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Year in Review: 2024

To wrap up the year I thought I’d bring together some of my thoughts about how this 2024 went for me modelling wise and make a ranking of all of my builds from the past year. Compared to 2023, my output fell significantly in 2024, and I completed only five builds compared to 2023’s seven.

The drop in productivity was in large part explained by my refocus on quality instead of quantity and I was willing to lower my output to spend more time on single projects. My Tiger project is a clear example of this approach with it spending almost an entire four months on the bench.

My output was further affected by two external factors. The first was that I moved in early November and took around three weeks away from the bench to sort out my life during that time. It was a pretty hectic ordeal but in the end I’m much happier where I am now. The second is one that fellow Canadians might be familiar with, the Canada Post strike. My M1A2 Abrams is currently sitting 95% complete and ready for paint but I am still waiting for some parts to arrive before I’m able to complete the construction phase. Long story short, the Abrams is on hold until the Canada Post strike ends.

This year also brought major changes in the way I photograph my models. I was lucky enough to pickup a new camera at the start of the year to take high quality photos and I’ve been really satisfied with the results so far in how I’ve been able to take high quality images of my models now.

When I started my Abrams build in early October I thought I’d have plenty of time to get it done for the year and add another build to the completed column but it seems that that won’t be the case unfortunately. On the bright side, I’ll be going into 2025 with two Models in advanced stages of construction, The aforementioned Abrams and Tamiya’s 1/48 Bf-109 G6 of which the first post will come out in the new year.

Lastly, I wanted to personally rank my 2024 builds to each other and offer some final thoughts on them.

Miniart 1/35 T-55A Mod. 1981

This kit had been in limbo for over two years before I rescued it from the trunk of my car. I had gone into January and February with no build on the bench and decided that it was time to get this one completed. overall I’m pretty happy with the result here but I feel like I was lacking on execution in some areas (such as the dust effects). This build ended up being one that I felt like I had to build, not one that I wanted to. Despite this feeling, I used the build as a basis to experiment with new techniques and procedures that I’d use on future builds.

Ranking: 5th Overall

Gecko Models 1/35 Landing Craft Assault (LCA)

Gecko Models’ 1/35 LCA was a really interesting build that I enjoyed a lot. This kind of subject was completely new to me and it was really refreshing to complete a completely different kind of subject for once. This project was even more meaningful considering that It was built to commemorate the 80th Anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy. I particularly like the hard edge paint scheme and the shelf presence this model takes up.

Ranking: 4th Overall

AFV Club 1/35 Sd.Kfz 251/22 “Pakwagen”

It might be surprising that my Pakwagen project only ranks as my 3rd favourite build of 2024. This build got some serious attention on my instagram but overall it was a pretty unpleasant affair building the AFV Club kit. Despite this, I really think that this build was an important one for me as I was able to incorporate post shading and mud effects in ways I had never attempted before. The terrain as well was a major improvement over work in the past.

Ranking: 3rd Overall

Eduard 1/48 Hellcat F6F-5

Eduard’s 1/48 Hellcat was a super fun build for me. I was able to incorporate a lot of extra detail without feeling like I had gotten bogged down in the process. It was a perfect mix of being challenging and rewarding in my opinion. It was tricky to be able to pull off the glossy blue finish over the chipped paint but I feel like I was able to do it in a really convincing way. I fully riveted the model and added some stressed skin texturing as well.

Ranking: 2nd Overall

Dragon 1/35 Tiger I Early

As if there would be any debate over my favourite project this year, it’s Dragon’s 1/35 Tiger I! I felt that I was able to really make a leap with this build and make something head and shoulders above my previous builds. I really think I was able to utilize a lot of the lessons learned over the past year to build something I’m really proud of.

Ranking: 1st Overall

Looking on to 2025, I already have some ideas of some themes and goals I want to achieve in the new year. The Abrams and G6 will undoubtedly be completed in early 2025. In addition those builds, I have my eye on a few others. I recently picked up two kits I’m very interested in, Kitty Hawk’s 1/35 HH-60G and MH-60L. The Pavehawk is definitely on the slate for 2025 along with a Hasegawa RF-4E. my 2024 builds were almost entirely Armour so It’ possible I’ll swing back to Aircraft for 2025.

Goals for 2025:

My primary goal for 2025 will be to increase my output. While I don’t like the idea of rushing builds, I also think that completing a few quick projects would help to add some variety and help to remove kits from the ever growing stash. I also want to focus on building some kits that have spent the most time in storage, waiting to be built. It’s my goal to do this without diminishing the quality achieved in previous builds.

Another aspiration of mine in 2025 is to attend more modelling shows! I have my eye on SMC in the Netherlands along with TORCAN and IPMS Nationals this summer.

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1:48 Aircraft In Box Reviews

Tamiya F-35C Lightning II In Box Review

I knew when going into this review that Tamiya’s F-35C was going to be a serious challenger for the best kit I’ve ever reviewed. Both the A and B variants have recived critical acclaim since their releases in 2022 and 2023 respectively. Back in 2020 I rated Meng’s Jumbo Sherman a 92/100, will Tamiya’s latest lighting take that crown?

Kit Features 17/20

Tamiya’s F-35 offers some really nice features, some of which are unique to the subject matter here, a stealth aircraft. Modellers are offered a wide range of options to choose from in depicting thier own F-35. The canopy, wingtips, ladder, weapon bays, gun pod, arrestor hook, and fuel probe are all optional accessories to the modeller. I was also surprised to see RCS enhancers included in the kit, these are little nodules added to the exterior of the F-35 to increase its radar cross section to civilian radars. These are examples of small additions that really show how much effort went into designing this kit. The kit includes a nicely molded pilot figure along with helmet specific decals. Also included is a healthy amount of ordinance so that the model can be built in “beast mode”. Other manufacturers might skimp on the included weapons (considering that this IS a stealth aircraft) but Tamiya is not guilty of this here. The kit features various paper masks for the canopy and other parts, although you will have to cut them out yourself. Masks for the RAM panels are not included however and decals are provided instead. For modellers wanting to paint their own RAM panels the lack of masks will be felt as it’ll take some time to mask off the fine details.

Quality of Molding: 50/50

I’m hesitant to give any category a perfect score on any kit, but considering that this kit (and the rest of Tamiya’s F-35 lineup) features arguably the most impressively molded part in all of modelling there’s just no way I can justify anything less than a perfect score here. I’m of course referring to the weapons bay.

The quality of the modelling isn’t just limited to this area however as each and every part is intricatley detailed from the cockpit to the RAM panels. The detail is just so fine and impressive, it’ll be a real joy to see these parts painted up.

Instructions: 19/20

These are the most substantial instructions I have ever seen from a Tamiya kit and at first glance they guide the modeller through the build effortlessly. Make no mistake, This is a complex kit and not one I’d recommend for beginners. With the amount of options that the builder has in completing this kit, it’s not a surprise that they are filled with “Do this if A, Skip B, See steps 35-45, attach parts in numbered order.” That said, these are as clear as clear can be for indicating the significance of your choices in the build. The colour profiles included are hugely impressive and nothing like I’ve ever seen in this hobby. Included is a massive 1/48 sized poster detailing the “A” markings with full colour sheets for the rest of the 5 markings. In all the kits I’ve built I’ve never seen such impressive colour profiles included in a kit, they stand in as some serious wall art!

Miscellaneous: 9/10

A whopping 6 marking options are included in the kit, 2 Marine and 6 Navy jets. The F-35 is a pretty boring aircraft when it comes to markings so Tamiya has done their best here, you get some colour in one option but the rest are fairly similar, not that this was unexpected. The decal quality is excellent as well with very clear printing. The decal thickness may be another issue however.

Total: 95/100

Tamiya’s F-35C is undoubtedly at the apex of the hobby right now, and for good reason. It’s by no means something I’d recommend to a beginner, as there is a number of small parts and keeping focused on a specific aircraft and loadout might be a tall order for somebody new to the hobby. In all other areas however this kit excels.

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1:48 Aircraft Projects

F6F-5 Hellcat: Completed Build

A few weeks ago I completed Eduard’s F6F-5 Hellcat and I’m finally getting around to post the photos and compile my thoughts about the build.

If you’re just here for the photos check them out below 👇

As for my thoughts, this build was a pretty fun, short project. I really didn’t invest a ton of money or time into this project but it was still a blast.

Weathering was fairly straightforward and basic seeing as due to the extensive pre-shade, a lot of the work was already done in creating surface variation. I started with a grey wash completed with oil paints. Washes can be tricky with dark base coats as using a dark colour can really blend in and be hard to see. With a grey colour it’s a lot easier to see the panel lines and added rivets and, in my opinion, looks more realistic.

After the wash I did some oil paint rendering, primarily on the fabric control surfaces in order to show some colour variation in the different type of material. I did some further OPR on the gun access panels in order to represent crews servicing those areas with oily hands.

I knew I wanted to pay specific attention to the exhaust staining as well. From my reference photos I could tell the Hellcats had the tendency to build up both dark and light soot if left uncleaned. I even found a photo of the specific aircraft I was building which showed a substantial buildup of exhaust gasses.

To re-create this effect I first did a pass this the airbrush painting a heavily diluted coat of a dark brown (almost black) mixture in the area I wanted the staining. I then went back over the area with a grey-white mixture, being careful to remain in the larger area covered by the black soot.

After the paint dried I then added some oil paints directly over the previous layer to further add colour variation. I added straight black over the darker areas while a light tan colour was used with the grey tones. I think the results speak for themselves:

To wrap up the build I did some light oil streaking around the cowling which almost disappears into the Navy Blue finish. I added ultra fine wire as the arial and that was it!

Enjoy the photos below!

Categories
1:48 Aircraft Projects

F6F-5 Hellcat: Painting and Decals

For the past few weeks I’ve been steadily building Eduard’s 1/48 F6F-5 Hellcat as a sort of “reset” build to complete before diving into the painting stage of the Tiger project. I picked the Hellcat because I’ve always had a soft spot for U.S Navy fighters and also because I wanted to move this kit out of the stash.

Construction was straightforward although a bit disappointing. This kit is by no means a new Eduard release with the molds dating back to 2008. This is not that ancient but in the grand scheme of things it’s a far cry from the hyper detail kits the brand is releasing nowadays. If you’d like to hear more about my thoughts on this kit, I did a out of box review on it last year:

Eduard F6F-5 Hellcat (Late) In Box Review

Eduard’s Profipack Hellcat has impressive features including photo-etched parts, resin wheels, mask set, and armament options. However, its quality of molding is below-par as it lacks detail and crispness. Eduard’s excellent instructions and various marking options are commendable, albeit limited in color and vibrant prints. With a challenging price, the kit’s weekend edition provides better…

nomadmodel's avatar by nomadmodel

The chipping effects on this build required a two stage chipping process. The first stage consisted of a metallic colour underneath a custom zinc chromate mix chipped with standard hairspray chipping. This was done somewhat quickly as the results didn’t matter too much in that only a small fraction of this coat would be visible in the final model. After this coat was chipped, I hit it with a coat of hairspray and re-primed with 1500 black for the preshading coat.

The preshade/marble coat took an entire day to complete and I was very happy with how it came out in the end. I was able to get a lot of variability in the finish which I knew would be needed to show through the very dark blue final coat.

For the main coat I selected Mr. Colour 14 (Navy Blue). It’s a semi gloss paint to start and I added some GX100 gloss to increase the sheen which worked well I found. I knew that I’d be finishing this model in a gloss finish and wanted to make sure that my base coat was as smooth as possible.

I then got to work removing the masking fluid left behind as part of the weathering process and I was really happy with how this approach turned out. It was difficult at first to remove the fluid but with a plastic tool I was able to scrape it off quite efficiently. I was worried about paint peeling off in areas where the fluid was not applied but this ended up not being an issue as the main coat of Navy Blue was very durable.

After removing the masking fluid I hit the model with a coat of GX100 gloss varnish in anticipation of the decals.

Decals were out of the box, and went down somewhat well. Being from Eduard, I decided to experiment with removing the carrier film with Tamiya Enamel thinner. This went well and helped achieve an even greater painted on effect.

Categories
1:48 Aircraft Projects

CF-18A Hornet: Completed Build

This past week I was able to finish Kinetic’s 1/48 CF-18 and just in time for the holidays! (currently finishing this write-up out of Toronto Pearson) This build took around 3 months to complete and although I’m definitely happy with the end result (probably my best result to date!), the build itself was challenging to be completely honest.

The kit was plagued with rough fit and unclear instructions. The infamous nose/windshield assembly lived up to its reputation and fought me the entire way.

As I had been thinking about this build for the better part of this year, I spent the months leading up to it gathering various aftermarket pieces to enhance the build. The full list is as follows:

  • Leading edge “Combat Hornets” decal set
  • Aries Resin ejection aeat
  • Flying Leathernecks 3d printed accessories
    • Wheels
    • Hud
    • Pitot tubes
    • Weapon pylons
  • Eduard Resin Aim-9 Sidewinder and Aim-7 Sparrow missiles
  • Anyz decals and 3d printed parts
  • Various scratchbuilt wiring and tubing
3d printed pylons and resin missiles added a lot to the final product.

The Leading Edge decals really were the catalyst for the build, I knew I wanted to build a Canadian Hornet but that I also wanted build a specific aircraft, No. 188780, one of the participants of Operation Friction, Canada’s contribution to the 1991 Gulf War. This aircraft stood out because of the Cyrillic writing “oсмотри назан” on the Lex fences, with some sources translating the text as “check six”. This marking was specific to aircraft based at CFB Cold Lake which were responsible for “greeting” Russian aircraft over the arctic. As far as I can tell 780 was the only aircraft with the Cyrillic writing present in Desert Storm.

“780” seen here on the ramp in Doha.
The Leading Edge decals performed perfectly, definitely would use again.

Refocusing back to the build, I tried to scribe my own panel lines for the first time along with adding rivet details. While I feel my scribing skills need improvement, I think that the rivet details I added really stand out and were a worthwhile addition to the model. Kinetic is missing some pretty prominent rivet details on the wing and vertical stabs and the custom detail really enhances the area IMO.

Riveting details were added with a Galaxy tools 0.75mm rivet attachment

A more detailed breakdown of the painting and weathering stage can be found on that phases’ separate post but the basic overview is as follows. I primed the model in black, added an initial marble coat, followed by a blend coat and detail coat before tying the entire finish together with a final blending coat. I really do enjoy this technique, the method of slowly raising the opacity of paint layers comes very natural to me and is a straightforward (if time consuming) process. That said I do think I need to experiment in this area, and possibly start to add more post-shading to my workflow. As it stands now I see two distinct disadvantages to my current process, the first is that this is a very “dark” method in that since the model is being primed black I often need to finish the model in a shade lighter so that the end result is tinted the correct shade. The second issue is that the best gloss varnishes like to burn hot and will reduce the opacity of the paint by about 5% or so which needs to be taken into account when spraying the final blend coat.

One area I wanted to pay specific focus on was the cockpit, and took extra care and time to get it looking how I wanted. Of immense help was Kris Sieber’s book, “Superdetailing the F-14 Tomcat” which is a must buy for anybody serious about building modern jets. Even though the book is about the process of detailing a Tomcat the techniques can be applied to any ghost grey jet.

Anyz 3d printed dials and knobs really make the cockpit pop.

All in all however, I really do feel that this is the best kit I’ve built so far and I was able to use everything I’ve learned over the past year or so to really enhance both the building process and the painting/weathering process. Enjoy the final build photos below!