electric copper wire.
Appart from the booklet with photos included in the kit I used Modellers datafile # 03 from SAM publication and a wonderful article about this model by Maciek Żywczyk.

Tamiya´s 1/32 Spitfire Mk IXc Merlin 60 series engine (part 4)

Stage 5: Locating the engine inside the cradle & adding more pipes, wires and lines.

Tamiya´s 1/32 Spitfire Mk IXc Merlin 60 series engine (part 3)

Stage 3: Main weathering.

Stage 4: Pipes, lines, wires... there are still a lot more to add but the engine must be fixed into the cradle first.

Tamiya´s 1/32 Spitfire Mk IXc Merlin 60 series engine (part 2)

Stage 2: Painting. Next thing will be to to apply some weathering and attach a whole lot of pipes and lines.

Tamiya´s 1/32 Spitfire Mk IXc Merlin 60 series engine (part 1)

One of my ongoing projects. Tamiya´s 1/32 Spitfire Mk IXc. I want to build it with the Merlin engine quite detailed. This is the first stage of the detailing. I have added some details of the surface elements as well as the couplings for the pipes and wires that will be attached after the painting.

GUEST GALLERY: "Finito Benito next Hiroito" 1/32 by JEROEN VEEN.

It is not usual to see not only a great model but also an original subject. This is what this B-25 is. That´s what I thought the first time I saw this beauty by Jeroen Veen. The model is the HK Models/Wingscale 1/32 kit.
"Finito Benito Next Hirohito" was a B-25J Mitchell assigned to the 12th Bomb Group based in Naples in early 1944. The Group was transferred from the 12th Air Force in the Mediterranean to the 10th Air Force in India in March, 1944. The name reflects the change in Theater assignment. It was painted in red on the upper surfaces of the wings, as opposed to the usual placement on the nose of the airplane.
You can see more of the wonderful models by Jeroen is his Facebook pages:
Jeroen Veen FB
Jeroen Veen's Modeling Hub

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GUEST GALLERY: "Norway-1943" 1/32 by AITOR AZKUE.

This is the latest piece from Aitor Azkue. If you don´t recall the name you´ll may want to check his "Never Ending History?" here, you most likely remember it.
With this work Aitor bring us a dramatic sight of the most bitter side of aviation. As usual in his latest works the central scene attracts immediately the viewer attention making us to focus in the story. From there we can begin a voyage around the surrounding background just to check the amazing level of detail and realism that enhance the emotion of the message. Aitor is a diorama artist that transcends the mere standards of technical skills in modelling and composition and search a way to touch the spectator. An artist in all the extension of the word (a not enough valued modeller in my opinion, but certainly he will be).
Just a thought about one of my favourite elements, the derelict skiff or, as I like to say, the oblivion boat. Why is it there? Is only an element for filling an empty angle? It has some significance? Well, everyone can make his guess but personally I think it is a sour metaphor about the doom of the crashed bird and maybe of the wounded crewmen as well.
It is hard to be original in the qualification of these kind of works; Aitor always makes me to improve my English vocabulary. What about delightful?
I hope this Norway bitter scene moves you as much as it moved me.

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The inception:

The culmination:

 

GUEST GALLERY: SBD-3 Dauntless 1/32 by TOMÁS DE LA FUENTE.

Another Navy bird. This time the Trumpeter 1/32 Dauntless by Tomás de la Fuente. Tomás is one of those few modellers with the capacity of making models of any country, age or scale and keep the same realistic touch. I admire his way of weathering with subtle but very attractive effects. Notice how Tomás superbly imitated the degraded paint effect, the exhaust staining or the characteristic chipping of the Navy aircrafts. And the detailing and paintjob of the cockpits is equally amazing.
A wonderful piece, no doubt.

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