First Looks For the Month of September 2002
| Albatros "Oeffag" DIII | Published by DeWayne Barnett |
| Designer: | Marek Pacynski |
| Description: | WWI German Fighter |
Kit: This 1/50th kit will come on a CD with the following models, Aviatik-Berg DI, Fokker DrI and the Bleriot-Spad. The models are in PDF format on the CD and you will need a color ink jet printer along with suitable card stock to print the model on. This model prints out on two sheets of card stock, the first contains the description and diagrams. The other sheet contains the parts to complete the model. No instructions are provided but the diagrams are very self explanatory and will be all you need to build this model. Parts are provided to build the cockpit and the landing gear. This is a very colorful model, colors and marking are sharp and really set the model off.
Construction: Before starting construction reinforce all parts marked in red with .5 to .8 mm cardboard. The fuselage is built in five sections, two sides, a bottom and a two part top. There is a center form that you cut out and then cut and glue the horizontal formers into the center former. Once this is done you glue the five outside sections to the frame. Both the top and bottom wings have a former that run down the center of the wing. Cut these formers and the wing skin out, them form the skin and glue it around the former. The bottom wing glues through the bottom of the fuselage and the top wing is glued to struts mounted on the wing and top of the fuselage. I normally use a piece of thin wire or toothpick in between the two parts of the struts to give it strength. Build and glue the tail section to the rear of the fuselage and them the landing gear to the bottom on the fuselage. You may want to use wire or a toothpick in the landing gear struts to give them strength also.
First Impressions: Biplanes are always a little more difficult than a monoplane. You might want to build one of Marek's monoplanes before attempting this one.
| T-371 | Published by Paper Models International |
| Designer: | Darius Lipinski |
| Description: | Russian Minesweeper |
Kit: This 1/250th scale ship model was reviewed in a previous column. At that time the model that was sent to me was on a CD. I am re-reviewing the kit since it is now available from Paper Models International in a printed kit format. I had problems with my printer getting the printing to come out in the proper place on both sides with the CD that was originally sent to me. With this model in the printed format the colors are in the correct position on both sides of the model. The kit comes in plastic shrink wrap with 10 sheets. Two of the sheets are card stock that contain the parts to build the model, six sheets of detailed diagrams with instructions. A cover sheet with details and history of the actual ship and finally a sheet with pictures of the completed model on one side and general building instructions on the other side.
Construction: The hull is of the "egg crate" construction. Glue all the vertical and horizontal as well as the deck to a thick card stock. You fist cut out the bottom of the hull, then cut and glue the vertical and horizontal formers to the bottom of the hull. Cut the deck and glue it to the top of the formers. Now cut the two sides of the hull out and glue them to the deck and the bottom of the hull. Build the super structure and glue it to the deck of the ship. Build the guns, radars, depth charges and life rafts and glue them to the proper place on the deck and super structure of the ship. Templates are provided to build the railings if you want to build them for the ship.
First Impressions: Darius is one of the premier ship model designers in the world. This model which is one of the first models from his new company, Paper-Labs, is up to his high standards. Model is not overly difficult but because of the small size and detail provided I would not recommend it for a first time ship builder.
| H.P. 80 Victor | Published by Wilhelmshaven |
| Description: | British Long Range Bomber |
Kit: This is an older A 1/50th scale model that has just been re-released. The model is on eight sheets of A3 card stock and four pages of instructions which are in German. There is one page of diagrams supplied. There is no interior or cockpit and the canopy is of printed stock. If you want to do the interior or cockpit then you will have to scratch build it. Landing gear is provided but there are no wheel wells. The landing gear is glued directly to the bottom of the wings and fuselage. The model is all silver with standard British markings.
Construction: The fuselage is built in sections with each section having a former in one end and a connecting strip glued to the end which has the former in it. When all the sections are completed, glue them together, gluing the connecting strip to the next former in the end with no connecting strip. Wing and vertical stabilizer have solid looking frames which should help in providing the correct shape and prevent warping. The wings are built in three sections with the inner section very thick as this is where the engines are. Build the frames for the wings and then cut, roll and glue the wing sections to the frames. Start with the inner wing sections and work your way to the outer section. Cut and glue the vertical stabilizer together and attach it to the rear of the aircraft. Finish the model by building the landing gear and gluing it to the bottom of the fuselage.
First Impressions: This is an older model that does not have the detail that the newer models do. It is a very large model so make sure you have some place to put it before building.
| NJL Togo | Published by CFM |
| Designer: | Hartmut Scholz, Digital Enhancement by: Thomas Pleiner |
| Description: | German WWII Radar Guidance Vessel |
Kit: This 1/250th scale scale model is of a very unusual ship. Originally built as a merchant ship she was converted to a radar guidance vessel for night fighters. Equipped with long range radars she was capable of controlling two night fighters. The model comes on B4 (353 x 250 mm) paper and has 10 sheets of colored card stock. Included are two sheets of detailed diagrams. Instructions and history are in German but there is a section containing a brief history and basic card modeling techniques in English. Parts are provided to build the model full hull but you can delete the bottom of the hull and build it as a waterline model. The model is very colorful, primarly being done in a medium bluish grey with wood decks. A photoetched super-detail set will soon be available for this model.
Construction: Start the construction by building the internal formers. You start this by cutting out the base piece and gluing the horizontal and vertical formers. Make sure you reinforce both the base and formers. Then reinforce the deck and glue it to the top of the formers. In this process make sure that the parts above are well reinforced or the ship will warp on you. Now glue the sides of the hull between the base and deck. Build the superstructure on the deck and then build and attach radar masts, funnels, etc to the superstructure. Construct the gun mounts and turrets, when finished glue to the proper position on the ship. Build the life boats and rafts then glue to the correct position on ship.
First Impressions: A very well designed ship. Lots of detail and may not be one to start with. Looks like it will make up into a beautiful display model.
| Kawasaki Ki 61 Hein (Tony) | Published by DeWayne Barnett |
| Designer: | Marek Pacynski |
| Description: | Japanese WWII Fighter |
Kit: This 1/50th kit will comes on a CD with that includes a model of the Ki 44 and three different versions of the Spitfire. The models are in PDF format on the CD and you will need a color ink jet printer along with suitable card stock to print the model on. This model prints out on four sheets of card stock, the first contains the description and diagrams. A sheet and a half of parts to build the model and another sheet and a half that contains the history of the aircraft. No instructions are provided but the diagrams are very self explanatory and will be all you need to build this model. Parts are not provided to build the cockpit or wheel wells and the canopy is in colored card stock.
Construction: Before starting construction reinforce all parts marked in red with .5 to .8 mm cardboard. The fuselage is built using the "butt" method, each fuselage section is built with a former in each end and when all sections are finished they are "butt" glued together. Cut the wing formers and the skin out, them form the skin and glue it around the formers. Glue the wing parts to the bottom of the fuselage matching them up along the bottom center line. Cut, form and glue the wing fillets to the top of the wings. Build the air scoop and flue it the bottom of the fuselage right behind the wings. Build and glue the tail section to the rear of the fuselage and them the landing gear to the bottom on the fuselage. You may want to use wire or a toothpick in the landing gear struts to give them strength also.
First Impressions: I just finished this model and it went together with no problems at all. A great model for the beginner.
| SMS Rhein/Mosel | Published by Paper Shipwright |
| Designer: | David Hathaway |
| Description: | 1872 German Monitors |
Kit: David Hathaway has just posted this model on the Internet free of charge. If you would like to get this ship go to http://www.papershipwright.co.uk and download the model and instructions. David has produced a series of ships not usually seen in Card which are available in the U.S. at Paper Models International. The model is in 1/250th scale and comes with two sheets of card stock, a template sheet if you want to make the rails for the ship, a sheet of diagrams and two sheets of instructions.
Construction: Construction is similar to most card ships I have built. First reinforce the base former and deck with a heavier cardboard. Not do the same for the vertical and horizontal formers. Glue vertical and horizontal formers to the base former and then glue the deck to the vertical and horizontal formers. Next glue the hull sides between the base former and the deck. Build the super structure then, build the life boat, funnel and hatches and glue them to their proper positions. Finish the ship by using the template to make the railings around the deck.
First Impressions: A beautiful little model that is not overly complicated. This would be a good model to start with if you want to build ships.
| PZL P-37A ,,LOS'' | Published by Fly Model |
| Designer: | Grzegorz Swierczewski |
| Description: | Polish WWII Medium Bomber |
Kit: A 1/33rd scale model that comes in booklet form on A3 paper. The booklet contains five sheets of card stock, a sheet of formers on regular paper and three sheets of diagrams. Instructions are in Polish but the diagrams are clear enough that you should be able to build the model even if you do not speak Polish. Model is done in brown topside and blue undersides, markings are in red and white which stand out on the model. Printing on this model is very sharp and all markings can be easily seen. Parts are provided to build a detailed interior, bomb bay and wheel wells. a template for the canopy is provided on regular paper but is not colored. A full set of bombs are provided so you can leave the bomb bay doors open displaying the bombs.
Construction: Before starting construction of the fuselage you need to decide how much detail you want to do. Parts are provided to make all the internal crew positions and the bomb bays. The Fuselage is built using the "butt" method, building each fuselage section with a former in each end and then "butt" gluing the sections together. Make sure that you build and insert the interior crew positions, bom bays and wheel wells into the proper sections before gluing them together.. Trying to insert the completed components into the completed fuselage could cause damage to both the internal parts and the fuselage. Build the framework for the wings, when you have completed the formers and attached them to the fuselage, cut, form and glue the wing skin over the formers. You can construct your own canopy using the template provided or you can purchase a pre-made canopy that Gomix has released. Now construct the landing gear and wheels and glue them into the wheel wells. Decide if you want to display the bomb bay open or closed. If you want it open then build the bombs and insert them into the open bomb bay.
First Impressions: This is a very large model so make sure you have someplace to display it. Difficulty of the model will depend on how much detailing you want to do. If you leave most of the detail off it will not be a difficult model to build
| B-25B Mitchell | Published by Digital Card Models |
| Designer: | Steve Bucher |
| Description: | WWII U.S. Medium Bomber |
Kit: This 1/48th scale model comes on six sheets of card stock and three sheets of diagrams. The model I received was sent to me over the Internet in PDF format. The kit contains no cockpits or wheel wheels. The canopy and gun turrets that are provided are on colored card stock. If you decide to detail the cockpit and gun turrets then you will have to scratch build the cockpits, gun positions. canopies and gun turrets. Aircraft is done in olive drab on the top and a medium grey on the bottom. Coloring and markings on the model are excellent. There are no internal supports or connecting strips for either the fuselage or engine nacelles. It is suggest that you cut out connecting strips and use them to glue the fuselage and nacelle sections together. Landing gear and landing gear doors are provided, they are glued directly to the bottom of the nacelles and front of the fuselage.
Construction: Start by constructing the internal sections and connecting them together, I recommend that you cut connecting strips to glue the sections together. Once you have each section glued together than use the connecting strips to glue the sections together. Cut the tail sections out and shape them, I recommend that you insert a piece of dowel or a toothpick inside to give them the proper shape. Cut and roll the wing sections then glue the rear of the wing together. Again I recommend a dowel or round piece of plastic into the wing to help shape it and give it some strength. Build the two engine nacelles using the same techniques used in building the fuselage and glue them under the wings, Cut, shape and glue the canopy to the top of the fuselage. Cut and build the landing gear using a toothpick internally to give them the strength to hold the aircraft up. Cut the wheels out and glue to heavy card, cut them out and continue to glue to the heavy card until you have the wheels to the correct width.
First Impressions: A fairly simple model but because of the lack of connecting strips and formers not one that I would recommend for a beginner.
| A-10 Thunderbolt II | Published by Maly Modelarz |
| Designer: | Roman Staszalek |
| Description: | U.S. Ground Support Aircraft |
Kit: A 1/33rd scale model that comes in booklet form 210 by 287 mm. The booklet contains eight sheets of card stock, four sheets of formers on regular paper and five sheets of diagrams. Instructions are in Polish but the diagrams are clear enough that you should be able to build the model even if you do not speak Polish. Model is done in blue and gray camoflauge, Shark mouth markings are in red and white. Tail has Tactical Air Command insignia with markings for "FT" wing. Printing on this model is very sharp and all markings can be easily seen. Parts are provided to build a detailed cockpit and wheel wells. A template for the canopy is provided with colored parts so you have a choice of wither or not you want to detail the cockpit.
Construction: Construction of the fuselage is of the "butt" type, build the fuselage in sections with a former in each end. When finished you butt glue the sections together to make the complete fuselage. Make sure that you build and insert the cockpit and wheel wells into the proper positions inside the correct section before assembling. Trying to insert the completed cockpit and wheel well into the completed fuselage could cause damage to both the cockpit, wheel well and fuselage. Build the framework for the wings, when you have completed the formers and attached them to the fuselage, cut, form and glue the wing skin over the formers. Cut and glue the frames for the tail to the rear of the fuselage and then glue the tail section skins over the frames. Construct the two engines much the same you built the fuselage and glue to the rear top of the fuselage. You can construct your own canopy using the template provided or you can purchase a pre-made canopy that Gomix has released. Now construct the landing gear and wheels and glue them into the wheel wells.
First Impressions: A very impressive model but not one that I would recommend for a beginner. The number and shapes of the parts require some card modeling experience before attempting this model.
| BM-5401 & Mtlawa | Published by JSC |
| Description: | Inland Barge BM-5401 and Ferry Motlawa |
Kit: Two ships in 1/200th scale in booklet form. The booklet has two pages of card stock, a page and half for the barge and half a page for the ferry. There is one page of instructions in Polish. The model I received came from a company in the U.S. and the instruction page has been translated into English. This may not be true if you purchase the model outside the U.S. The barges hull is black with orange below the waterline and the deck is green. The ferry is done in blue and gray.
Construction: Both models are constructed the same way. Cut out the deck and hull sides. Fold the hull sides down and glue the formers between the two hull sides and bottom of the deck. This is a standard JSC construction method and you wind up with a deck and hull but the bottom of the ship is left open. On the barge, once the hull is finished glue the hatch section on to the deck. Finish the model by building the superstructure and other parts and glue them to the deck. For the ferry build the superstructure and rafts and glue them to the deck.
First Impressions: Two very simple little ships. Excellent model to start building ships. Would be a great introductory kit for children.
| Spitfire LF Mk. IXE | Published by DeWayne Barnett |
| Designer: | Marek Pacynski |
| Description: | WWII British Fighter |
Kit: This 1/50th kit comes on a CD with that includes a model of the Ki 44, Ki 61 and three different versions of the Spitfire. This particular Spitfire is Israeli Air Force markings. The aircraft flew with the 101 Fighting Squadron in the IAF during 1949. The models are in PDF format on the CD and you will need a color ink jet printer along with suitable card stock to print the model on. This model prints out on three sheets of card stock, the first contains the description and diagrams, a sheet and a two third of parts to build the model. No instructions are provided but the diagrams are very self explanatory and will be all you need to build this model. Parts are not provided to build the cockpit or wheel wells and the canopy is in colored card stock.
Construction: Before starting construction reinforce all parts marked in red with .5 to .8 mm cardboard. The fuselage is built using the "butt" method, each fuselage section is built with a former in each end and when all sections are finished they are "butt" glued together. Cut the wing formers and the skin out, them form the skin and glue it around the formers. Glue the center section to the fuselage and then the outer sections to each side. Cut, form and glue the wing fillets to the top of the wings. Build the air scoop and glue it to the bottom of the wing. Build and glue the tail section to the rear of the fuselage and them the landing gear to the bottom of the fuselage. You may want to use wire or a toothpick in the landing gear struts to give them strength also.
First Impressions: Another great model from Marek. Should be buildable with very little card modeling experience.
| Mig 3 | Published by ModelArt of Russia |
| Designer: | Emil Zarkov |
| Description: | Soviet Air Force WWII Hi-Altitude Fighter |
Kit: The second of Dr. Zarchov's 1/72 scale model that has been redone and released in 1/33 scale. According to Dmitry Makeev of Model Art of Russia assure us that more of these will follow soon. The kit includes four sheets of colored card stock, one sheet of formers on letter paper, a sheet of connecting strips, four sheets of diagrams and a small sheet of marked transparencies for the canopy. There are two pages of instructions one in Russian and one in English. There is also one half of column of history on the back of the front cover. The colored card stock with the model parts on it is of a slightly glossy paper. Model can be built in two levels, expert or junior. With the expert level you have the parts to build a fully detailed cockpit with a provided transparency for a clear cockpit. For junior level you can delete the cockpit and use the card stock canopy provided. The same applies for the nose section you can add the detail with parts marked "e" or you can just use the standard parts.
Construction: Fuselage construction stars by constructing part number one connecting strips and formers in each end. Next build section two with the cockpit inside and connecting strip and former in the forward end. Now continue building each fuselage section with connecting strip and former in each end and gluing the sections together with the connecting strips. Cut shape and insert the formers inside the tail pieces, when properly shaped glue the tail to the rear of the fuselage. Build the internal frames for the wings, cut and roll the skin of the wing around the frame and glue the completed wing to the bottom of the fuselage. Glue the fillets to the wing and fuselage and then continue to detail the model. Detailing will consist of building the landing gear and propeller and gluing them to the model. Finish by building and attaching the the landing gear doors, intakes and exhaust to the model.
First Impressions: I am very happy to see that Dr. Zarkov's models are being released in this larger scale. The detailed diagrams that are included with these models are outstanding and make building the models a pleasure.
This column does not cover all the new card model aircraft and ships that have been released this month. It contains only those models that have been sent to me by dealers and designers for review or that I have been purchased for review. Due to space restrictions, some models sent in for review may be held over until next month.
Thanks to the following for providing kits for inspection and review:
