Homepage Text - April 2009

Thursday,   Apr 30  2009

  Netherlands Queen's Day 

    Saigon fell, ending the Vietnam Conflict in Southeast Asia  April 30  1975 

Gabriel Stern is here with something odd today...which isn't a surprise.....but this plane is from the 1950's.......and not the dawn of aviation like most of his models.  This is his 1/72 Scratch-built Kingsford Smith (Pellarini) PL-7 which is a very odd looking drop duster.  I always get a kick out of Gabriel's latest scratchbuilt masterpiece. 

Osni Vieira Junior joins us with his 1/144 Airfix 747-200.  This well known 747 is finished as the KLM jumbo jet that collided with another 747 in 1977 with a tragic loss of life.

Krystian Ciechowicz has been busy doing an excellent job on this 1/48 Eduard P-39L Airacobra.  Krystian built this USAAF P-39 out of the box which gives fantastic results as this is a very nice kit.  Krystian added weathering to make this P-39 look just like the real plane when it served in Libya.  

Burcin Emren joins us from Turkey with his 1/48 Hasegawa F-4.   finished his Phantom in Jolly Rogers markings with full weathering as you expect to see on a USN jet.  I sure do like the look if this Phantom.

Ed Fuquay is a long term friend of mine and ARC.  Ed has taken a trip down memory lane with his 1/48 Monogram P-40B Flying Tiger.  I recall this was one of the first kits I built after re-entering the hobby.......I built it with my young nephew.  Ed did the exact same thing and enjoyed every minute of it.  I do admit Ed's P-40 came out looking much better than the one I built with my nephew.  

I have a review of the new 1/48 VX-9 F/A-18E Super Hornet "Vampires" decal sheet from Fightertown DecalsThe 5 aircraft on this decal sheet include 3 with hi-viz markings including one with Playboy Bunny artwork and another with "Go Navy - Beat Army" markings. 


I have a review of the new 1/48 F-105 Thunderchief Wheel Bay set from AiresThis set includes resin and photo etch parts to help you to super detail the landing gear bays on your F-105.


I have a review of the new 1/48 Hawker Hurricane Part 1 decal sheet from Lifelike DecalsThe 4 aircraft include a Hurricane flown by a BOB veteran to an air racer from the early 1950's.


Wednesday,   Apr 29  2009

  Israel Independence Day 

Yoav Efrati is here to honour the 61st Israel Independence Day with his 1/72 Italeri MD500Yoav did much extra detailing to the interior and exterior of his MD500 Defender.  This particular Defender has an interesting footnote in history as you'll read in Yoav 's article..

Denis Podgorniy joins us today with his beautiful LaGG3 Artwork.  I always admire people with the talent to create artwork like this. 

Shaun "vapour trail" Naude joins us today for the first time with this excellent looking 1/48 Academy Mig 21 PF.  Shaun has kindly shared the tricks used tobuild this very realistic looking MiG.  Welcome to ARC Shaun, I look forward to seeing more of your models on ARC. 

Bryan Bodily is here to make you grin with his Phony Pony.  This one of a kind model is a combination of kit bashing and scratchbuilding to create a very amusing and enjoyable P-51 that is very easy on the eyes.

Erik Boynton has done an outstanding job building and finishing his 1/72 Hasegawa EKA-3B.  Erik did some extra work to improve his EKA-3B such as dropping the slats and flaps to add further realism.  This one really turned out well.

Bernhard Schenk joins us for the first on ARC.  this is his perfect looking 1/48 Flying Machines Fiat G.50 bis/AS.  This is a limited run kit, but that didn't stop Bernhard from turning out a great looking model of this Italian fighter.  I particularly liked how the camo paint job looks.  Welcome to ARC Bernhard, I look forward to seeing more of your models on ARC. 

I have a review of the new 1/32 MiG-29A Correction kit for Revell kit from ZactomodelsWow this set is massive and improves so many areas of this kit.


I have a review of the new 1/48 F-6F-5 Hellcat resin cockpit set from AiresAnother detail rich set from Aires.


I have a review of the new 1/72 P-36A Pt.1 20th Pursuit Group decal sheet from Starfighter DecalsThis decal sheet includes 3 different aircraft....all with some sort of artwork.


Tuesday,   Apr 28  2009 
Frank Dargies is here with Part 2 of his Project U-564.  Frank has moved this project along very well.  Sit back and have a close look at each photo.....Frank's work is inspiring.   

Artur Oslizlo has done a fabulous job finishing and weathering his  1/48 Hasegawa F-16C.  I love how the paint and weathering brings this model to life. 

Ted Taylor joins us with his 1/24 Vintage Fighters Series P-47D-28.  This is a big kit and Ted took advantage of that by bringing out the engine and cockpit detailing with some very well done painting. 

David C S Teo is here with another of his beautifully done 1/144 Minicraft B777-200.   David finishes this airliner in the Singapore Airlines Star Alliance livery.

Kairasp Daruwala is here with his model made from the classic 1/48 Monogram P-51D Mustang.  Kairasp finished his Mustang with a bare metal finished in the markings for a famous American Ace.  No doubt about it....this is one sharp Mustang.   

I have a review of the new 1/48 F4U Corsair Seats (without Harness) from UltracastYou get 2 seats in each set.


Here is a product announcement for the 1/48 F-16A MLU "Diana" Summer & Winter schemes decal sheet from Daco Products For you guys in the US, you can get this sheet from Twobobs.

I have a review of the new 1/48 SAAB 35 Draken early fin top from Rebell HobbyThis resin part is designed for the SAAB 35 DrakenA/B/C/D and some E's


Monday,   Apr 27  2009

 Sierra Leone Independence Day 

 South Africa Freedom Day 

 Togo Independence Day 

This weeks Twobobs Newsletter is up.  Bob has the latest news about the upcoming releases a.  I'm pleased to see some 1/32 Typhoon sheet for the 32nd  Trumpeter kit....both RAF and Italian markings.. 

"Taylorde" from the ARC forums has some photos from the recent Shearwater Hobby Show 2009. 

Robert Chavez did an excellent job finishing and detailing his 1/72 Hasegawa F/A-18F Super Hornet.  Robert added intake covers, missile tip covers and finished this all off with Remove Before Flight tags.  All these little details sure did finish off this fine looking jet. 

Franz Galli joins us with something pleasantly different.  This is his little 1/72 Academy Kubelwagen dressed up with simulated mud.  This little vehicle came as part of an aircraft kit.

Burt Gustafson joins us with his eye catching 1/72 Academy F-89D Scorpion.  Burt built his Scorpion OOB, but that didn't stopped him from giving it a first class baremetal finish and sharks mouth markings. 

Micah Reysio-Cruz is here from the Philippines with this great looking 1/48 Testors O-2 FAC that was inspired by the movie Bat 21.  Micah added extra scratchbuilt detailing and even dealt with a  short shot windscreen before weathering and finishing the O-2 in some of the coolest markings I've seen.

Sinuhe Hahn joins us from Switzerland with a review of the 1/72 and 1/48 Swiss Emils decal sheet from Rising DecalsThese have got to be some of the best looking 109's. 


I have a review of the new 1/48 LaGG-3 Series 1-4 Exhaust  resin set  from  QuickBoost These resin exhausts are hollowed out at the end.


I have a review of the new Woven Brass Mesh from  Fineline Model ProductsThey have a variety of meshes for different scales and applications.


Sunday,   Apr 26  2009

 Tanzania Union Day 

Saturday,    Apr 25  2009

  Italy - End of WW2 1945  

  Australia and New Zealand - ANZAC Day  

Andrew Doppel is here to remember ANZAC Day with his 1/48 Academy (RAAF) F111CAndrew dressed up his F-111 with some Verlinden and Scaledown aftermarket accessories along with some scratch built details.  Well done Andrew....Lest we forget.


Friday,   Apr 24  2009 
Here's the latest Hot Babe of the Week! photos from TwobobsThese Super Hornet photos were taken by Robert Dubonnette. 

Luc Janssen begins today with his exceptional 1/32 Hasegawa P-47D Thunderbolt.  Luc used resin items from Aires as well as some scratchbuilding to finish his P-47.  Then he gave it his special paint and weathering treatment.  Read his article to learn his tricks....he explains it very well in his article. 

PJ from Brazil has dropped by today with his Argentinean 1/48 Academy F-86.  PJ used Alclad to get a excellent looking baremetal finish.  PJ explains his technique for baremetal finishes in his article which gives fantastic results.

Rafi Ben-Shahar  is a very accomplished and you only have to see his 1/48 Classic Airframes J2F-5 Duck to appreciate that.  He's not a fan of Accurate Miniatures kits, but he does love the finished models you get from those kits. 

KNES Armin joins us today with his colourful 1/48 OZE MiG-21 SMT.  Armin did quite a bit of work on his MiG-21 including a scratchbuilt cockpit.  I DO like how the camo scheme looks.  Armin must have a huge collection of Russian jet by now. 

Pawel Befinger is here with his very nicely done 1/72 RPM Bf- 109 E-1.  This Emil is from September 1939 and is built with a model kit from RPM Models. 

I have a review of the new  1/48 & 1/32 A-7D Molar Marauder decal sheet from Twobobs Aviation Graphics This sheet is a combo sheet (48th/32nd) of one of the most unique schemes you'll ever see on a USAF Corsair.


I have a review of the new  1/72 Mistel 1 conversion set version 1 from Aires.  This resin set includes all you need to make your own 1/72 Mistel bomber used by the Luftwaffe during WW2.


I have a review of the new  1/48 SAAB 35 Draken Pitot Tubes from Rebell HobbyThese are very finely machined parts.


I have a review of the new  1/48 F6F Hellcat Seat with British Q-type Harness from Ultracast.


Thursday,   Apr 23  2009

  England - St. George's Day 

  Turkey National Independence and Children Day 

I'm very impressed with today's massive update sent in by Turkish modellers to marking their National holiday.  Sit back and enjoy 23 articles today!!!
Tolga ULGUR starts this special update with his beautifully done 1/48 Tamiya De Havilland Mosquito Fb Mk VI.  Tolga used aftermarket goodies from Ultracast, Eduard and well as decals from TurQUOISE Decals.

Zafer Yilmaz is a modeller I respect very much and I'm pleased to see he has a few models in today's update.  His first model today is his 1/48 Hasegawa Bf-109G-6 finished perfectly in a weathered Luftwaffe camo.  It doesn't get better than this. 

Özgür Taskiran has done a fantastic job on this 1/48 Hasegawa F-104G.  This beautifully finished Starfighter is finished in Turkish Air Force markings.

Hakan Soylemezoglu is here for the first time on ARC.  This 1/72 Italeri F-5B is finished in Turkish Air Force markings complete with pilots and panel line shading.  The model looks excellent and the diorama base completes the look perfectly.  I always enjoy seeing aircraft in Turkish markings.  Welcome to ARC Hakan, I look forward to seeing more of your models on ARC in the future.

Burcin Emren joins us from sunny Turkey with this beautifully finished 1/48 Academy Bombcat.  Burcin chose the Grimreapers markings for his in-flight Tomcat.  The hardest part of building an F-14 is to give it a weathered look and I really do like the weathering job on this F-14. 

Zafer Yilmaz is back today with his 1/48 Hasegawa Bf-109G-10.   Added exhaust stains and weathering then completed his 109 in Croat Air forces markings.

Osman Yener joins us from Turkey with a  great looking 1/48 Academy F-15DJ Eagle.  This F-15 is finished in Japanese markings and finished off with flawless weathering.

Ayhan Toplu has done an outstanding job building and weathering his 1/48 Hasegawa Ju-87B-2 Stuka.  This Ju-87 is beautifully weathered with exhaust stains and paint chipping around the panel lines.  It looks perfect.


Özgür Taskiran joins us again today with his second 1/48 Hasegawa F-104 on ARC today.  This one is also finished in Turkish markings and has a very realistic weathering job. 

Cigdem Taskiran is here with her first article on ARC.  I'm very pleased to show you her 1/32 Revell Fw-190 D9 that was built out of the box with great care and skill. 

Zafer Yilmaz is back again today with another 109, but this is a very special one.  This is his 1/48 Hasegawa Bf-109G-10 finished off in RAF markings as this aircraft appears while undergoing flight evaluation.  My friend Zafer did his usual first class job on it as you'll see in the photos.

K.Basar Doganer has been busy getting everything perfect on his 1/32 Hasegawa Fw-190A-5.  This 190 has added interior details from Eduard photo etch and was finished with aftermarket decals from Eaglecal.  The whole model was carefully weathered and given slight paint chipping to add to the realism.

Özgür Taskiran honours us with his 1/48 Revell F-86D.  This award winning model is finished in Hellenic Air Force markings after being given weathering and panel lines shading.   

Aykut Bilir joins us with one of the modern Turkish fighters.  This is the 1/72 Hasegawa F-16 Block 50 finished in TuAF markings.  This F-16 was given scratchbuilt detailing and finished in custom made decals with very good results. 

Osman Yener has done a wonderful job detailing and finishing his 1/48 Revell (Hasegawa) F-4E Phantom II.  This Phantom was built mostly out of the box with some additional scratchbuilt details and custom made decals by the very talented Kaan Gök. 

Tolga ULGEN joins us wiht one to the less known German aircraft from WW2.  He found the 1/72 Revell Blohm und Voss Bv P.194 kit to be an excellent kit and as you can see it builds up into a stunning model. 

Ayhan Toplu has done a gorgeous job building and weathering his 1/48 Tamiya Fw-190A8/R2.  This 190 was given a  full weathering job including exhaust stains, gun powder stains and so much more.


Özgür Taskiran has been busy building the big 1/32 Tamiya F-4D Phantom.  This Phantom is built mostly out of the box with the addition of Eduard photo etch seatbelts, before being given SEA camo and  a full weathering job. 

Volkan Uzeler joins us with a very nicely done 1/48 Tamiya Mig-15 Bis.  This Mig-15 was given extra detail with Eduard photo etch and and given one of those great looking camo schemes and finished Chinese Air Force markings.

Murat Madak is here with a sharp looking aggressor 1/48 Hasegawa F-16A using Twobobs decals and finished in that great looking camo scheme.  Murat also used resin exhausts and a resin seat from Aires to improve the detail on his F-16. 

Özgür Taskiran is also here with a excellent looking 1/48 Hasegawa A-4 Skyhawk finished off in an aggressor camo scheme with Fighter town Decals.  This Skyhawk was also given a full weathering job. 

Osman Yener is here with a very colourful Dutch 1/48 Revell F-104G Starfighter.  Osman really enjoyed building this Starfighter and the finished models looks fantastic.

Tolga ULGEN is here with a very rare Japanese aircraft.  This is the 1/72 Fine Molds - Kugisho R2Y1 KEIUN built mostly out of the box with the addition of seatbelts.  Tolga did a fine job on this odd looking Japanese aircraft. 

Wednesday,   Apr 22  2009 
"speedlimit" from the ARC Forums is here with a  selection of photos from the recent MosquitoCon 2009 model show.  The first photo includes some of the ARC'ers that attended.

Gabriel Stern is here with another gem from the very early days of aviation history.  This is his Scratchbuilt 1/72 William Gary Hoople - 1910 Looping the Loop....and the best part....this thing actually flew.  I always get a kick when I see Gabriel's latest model from the early days of aviation.

Vladimír Žucha has done a very nice job on his 1/48 Tamiya Gloster Meteor F.1.  Vladimír airbrushed some of the markings due to problems with the kit decals and finished his Meteor in the classic RAF camo that looks so good on the Meteor.
 

Kevin B. Rigby has done a marvelous job building and detailing his 1/48 Sanger RB-47H.  Kevin has very high regards for this kit and I really do like how the finished model turned out.  The finished model is a testament to Kevin's talent as a modeler.

Krystian Ciechowicz has done an amazing job weathering this 1/48 Eduard P-400 Airacobra.  Krystian finished this beauty in markings for an P-400 Airacobra that operated out of Guadalcanal in 1942

I have a review of the new 1/48 F/A-18C VFA-151 Patriot Vigilantes decal sheet from Twobobs Aviation Graphics.  This sheet features five sets of markings to include the newest CAG jet are included on this VFA-151 Vigilantes sheet.


I have a review of the new 1/48 MiG-3 Undercarriage Covers from QuickBoostYou get enough landing gear doors for one model.


I have a product announcement for the new 1/72 F-16A MLU Belgian Air Force 349 Sqn Anniversary decal sheet from Daco Products.


I have a review of the new 0.63mm OD Stainless Steel Tube from Fineline Model Products.


Tuesday,   Apr 21  2009

  Holocaust Memorial Day  

United Kingdom - Birthday of  Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second

Red Baron Manfred von Richtofen shot down by Australian groundfire (1918)

No Update today.  I've been sick the past week and I don't seem to be getting any better.  I'm taking a day off to rest.

Monday,   Apr 20  2009 
This weeks Twobobs Newsletter is up.  Bob has some images of the next 6 decal sheets to be released.  They include 1/72 & 1/48 F/A-18E Fighting Fourteenth, 1/72 & 1/48 F/A-18F Fighting Four-One, 1/32 EF-2000 Perfect Storm Tiffies with some great artwork and 1/32 EF-2000 Tifoni Italiani.

Denis Podgorniy is sharing some of his artwork with us.  This is his He 70 Artwork and it sure does look good.  I'm pleased to say more artwork by Denis will be on ARC in the coming weeks. 

PHAN NGUYEN Hoang Nguyen has been very busy adding scratchbuilt details to his carefully weathered 1/32 Academy F/A-18D.  This big beautiful Hornet was finished in the USMC markings for VMFA 242 with homemade decals.  This one looks perfect.

Ben Z. Nielsen is here with a very moving article about building his big ol' 1/32 Revell AH-1G Cobra.  This Cobra is a trip down memory lane for Ben and you will enjoy reading his article.  I know his Dad is looking down and smiling.  Sorry for your loss Ben......it isn't easy.

Osni Vieira Junior joins us with a Jumbo jet you don't see often.  This is his 1/144 Airfix 747-200 finished off in Brazilian livery for Varig.  This a great looking airliner.

Laurent “Angus” Beauvais has been having fun with his "out of the box" build of the 1/48 Tamiya Swordfish Mk 1.  Laurent chose a less common paint scheme and markings and finished it off with a full weapons lood to give his Swordfish some teeth.  Amazing job Laurent.
 

I have a review of the new 1/32 F-14B resin cockpit set from AiresThis is a multi-media cockpit set loaded with detail.


Sinuhe Hahn joins us with a review of the new Jagdwaffe over Africa Part 1 book.  It is good to see my friend Sinuhe on ARC.


I have a review of the new 1/72 TBD-1 Devastators Pt.2 Neutrality Patrol decal sheet from Starfighter DecalsThis decal sheet includes 2 colorful pre-war Devastators.


Saturday,    Apr 18  2009

  Zimbabwe National Day 

Doolittle Raid - U.S. bomb Tokyo (1942)

P-38 mission to kill Yamamoto (1943)

Friday,   Apr 17  2009 

  Syria Independence Day 

Eli from Zotz Decals is very proud to show you a  teaser photo of the new 1/32 MiG-killer F-8 Decal sheet.  This sheet is shipping today.  I'll get a review done on it as soon as the review sample arrives.

Vasilij "Tarner" Ratej has exceptional talent.  When I first saw the photos for this 1/35 Academy / MRC UH-60 Black Hawk, I thought I was looking at photos of the real 1/1 aircraft.  I know you will be impressed.

Carmel J Attard is here with something you don't see very often.  This is his 1/67 Comet Series Cessna 310 which he reworked a bit but considering the age of the kit he actually didn't have too bad of a time building it.  I do like the paint scheme he chose. 

Michael Riedel joins us today with his big 1/32 RoG F-4F Phantom II finished off in Luftwaffe markings.  Michael created a diorama of his F-4 after it just lifted off the runway.  He repositioned the flying surfaces and then gave his model a flawless paint job complete with weathering. 

Paolo De Sanctis joins us with his 1/72 Frog Torbeau complete as an in-flight model with D-Day stripes and a full weapons load.  Paolo added extra details to this older Frog Beaufighter kit to bring the finished model up to a higher level of detail.  I do like how it looks.

Artur Oslizlo has done a first class job on his 1/48 Frems Aermacchi MB 339A.  He finished it in Italian markings with shading and weathering and a very selection of weapons under the wings.  Extra detailing was added with photo etch as well as resin seat. 

I'm very excited to show you the first photos if a built up model of the new 1/32 Bristol F.2b Fighter model kit from Wingnut Wings.

Thursday,   Apr 16  2009 

  Denmark Queen's Birthday 

Here's the latest Hot Babe of the Week! photos from Twobobs.  New CAG scheme from VFA-14. Courtesy of Robert Dubonnette. Thanks Robert!

Konley Kelley is here with his latest artwork.  This is his Hunting the Hunter which features his Avenger as well as some of his digital artwork featuring this Avenger attacking a U-Boat as well as his Avenger flying over an aircraft carrier.  This article gives you a very good idea how he creates his digital artwork.

Peter Doll is a modeller I always enjoy seeing on ARC.  He lives in Germany and he always seems to find the most eye catching paint schemes and markings for his latest model and today's 1/32 Trumpeter F-100 D Super Sabre is no exception.  Enjoy the photos and his article.  Peter used the new resin nose for Trumpeter's F-100D from Zacto Models
 

Franz Galli has done a fine job building his 1/48 Monogram Messerschmitt Bf-109 G10.  This was a stalled project that got revived and finally finished into a darn fine looking 109. 

Peter Wilkinson has seriously impressed me with the job he did on his 1/48 Hasegawa F/A-18F Super Hornet.  He used a variety of aftermarket items to kick things up to a higher level, but it is the painting and weathering that make this model stand out. 

Anders Swenson has been busy scribing the panel lines on his 1/48 Revell-Monogram B-17G.  When it came to weathering Anders used a variety of tricks including soot from the tailpipe of his truck for the exhaust stains....which I found very creative.  His B-17 was finished with Sexy noseart.  

Here is a product announcement for the new 1/72 F-16A "Dirty Diana" schemes decal sheet from Daco ProductsThis sheet is available in different scales.


I have a review of the new Woven Brass Mesh from  Fineline Model ProductsThis company has a variety of different sizes of mesh.


Here's a photo for the new 1/32 SE.5a ‘Hisso’ model kit from Wingnut Wings.  

Wednesday,   Apr 15  2009 
Lawrence Aphoy starts today with photos from the recent Avalon Air Show.  It's good to see this year's airshow season has begun. Great photo Lawrence.

David C S Teo has done a truly lovely job on his 1/144 Revell British Airways Concorde.  David touches on the important points when building this kit.  He finished his in the attractive British Airways livery......this really is a sleek looking jet. 

Rafi Ben-Shahar has been busy building the 1/48 Classic Airframes Savoia Marchetti S.79.  This wasn't the easiest kit to build, but it sure does build into a eye catching model with that colourful WW2 Italian camo.  Rafi always makes it look so easy. 

KNES Armin joins us today with his 1/48 Monogram AV-8B.  Armin painted his harrier in the green and gray camo and then gave it a full weapons load and markings for the USMC. 

Duan has done a very skilled job on this 1/72 Academy P-40E Warhawk.  The Tigers head decal on the nose is actually painted and the weathering job has to be seen to be believed......and all this in tiny 1/72.  Amazing work Duan. 

I have a review of the new 1/48 AH-64A Iron City Apaches decal sheet from Twobobs Aviation GraphicsMarking options for nine different helos with enough stencils for two complete aircraft. 


I'm very excited to show you the first photos if a built up model of the new  1/32 LVG C.VI model kit  from Wingnut Wings.  


Tuesday,   Apr 14  2009 
Boris Bilyk has been very busy adding details to his 1/48 HobbyBoss A-10A Thunderbolt II.  Boris added some Eduard photoetch, Italeri engine, Aires cockpit and some parts of Italeri kit a-10.  This beautiful A-10 is displayed on a very realistic looking diorama base.  This A-10 looks excellent.  

Amanda Jones is here with a very special model.  This is the 1/72 Eduard Fokker DR.I Triplane that she actually build in only one week.  This is an outstanding model and it would be a gem to have in the display case.  I do like the models Amanda makes and this little triplane is outstanding. 

Pierpaolo Maglio is here with his very special 1/48 Tamiya F-16A ADF Viper 1.  This particular Italian F-16 wears the 90th anniversary paint scheme for 23° Gruppo of the Italian Air Force.  These decals are from Zotz decals and in his article, Pierpaolo the best way to build this jet.

Javier Johnson joins us from Ecuador with his very well done 1/48 Czech model T-34C-1 Turbo Mentor.  Javier built his Mentor as the Ecuadorian Navy version with all the special details seen on the real aircraft.  I'm very impressed how well this one looks.......it was not the easiest model to build.  Well done Javier.

PJ from Brazil is here today with a very colourful 1/48 Hasegawa F-86.  This particular Sabre is finished in the camo and markings of the Bolivian Air Force.  PJ added some careful panel line shading.  This camo looks really good on the F-86. 

I have a review of the new 1/72 J35F1/J Swedish Drakens decal sheet from Twobobs Aviation GraphicsThis is a resizing of the 1/48 sheet and includes options for four aircraft on this sheet with enough stencil data for two complete aircraft.


I'm very excited to show you the first photos if a built up model of the new  1/32 Junkers J.1 model kit from Wingnut Wings.  No doubt about it....these new kits are going to get people interested in bukilding models from the Great War. 


Monday,   Apr 13  2009 
In case you missed it.....yesterday on Easter Sunday ARC had a massive Egg Plane update.....over 20 articles.

This weeks Twobobs Newsletter is up.  This weeks newsletter has all the instruction sheets for all the latest releases....Drakens, Cobras, F-14's, Apaches, Hornets and even an A-7. 

I'm very excited to announce the launch of a new model kit manufacturer called Wingnut Wings They are devoted modellers with a passion for WW1 aircraft in 1/32nd scale.  Their product line also includes other modelling products devoted to the Great War.  They have 4 new aircraft kits and the high quality has already caused quite the buzz among the modelling community.  ARC will have info about their new kits all week long.

Albert Moore gets your week started with his photos from the recent Upper Peninsula Scale Modelers 2009 contest.  This looks like it was quite the show....full of great models.

Jean-Charles Goddet has been very busy getting all the decals and paint looking perfect on his 1/72 Revell Dassault Mirage 2000C RDI.  This is a Tiger Meet jet from 2006 and I am very impressed how good it looks.  Jean-Charles worked hard to get it looking perfect. 

Jerry Hawhee (Old Blind Dog) has been busy getting things right on his 1/72 HobbyBoss MiG-3.  Jerry added some scratchbuilt details to dress up the cockpit as well as other work to upgrade the details on his MiG-3 with some fine results. 

Carmel J Attard did a beautiful job getting things right on his 1/32 Hasegawa A-4K.  Carmel modified his Skyhawk to make it an accurate model of a New Zealand jet and then finished it off in RNZAF markings.

Gabriel Stern is here to make you grin with his 1/72 Ben Brown SC Diamond Wing -aka Potato Bug or Baking the Brown Potato.  When I saw the wing design on this aircraft, I was surprised it even flew.  Once again another Gem from Gabriel. 

Sunday,   Apr 12  2009 

  Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin. First Human In Space (1961) 

Today's special Easter update was an idea from the ARC forums.  All today's models are Egg Planes.  This is pretty amusing and some of them have custom made decals as well as custom bases etc.  It's all darn amusing.  Credit goes to Ed "Silver1" on the ARC Forums for coming up with this idea.

Ed "Silver1" starts this special update with his Fw-190 Eggplane.  Ed came up with this idea of a quickie Group Build a few weeks ago and it really caught on.  His Fw-190 is complete with the accurate paint scheme you'd expect on a Fw-1-90. 
 

David “drhornii” Horn is here to mark Easter with his Hasegawa P-51 Egg plane.  Wow....you don't see too many folks putting bare metal finishes on their egg planes.  Way to go David.
 

"Alvis 3.1" is here with his Tie-Egg.  This kit was actually mastered by Alvis 3.1 and did go into production.  It is currently out of production. 
 

Vince Hoffmann joins us on this Easter Sunday with his X-Wing Eggplane.  Vince actually produces this limited run kit and if you want to add one of these to your eggplane collection you should drop him an e-mail.  Vince produced this one using the P-38 as a base....with MUCH modification as you can well imagine.  I LIKE it!!! 
 

"Jack Swiss" joins us today with some photos his F-15 Eggplane.  This F-15 is finished in USAF markings. 

"Madmike" is here with a photo of his Corsair Eggplane.  Yup....it has bombs under the wings and drilled out gun barrels.
 

"Nate" got right into his F-15 Eggplane.  It's finished in Japanese markings and is positioned over a cloud that Nate created.
 

"damo" is here with his Corsair Eggplane.  He has also included some in-progress photos of his Corsair.

"Trevor" is here to also mark Easter with his SR-71 Eggplane.  I do like how the base looks on this one. 
 

Shawn "Phantom" Weiler joins us on this Easter Sunday with his Eggplane Collection.  Shawn has included his CF-18, F-14 in Jolly Rogers markings as well as....you guessed it...a Phantom.  Nicely done Shawn.
 

"yardbird78" is here with his USN F-14 Eggplane.  And it even has air to air missiles on the wingtips.
 

"Chorse6" is here with one of the more amusing ones.  This is his F-4 Eggplane complete with the spook in a  little diorama base with a weapons cart. 

"Silverback" got creative when he created this one.  This is his USN Blue Angels F-4 Eggplane.  Decals were custom made.  You've gotta' like that.
 

"TimMansfield" has quite the Eggplane Collection.  His collection includes the Space shuttle, F-16 Falcon, F-4 Phantom, F-14 Tomcat, Harrier and an A-6 Intruder.  It's amazing how many different Eggplanes that were produced.
 

David “drhornii” Horn joins us again with another Eggplane.  This is his SR-71 Eggplane. 
 

"MaxHeadroom" joins us on this amusing day with his CF-18 Eggplane.  Done up in fine style.

"TimMansfield" has also built the SR-71 Eggplane.  Tim abandoned this one 3 years ago.....but decided to get it done for today's update.....and with very fine results.
 

"Trevor" has taken things to another level and created an in-flight diorama of his CF-18 Eggplanes flying formation. 
 

"yardbird78" is here with his SR-71 Eggplane.  If you look carefully there is a little Soviet Soldier standing on the top of the planet as the Spy plane flies by.
 

Phil "Silverback" is back with another of his eggplanes.  This is his USAF Thunderbirds F-4 Eggplane finished with custom decals.. 

Mark "indydog" is here for this special Easter update with 2 of his Eggplanes.  These include his F-18 and SR-71 Eggplanes.  Way to go Mark. 

Patrick Nevin also built an Eggplane for this update.  This is his Zero Eggplane done up in fine style and even includes some in-progress photos.

Friday,   Apr 10  2009 
Krzysztof Baranowski starts today with a first article on ARC.  This 1/35 Academy/MRC MH-60G Pave Hawk took a  year to build and includes aftermarket and scratchbuilt detail items.  Wow, what a beautifully done project.  Welcome to ARC Krzysztof !!! 

Bill Bunting is here with a very detailed article about building his 1/72 Trumpeter English Electric Lightning F2a.  Bill has sure sold me on this kit and his finished model is a feast for the eyes.  It looks great Bill.

Serge Dompierre is here with one of his classic builds.  This is the older 1/48 Monogram P-400 Airacobra, which Serge has proven builds into an excellent model in the hands of an experienced modeller like Serge. 

Shawn "Phantom" Weiler is here with his 110 Phantom on ARC.  This is Shawn's colourful 1/48 Hasegawa F-4 done up in the red, white and blue paint scheme for a UK Phantom.  Shawn dressed up the cockpit with resin and photo etch to add details. 

Chris Fleet is here with his first article on ARC today.  This is his 1/32 Revell Piper PA-18 Super Cub built mostly out of the box and finished off in the markings for a UK registered aircraft.  I do like how this one turned out and I look forwa4rd to seeing more models by Chris on ARC in the future.  Welcome to ARC Chris!!!

Now's your chance to buy a re-print of the 1/35 AH-1W Cobra decal sheet from Two Bobs Aviation GraphicsThis sheet is selling fast....buy it while you can.

I have a review of the new 1/48 VF-211 F-14A Checkmates decal sheet from Fightertown Decals.  This new decal sheet includes markings for 6 different 1/48 F-14A's....from OEF-OIF II.  


I have a review of the new 1/48 resin P-51D/K Gun Fairings from Ultracast.


Thursday,   Apr 9  2009 

  Portugal "Dia do Combatente" (The Fighter's Day) 

  Day of remembrance (La Lys Battle 1918)

Angelo M Picardo is here to wow you with his 1/32 Trumpeter A-7E Corsair.  Angelo built his A-7 out of the box, but with his skill and attention to detail he turned out one very exceptional Corsair II....complete with a stellar paint job and full weapons load.

Neil Commerford has done a gorgeous job building and finishing his  1/48 Esci UH-1D Huey in the colours for Working on Fire in South Africa.  I have always enjoyed seeing fire fighter aircraft and this Huey is a pleasure to behold. 

Vince Lucente has taken the old 1/48 Monogram TA-4F Skyhawk and detailed it with some aftermarket goodies and used the markings from 3 different decal sheets to create this very sharp looking 2 seat Skyhawk.  Yet more proof these older kits really do build into great looking models with some good old fashioned modelling skill.. 

Artur Oslizlo has done a beautiful job on his 1/48 Tamiya Spitfire Vb Trop.  Artur added photo etch plus resin exhausts and then finished his spitfire in a  weathered desert camo paint scheme.  Check out the engine oil stains on the underside of the plane....amazing. 

Glen Thomas Peach joins us with something unique.  This is his  1/144 Revell A300-600 ST Beluga finished off with a very colourful set of decals.  The gloss paint job looks flawless. 

Now's your chance to buy a re-print of the 1/48 F-14B VF-74 Be-Devilers decal sheet from Two Bobs Aviation Graphics.  This sheet is selling fast....buy it while you can.


I have a review of the new 1/72 A3D-2 Skywarrior Radome - Early Version from QuickBoost.


I have a review of the new 1.10mm OD Stainless Steel Tube from  Fineline Model Products This company has a variety of different sizes of tubing.


Wednesday,   Apr 8  2009 
Here's the latest Hot Babe of the Week! photos from TwobobsThese Greek Buckeye photos were taken by Mathias Leischner. 

Raphael L. Marbella, MD  is here with his very attractive looking 1/48 Eduard Yak-3.  Raphael added scratchbuilt details to dress up the cockpit before finishing his Yak in the markings for an Elite Unit.

Christopher Cooper has done extensive work correcting the 1/144 Arii F-111G to make a truly accurate Australian F-111.  Christopher details all the improvements he did to his model.  It's hard to believe this is 1/144 scale.  

Javier Johnson has used his skill to create a 1/72 Revell Mil Mi 17-1 from the Revell from Mil Mi 8T kit.  This conversion required quite a bit of effort to create a Ecuadorian Mil Mi 17-1 but the beautiful finished model looks well worth the effort. 

Ioannis Giavasis joins us for the first time today with his 1/48 Saab J35 Draken.  Ioannis used many aftermarket items and finished this beauty with a spectacular paint job and Zotz Decals.  Welcome to ARC Ioannis, I look forward to seeing more of your models on ARC in the future.

Carmel J Attard has done an outstanding job building and finishing his 1/72 Valom Marauder Mk1A.  Carmel tells the full story of building his Marauder Mk1A which sounded like quite the project, but he makes it sound so easy.  I love how his finished B-26 turned out.

I have a review of the new 1/48 VA-127 Cylons Adversary decal sheet from Fightertown DecalsThis new decal sheet includes markings for 8 different 1/48 A-4E/F - TA-4F/J....plus an additional 2 paint schemes for one of these jets....giving you  a total of 10 choices. 


I have a review of the new 1/48 F4U Corsair Seat with British Q-type Harness from Ultracast.

Tuesday,   Apr 7  2009 
Alexander Breunig is here to remember the final flight of the F-14 with his 1/72 F-14D Felix 101 diorama of this famous moment as this jet touched down for the last.  Alexander went to extreme lengths to get every tiny detail correct.  I know you'll be impressed by his attention to detail.

Kairasp Daruwala joins us today with his 1/48 Revell Corsair F4U-4.  Kairasp captured the look of this WW2 PTO USMC aircraft very well and gave it a full weapons load.  The cool part is the wings on this model can be folded and unfolded.  Nice one Kairasp.  

Fernando I. Moreno Villa is here from sunny Monterrey, México with his 1/72 Airfix Fiat G.91 R/4 Gina.  Fernando chose markings for the Portuguese aircraft and although this isn't the best or easiest kit, he did turn out a great looking model of this classic little jet.  

Nicolas Fernandez is here from Barcelona with his 1/48 Hobbycraft Seafire Mk.XVI.   Nicolas chose to use French markings on his Seafire complete with exhaust stains and weathering to add realism to his Seafire.

Gareth Phua has been busy getting the finish right on his 1/48 Hasegawa RAF Phantom FGR.2.  Gareth explains how he addressed some of the little problems with this kit.  The shaded panel lines and overall finish is spot on.

Now's your chance to buy a re-print of the 1/48 AH-1W Cobra decal sheet from Two Bobs Aviation Graphics This sheet is selling fast....buy it while you can.


I have a review of the new 1/48 Seahawk FGA/RR. 101 cockpit set from AiresThis cockpit set will really dress up your next Seahawk.


I have a review of the new 1/72 TBD Devastators in War Paint decal sheet from Starfighter Decals This decal sheet includes aircraft from some of the big battles from WW2.....and even includes markings for Ens. G. Gay's plane. 


Monday,   Apr 6  2009 
This weeks Twobobs Newsletter is up.  The new sheets are available and the popular ones out the gate are the Bedevilers and the Apaches. Get 'em while you can!  The newsletter contains plenty of photos of new sheets. 

George Louis Creed is here with photos from the VALLEY CON 2009 20th Anniversary model show held in Pasadena California.  This show was very special to me as some ARC'ers in the Pasadena Club paid to sponsor Awards in the name of ARC.  I am truly humbled by this gesture. 

George Louis Creed is here with his 1/144 War of the Worlds Battle Diorama.  I am a big Sci-Fi admirer and this model did bring a smile to my face.  I bet it was a blast to build.  Looks like fun George!!!

George Louis Creed is here with photos of the award winning 1/48 Mirage IIIC built by Jim Frye and  Winner of "Best Israeli Aircraft" Award at the recent VALLEY CON 09 in Pasadena California. My sincere thanks to all those responsible to sponsoring this ARC Award.    I am once again truly humbled by this gesture. 

George Louis Creed is here with photos of the award winning 1/35 Trumpeter MI-24 Hind by Rod Bettencourt.  This ARC Award was paid for by ARC'ers and created in honor of ARC.  Wow....this Hind is a sight to behold.  My sincere thanks to all those responsible to sponsoring this ARC Award.    I am again truly humbled by this gesture. 


Stephen Prior graces the ARC homepage with another of his beauties.  This is his 1/48 Tamiya F-16C Block 40.   Stephen used a variety of aftermarket goodies to pull together this excellent looking F-16.

Eric Fauré has been very busy getting everything perfect inside and outside on his 1/72 Revell C-160 F Transall.  Eric has FULLY detailed the cargo area and left the rear cargo doors open to show off the stunning detail of his work.  Check it out.......it's amazing.....not just interior detailing....but shading and weathering inside as well. 

I have a review of the new 1/32 MiG-29 Exhausts for Trumpeter MiG-29 kit from ZactomodelsAnother home run from Chris at Zactomodels.


I have a review of the new  1/48 Supermarine Spitfire Part 4 decal sheet from Lifelike Decals.  You get 4 different Spitfires including the Spit Mk. V flown by Douglas Bader.  


Floyd S. Werner, Jr. is here with a  review of the new DVD called The Eleventh Air Force-World War II from Victory Films

Saturday,    Apr 4  2009 

  Senegal Independence Day 

Friday,   Apr 3  2009 
Here's the latest Hot Babe of the Week! photos from TwobobsThese F-15 photos were taken by Wally Van Winkle. 

John McCormick is here with something very special today.  This is John's 1/32 Tamiya F-4E done up as the plane flown by Steve Ritchie and Chuck DeBellevue when they scored their 3rd and 4th Mig kills in July of '72.  John did extensive work on his Phantom and had quite a bit of help from ARC'ers to pull together this big impressive Phantom. 

Serge Dompierre is here with his 1/48 Monogram P-40B Flying Tigers.  The legendary tale of the Flying tigers is one of my favourite stories and seeing Serge's P-40 bring a smile to my face. 

Fernan De Gannes has done an exceptional job on his 1/48 Tamiya F-84G.  Fernan finished his F-84 in a multi-shade bare metal finish and used the markings for 'Ricepaddy Ranger'.  I love the look of the yellow and black stripes on this model.....especially on the tail.

Shawn "Phantom" Weiler has a VERY funny article about his almost failed attempt to build his 1/48 Hobby crap DHC-3 Otter.  After reading his article I grabbed my copy of the kit and put it at the very back of my kit stash......maybe you should do the same thing.

Christopher Cooper has super detailed his tiny 1/144 Revell F/A-18A.  Christopher did detailing that I didn't think was possible in 1/144.  He even did some pre-shading before finishing his Hornet as an Aussie bird with a full weapons load as a jet that served in Iraq as part of Operation Falconer. 

I have a review of the new F-4E Phantom Kurnass in IAF Service Book from IsraDecalThis book has over 650 photos of Israeli F-4's.


Kim Elliott is here with a review of the new 1/72, 1/48, 1/32 RCAF Beaufighters, Canadians in Coastal Command #1 decal sheet from Aviaeology.


I have a review of the new 1/72 SAAB 35 Draken Pitot Tubes from Maestro Models Conversions and available from Rebell HobbyThese are machined from metal and the quality left me stunned when I first saw them.  

Thursday,   Apr 2  2009 

 Falklands/Malvinas War Anniversary 

Zotz Decals has another F-8 Crusader sheet on the way.  This one features 2 jets...one is a shark mouthed MiG killer and the other has flame job instead of a sharks mouth.

Busolini Massimo has done a beautiful job detailing and paining and weathering his 1/48 Hasegawa F-86 Mk6 Black Tulip.  Busolini added a resin cockpit and gun bay and finished it all off in the black Tulip markings of  WW2 Ace Erich Hartmann.  

Pablo Angel Herrera joins us from IPMS/Guatemala with his sharp 1/72 AH-1W Super Cobra.  Pablo finished his Cobra in the digital camo that is now appearing on some aircraft.  I do like how it turned out. 

Jorge Ramirez joins us from sunny Monterrey, Mexico with his spectacular 1/48 Academy F-111C.  Jorge used plenty of aftermarket detail items as well as some of his own scratchbuilding  and finished his F-111 in the great looking markings and paint scheme of an Aussie jet. 

Adam Dormer has gone to great lengths to make his 1/32 Hasegawa Fw-190 Dora 9 as accurate as possible over a 5 year period.  Adam redid the rivets on the whole model before making extensive use of many, many aftermarket detail items to get amazing results.  Wow...what a project this must have been. 

Jaroslav Kral has been busy building a stunning 1/144 Revell Airbus A380 for a co-worker.  Jaroslav added LED lights to the interior and exterior to give his in-flight model more realism.  I do enjoy seeing this paint scheme. 

I have a review of the new 1/48 resin Gun Barrels for Canberra B (I) 8 from QuickBoost.  This part is a vast improvement over the kit part.


Radek Lhotsky is here with a review of the new 1/72, 1/48 Luftwaffe Experten Volume 1 decal sheet from REVI DecalsThis sheet gives you 5 aircraft....including Bf-110's and Bf-109's.   

Thorsten Wieking is here with a review of the Mighty Mini Globe-O-Former vac-u-form machine from Kingston Vacuum Works.  If you want to try to vac-u-form model parts then this unit is worth checking out.


Wednesday,   Apr 1  2009 

 Canada - CAF Birthday 

 United Kingdom  - RAF Birthday 

Sam Chia starts things off today with his 1/48 Hasegawa A4PTM.  Sam has a very high opinion of this kit and it's glorious fit.  He finished off his sharp looking Skyhawk in the markings for the Royal Malaysian Airforce. 

Antoine (LS) has done a marvelous job peeling the paint on this 1/48 Hasegawa Ki-43-I Hayabusa (Oscar).  I do like the look of the Japanese fighters with the white bands....and this one came out looking excellent.  Antoine has a trick to stop paint bleeding under masking tape. 

Rafi Ben-Shahar is on a bit of a Me-262 quest and today he is here with his 1/32 Hasegawa Messerschmitt Me 262B-1a/U1.  Rafi built the radar equipped  night fighter version of the 262 complete with those delicate looking antennas. 

Gabriel Stern is here today with a normal looking aircraft for a change.  This is his Vacuformed 1/72 V.L.E Fokker Universal done up as a US Mail aircraft......it isn't scratchbuilt but it is a vacuformed kit to keep Gabriel's masterful skills sharply honed.  I've not built a vacuformed kit and I salute Gabriel for doing so well on this one, but I suspect it was childs play for him..   

Alexander Breunig dropped by today with his very nicely done 1/32 Revell F-14D Super Tomcat.  Alexander chose the great looking VX-9 Vandy-1 black paint scheme and displayed it in-flight with a full weapons load that befits this famous fighter.

I have a review of the new 1/48 VF-126 Bandits Skyhawk Adversary decal sheet from Fightertown Decals.  This new decal sheet includes markings for 8 different adversary 1/48 A-4F - TA-4F/J. 


I have a review of the new Woven Brass Mesh from  Fineline Model Products.  They offer a variety of fine wire mesh for different scales and applications.


I have a review of the new 1/48 P-47 Thunderbolt Square-Backed Seats (without harness) from Ultracast.