I like VTOL aircraft and was inspired to build a Coleopter after seeing this image: The prop shroud/circular wing would be pretty easy to design and print on my 3D FDM printer, but I wouldn’t be able to reproduce the clear cockpit without considerable effort. I would have to print a blank for the forward …
Albert Robida was an accomplished French illustrator and writer from the late 1800s. His illustrations about technology in the 20th century were both whimsical and evocative. I decided to make a 1/35 scale flying vehicle inspired by some of his artwork. The original inspiration isn’t his – it dates from 1828 and depicts Mr. Charles …
This is the MAC 1/72 scale post WWII JB-2 Loon, a US made version of the German V-1 flying bomb. This kit was one of the first V-1 offerings by MAC and there are several other variants. This is not a “shake and bake” kit, but it is pretty easy to build, with no major …
This is the RS Models 1/72 scale resin kit of the Ki-201 Karyu, a Japanese WWII jet design that was quite similar to the German Me-262. Although the Ki-201 never flew, it’s smaller cousin, the Nakajima Kikka did fly twice. The RS kit is designed much like a standard injected plastic kit, with thin hollow …
After the end of W.W.II, the French returned to their colonies in Indochina and encountered… some hostility from the locals. Even though it was soon after the War, the French had difficulty obtaining aircraft and other military equipment so they had to make do with captured Japanese aircraft and some Spitfires. One of the Japanese …
Academy/Minicraft Models has a series of small, simple box scale model aircraft kits. One of the planes in the series is the 1/480 scale C-5A Galaxy Transport. There’s an in box preview at Modeling Madness. There’s not much to the kit, but it’s nicely molded and fits together well. I like the design and engine …
This is a What-if? based on the excellent Meng 1/72 scale Ki-98 fighter kit. The Ki-98 was a proposed Japanese WWII fighter that never went into production. The Meng kit is beautifully molded, has excellent fit and goes together with no problems. I just didn’t want to build it as “designed”. I decided to make …
A few years ago, I bought a bag of second hand 1/72 WWI planes. Most were old Revell kits except for one pristine ESCI Neiuport 17. The Revell kits were in bad shape; most were missing decals, instructions or parts, so I got them all for less than $10. The worst of the lot was …