Painting a 1/48 Modern US Pilot
I decided it’s time to add a 1/48 modern pilot to join my 1/48 WWII pilot that’s used for size comparisons for my completed kits. There is a surprising lack of offerings for standing modern pilots in 1/48 scale but I finally got my hands of a pair of them, courtesy of Plus Model. Even …...
WIP : Hasegawa 1/48 F-104J Starfighter Pt. 4 – Painting
Painting the bare metal finish is next. I’ve had good results from the Vallejo Metal Color line which are acrylics, a more exotic choice than the usual lacquers like Alclad. I begin by masking off the colored areas with masking tape and paper. First on is Metal Color Aluminium. The paint goes on easily when …...
WIP : Hasegawa 1/48 F-104J Starfighter Pt. 3 – Painting
Painting begins with a black base with Tamiya XF-1 Black. The F-104J I’m modeling is a unit from the 202nd Hikotai, 5th Kokuden out of Nyutabaru Air Base in 1979. It sported a custom scheme over its all metal finish when it flew as an aggressor. So out come Tamiya XF-2 Flat White for the …...
WIP : Hasegawa 1/48 F-104J Starfighter Pt. 2 – Construction
Once properly painted, washed and weathered, the out of the box cockpit looks good. Fit in general is good. The instructions don’t call for it but I added some fishing weights in the nose just in case. The tip of the tail broke off during construction. This was fixed with plastic plates. As usual, some …...
WIP : Hasegawa 1/48 F-104J Starfighter Pt. 1 – Construction
Trying to get my building routine going again, I decided to tackle a 1/48 kit next. This will be an F-104J flown by the Japanese Air Self-Defense Force dressed in ‘Aggressor’ markings in the 1970s. I got this kit used from an online seller and it came with a set of aftermarket resin wheel bays …...
Upcoming : Kittyhawk 1/48 AH-1W “Whiskey Cobra”
Kittyhawk is finally releasing the AH-1W variant of the AH-1 Cobra. I’ve been holding off getting the AH-1Z because I prefer the sleeker look of the AH-1W. No release details yet but their AH-1Z has gotten good reviews so I expect the same with this one....
Completed : Italeri 1/48 North American A-36 Apache
Kit Info Brand: Italeri No. 2729 Scale: 1/48 Media: Injection Plastic Markings: Kit The Subject The North American A-36 Apache (also listed as ‘Invader’ or ‘Mustang’) was the ground attack/dive bomber version of the P-51 Mustang. A total of 500 A-36s served in North Africa, the Mediterranean, Italy and the Chine-Burma-India...
WIP : Italeri 1/48 A-36 Apache Pt. 4 – Finishing
Once all the paint has cured, I gave the whole kit a once over with gloss coat. For the scheme I’m doing, there are yellow wing bands which cut across the dive brakes. The decals for these don’t account for the openings on the dive brakes so to make my life easier, I decided to …...
Guide : Painting a 1/48 US WWII Pilot
While finishing my Italeri 1/48 A-36 Apache, I decided to go ahead and paint up a pilot figure so I can use it as a size reference. It’s what I have been doing with my 1/72 modern pilot. This WWII pilot figure comes from the Hasegawa 1/48 WWII Pilot Figure Set. The instructions simply say …...
WIP : Italeri 1/48 A-36 Apache Pt. 3 – Painting
Before painting can begin, The canopy needs to be prepped. As mentioned previously, once both halves are put together, not much can really be seen in the cockpit. And since the canopy can only be installed closed, even less will be seen. Canopy masking was with Aizu 1.5mm and 1mm masking tape for the outlines. …...
