Aeronavale Curtiss SB2C Helldiver 1/72 Airfix

Another quite old Airfix kit with some accuracy issues (features of different subtypes and none of them right, I think) but that doesn't prevent it the least for becoming a part of my Navy 1/72 model collection. If it's an Airfix kit I build it and have fun with it just the same.

A monotonous deep naval blue finish needed some weathering, which I normally won't use much, in my old-skool models anyway. All painting and varnishing with Revell enamels with a paintbrush.

Royal Air Force Supermarine Spitfire Mk.I Airfix 1/24

Airfix "super kit" from the 70's was still huge fun to build, I recall I built this same kit as a kid and attempted even some kind of camouflage back then.

Despite the age this kit is impressive even today, there are endless possibilities for superdetailing and such but I used this kit mainly for pure enjoyment out-of-the-box-style and  also as a freehand airbrush practice target.

Note the 2 Euro coin beside the landing gear, this model is BIG! Storage problems aside, I'd really like to try out the "'Fix Big Emil" Messerschmitt Bf-109 too.

From Künnapuu, Ants: 100 Ōhusōidukit. Illusteerinud V.Tōnisson (Valgus, Tallinn, 1975)

Luftwaffe Panavia Tornado IDS 1/144 Revell (#04030)

Revell's "new" 1/144 tiny fighter jets are quite amazing. They're cheap but very, very cheerful and every bit complicated to build as their 1/72 or 1/48 counterparts. One might think this model would have been quick to slap together, but I spent a solid busy two weeks with this kit (and enjoyed every bit of it).

Construction was relatively easy, considering the minimal fittings and areas for glue in this scale. Even cockpit decals were included, which tells about the commitment to accuracy with this kit.


All painting was done with enamels and paintbrush, colors used for the wraparound camouflage were Xtracolor Schwartzgrau, Humbrol 116 and Revell 68.

I really like these small scale models, if only the civil airliner kits were detailled as finely as these!

Color sample test

RAAF Medium Sea Grey

US Navy Intermediate Blue

US Navy Medium Grey

Finnish Air Force F-18 Hornet 1/72 Italeri

An OK kit by Italeri with lots of options: 1-seat or 2-seater, Swiss, Finnish and US Air Force decals. I was quite pleased when my kids brought me this kit as a present.





Used some walkaround picture references with this kit, IIRC there were some issues with Finnish version specific details with this kit. Didn't fix any of them though, I'm a civil airliner modeller after all!




Painted with Iwata HP-C and Humbrol enamels, US grays were supposed to be right straight from the bottle but I think they are a bit dark for this scale. Or is it just my imagination?





Some weathering could be applied, on the other hand the Finnish machines are extremely well-kept.

Finnish Air Force Brewster B-239 1/72 Revell

This kit is the infamous FAF decal boxing of a Revell oldie, the "Rivet Monster". Built straight out-of-the-box but with a twist, instead of the camouflage scheme this is how the planes looked right after the transfer flight from Sweden.






Didn't do any major surgery, just improved tiny things like the cabin interior and such. The wing is too narrow, fuselage too short, stabilisers are wrong shape etc. so too much work for a small scale model.






I doubt if this model would be any more accurate with British roundels and RAF Asian camouflage, but the kit was cheap and it's not totally awful for a Brewster.





I mean, it clearly isn't a Hurricane or a Messerschmitt, right?

Canadian Armed Forces F-101CB Voodoo 1/72 Revell

Another airbrushing practice target, this Canadian One-Oh-Wonder became a testbed for simulating matted aluminium. First layers of aluminium paint didn't work out too well, but mixed with flat white it looked convincingly dull by accident. Since the Canadian Voodoos were old surplus USAAF planes to begin with, I ditched the USAF decals and used the CAF instead.

Final topcoat is semi-matt acrylic varnish, which sealed the decals nicely. This model was built without any other references than the instruction sheet, so it is by no means an exactly accurate representation of the Canadian Voodoos.




I don't know if this kind of weathering is actually possible on a fuel tank, but it sure was fun to simulate!







Ditto for the airframe, note the crisp and thin Revell decals.






I liked this kit actually quite a lot, it isn't bad at all for the 1/72 scale.