Great Scale Modeling 2017

Ever since our last Great Scale Modeling issue in 2011 you’ve been asking us at modeling shows, via email, and even in a bit of snail mail, to bring it back. Well, it’s back! We’re excited because each year we take thousands of pictures of hundreds of your models at major shows and contests. Frankly, we could only get a smattering of them into our 10 regular issues each year. But we wanted to share more. What we see and photograph are among the best models created and shown each year. It’s a blast for us, and we thought you’d enjoy seeing these amazing builds, too. This year we spanned the country, traveling to Danbury, Conn., Louisville, Ky., Omaha, Neb., Manitowoc, Wis., and Dallas, Texas, for shows. So what you…

I have a propensity for building subjects found along the road less traveled. Long ago (actual years intentionally omitted), I purchased the Revell (ex-Matchbox) Flower-class corvette and proceeded to ponder its fate. Wanting something unique that wouldn’t cost a fortune to upgrade, I narrowed it down to a score of corvettes that were procured by the U.S. Navy via the Lend-Lease policy. Some of these were given only minor alterations before seeing service, while others underwent extensive rework and were refitted on other occasions. Chief among the latter was the USS Tenacity (previously the HMS Candytuft) Tenacity underwent two major refits and wore at least two different camouflage measures. If the real ship could undergo so much construction, I figured my model could as well. After adding extensive above-deck scratchbuilding,…

Since 1993, the Armor Modeling and Preservation Society has celebrated armored vehicles and scale models of them — and every spring AMPS hosts an international convention and worldclass modeling competition. For the 2017 show, FineScale Modeler editors Mark Savage and Aaron Skinner traveled to Danbury, Conn., and had their choice of more than 600 models to photograph. Unfortunately, we don’t have room here for all 600 — only a few of our favorites. If that sounds like your idea of a good time, you can join the fun for the 2018 convention, May 3-5, in Dayton, Ohio. Visit www.amps-armor.org for details.…

When you love corrugated-skin aircraft, favor realism, and are a professional model maker and draftsman, it’s only natural to resort to your own devices when creating a unique aluminum aircraft. Guillermo Rojas Bazán did just that. He built his own 1/15 scale Junkers G 24, overlooking no detail inside and out. Because none exist today, he relied heavily on photos of the 1926 version of the aircraft when drawing out his build plan. Two years later, he had this big beauty.…

Scratchbuilding is considered the realm of excellence by many. But to Mark Zielonka, it’s more a simple matter of fact — it’s just what he does. A professional patternmaker, he says, “I don’t know, from somebody’s viewpoint it could look special. But I use ordinary techniques employed in working metals.” What is extraordinary — and no amount of modesty can make it less — is that Mark scratchbuilt this 1/6 scale BMW R75 without blueprints or scale plans. He did have the benefit of experience, having built a 1/6 scale Harley-Davidson WLA (featured in the October 2009 FineScale Modeler magazine). And for the BMW, in addition to photos he found in books, magazines, and on the internet, a friend supplied him with an original manual, “which provided so many details…

2013 marked the 50th anniversary of the founding of the International Plastic Modelers Society (UK). Wanting to celebrate the semicentennial with a fun, colorful, IPMS promotional build, I chose Airfix’s “Wallace & Gromit” Anti-Pesto van. While the two main characters remained on the sidelines, the Austin A35 would be gussied up with as many decals as I could get my hands on … or, at least, that was my original plan. The van was primed with Halfords white acrylic. What wasn’t masked off was given a few coats of gloss white acrylic car paint from an aerosol can and sanded smooth. Then came the decals — by the scale truck load. Aircraft, AFV, sci-fi, auto, ship — you name it, there was a decal from it. Friends gifted me extras…