Art, features & CADs of this new boxing of MiniArt's 1/48th scale Focke-Wulf FW 190D-9. Mimetall Prod. Jagdgeschwader 301 "Advanced Kit". Check it out in our preview...Read on... »

New from the folks at ResKit is this female driver for the US Navy A/S32A-31A tow tractor, known as the “mule”. The tow tractors are used aboard ships as well as land bases to move aircraft as needed. Having a female driver modernizes your options to current standards where those serving aboard the ships are not all men as they were back during my years of service. The figure is 3D resin printed with incredible detail and has the option of two heads. Any modeler with experience with 3D printed parts should have no issue adding this figure to a 1/48 scale tow tractor.

This is the Muroc Models 1:72 kit of this weird test article, a glider used to verify the aerodynamic qualities of the JB-1A unmanned flying bomb (which flew for a total of five seconds when it was finally tested). Apparently, it didn't like slowing down - landing it was a challenge, and its landing gear was unsprung, giving it a suspension not unlike that of a shopping cart. I built it in three days - it's a simple kit, and I added detail to the cockpit, plus some nose weight so it sat right. The yellow is ModelMaster deep yellow.

Now that all the excitement and activity from the display are all over; and the collection is packed away again, I was finally able to get a good amount of progress done on some models I've wanted to build for awhile. These are the results. Five new ships and boats have come off the slipways this month, starting with the Hobby Boss British HMS Astute submarine in 1/700 scale: Next are two modern French Frigates from Freedom Model Kits in 1/700 scale. First is the Aquitaine: and then the Normandie: Yes, they look the same except for the pennant number, but one is built to focus on antisubmarine warfare, and the other is a multi-purpose frigate for anti-air and anti-ship warfare. Aquitaine is the multi-purpose ship. Next to launch is the old Revell 1/131 scale USS Defiance coastal patrol boat: Finally the last ship is the old Revell 1/500 scale SS United States cruise liner: These last two ships were Distressed Kit Auction buys and so the decals were not the best. Despite my best efforts using even the Nuclear Option: Solvaset I still had silvering that I could not eliminate. On some of the Defiance decals, I actually used Tamiya Extra Thin cement to try and get them to lay down with some measure of success. One more thing: the SS United States was rigged with stretched sprue, and the Defiance's railings are also stretched sprue. Thank you all for looking in at five of the eight models I finished this month, comments are always welcome.

Now that all the excitement and activity from the display are all over; and the collection is packed away again, I was finally able to get a good amount of progress done on some models I've wanted to build for awhile. These are the results. Three new aircraft have been completed. All of them are British, starting with this 1/72 scale Bobcat British Harrier training jet: That was given to me by a friend as a gift. Next are two British Biplanes, starting with the Cooperativa 1/72 scale British Fairey Swordfish: Followed by the Matchbox 1/72 scale British Fairey Seafox floatplane, used on the HMS Arethusa cruiser as a scout plane: Both the Swordfish and Seafox were rigged with stretched sprue. And that's all I have so far. Thank you for looking in at three of the eight models I finished this month, comments are always welcome.

Founded a little more than 10 years ago by modelers, Reskit has set the standard for aftermarket accessories. Reskit’s product line keep expanding exponentially and no end in sight for what they keep offering. The CH-54A (S-64E) Tarhe pilot seats are no exception. The ICM kit seats are extremely basic and almost look more like a lawn chair than an aircraft seat. The real Tarhe seats are not as complex as other helicopters but they do have notable details that need to be represented in a model.

Packaged in a sturdy box, the contents include one 3D printed set of 3 seats (pilots and rear seat) and instructions. The resin print includes a protective structure or cage around the printed parts. There are plenty of print supports and the print detail is extremely fine with build layers barely noticeable.

Here we have a lil one from the now defunct (unless they're hiding somewhere) UGH! Models. It's the Romulan Chowder Class Fighter. A pretty simple kit - A very clean casting led to a super simple build. I added the wooden disk just to make the base a little sturdier looking - Looking up the ship it was a green and I picked the closest color I had and then moved on to the eagle. The first chink in the armor was what was supposed to be decals... I don't know what it was. After a soaking it had no indication of ever coming off. Was it even a decal? so having ruined the illustration what was I to do? Go freehand of course - Oh boy! 8-[ Tried my best. Thanks for looking.

HI ! Here a project I done a while back , using an HEINKEL HE-162 a friend (ALAIN CADIEUX) gave me , I restore it and create this litttle project , the tow is from TARMAC and figures from MONOGRAM .. If you like to view more pic, just follow this GOOGLE link: photos.app.goo.gl/82wVYgUqRMJnPeD57 Enjoy ! Jmarc

Does this website have a record of national convention contest results by year? I was a 2008 2nd or 3rd i think, automobile category.

About 12 years ago we took the kids to the Museum of Science and Industry in downtown Chicago. We took a tour through the U-505 submarine which was captured by the U.S. Navy on 4 June 1944. Back then I purchased the Yankee Modelworks 1/350 TYPE IXC U-BOAT full resin kit. This sat on the shelf for many years. I decided to finally build it as the U-505. While being full resin there is not a lot of assembly but there is a sheet of photo etches to detail it. I also have some details I need to scratch build and decals to make specifically for the U-505. I will also make a nice display stand as well. To start with when I first purchased this kit there was a huge resin mold base along the bottom of the hull. At that time I used my jewelers saw to trim the base off and sanded the keel line. I started with assembling the rear screws and rudders. The screw shafts are brass rods and the rest is photo etch. I then added the front diving planes. Next I started adding the deck details. One thing the instructions do not discuss is the mooring posts that are present on the deck. I used styrene rods and slightly heated one end to give them the mushroom top. These were then added to the correct locations on the deck per the reference photos. I am now working on the conning tower. While there was no hull assembly since it is molded in resin the deck and conning tower still require some clean up of the details. I used a scribe and hobby knife to do the clean up. There is a couple of small mold imperfections on the conning tower so these were filled with putty. You can see all the photos and details from start in the build log at: https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-350-type-ixc-u-boat/

MiniArt's combination of their 7.5cm anti-tank gun & crew in a combined set in 1/35th scale is being re-released as a special edition. We look at the gun, its features, the schemes & the sprue layout in our preview today...Read on... »

The Model Show Spotlight is brought to you by The World of Armor!

A flying Lancaster overhead, rows of models below, and a sold‑out vendor hall buzzing with deals—HeritageCon 2026 is set to deliver a full‑throttle modeling day inside the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum. We sit down with the new coordination team to share what’s changing, what’s staying great, and how to lock in your spot before entries sell out.

We break down the essentials: March 29, doors at 9 a.m., with registration moving to the museum’s system to streamline both admission and model entries. Pre‑registration opens March 1 at 9 a.m., and there’s no registration at the door, so timing matters. Expect a packed floor with over 140 vendor tables, from local shops to aftermarket specialists offering barrels, tracks, decals, tools, and the kind of book deals that vanish fast. Between the C‑47, B‑25, and the museum’s showpiece Lancaster, you’ll have instant reference material for weathering, modulation, and panel tone decisions you can take straight to the bench.

Programming keeps the momentum high. Judging starts at noon while the seminar track runs with Harvey Lowe on aircraft modulation and weathering, plus our live “Wheel of Accidental Wisdom”—a fast, practical, game‑style session where crowd questions turn into build tips and giveaways. The contest follows a familiar IPMS structure: armor by era and side, aircraft across pre‑war to Cold War, a growing Gundam and sci‑fi presence, plus robust auto and ship categories. Specialty awards add local flavor, including best Canadian subject, best fighter flown by a Canadian pilot, best Ukrainian subject, veteran recognition, people’s choice, and judges’ best of show.

We also share travel and weather tips for late March in Ontario, the on‑site cafe plan, and how the community energy carries from the vendor aisles to the evening hangouts. If you’re aiming to compete, pre‑register, pack smart, and double‑check your category. If you’re there to learn, sit in on the talks, snap reference photos under the Lancaster, and make a wishlist before you hit the vendor hall.

Ready to roll? Subscribe for more show spotlights, share this preview with your build group, and leave a quick review so other modelers can find us. Then set a reminder: March 1 at 9 a.m.—get registered and we’ll see you under the wings on March 29.

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Helion is a UK-based company that produces books on many aspects of Military History from the Late Medieval period through the present day. Helion was established in 1996 by University of Warwick graduate Duncan Rogers. Since then, they have published over 1,200 books, with 100 or more new titles coming out every year for readers around the world.

Dmitry Zubkov from Russia, a banker with 25 years of experience, has a lifelong interest in the subject of military history and has written several books and articles in Russian on a variety of related subjects. His area of interest is the little-studied issue of Soviet arms exports during the Cold War, especially warships. His studies of little-known details of the warships’ careers, the warships’ influence on the buildup of the recipient navies, and the experiences of their crews.

Manufactured by ICM, who are based in Ukraine, this is a bonus boxing of two previously released kits: the AC-40-137, which is based on the Zil 131 truck chassis, and the AR-2 that is based on the KAMAZ-43105 chassis. As ICM does from time to time, they will box kits together to create a new boxed set that is thematically similar. The AC-40-137 has seven sprues for a total of 295 parts and an additional one for clear parts. The AR-2 also has seven sprues, but with a total of 330 parts, including three sprues for clear parts. Each vehicle has a couple of color profiles to choose from that are very similar to one another, basically red and white stripes. The molding is nearly flawless. There is a very small amount of flash on some parts, but nothing that cannot be solved with the quick pass of a hobby knife.

The directions are all in Korean, and if it weren’t for the excellent drawings, I would never have been able to build this kit.

There was very little, if any, flash on the parts and some of the parts are very small. All the parts fit together very well making for easy assembly.

The building is molded in white plastic, so I masked off the lower portions of the building and then painted the exterior with Rustoleum texture paint. The base was painted flat black while the curb was painted gloss yellow.

I sanded the kit's front sign and added a piece of flat Styrene that was painted white and then added my decal and some paint stripes.

I’ll probably use this storefront as a backdrop for completed model cars.

I’d like to thank IPMS and MRC for the opportunity to build the kit.

Detail and Scale has released the 3rd book of its Mustang series. Part 1 and 2 cover the earlier Allison powered airframes and the Merlin powered airframes with a razorback fuselage respectively. This book covers the -D marks and later marks or, in other words, all the “bubbletops” mustangs.

This book is available both in print and in digital format. I am reviewing here the print version of it.

The book starts with a bit of a historical section on the late mustang history, including some unique pictures of bubbletops with -B/C wings and even a razorback with a -D wing. The history section progresses with highlights of service in WW2 (Europe, Mediterranean and Pacific), Korea and it mentions the need for a “lighter” version of the P-51, the -F/G/J and the -H, which went into production but didn’t see combat in WW2.

A new injection plastic moulded Boulton Defiant? in 32nd scale? No way – but here it is: Kotare's announcing their new Defiant Mk. 1 in 32nd scale for 2028. See what we know in our preview...
Read on... »

(Twin) rubber meets the road with MiniArt's latest Industrial Tractor Standard N Mod. 1936/8 in 35th scale. We look at the CADs, kit features & the real tractor in our preview...Read on... »

Just finished the old '70s molded 1/48 Heller RF-84F Thunderflash. This one one gave me some trouble due to my own doing during the build. I used a very well fitting AMS resin interior set to spruce it up some and also scratchbuilt some cameras (entirely bogus in form) to fit in the recon windows. Although not shown the resin set included to well fitting intake ducts for the wings. I also sanded off all of the raised panel lines and rescribed the entire model. This was the major problem.... after using some gloss black and then spraying some rattle can Tamiya TS-30 silver on, the paint crinkled in many places as you see above! This probably happened because didn't take into consideration the sharp cold snap here in FLA and I sprayed it when the room temp was probably well below 60degs (maybe even in the 40s!). This was the first time in 25yrs it'd gotten that cold in "Gil world" (the garage) and I even had to thaw out my water pipes that weekend! Oh well.... live and learn! This pic shows the model after it'd been stripped back to bare plastic. I used oven cleaner (the stinky kind) for 90% of the paint removal and then used a paper towel and some cotton swabs dampened with some Alclad thinner to scrub off the stubborn patches and to get into the creases and corners. I then resanded the model with 400 and 600 grit sanding sticks. The oven cleaner worked its way inside the windshield and rear canopy so I popped them off and replaced them with parts from a spare Monogram F-84F kit. This also allowed me to use the open Monogram canopy, as well as opting to replace the Heller main landing gear, tires, and gear doors with Monogram parts. Luckily, the Heller kit camera windows, which I'd sanded and polished to fit, only needed some repolishing after the stripping process. I then reprimed the model with Alclad Gloss Black to serve as a base for the NMF. The 2nd time around I opted to airbrush on some Alclad Aluminum for the NMF instead of using more Tamiya rattle can paint. Things then proceed normally for the rest of the build. The markings came from a collection of Thunderflash/Thunderjet decal sheets, as well as some spares box stars/bars and USAFs. I opted to mask and paint the checks on the tail fin instead of using decals. On to the rest of the pics! This model has more warts on it than any I've built in the last decade! But, at least it's done and on the shelf and I can now go back to concentrating on my T4M! Critiques, questions, and comments welcome as always! Gil

Forgive us for not having that much on this book as of yet – but the Panzerwrecks team has a new book to be released this year following the Panzerdivision Müncheberg from its inception to the end in Berlin, 1945. See what we have so far in our preview...Read on... »