May 2020 Model-of-the-Month Gallery

The following are entries from our May Model-of-the-Month contest.

Voting has closed, thanks for your participation!

You can fin the results of the contest here.

ADULT ENTRIES

ADULT ENTRY #01
Bill Pelton
M79 Vietnam Grenade Gunner
120mm

ADULT ENTRY #02
Bill Pelton
WWII Spitfire
1:32

ADULT ENTRY #03
Bill Pelton
FW190 f8
Revell – 1:32 scale
Paint is a mix of stuff in the box

ADULT ENTRY #04
John Wiebel
Rebel Troopers from Star Wars Legion (Game Pieces)
Fantasy Flight Games – Scale Undetermined

These are the Rebel Troopers from Star Wars Legion. They are Green Team (with green helmets), and Blue Team (with blue helmets).  Gamers use techniques like this to distinguish units visually. They are larger then my usual 1/56 scale. But the exact scale is unknown to me. Game companies tend to offer models in millimeters (10, 15, 20, 25, etc). But they are not exact scale, they are a range. So it doesn’t necessarily translate to scale like scale modelers use the term. They are a bit soft as far as plastic goes. Which mean’s the bits don’t break as easily. But it also means the mold lines are much more difficult to scrape/sand without marring the figure.

For these models I was primarily interested in practicing Splinter Camo. I am building a Fallschirmjager Army for Bolt Action and will be doing 50-75 figures for that project, and wanting to get a feel for the technique. I used the Andrea Color Splinter Camo Paint. Due to the scale, I did not attempt to try and shade/highlight the base beige, brown, or green. Nor paint the “splinters”. Instead I painted the three colors, and shaded with water down Army Painter Strong Shade. The balance was VMC. It’s hard to tell in the photos, but for some weapons I painted them black and then used a shading pencil for gun metal.

I used a new flock for the basing/ground cover that gave it more depth.  Typically I use a thinned Elmer’s Glue swab onto base, then dip into railroad grit, knock off excess, let dry, seal with strong tone, dry, and paint brown, light brown, 2 shades of green.  Then dab patches of Elmer’s and flock with static grass.  But that tends to lie flat, the depth is this new flick that is somewhat foamy. The tufts of grass are from a sheet with adhesive, but I use Elmer’s to attach and the X-Acto to press the edges down.  Company is Gamers Grass.  Got at RIW.

I tried to paint non-Caucasian skin (Blue team). It didn’t turn out well at all. The guide I was using used Citadel paints in colors I didn’t have, and my Vallejo colors were not close enough. So I need to rethink that for the next time I try it.

ADULT ENTRY #05
Steve Freeman
QF 6 Pdr Mk. IV
35th scale, Riich Kit # 35018

Background: 

Royal Canadian Artillery anti-tank regiments were the backbone of tank defense at the beginning of WWII. Initially issued with 2-pounder a/t guns, they were superseded by 6-pounders in 1941, which were again superseded by 17-pounders in 1943. A couple of key actions featuring this weapon:

Ortona, Italy, Dec. 1943: Anti-tank platoons of Seaforth Highlanders, Loyal Edmonton Regiment, and 90th Anti-Tank Regiment supported Canadian attack on city of Ortona. Employed against enemy occupied buildings. Covered infantry and tank advances along the Corso Vittorio Emmanuele. Guns would target walls with armour piercing shells followed immediately with high explosive shells though the breach to burst inside a building.

Nijmegen Bridge, Waal River, Jan. 13, 1945: Engaged German Biber submarines launching mines against the bridge. Destroyed one and damaged a second

Build

Basic build out of box with replacement of equipment tie downs (tape), rolled tarp (tissue paper), and drag rope (thinner twine). Finished with Tamiya mixes of SCC #2 brown and Nobel’s Dark Tarmac #4 blended with Tamiya XF-57 buff filter. Weathered with Tamiya dark panel line accent and AK European Earth pigment

ADULT ENTRY #06
Jim Ashford
F-4C Phantom II
48th scale, Zoukei-Mura

Modified to represent a F-4C Wild Weasel IV, unofficially known as an EF-4C. Added the arrowhead antennas on the nose behind the radome, round antenna on intake trunk under the wing badge on the left side, small round antenna and two small blade antennas added just in front of forward nose gear door. Also added AN/APR-25 scope in rear cockpit. AGM-45 Shrike missiles and launch rails from Hasegawa weapons set, as is the ALQ-87 ECM pod in the right forward missile well. ECM pod attachment and strike camera (left forward missile well) from Monogram kit. Decals from 2017 Nationals decal sheet “SAM Slayers”, represents an aircraft flown by the 67th TFS/18th TFW stationed at Kadena AB, Okinawa. The unit was on temporary duty (TDY) to Korat AB, Thailand October – December 1972 flying combat missions during Operation Linebacker II.

ADULT ENTRY #07
Ian Dow
Cavalier
16th scale, New World Miniatures

Painted with Vallejo acrylics and shaded with oils.  Sword was scratch built due to the supplied sword being too short of handle and blade.  A lot of shading was used to achieve different leather textures.

ADULT ENTRY #08
Keith Parmentier
Brewster Buffalo F2A
1:72 scale, Airfix

Some scratch build elements – Instrument panel (not in kit) cockpit bracing, pilot armor, “moving prop”, wing guns

ADULT ENTRY #09
Chris Wesley
F/A-18e Super Hornet
1/48 Revell

This build was interesting, it wasn’t an overly complicated build, but the sections of the fuselage did not fit together well and needed large amounts of filling and sanding to close the gaps. I went with a non standard paint scheme to give the plane more character (all paint used were Tamiya acrylics) and I built a 1/48 scale aircraft carrier flight deck for general presentation of carrier based planes. Overall this was a very enjoyable build of one of my favorite planes and I couldn’t beat the $8 price tag when I bought it. I wish the kit came with more weapons to help flush out the underside, but the few missiles do give it an aggressive look.

ADULT ENTRY #10
Chris Wesley

2018 Ford GT

1/24 Tamiya

This was my second Tamiya kit and my third car build ever and boy did I pick a great one!! The Ford GT is one of my favorite super cars and I could not be happier with the build. It took me a little over a week to complete and everything went together perfectly. This was the first kit I painted exclusively with lacquer paints, all from Tamiya spray cans. I went with a dark mica red over grey primer followed by Testors wet look clear coat. To help jazz up the kit I mounted it to a light colored base to bring out the deepness of the red and help it stand out. All headlamps and tail lamps have been individually wired with LEDs which can be seen in a couple of the photos. Overall, I am VERY pleased with this kit and would gladly buy another one or recommend it to any car lover out there.

 

ADULT ENTRY #11

Painted with Vallejo Acrylics, Used Verlinden Decal set for 82nd Airborne patch   

JUNIOR ENTRIES