First Looks For August-September 2004

Even though we have to rely on models that contributors send for review over the Internet, the number and variety of contributions has begun to pick up. You can see it in this month's version of the First Looks column. As far as hardcopy models are concerned, we will have to wait until Saul Jacob's return, and reactivation of the purchase-review-sale cycle that he's been so successful in managing. Of course, additional contributions of downloadable kits for examination and review would be gratefully accepted. We're in especial need of maritime, vehicular and architectural subjects.


Nuclear Power Plant (Olkiluoto, Finland)
Description: 1600 MW Nuclear power plant with pressurized water reactor
Kit: Kit commissioned by Framatome ANP GmbH
Scale: 1:350
Designer: Thomas Pleiner via MTP-Studio
Format: Book format. Package includes a 34 page parts book containing 32 A3 pages of parts (equivalent to 64 A4 pages), and 48 page A4 instruction book in English and German. The instruction book contains approximately 20 pages of constructions diagrams.
Parts: The complete model consists of 3,386 parts. A simplified version showing only the outer walls of the facility contains about 220 parts.
Difficulty: Expert

Kit:   Tom Pleiner is arguably the most eclectic card model designer (and redesigner) working in the field today. His recent efforts have included the highly detailed model of the cruiser Prinz Eugen for CFM, a Scania 18-wheeler, a medieval cathedral (see the July issue of this column), digital redesigns of older aircraft models, and now his second nuclear power plant. Tom Pleiner is a professional card modeler, and a number of his designs have been done on commission, but the range of his skill is impressive, to say the least, especially considering the level of detail in his kits. I have also been impressed with his commitment to helping the modeler during the building process. Few kits contain such an extensive set of instructions and construction diagrams (a 48-page instruction book to go with a 34-page parts book in this case).

The design process for the power plant model was begun in January 2004, and the parts sheets had already been printed by early May! The next several months were taken up with the instruction book. Tom says that the total time invested up to this point is 2,200 hours. The model should become available in September or October of this year from major dealers in Germany and North America. It will also be available from Framatome (the plant's builder) and from Thomas Pleiner through MTP-Studio.

Construction:   Construction of a kit like this is extremely difficult to assess without actually trying it. The parts sheets are fairly dense, given 32 large sheets containing about 100 parts each on average. (See the image for an example of a reduced copy of one page.) It is clear that the model includes a large number of discrete subassemblies of widely varying difficulty that can be built as time permits, and that can be put aside until needed.

Of course, about 90% of the effort can be eliminated by building only the external shell of the plant, and skipping the interior detail. This approach does not appeal to me personally, since the beauty of the design lies more with the interior detail than with the relatively plain building shell. Maybe it's the physicist and engineer in me that tunes into the details of a reactor, generators, turbines, piping, etc.; but that seems like the fun part of what could easily turn into a year-long building project.

First Impressions:   I realize some may have adverse reactions to the subject of this model; but that's okay. The beauty of card modeling is that it's a hobby first and foremost; and if a subject does not appeal, then one doesn't have to build it. On the other hand, it offers a new and very complex subject for serious modelers who would like to pursue something in the engineering and architecture area. Whatever your taste, this is not only a truly impressive design, but also a truly impressive kit in its own right, especially from the standpoint of attention to the needs of the modeler working on an extremely challenging project. It's not for the beginner -- but, then again, few 3200-part kits are designed for the novice. This one requires a builder with advanced to expert skills -- who will be doubly thankful for the extensive documentation.

Bill Geoghegan


Aviatik Berg D.I
Description: Austro-Hungarian WWI single seat fighter
Kit: Models by Marek Number 03(16)/2004
Scale: 1:33
Designer: Marek Pacyński
Format: Downloadable PDF file consisting of 5 pages in A4 format totalling 1.5 to 3 megabytes, depending on version. Included are a cover page with illustrations, a page containing aircraft background information, specifications and assembly diagrams, and three pages of parts
Parts: Approximately 125
Difficulty: Advanced beginner

Kit:   The Berg D.I is another offering in Marek Pacyński's growing collection of 1:33 scale aircraft. It also continues his tradition of providing access to some of the more unusual aircraft, both military and civilian, to appear in the four decades stretching from the onset of World War I to the years immediately following World War II. The D.I was manufactured by the Österreiche-Ungarische Flugzeugfabrik Aviatik, G.m.b.H in Vienna, and eventually became the most widely produced Austro-Hungarian fighter of the day. Despite some teething problems that left it with a poor reputation among Austrian pilots, it performed quite adequately against the fighters with which it was paired. Marek offers the D.I in two color schemes: one in the lozenge camouflage illustrated here, and another in a fine earth-tone mottle.

Construction:   Construction is very straightforward. Those portions of the fuselage that will be visible through the open cockpit are backed with another piece of card that contains printed interior detail for the cockpit sides. The sides are joined by top and bottom pieces that contain tabs for gluing. The front portion of the fuselage includes the top and sides in a single piece which is shaped around an interior bulkhead. Other bulkheads are used to frame the cockpit as well as to insure the correct rectangular shape. Cockpit detail is at a minimum for 1:33 scale and consists of only a control panel, a simple seat, and a joystick to accompany the printed framing. There is ample opportunity for added detail. The kit does include a detailed engine, consisting of about 45 parts by itself -- over a third of the entire kit! The wings, elevators and rudder are reinforced with pieces of cardboard that help to provide thickness and rigidity, and can be shaped to the proper cross section. Except for the engine, there are relatively few small parts to deal with. A couple of important elements are missing from the kit, unfortunately. Although the D.I did have considerable rigging, as well as control cables that ran externally, there is nothing in the construction drawings to show how the plane should be rigged. Also, the D.I's wingtips had a very unusual shape -- sort of an upward twist on the outboard trailing edge. There is nothing in the drawings to show how this should be done. Some research could solve the problem, but this shouldn't be necessary.

First Impressions:   This is an interesting kit that should build up into an attractive display model. Unlike many of Marek's designs, however, it seems less detailed than it should be, and leaves the impression of a 1:50 scale design that has been enlarged to 1:33. I cannot help but compare it to his superb 1:33 Bristol F2b (see below), which has more than double the parts count, extensive construction drawings, detailed diagrams to cover rigging and control line placement, and so on. The Berg D.I should be great for a quick construction project, or as a first biplane for someone who has a kit or two to their credit already.

Bill Geoghegan


Bristol F.2B "Fighter"
Description: British WWI two-seat fighter
Kit: Models by Marek Number 01(14)/2004
Scale: 1:33
Designer: Marek Pacyński
Format: Downloadable PDF file consisting of 11 pages in A4 format totalling approximately 6 megabytes. Included are a cover page with illustrations, a page containing background information and specifications, six pages of parts and three pages of detailed construction diagrams.
Parts: Approximately 260
Difficulty: Intermediate

Kit:   This superb kit of the Bristol Aeroplane Company's F.2B two-seat fighter is another of Marek Pacyński's growing collection of 1:33 scale aircraft. Of all the fighters of World War I, the F.2B had to be one of the most long-lived. It made its debut in 1916, and continued in service with several nations throughout the inter-war period until as late as 1939, giving it a service lifetime of at least 23 years—remarkable for that era of rapid change in aircraft design. The biplane design is interesting in that neither wing is integral to the fuselage. Unlike most WWI biplanes, the lower wing is not mated directly to the bottom of the fuselage, but is suspended below the fuselage on struts. Whether or not this was responsible for the great popularity of the type is open to debate; perhaps it was more the presence of a gunner in the aft position protecting the rear hemisphere that made the difference. In any event, Marek offers the F.2B in two variants. The one shown here is a Polish aircraft used during the 1920 Polish-Bolshevik war. The other shows an aircraft flown in Palestine in 1918.

Construction:   Construction is straightforward. The fuselage sides are backed with card that contains printed interior detail for the cockpit. These inserts contain tabs for gluing the fuselage top and bottom to the sides. The front portion of the fuselage (covering the engine) joins the top and sides in a single piece which is shaped around an interior bulkhead. Other bulkheads are used to frame the cockpit and to insure the correct rectangular shape. The cockpit is fairly well detailed, with control panel, interior framing, joystick and pedals, and other miscellaneous items to be mounted on the interior sides. I would grade the level of detail as moderate for this scale, but it is consistent with the amount of detail to be found elsewhere in the model. As I have said before in commenting on Marek's creations, it's the consistency of detail that contributes to the overall effect.

The wings and reinforced by a substantial 3D box structure that provides a core around which the wing skins are folded. This is a very nice design feature, and something I have not seen in Marek's designs up to this point. Other reinforcements are provided for the tail and elevators.

There is provision for a detailed radiator assembly and exhaust system (the engine is largely hidden in this aircraft), as well as a highly detailed machine gun for mounting on the rear cockpit scarf ring. The MG alone accounts for 32 parts. Wheels are 3-dimensional, built up from layers of card which are then sanded to shape. There is a considerable amount of wire called for in this kit, including diameters of .5mm, .6mm, .8mm and 1.0mm. It is used for landing gear, struts, MG parts, elevator shaping and reinforcement, and so on. Time to raid the local hobby shop for piano wire. Get a good supply.

Extensive rigging is needed to finish off the model, including the usual rigging for the wings, as well as control lines for the ailerons, rudder and elevators. Even a simulated spring for the tail skid is called for (thin wire wrapped around a thicker piece). Detailed rigging diagrams are provided. Control horns are included in the parts sheet, and it looks as though the model could be built with control surfaces in realistic, non-neutral positions. Give it a try. If you mess up, you can always print more parts....

First Impressions:   This is an impressive kit that should build up into a beautiful display piece. The level of detail is excellent and, with the possible exception of the cockpit (Marek's only real weak point in my opinion), the finished model should stand up to extremely close inspection. Maybe this is an entry for an IPMS meeting.... I would not give this model to a beginner, but someone with a few 1:33 scale aircraft under his or her belt might find this a great fall or winter project.

Bill Geoghegan


GPM's F4U-1A Corsair
Description: WWII single-seat fighter used by the US Navy and Marine Corps
Kit: GPM Catalog No. 0214 (3/2004)
Scale: 1:33
Format: Eight sheets of cardstock parts, one page of formers, and four pages of construction diagrams and photos.
Parts: Approximately 660
Instructions: Included, in Polish
Difficulty: Difficult (GPM rates it as "intermediate")

There have been some great kits coming from GPM this year, and the Corsair is no exception. For your money you get eight pages of card parts, a page of paper formers, and four pages of the now familiar pictorial instructions to accompany the Polish directions. The front and rear cover contain photos of the completed model. The parts count is amazing; the engine is fully detailed; the open inspection panels on the wing reveal the machine guns, ammo belts etc.; and, of course, there's a fully detailed cockpit. The aircraft can be constructed with wings folded for carrier stowage below decks. Construction follows the "crocodile teeth" tab and former method. This will be a difficult model to make, but will repay the builder with a wonderful display model of this important airplane.

Jeff Sissons


Antonov An-71
Description: Soviet prototype AWACS platform
Kit: Kancho Iliev models (2004)
Scale: 1:48
Designer: Kancho Iliev
Format: Sixteen (16) downloaded PDF files totalling about 5.5 megabytes, yielding 16 printed pages: a cover page with aircraft background and specs, two pages of formers, and 13 pages of parts. Construction diagrams are included on two or the parts sheets.
Parts: Approximately 120
Difficulty: Intermediate

Kit:   With the recent release of Dassault's Rafale, and now the former Soviet Union's Antonov An-71 "Madcap," it looks like Kancho Iliev is moving into the Cold War era with gusto. This kit carries forward his tradition of designing models of very unusual aircraft that are not likely to be widely available (if at all) in other media. The An-71 was the USSR's first attempt at an AWACS aircraft. The design, based on the An-72 platform, was highly unusual in terms of the modifications that were incorporated: over-wing engines, a forward-swept tail, and so on. Only three were built; of these, two survive, though currently in deteriorating condition. The model depicted here is in Aeroflot livery.

Construction:   Kancho has traditionally designed models that achieve their structural integrity through the manner in which the paper components are curved and folded into complex three-dimensional shapes. The An-71 seems more illustrative of this type of design than some of Kancho's other recent offerings. Portions of the fuselage, for example, are based on two large pieces that are curved and glued into shell-like components that join together at top and bottom to form an entire fuselage section. Where other designers might do this with five or six butt-joined cylindrical sections, each containing one or two formers, Kancho's design has only two main parts and a couple of tabs to provide gluing surfaces. This results in a parts count (about 120 for this kit) that belies its complexity. There are some fuselage and engine formers, as well as ribs (all to be reinforced) for the wings. My one suggestion for deviation from the basic design would be to substitute built-up (laminated) wheels for the landing gear rather than the twin-disk-plus-tire-tread method provided in the kit. Otherwise, model construction is very straightforward.

First Impressions:   This is an attractive kit that should yield an impressive model, both in subject and in size. Despite the relatively low parts count, the kit would not be the best choice for someone just beginning on card model aircraft in this scale. Experience with one or two other examples of Kancho's designs might be good preparation.

Bill Geoghegan


Captured Nakajima B5N2 "Kate"
Description: Japanese WWII carrier-borne torpedo bomber
Kit: Thai Paperworks for DeWayne Barnett Models Kit "Warbird Series 5"
Scale: 1:48
Designer: Nobi
Format: Downloadable PDF file of 8 letter-size pages totalling 1.1 megabytes. Included are a cover page, three pages of assembly diagrams, and four pages of parts
Parts: 92
Difficulty: Beginner

Kit:   This is the second offering in DeWayne Barnett's "War Prize" series of captured aircraft that he has commissioned from several familiar designers. Each plane in the series represents an subject that was captured or otherwise "acquired" by enemy forces and then given a "new look" by its second owners. The subject of this model is a Nakajima B5N2 "Kate" (of Pearl Harbor fame) that was captured by American forces and turned over to TAIC (the Tactical Air Intelligence Command) for evaluation.

Construction:   Construction follows one of the typical European design variants. The fuselage is built up from cylindrical sections that each contain a former and a tabbed gluing strip in one end. The empty end of the adjacent section is glued to the tabbed part of the strip in its mate. The wings have a reinforced central spar and ribs. The cockpit is enclosed by opaque canopy sections that overlay each other to simulate the long raised canopy of the prototype. Wheels are built up from laminated disks. I would suggest using reinforcing wire for the struts and other load-bearing components. All in all, the construction process should be very familiar to modelers who have worked with recent European designs. For beginners, it could be a good way to get started.

There are ample opportunities for additional detailing if desired. A cockpit interior could be scratch-built, and it would be relatively easy to cut away simulated glazing in the opaque canopy sections and substitute clear plastic. (One could skip the cockpit interior for a stand-off display model.) A torpedo rack could also be added (though the TAIC photos should be consulted before doing this).

First Impressions:   The kit looks like a solid design for a very unusual version of a commonly modeled subject. I could probably find a couple of Kate's in my "unbuilt" pile without a lot of trouble -- but I sure wouldn't find one in American markings! You could always scan another B5N2, and then recolor it (if you have the software and the skill), or you could just buy the version by Nobi and add whatever detail you desire. This should be a fairly easy model to build, and I have no reservations about recommending it to a beginner in 1:48 or 1:50 scale modeling.

Bill Geoghegan

This column does not cover all the new card models that have been released this month. It contains only those models that have been sent in by dealers and designers for review or that the author has purchased for review. Due to space restrictions, some models sent in for review may be held over until the following month.

Thanks to the following for providing kits for inspection and review:

And special thanks to Jeff Sissons for providing us with a "first look" at a kit he purchased for his own use.