Dave J

Nice. I've been meaning to pick up one of these boxings, but I am hoping they release the B/Metal Wing variant, so I can build Galland's Hs123.

Fine Molds’s 1/72 Y-wing, a really cool kit that went together beautifully. Love to do another one sometime, if I can get a hold of another kit. I also added LEDs to the cockpit and engines to bring the build to life.

Another one from 2018, Bandai’s 1/72 TIE Interceptor. Built straight out of the box with no aftermarket additions, with everything painted using Mission Models paints. Pumice stone was used to create the asteroid base.

Another blast from the past, finished back in 2018. Tamiya’s 1/35 Jagdpanzer IV/70 Lang. Built mostly straight from the box, with the addition of Kaizen tracks. Painted using Mission Models paints and weathered with AK Interactive washes and pigments.

Looks like we need some Armour Builds posted... Tamiya’s 1/35 Marder III M Normandy edition, built back in 2020. This one was completed straight out of the box, painted with Mission Models US paints, and weathered using the AMMO by Mig Jimenez German Camouflage Weathering Set. It went on to take out Best Armour and the Tamiya Award at my local IPMS competition that year.

My first Kōtare Models Supermarine Spitfire build. My local hobby store asked me to build a Spitfire as a display model for the shop. Unfortunately, the store has since closed, but the model will now be displayed at their second location on the other side of the country. What can I say about the kit? Honestly, not a bad thing. It was an absolute dream to build, so much so that I already had another one underway upon completion of this build. The Spitfire was built out of the box and painted with Tamiya acrylics and lacquers, following the kit callouts. Weathering was done using AMMO by Mig products, as the store stocked the range and requested I use them exclusively. Hope you like it!

Completed on New Year’s Eve 2023, this is the Kōtare Models 1/32 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.Ia “Brian Lane Edition.” I only managed to complete two kits during 2023, both being Kōtare Spitfires, and once again, this kit completely lived up to expectations. It was an incredibly enjoyable and satisfying build straight out of the box, with no aftermarket parts used at all. Will there be a third Kōtare Spitfire in the future? Absolutely. I’m tempted with a gun bay set and engine set for it! This build was also special for another reason, it became the very first project I shared on YouTube after a few friends and family encouraged me to finally give it a go. The cockpit green and camouflage were painted using the recommended Kōtare/Tamiya paint mixes. Hope you like it!

So, Jim said I had to post this... So getting off to a flying start, literally! First model of the year done and dusted, completed last month, and I've already beaten last year's completion total. Meng 1/48 F/A-18F Super Hornet features Gloria Model intakes, 3D-printed injection seats from Minimasonmodels on Cults3D, GBU-12 from Mr.Plamo, GBU-38 from Bluey, and AIM-9x from Model-Ma-King also Cults3D. Decals are Ronin Graphics, the Australian distributor of Meng, included a small addition sheet to build it as a 1 Squadron RAAF Super Hornet during Operation OKRA in Afghanistan in 2015. While the build was enjoyable and my first ever completed jet, I did make a couple of mistakes, a reminder that I'm not as sharp as I used to be and a tad rusty for not completing anything for over 18-24 months. Still, the end result I'm happy with. If you want more detail on how this came together, I’m giving YouTube a whirl, narrated in a smooth Kiwi accent for your listening pleasure - https://youtu.be/c8LU20ZwcEU?si=T0QJcCheFG0fMoLP Ran the model through ChatGPT to give it an Afghanistan‑inspired background