Miniatures In Detail Has Moved

Miniatures In Detail will continue and will be expanded in scope. Compared to this blog the new incarnation will be much more personal. There will be additional interests featured including a long-standing involvement in computer-gaming, more on my personal philosophy relating to hobbies, influences and more historical research.

Sadly many of the pictures have been lost here, so please join me at my new site (here) and use the categories to search for scale models, miniatures etc.

I look forward to seeing you there.

Completed Review - Airfix Hawker Typhoon Ib (A02041)

Scale: 1:72, RRP - £9.99

The last time I'd written about this build was prior to starting the decals. I'd decided to opt for the option depicted on the box art, that of Typhoon MP126, in the markings it carried when flown by Squadron Leader Gerald Stapleton of No.247 Squadron.

In past builds I've found the quality of Airfix's decals to be very good but I had some real problems with those included in this kit. I had several break up on me, including one of the serial numbers, without which I could not complete the build. I don't know if this was a one off, lack of practice on my part or if they were bad decals, although I suspect it was more a case of the first two rather than the latter. Fortunately I had a spare set and they were applied without any further bother, indeed that could said for the rest of the build.

Weathering was once again mostly done by applying Flory Model washes. My previous builds had been very dirty, using the Dark Dirt wash. This time I wanted to refine the weathering. For the undersides I applied a Grey Wash and then for the upper sides I mixed the Grey Wash with Dark Dirt (about a 2:1 ratio) and this gave a more subtle look, which was exactly what I was aiming for.

For the first time I attempted to use oil paints to apply oil streaks but found at this scale I couldn't really get a noticeable, and realistic enough effect. Exhaust marks were airbrushed using Tamiya Smoke, X-19, and dirt was applied to the undersides in small quantities using Flory Models Sand wash.

Again this was another excellent kit from Airfix which I thoroughly enjoyed building. It looks accurate in terms of the detail and shape, and there are two notable decal options. Once I slowed down and started taking some care it went together without any real problems. Although I deviated from the instructions, I don't think that's absolutely necessary, just take care with the flexible lower wing part and you'll be fine.

And that was about it. On a personal note I think this is the best model I've built so far, surpassing my previous build, the Airfix Defiant in the same scale. I think I achieved a more realistic finish, it just took me much longer than I would have liked.

Overall Build Score: 4 out of 5, an excellent release from Airfix with the full options, in-flight or on the ground, open or closed cockpit and pilot figure. Fairly straight forward to build, accurate and with interesting decal options, what more could you ask for?

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History In Detail: Squadron Leader Basil Gerald 'Stampe' Stapleton

The first History in Detail feature is going to take a look at the man behind one of the options in the latest release of the Airfix 1:72 scale Typhoon Ib kit (A02041). Typhoon MP126, is depicted in the markings it carried during December 1944 when it was flown by Squadron Leader Basil Gerald 'Stampe' Stapleton of No.247 (Chino-British) Squadron (RAF).

Typhoon MP126
Source: Airfix

With his handlebar moustache and, described by fellow airman Richard Hillary as “over six feet tall, thick-set, with a mass of blond hair which he never brushed”[1], Stapleton must have been very much the quintessential, bold, adventurous RAF fighter pilot one imagines from that time.

By the time Stapleton was flying MP126, adorned with a Nazi swastika topped by a burning eagle and unofficially named "Excreta Thermo"[2], he had been at war for five years. For four of those years he’d been an Ace, gaining six kills and two shared while flying Spitfires with No.603 (City of Edinburgh) Squadron during the Battle of Britain, an achievement which saw him awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.[3] One of those shared kills has long since been debated by writers and historians, many believing that it was the Messerschmitt Bf 109 of Oberleutnant Franz Von Werra, “the one that got away.” It even appears that, while remembering the combat itself, at the time, Stapleton wasn’t aware of the identity of the pilot of the aircraft. In fact the point when he exactly found out it was Von Werra also seems to be up for debate, with author Dilip Sarkar claiming he informed Stapleton of the pilot’s identity[4] and David Ross, who would later be Stapleton’s biographer, claiming Stapleton had learnt of Von Werra’s identity soon after the end of the war.[5]

Gerald Stapleton

While Aces tend to be associated with a certain invincibility his time in the Battle of Britain was not without incident. Shot down after believing he was out of range of the guns of an approaching Messerschmitt he recalled how he abruptly realised that this was not the case when a cannon shell suddenly stuck the starboard wing of his Spitfire between the two guns. As ammunition started spilling out of the wing and glycol from the punctured radiator started spraying into his cockpit he took the decision to make a forced landing in a field. The landing was by his account too fast, but successful, and after leaving his aircraft he encountered a family in their car who offered him a cup of tea before driving him, and another pilot who landed by parachute, to a nearby pub.[6]

The carefree attitude that typified pilots like Stapleton may seem strange to those of us living in the relative comfort of today's world. Looking back he declared those days as great fun in which each occasion was lived like it was the last.[7] Indeed his explanation as to how he and other pilots coped with the loss of so many fellow pilots in such a short space of time appears to show a certain amount of detachment, even a slight coldness, to what was happening around them. He explained:

“The Battle of Britain didn’t affect us... It’s a strange thing to look back on it and think, “Why didn’t we grieve more for the chaps that were missing?” And you never knew whether they’d been killed or whether they’d jumped out or crash-landed. And by the time the news came through that they had been killed, so much had happened in between that it had no effect on you whatsoever, none.”[8]

Following the conclusion of the Battle of Britain Stapleton went on to fly catapult Hurricanes with the Merchant Ship Fighter unit, standard Hurricanes and then Hawker Tempests with No.257 Squadron before acquiring his own command of a rocket Typhoon unit with No.247 Squadron, based at Eindhoven.[9] Compared to flying a small agile fighter such as a Hurricane or Spitfire the much larger Typhoon would prove to be an altogether different experience. As he recalled:

“The first thing that stuck me when I climbed into a Typhoon was that you had to get used to the height you were sitting at. On take-off the Typhoon swung the opposite way to the Hurricane and Spitfire, so we had to unlearn that which had become second nature to us.”[10]

The move to the Typhoon meant there would be very little of the dog fighting that had typified the earlier years of the war. While in the eyes of the public there might have been a certain glamour attached to those battles with the Luftwaffe fighters the growing Allied dominance of the skies over Europe meant a changing, but no less important role for many pilots like Stapleton. For them the focus would now be the important task of supporting the ground troops in a ground attack role took precedence as the Allies advanced through Normandy and North-West Europe. The rocket and strafing attacks carried out by the Typhoons left no room for error but were used to devastating effect and in his own words he described the Typhoon as “a tremendous ground attack aircraft.”[11]

Gerald Stapleton & MP126 "Excreta Thermo." MP126 was lost
in a forced landing on the 5th December 1944 after being borrowed
by Flg Off Wiersum (who was captured) [12]

Moving fast and low there was almost no chance of bailing out of a damaged aircraft. It was here that his luck would run out. On December the 23rd 1944 he attacked a train at low level, with rockets, and the shrapnel from the resulting explosion punctured his Typhoon’s radiator leaving him with no choice but to force land his aircraft. Certainly his previous experience of a forced landing during the Battle of Britain would have helped; but this time it was behind enemy lines. Looking back on the incident, possibly with a hint of self-deprecating humour, he said:

“I wasn’t shot down, I suppose I shot myself down when I flew through the debris.”[13]

Captured he would spend the rest of the war as a prisoner in Stalag Luft I until its liberation by the advancing Soviet Army in May 1945.[14] No doubt during this time he chance to reflect on his luck something which he felt decided every pilot’s fate:

“You thought it’s never going to happen to you. That’s what you live with… I was lucky enough to get away with it. And that’s absolute luck. If anybody tells you any different, they don’t know what they’re talking about… With hindsight, it becomes more apparent that it was luck rather than skill.”[15]

Later in life he became enthusiastic supporter of the Battle of Britain Memorial flight and in 2007 a Spitfire of the Memorial Flight wore the markings of one his wartime aircraft.[16] He died in 2010 at the age of 89.


References

 1. Hillary, R. (2005) The Last Enemy. [Online] Available from: Project Gutenberg Australia [Accessed 18 February 2017]

 2. The Telegraph (2010) Squadron Leader 'Stapme' Stapleton. [Online] Available from: The Telegraph [Accessed 18 February 2017]

 3. The London Gazette (1944) Royal Airforce, 34993, p.6570.

 4. Sarkar, D (2013) Spitfire Voices. [Online] Available from: Google Books [Accessed 25 February 2017]

 5. Ross, D (2003) Richard Hillary: The Authorised Biography of a Battle of Britain Fighter Pilot and Author of The Last Enemy. [Online] Available from: Google Books [Accessed 1 March 2017]

 6. Davidson, M. and Taylor, J. (2004) Spitfire Ace: Flying the Battle Of Britain. Pan Macmillan: London, pp.169-70

 7. The Scotsman (2010) Obituary: 'Stapme' Stapleton DFC, RAF pilot during Second World War. [Online] Available from: The Scotsman [Accessed 28 February 2017]

 8. Davidson and Taylor, Spitfire Ace. p.175

 9. Thomas, C (1999) Typhoon and Tempest Aces of World War 2. Osprey Publishing: Oxford, p.62

 10. Rowley, C (2014) D-Day RAF: The RAF’s Part in the Great Invasion. Mortons: Horncastle, p.52

 11. Ibid.

   12. Thomas, C (2010) Typhoon Wings of 2nd TAF 1943-45. Osprey Publishing: Oxford, p.78

 13. Rowley, D-Day RAF: The RAF’s Part in the Great Invasion. p.52

 14. The Telegraph, Squadron Leader 'Stapme' Stapleton.

 15. Davidson and Taylor, Spitfire Ace. pp.180-1

 16. Air-Scene UK (2007) Happy Birthday BBMF! [Online] Available from: Air-Scene [Accessed 18 February 2017]

Kit List, What's In, What's Out for 2017 - February

Part way through last year I decided to keep a record of everything hobby related that I bought and sold in order to keep track of my hobby consumption.

2017 has seen me continue this, so here's what I bought and sold this month, just been a few detail parts to enable me to work on several more aircraft kits which I currently own.

In - Purchases for February 2017

• Yahu Models Instrument Panels - £4.30
• Vacform Canopies - £4.60

Total Yearly (2017) Expenditure - £46.06

Out - Downsizing for February 2017

• None

In Box Review – Bandai First Order TIE Fighter Set & Poe's X-Wing Fighter (003 & 004)

When Bandai started releasing their new Star Wars kits a few years ago they raised the game to a whole new level. Just focusing on vehicles we had a whole new range of 1:72 scale fighter sized models, and 1:144 scale larger sized spacecraft. And now, spotting another gap in their range, Bandai have started producing their fighter sized craft, in a smaller scale.

The 1:72 scale models are excellent. They are finely detailed and innovatively engineered in such a way that it is possible to snap fit them without any glue. In addition you have a choice of decals or stickers for the markings which opens up the models to a whole range of people, from children who want a simple toy, to model makers who want a finely detailed scale replica.

But can this excellence be scaled down? I've decided to take a look at two sets which feature vehicles from the Force Awakens film, the First Order TIE Fighter set and their adversary, Poe's X-Wing Fighter.

The first thing that come to note is that these are very compact offerings. No instruction manual, the instructions are printed on the inside of the box lid, although they are clear and in both Japanese and English. No decals this time, only stickers, I think they've taken a view that most people won't be comfortable with applying such small decals.

Looking at the plastic, there is, once again, plenty of detail despite the size. The part count is low and there's no clear parts, and as before they'll both snap together. The TIE Fighter set contains two TIE Fighters. One standard First Order fighter and one Special Force's fighter (the twin seater that Finn and Poe escape in during the film).

First Order Special Forces TIE Fighter Sprue (one of two TIE fighters in the box)

Poe's X-Wing Sprue

Each of the boxes also comes with a stand. In the case of the TIE Fighter set there is a twin stand or one single stand (which means you won't able to put both on single stands). If you don't want to use a stand then there's optional base plates to both TIE Fighter bodies which means you won't be left with a hole where a stand would connect.


I have seen these models advertised as 1:144 scale although in both cases the box does not mention a scale. Other models in the range, such as the Star Destroyer and Millennium Falcon (although there is an actual 1:144 scale Falcon) are clearly not. I measured a TIE fighter and compared it to a 1:72 FineMolds (original) TIE fighter and it seems to be in the same region, scale wise. This means they could easily accompany the larger 1:144 craft, such as the Millennium Falcon should you wish to create a battle diorama.

As I had them open I thought I'd go above and beyond an in-box review and start building. As you can see, a few minutes work and you'll have yourself a very nice little TIE Fighter. It's also worth noting in the picture you can see that the way the wings and cockpit top join it means you can't put this together in the wrong way. This is the same for every part, once again, an example of the thought that has gone into producing these models.

Bandai First Order TIE Fighter Set & Poe's X-Wing Fighte - Overall In Box Score: Promising. I'm scoring both kits together as they both offer a detailed but easy to assemble model. I have seen more complex 1:144 kits with clear parts and decals but these kits appear to be purposely simpler to appeal to a wide range of modellers. Certainly they're much better than any other Star Wars snap fit kits on offer.

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12 Day Modelling Challenge: Day #12

Day 12 and I feel it’s time to bring this modelling challenge to an end by writing about an overlooked part of my hobby, reading and research.

For me I rarely build a model or paint a miniature without some sort of reading, or search for inspiration, or in some cases, in-depth research into the subject area. This takes up hobby time, but currently has no obvious direct physical result. A completed model is a completed model, and the depth of research, and the time taken, is not obvious at first glance. I have estimated that with my models I spent an equal amount of time researching a topic as I actually do working on the model itself.

I’m very much a person who likes reading and then, due to my creative, hands-on nature, I explore those topics via my modelling. It’s important to take this journey, it helps build connection between the concepts and information I read and the, physical, real world object I create in my hands. There’s also the issue of accuracy. I get a sense of achievement by producing an accurate model. Again this is personal to me, as I’m not the kind of person who would take time to comment on the inaccuracies of the work of others, only my own work.


It’s slightly different when it comes to the miniatures I paint. In this case I’m trying to create a physical representation that fits a theme. An example of this is when I paint models for Warhammer and I’m trying to aim for miniatures which fit a certain era of the Warhammer world, both the fictional world and a point in time of the real world, something I have written about before.

This reading and research gives me time to engage with my hobby when I’m not sat at my desk working on the models themselves. Usually this is time during the week as I tend to only have time for actual modelling at the weekends. But until now it’s not really been reflected on this blog. When I’m not modelling it appears that I’m just inactive, which is far from the case. And so that’s why I’ve decided, going forward, to share my research here, as I get as much enjoyment from writing about models, history, my inspirations and interpretations as I do from actually building them.

In the coming weeks and months you will see two types of new posts, they will be called, History in Detail and Inspiration in Detail (and will be labelled as such to assist searching). History will typically focus on the real life historical aspects of a model I’m building. This might be a look at the type of aircraft I’m building, the pilot who flew the aircraft or broader themes such as the campaigns in which an aircraft or vehicle took part in. Inspiration will be more geared (but not exclusively) towards my miniatures projects. In this case it will look towards the literature, games etc. which influence the miniature that I’m creating or helped shape my interest in that topic in the first place.

April the 1st Comes Early?

Of all the strange things that have been happening as of late, here’s another. Yesterday it emerged that the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), in the UK, had written to the Games Workshop CEO, Kevin Rountree, asking that the miniature war-gaming brand ban 'fur' garments from all Warhammer characters.[1] They go on to claim “while we appreciate that they are fictional, draping them in what looks like a replica of a dead animal sends the message that wearing fur is acceptable – when, in fact, it has no more place in 2017 than it would in the year 40,000.”[2]

This is not satire.
Source: PETA

Before I continue I should point out my personal stance on animal rights issues. I believe animals should not be treated as commodities or exploited. I live in vegan household and the majority of the time I follow a vegan lifestyle (and when I’m not, I’m vegetarian). I believe that conversations need to be had about our relationship with the other species that we share a planet with. I also believe ill thought out actions and attention seeking publicity stunts by people like PETA benefit only PETA and undermine the serious and hard work people are doing to raise awareness and promote active change.

So back to Warhammer 40K. I have no intention of getting deeply into the lore, as I've been out of the loop for some time. I'm more Quorn than Khorne these days but even so, I’m pretty sure there isn't any active promotion of the exploitation of animals within the game worlds of the Games Workshop. To be honest what they’re targeting exactly seems a bit of a muddled mess. Are beast races in fantasy setting included or indeed the fantasy setting as a whole? What about historical miniatures made by other companies?

And then there’s the target audience of the Games Workshop. Are they more likely to wear fur or condone the wearing of fur after seeing these miniatures? I would say not, the war gaming audience doesn’t exactly strike me as big wearers of fur. I’d like to see some genuine, actual research, from PETA along such lines. Do plastic figures dressed in fur make people less compassionate towards animals? If such research took place and showed a link, then I’d be prepared to listen (and write a retraction to this whole post).

In the midst of all this PETA miss some genuine issues which they could have picked up on. As I mentioned before, things get missed in clamour for attention. Such as, animal products within items like paintbrushes, or the environmental impact of microbeads in textured paints and the plastic production itself. These are issues and criticisms which could have been legitimately raised to the Games Workshop but now will mostly likely be missed in the ridicule which is sure to follow this empty gesture.

And just so I'm not completely hating on them, their recipes section is pretty good, do go check that out.


References

 1. PETA UK (2017) PETA Asks Games Workshop to Ban 'Fur' from Warhammer Characters. [Online] Available from: PETA UK [Accessed 31 January 2017]

 2. PETA UK (2017) Why is PETA Asking Games Workshop to Make Warhammer Fur-Free? [Online] Available from: PETA UK [Accessed 31 January 2017]

Kit List, What's In, What's Out for 2017 - January

Part way through last year I decided to keep a record of everything hobby related that I bought and sold in order to keep track of my hobby consumption. Although I didn't buy an excessive amount I also didn't get much completed.

With a new year starting I've decided to repeat the whole exercise, and actually complete more models. After all what the point of buying them and not building them? I'm not looking to create a bigger stash because I want to keep my hobby consumption at an efficient level.

In - Purchases for January 2017

• Oil paints (for weathering) - £7.90
• Tamiya paints x2 - £3.60
• 4x Bandai 1:144 Star Wars Kits (X-Wing Starfighter, Y-Wing Starfighter, Poe's X-Wing Fighter, First Order TIE Fighter set) - £25.66 

Total Yearly (2017) Expenditure - £37.16

Out - Downsizing for January 2017

• Eduard 1:48 F6F-3 Hellcat

12 Day Modelling Challenge: Days #10 & #11

The last couple have days have seen me start one of the planned models on my 2017 wish list. The model is the Airfix 1:72 Bf 109E-7/Trop. I’ve had this model for some time, I picked up it last summer for just £2.99 before it was discontinued by Airfix.

I initially thought it was an older boxing and so had decided to sell it as I wanted to purchase and build the newer Bf 109E-4 kit, a kit which I’d owned and started before then destroying with a bit of overzealous conversion work. It was only after a quick look on the scalemates website that I realised the discontinued Bf 109E-7/Trop kit was actually exactly the same kit with an extra sprue for the external fuel tank and bomb load of the later variant. Presumably the similarities were the reason why it’s been discontinued as Airfix seem to be consolidating their range and getting rid of any duplicates.

So I’ve been here before, construction has started with the cockpit, I’ve even managed to salvage the instrument panel from my previous attempt. I won’t be using any of the other interior photo-etch as this cockpit will be occupied and the model will be portrayed in flight.

As for the colour scheme, I’m going to opt for the lesser known Bulgarian scheme, in the markings of an aircraft flown by Bulgaria’s highest scoring pilot, Stoyan Iliev Stoyanov. I’ve recently been reading about smaller WWII air forces and pilots, particularly those from the Balkans, and so this fits in nicely with my research.

Bf 109E-7 - Bulgarian Air Force - 1942
Source: Airfix

12 Day Modelling Challenge: Day #9

Day 9 and a book recommendation! It was time to continue with the Airfix 1:72 Typhoon. The topsides had been washed with Flory Models Dark wash, mixed with the grey wash, a slightly darker mix than I’d used for the undersides. It took a few hours of meticulous cleaning before I got it to a point in which I was happy with it.


The undersides I’m really happy with, I’ve not gone for heavily washed panel lines, rather a slightly weathered and dirty finish that you’d expect a used combat aircraft to have. Topsides, I honestly think there’s little you can do here, mostly just adding a tiny bit of contrast to the grey areas but again, trying to make sure it doesn’t look overdone.

I was about to seal it all in with a flat coat, but then, searching through my bookshelves (in an un-related clear-out) I found I book which I’d forgotten about, Osprey’s Painting and Finishing Techniques by Gary Edmundson. I’ve spent so long looking for articles on the internet that I forgot I have everything I need right here!

After a brief introduction to some fundamentals, the kits used in the book, paints and the tools used, it works through the various stages of painting and finishing. Focusing primarily on 3 model aircraft, (plus a couple vehicles and a small piece on figure painting towards the end) it works all the way through step by step, painting shading, camouflage, weathering, dirt, panel lines and more. Most of paints used are Tamiya, and there’s a preference towards using oil paints for panel lines and weathering, rather than clay washes etc. but it is well explained with plenty of photographs for each stage.

The 3 aircraft are a WWI Albatross, a Bristol Beaufighter and fortunately, a Hawker Typhoon. After reading this it’s finally persuaded me to try using oil paints, so my Typhoon build will be taking a little more time to complete.

For me has been an extremely useful (re)discovery which I’d highly recommend. So much so I’ve included a link below should you wish to purchase it yourself. As I said, I’d forgotten what it was like to have all the information in one place, easily to hand. I think there’s a tendency for us, when using the internet, to pick up little bits here and there a lose sight of the complete process of painting and weathering a model from start to finish. Having said that I think book can allow you to pick and choose what to try so, in my opinion, it is book suited to all skill levels.

In the next few days I’ll pick up some oil paints, and with any hope, I’ll have some good daylight (which I think is essential for this stage of finishing a model) and I’ll show you how I got on.

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Looking Ahead: The Aircraft Wish List For 2017

Around this time of year you will no doubt be seeing plenty of "New Year Resolution" posts, this post is one and at the same time isn't one of those type of posts.

After last year in which I completed just one kit and suffered a significant loss of motivation I've taken some time to reflect on what I want to achieve this year and come up with an "ideal" world list (actually, it's 3 lists) which I'm hoping will give me a sense of direction but not be so strict as to become too much of a chore to complete.

I've decided to break down the builds into 3 categories, ideally if I can complete one build from each to a reasonably high (for me) standard then I'll consider 2017 a success. Realistically I need to tackle some of the kits I currently own before buying new ones, so some of listed won't become an option until I complete others.

Category 1: Out of the box builds

My, as of yet incomplete, Typhoon build showed me that I don't have to buy photo-etch and resin extras to actually have a build that is both enjoyable while providing a sense of achievement and progress at the same time.

We're very fortunate that these days we have a good choice when it comes to out of the box builds. As I want to build these models in flight, to keep things straight forward as possible, the Airfix range is ideal as they always seem to give you the option of both, something I wish all manufacturers would do.

• Airfix 1:72 Spitfire Mk.I/IIa (Owned)
• Airfix 1:72 Bf 109E-7/Trop (Owned)
• Airifx 1:72 Hurricane Mk.I (New Purchase)
• Airifx 1:72 P-51D Mustang (New Purchase)

Category 2: Detailed Builds

The next level of build involves a bit more detail, here I want to more work on the cockpit, either resin replacement work or photo-etch enhancement, or both. In such cases the canopy will be open so the aircraft will be modelled as it were on the ground and I will also consider building a display base.

• Eduard 1:72 Spitfire Mk.IXc (Owned)

There's only one aircraft in this list, however I own more than one of these kits so I could, if I excel myself, possibly build more than one of the same aircraft.

Category 3: Conversion builds

The final category is the most involved and challenging as it goes beyond the standard detailing and requires conversion work such as resin engines, super detailed interiors and so on. The kits I have in mind are:

• Tamiya Mosquito FB Mk.VI (Owned)
• Tamiya P-47D Thunderbolt converted to a P-47M (New Purchase)

As I've said this is an an "ideal" world list but I think it will be useful to look back after a year and see if this list helped me focus. Of course I won't just be building aircraft so there will still be builds that aren't on this list, and hopefully some miniature painting as well.

Time to get 2017 started then!

12 Day Modelling Challenge: Day #8

Day 8 and I’ve actually reached the end of the time I’d set aside for this modelling challenge, mostly due to what’s becoming a Christmas tradition, a dose of man flu. I’m going to extend the challenge through the rest of the month although it’ll be strictly weekend endeavours for the rest of the month.

I wasn’t feeling like airbrushing, as coughing and sneezing tend to upset precision painting, so I thought I’d sit down and chop up some plastic. After completing my test Empire miniature I set about raiding my bits box with the intention of creating a few figures for a Mordheim war band.

As I’d previously mentioned the Empire State troops are somewhat limited in poses, or more accurately, pose, as there’s only one. The Empire Archers set, mixed with a few different sets of Empire arms, however offer much more flexibility and as I want to paint up a wealthy band of Marienburg Mercenaries the long, expensive, coat look fits very nicely with the theme. These guys are going to be better dressed swords for hire, a cut above your average militiaman.

I really like to spend time testing poses and trying to make the figures look dynamic. This set, of which I had a nearly complete box of, offers plenty of opportunity to create such figures. After an hour or so of test fitting this is what I have, heads will be added later once I get more of a feel for the each figure.

12 Day Modelling Challenge: Day #7

Day 7. I was happy enough with how the grey wash, that I tried on day 4, came out and so started washing the undersides of the Typhoon. Even though I'm still waiting for it to dry I can see a huge difference, it works really well on the panel lines, much more subtle than the dark wash that I've used previously.

I also got the Bandai Y-Wing started. Black undercoat to start with followed by several lighter shades of grey before a very light coat of white. And then, a coat of grey wash, which may or may not take it all the way back to being grey again. Guess I'll find out when it dries.

12 Day Modelling Challenge: Days #5 & 6

My Christmas modelling challenge continued on day 5 with the completion of the Airfix Typhoon's decals, no pictures as there's only so many pictures of an unfinished model that a man can take...

After that I started adding the missile racks under the wings which usually the kind of slow and fiddly task WWII modellers get to avoid, but not in this case.

While I was waiting for the glue to set I started test fitting another model, a Bandai 1:144 scale Y-Wing Star Wars fighter, that I'd recently received from Japan. In fact it went together so well that it turned into an accidental part-build!

What a kit! Just four small sprues (plus a sprue containing a stand) but the amount of fine detail packed into such a small scale is incredible

After a few months of modelling malaise I find, suddenly, in such a small kit, my motivation comes surging back. If this kit is anything to go by I can't wait to try out a few more Bandai Star Wars kits. As well as the detail the way the kit is engineered is simple brilliant. For example, the two engines on a Y-Wing, at first glance, look the same. But actually there are slight differences and the kit is engineered so that the internal clips, pegs etc are shaped and positioned in such a way that you can't get them the wrong way round.

I honestly can't see myself bothering with any of the Revell offerings now.