Another very successful Jaxcon is in the books! No attendance records this year, just the expected 136 people who entered the contest and put 457 entries on the tables. The show ran on time or early (as in opening registration and finishing judging!) and the raffle was a record breaker for us! Here's a link to a relatively short walk-thru video that covers all of the entries. As an interesting aside, this was shot at the beginning of the judging and you'll see the judges and overhear some of their comments as Cathy passes them by! And yes! That IS a "little girl" (First Coast member, 12yr old Lilly) you see helping judging Cars. She's an IPMS member AND a Nats award winner! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdCsRG854e0 I'll post other links to pics and videos that covered Jaxcon 2026 later in the week as they become available. Hope you can make plans to be at Jaxcon 2027 next February 5th and 6th! Gil

Takom release CADS of their 16th scale 1/4 ton truck, trailer & driver. See what we can glean from the CADs in our updated preview...Read on... »

Scale Aircraft Conversions has developed a set of metal landing gear for the relatively new Airfix 1/72 B-24s. Airfix first released the B-24 H in 2024 and followed by the B-24D in 2025. The kit parts are stout but these metal replacements provide the opportunity for final adjustments and alignment of the gear and wheels. Airfix have addressed the shortcomings of previous B-24 designs by improving the front gear and arranging for solid mounting with 3 contact points. The old Minicraft and Academy kits have only one contact point and the Hasegawa only two. I have included photos of the parts without primer but this is only for clarity and to make it easier to differentiate the SAC gear from the necessary plastic parts. The casting blocks will need to be carefully clipped off and mold part lines cleaned up.

Six releases from Italeri with equal ground & air participants this month. Check them out in art, plastic, colours, decals & info in our preview...Read on... »

This book is the third in the series of medal of honor recipients in the Army Air Force during World War II. The careers of nine aviators and details of the aircraft they used are profiled in this book:

Table of Contents

• Acknowledgements
• Introduction

1. William Lawley
2. Darrell Lindsey
3. Archibald Mathies & Walter Treumper
4. Jack Mathis
5. Thomas McGuire
6. Edward Michael
7. John Morgan
8. Harl Pease

• Index

Organization of chapters

Each chapter includes the flying record of the recipient, list of missions flown, the Medal of Honor citation, B&W photographs of missions, color profiles of aircraft, and the careers of the Medal of Honor aviators.

I asked to review this as I have never used any Yahu Models products before, and I have the Airfix Chevy M6 Bomb Service truck in their USAAD Bomber supply set. Unfortunately, I found out the set, while saying 1/72nd, is actually made for the 1/35th scale ICM series of kits. The back of the package has the correct 1:35 notation.

The set is very nicely detailed with 2 small frets of photoetch. The first one has a full-color instrument panel and separate bezels to add to it. The second fret has some pre-printed placards, including for the engine bay.

Overall, this set will add a lot of extra detail, even though I think the bezels are a bit too small for my skill level, but I also think you could get away without adding them.

Other than the scale confusion, if you have the ICM kits, these will look very good.

Background Notes

This is a white-metal replacement for the Magic Factory A-4M Skyhawk kit and provides all the small details to match those of the kit’s parts, as well as those from the plastic kit itself.

While the Magic Factory’s A-4M kit is a great kit in itself, this aftermarket kit provides two aspects which will aid in completion of the base kit: (1) all of the small details are faithfully replicated in white metal (including expansion marks, collet rings, attachment points for both the rear and front wheels and gear retraction bar) and (2) the added weight provided by the white metal itself adds not only to the strength of the landing gear but more importantly the sheer weight itself of the metal gear parts.

New information on Takom's T28 & M28 A1/A2 superheavy tank is here. We look at the announcement & the features of these two kits in our preview...Read on... »

Well here is an unexpected update on an old build that I finished back in late 2018. This past Tuesday, IPMS Phoenix had the theme of Braille Scale builds for February's meeting contest. Any subject, any era, just be 1/72 or smaller. Seeing that this is my only 1/72 build in my possession since 1983, I dusted it off, packed it up, and took it to the meeting. Lo and behold, it took 2nd place. Mind you, IPMS Phoenix is a VERY 1/72 oriented chapter, and there was plenty of good competition! Ya just never know what will happen ;

MiniArt's new 1/48th scale P-47M is with us in box art & CAD form. We look at their second "M" model release, the box art & the markings in real life in our preview...Read on... »

1:350 Arleigh Burke, dressed up as the USS Nitze. These were my first times using photo etch and painting, believe it or not. I also kit bashed the CIWS onto the USS Nitze from another kit, having to do some cutting for the superstructure and CIWS. Sorry that it's not that great, I am new to serious modeling, and I model from my barracks room, meaning I have to set up and tear down every day/time I want to model. I also hand paint since I don't really have the space/ability to use an air brush. I actually do not have much room in my barracks for the models, so this one I made and donated to the Chief's Mess aboard the USS Nitze. Please let me know what you think! Open to helpful criticism as well. Edit: Trumpeter, not Academy. My mistake.

Hello everyone! My name is TJ, and I am an Aerographer's Mate in the US Navy, meaning I am a "weather guesser". I have been modeling on and off since I was a kid, but haven't taken it seriously until recently. I have a bachelor's in history and mostly study Cold War History, Strategic Air Command, and military history in general. I am trying to see if I can take a collateral as my command's historian, and I have volunteered at multiple museums including the USS Edson. I mostly model US Navy aircraft and ships but may try to work towards doing tanks and such. I do my modeling in my barracks room, so I actually have to set up every time and then pack it all up at the end of the night so my room is inspection ready daily. Anyone have any tips on organization/temporary storage that can make this easier? As I said, I just recently got back into modeling and I have been slowly expanding my collection and tools, and learning along the way. I'm going to attach my latest projects, including an 1/72 MH-53E and a 1:350 Arleigh Burke, dressed up as the USS Nitze. These were my first times using photo etch and painting, believe it or not. I also kit bashed the CIWS onto the USS Nitze from another kit, having to do some cutting for the superstructure and CIWS. Sorry they aren't great. I am currently working on a 1/48 MH-53E, then I will likely work on my 1/72 Eduard Limited Edition E-2C Hawkeye, as I see them fly every day here. Happy to be here and I'm excited to meet some awesome folks!

German StuG crew in winter – four singles, two sets of two & a set of six heads in 35th scale are all-new from Ardennes Miniature in Feb. We take a look at each of them in our preview...Read on... »

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Just three of us this time out as we discuss our 3 most desired kit subjects. We also discuss a double helping of models we love on the Plastic Posse facebook page, talk about our benches, and also recent acquisitions. We also go over several 2026 early season model shows.

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There were 13,738 P-40 Warhawks built during World War II, making it the most produced American fighter aircraft of the war. Among the multitude of 1/48 scale P-40s are the new Eduard kits of the P-40E/N. As aircraft modelers well know, aircraft models displayed on their landing gear are susceptible to damage from the weight of the model, especially on styrene landing gear.

Scale Aircraft Conversion has had the solution since 1990. Their white metal landing gear is designed to bear the weight of the model and complement the detailed non-load bearing plastic parts. Their extensive range covers white metal landing gear from 1/144 to 1/18 scale aircraft.

Another in ICM’s range of paint sets, which is intended for use with any kit of a WWII RAF training aircraft; the box illustrates a Hampden and Tiger Moth. The set contains the following six 12ml paint pots; I have listed their likely intended uses:

• 1003 Deep Yellow – Yellow (aka ‘Trainer Yellow’ – the RAF had only one Yellow during WWII)
• 1023 Aluminium – Aluminium Dope
• 1050 Saddle Brown – Dark Earth
• 1053 Leather Brown – alternative Dark Earth
• 1069 Extra Dark Green – Dark Green
• 1072 US Dark Green – alternative Dark Green

The back of the box has a drawing showing where to use each color on a Hampden and two Tiger Moths, one in overall Aluminum Dope, the other in early Temperate Day Scheme with Yellow undersides and ‘trainer bands.’

On December 17, 1935, the first of a ground-breaking aircraft that ushered in a new era of passenger flight: the immortal DC-3, which needs no introduction and is still a common sight 90 years on; the illustrious DC-3, about which so much has been written for 90 years; the glorious DC-3, which holds a special place in the hearts of aviation enthusiasts across the globe.

Every 10 years, someone releases a book titled “Douglas DC-3: [X] Glorious Years." First, it was Arthur Pearcy with his 40 Glorious Years, 50 Glorious Years and 60 Glorious Years. This year, it’s Fonthill Media’s turn with their new book Douglas DC-3: 90 Glorious Years. This is a reprint of their previous book Douglas DC-3: 80 Glorious Years, printed 10 years ago.

Snow may slow travel, but the calendar is heating up. We swap plans and call out standout events across the map, including BlizzCon in Columbus, AMPS Atlanta, 4M Mayhem in Michigan, Rochester’s Hope It Don’t Snow, and the Old Dominion Open in Richmond. For planning and entries, IPMSUSA.org remains the essential resource, with listings that stretch well into spring. That rhythm—research, build, show, repeat—keeps the hobby humming even when the weather says stay home.

Community is the thread. The Plastic Model Dojo has surged past 5,600 members, and the feed is full of show flyers, build logs, and finished models that show serious skill. We highlight a new Gemini book, and we touch on current work heading to Kennedy for Artemis, a reminder that the same care we bring to scale builds echoes in real-world engineering. It’s all connected: precision, patience, and the joy of making.

We also set up two upcoming topics that need your voice: what stops us from starting, and what do we truly get from this hobby—calm, community, challenge, or something else entirely? Share your story and help shape the conversation around motivation and meaning at the bench.

Subscribe for more modeling insights and show news, share this with a friend who needs cleaner canopies, and leave a review to help others find the pod. Got thoughts or tips to add? Send us a note and join the Dojo—your build might spark someone’s next breakthrough.

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Today I finally got all my armor and vehicles all packed and put away until another time comes for me to bring them back out again. Now that this display event is over, here are the photos of the event showing everything I displayed in this Guinness-Book-level achievement. All these models represent 54 different model companies, some of which are long out of production. They include the complete line of all ESCI models, Matchbox models, Airfix models, Riich models, as well as up to 95% of all Trumpeter/Hobby Boss models, Modelcollect models, Takom models, and Dragon models; among others. Despite my best efforts, I did not get the best quality photos that I wanted; mostly because of lack of proper equipment and a lack of photographic skills to photograph something so huge. During this time, 27 people came in to see this in person and I was thrilled to be able to see this whole collection out on display again and talk with fellow enthusiasts about these models. Without further ado, here is what 1000 small scale vehicles and artillery look like: In the background of this pic, you can see the wooden box my friend built me to hold Dora, and the clear tub that holds all my other German and Russian railroad subjects: I might have some additional photographs to post later; one friend had brought in a professional photographer to shoot pics of this collection as well. Until then, enjoy the parade. Thanks to all who check this out, comments are always welcome.

The elusive T28/T95 superheavy tank is now the subject of Takom's next release. We look at the announcement & the real "Doomturtle" in our preview...Read on... »