First Looks For October-November 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.


Mitsubishi K.15-I "Babs"

Description: Early WW II Japanese single-engine, two-seat reconnaissance aircraft and light bomber
Kit: Der Kampfflieger 02-Ki-15-01
Scale: 1:48
Designer: Roman Vasilyev
Format: Downloadable PDF file consisting of 4 pages in A4 format totalling approximately 1.2 megabytes. Included are a cover page with a short background and specifications, two pages of parts, and one page of 3-D assembly diagrams.
Parts: 80 if built with interior and clear canopy, 60 otherwise
Difficulty: Advanced beginner

Kit:   Roman Vasilyev has been producing a number of interesting and unusual 1:48 scale models for distribution under the Kampfflieger label that DeWayne Barnett is currently handling. Some of the aircraft in this series are so unusual as to be good candidates for a "mystery plane" contest (how about a Curtiss-Wright CW-21B in Japanese livery?). The Ki-15 "Babs" isn't quite in that category, but it does belong to the often neglected family of aircraft from the early to mid 1930's that played important roles in the conflicts that led up to a full-blown World War, whether in Manchuria and China, Spain, Ethiopia or, finally, Poland. Roman Vasilyev's Babs is described as being from the China campaign, and the model is finished in an attractive olive-brown camouflage scheme. Coloring is very subtle for this scale, with reasonable weathering and some shading to go with panel lines. There are no unit markings, so it's impossible to connect the model to a specific prototype.

Construction:   Construction appears very straightforward, using a process that should be familiar to anyone who has built one of Marek's models in 1:50 scale. The fuselage is formed of a series of cylinders or conical sections that are butt-joined with formers at the ends. The parts sheets provide only one former for each joint, however; and I would suggest making two of each so that the sections have formers at each end. This will make shaping, aligning, and attaching the sections much easier. The cockpit interior is simple, consisting of seats, control sticks and an instrument panel, though there will be a lot of very careful cutting required to remove the printed glazing in preparation for constructing a clear canopy. There is a detailed MG for installation in the aft cockpit. The model presents many opportunities for increasing the level of detail for those who want to, by cutting out and glazing the observation windows in the fuselage sides, adding seat harnesses, and so on. Unit markings could be added from 1:48 decal sets, or they could be created electronically by those who are comfortable working with computer graphics programs.

First Impressions:   This is an attractive model of an interesting subject, and it would make a good starter kit for someone just getting into card modeling -- especially if he or she stayed with an opaque canopy and skipped the small parts used for the interior. The wheel spats could be a little tricky, but there should not be many other problems, if any. My only complaint with what is otherwise a beautiful little model is the lack of unit markings and the fact that we can't place the prototype in its original time and place.

Bill Geoghegan



Passenger Ship Queen Mary 2

Description: Modern British passenger ship/ocean liner Queen Mary 2
Kit: JSC 9/2004, Catalog No. 077
Scale: 1:400
Designer: Bartosz Czolczynski
Format: Book format: 29 pages of A4 parts (1 of these sheets is acetate plastic), and a 2-page A4 instruction pamphlet in English, Polish, French and German. Also 3 A4 diagrams and detail pictures.
Parts: The complete model consists of 2310 parts
Difficulty: Difficult (4 on JSC's scale of 1 to 4)

Kit:   This kit is one of the most recent releases from the notable card model producer JSC Poland, which focuses heavily on maritime subjects. The model is shipped as an A4 booklet that opens up to A3 sheet size. Standard cardstock base is used for the majority of the model, but there are a few sheets printed in a thinner stock used mainly for smaller or detailed parts. A unique addition is the use of printed acetate plastic (not unlike your standard overhead projector sheet) which is used for railings. The printing is sharp and precise with good color detail. The instructions come in four languages and are well written. Exploded and detailed diagrams complement the text nicely.

Construction:   Construction of this kit has been rather straightforward as far as maritime subjects are concerned. Starting with the interior "skeleton" hull, one moves to the exterior walls and panels, and finally completes the model with the topside and exterior deck details and structures. There are some finer details that require the use of very thin metal rods (for posts, poles, etc) and the challenging task of producing 20 detailed rescue/life/tender boats and davits, all with minute detail. When complete this model measures a staggering 34.5 inches in length and about 7 inches in height. Truly gargantuan for 1:400 scale!

First Impressions:   This is a welcome kit as there are very few modern passenger ship models available to the card model community. This kit celebrates the grandeur of transoceanic travel with the industry's newest ship, one that tips the scales (literally!) in all respects. The QM2 is the largest, longest, widest and tallest passenger ship ever to grace the world?s seas. (Of note: the QM2 displaces some 150,000 tons whereas the USS Stennis aircraft carrier displaces about 75,000 tons). Truly an engineering feat. Having just started constructing the model, I am pleased with the instructions and forward progress thus far. This model would complement well some of the older passenger ships such as the Queen Mary, Britannia or Queen Elizabeth 2 showing the transition from classic to modern. JSC has produced another fine model and one the modeler can truly enjoy while building, and even experience on a cruise. 

Jon Jamieson



Folding Paper Toys That You Can Make Yourself

Description: Book of simple card model toys intended to amuse and delight small children (and their parents)
Author and designer: Marilyn Scott-Waters ("The Toymaker")
Format: 12-1/4" by 9-1/4" book of 32 heavy card stock pages (printed one side only); contains approximately 21 different toys
Difficulty: Very young beginner

Book:   This is a real departure for the First Looks column, which normally spends its time on kits of military (and some civilian) aircraft, ships, armor, etc., that appeal to adult male kids. Here we have a book of very simple card model toys -- colorful mice, bug boxes, cootie catchers, a bus, a plane, a puppet theater, and so on. They are intended for children and, it is hoped, the parents of those children. The goal, as the author clearly states in an article elsewhere in this issue, is to provide an opportunity for parents and kids to play together in a constructive, stimulating way. A side benefit might be the inauguration of a new generation of card modelers. I'd guess that the intended age would be in the 3 to 7 year old range.That's for the kids. Parents or grandparents could be a lot older....

The art work is hand drawn, very fanciful and colorful, and stylistically in keeping with the child-oriented theme. The finished objects are attractive, maybe even worth leaving around the house to stimulate conversation with kids and visitors.

Construction:   These toys will be extremely simple to build, at least from an adult perspective. Children could rough out most of the toys, but there are some cutouts and delicately curved sections that might benefit from an adult hand, especially where an X-acto knife might come into play.

First Impressions:   This is a nice publication that should appeal to parents and grandparents, as well as their preschool to first-grade charges. I would not let small kids go at it alone, but would encourage adult participation (as intended). It provides a great opportunity for play, for instruction, and for building interest in card models. Be sure to see Marilyn Scott-Waters's rather fanciful interview elsewhere in this issue.

Bill Geoghegan



Kawasaki Ki-100-1b "Otsu"

Description: World War II Imperial Japanese Army fighter
Kit: Kancho Iliev (2004)
Scale: 1:48
Designer: Kancho Iliev
Format: Seven downloadable PDF files totaling about 1.6 mb in size. The download consists of one page of background and specifications, a page of 3-D construction drawings, 3 pages of parts, and two pages of optional gluing tabs for use in construction.
Parts: There are 146 parts in total; the actual number used could range from about 80 to more than 140, depending on which building options are selected. 
Difficulty: Intermediate

Kit:   It's hard to generalize about Kancho Iliev's designs.  Whenever I think I have his design philosophy figured out, he surprises me with something unexpected.  When I thought he was focusing on WW II and immediate post-War subjects, he came out with the modern Rafale B.  When I thought he was going to focus in on the very unusual (e.g., the An-71 Russian AWACS), he comes up with something more conventional.  When I thought I had his construction technique nicely categorized, he let it evolve some more.  In a nutshell, Kancho is full of surprises, and it's always fun to see what he comes up with for his latest offering.

This kit is no exception.  The Kawasaki Ki-100 takes us back to World War II, but on the Japanese Army side this time.  The subject is not particularly unusual, at least in the plastic modeling world; though the plane's origin is interesting from the standpoint of what was driving Japanese aircraft design choices in the closing months of the war.  What I find most intriguing is what Kancho has done in modifying the construction process, a point to be covered in the next section. 

The Ki-100 itself was born out of necessity. As Kancho points out in his introduction,  the Japanese Army had 275 Ki-61 ("Tony") airframes ready for engine installation in late 1944, but the factory producing the Ha-140 engines (a Japanese variant of the German DB 601A) had been destroyed in a B-29 raid.  The Army decided to convert the airframes to accommodate the 14-cylinder Mitsubishi Ha-112-II radial, and this was accomplished during the spring of 1945.  Those original conversions had the familiar Ki-61 "fastback" configuration.  The Ki-100 was much superior to the Ki-61, which was dropped from production, and further construction of the type was based on a modified airframe designed specifically for the radial engine.  This model used a teardrop canopy and was designated the Ki-100-1b.  It's the latter that serves as the subject for this model.

Construction:   Before starting on this kit, the builder must decide between several construction options thoughtfully provided by the designer. If one decides to build the model with an opaque canopy, then the cockpit interior (about 5 parts) can be eliminated.  Similarly, the tires can be built using the "sidewalls plus tread" technique (which yields cylindrical tires), or by using a series of laminated segments that takes a little more work, but yields more realistic results, especially at this scale.  Finally, each of the fuselage, wing and tailplane skin segments comes with integrated tabs that can be used for gluing.  While this makes for easy construction, the joints it produces can be pretty obvious.  Kancho  provides an alternative method, more typical of commercial German and Polish kits, in which gluing strips are used rather than the integrated tabs.  This allows for flush joints in the fuselage and invisible joints at the trailing edges of airfoil components.  The gluing tabs are printed so as to show exactly where they should be placed with respect to the surfaces being joined.  Finally, Kancho has also adopted a sort of tab-and-slot technique for aligning components in the fuselage and in the nose assembly.  This looks very workable and a good assist, especially for beginners.

Problems are likely to occur where you would expect:  prop spinner (11 tapered "leaves"), external fuel tanks, and so on. Some very delicate cut-out work will be needed for the canopy if you decide to make it transparent.  All in all, I don't see any areas of extreme difficulty.

First Impressions:   This is a very interesting kit that should appeal to a wide ranging audience, especially given the range of options that Kancho has provided.  he kit is well thought out, attractively designed, and includes some (but not too much) weathering.  It could be approached by advanced beginners through intermediate modelers and beyond.  The result should be very appealing.

Bill Geoghegan



Yakovlev Yak-18T

Description: Soviet two-seat primary trainer (1945)
Kit: Kampfflieger Yak-18T
Scale: 1:32
Designer: Roman Vasilyev
Format: Downloadable PDF file of about 325 kb. The download consists of one page of background and specifications, one page of 3-D construction drawings, and four pages of parts.
Parts: 78
Difficulty: Advanced beginner

Kit:   What a beautiful little plane! There's something about the lines and the color scheme that just grabbed me the first time I looked at the PDF file that DeWayne Barnett provided. Along with Roman Vasilyev's Yak UT-1 described elsewhere in this column, we're making a serious start on providing some interesting and rarely published civilian aircraft in 1:32 scale. GPM has been doing a good job with historical and modern civil aircraft of Polish origin, and there is a fair number of older German designs still available. Marek Pacyński has also provided many civilian offerings in 1:50 scale; but the market in general seems to be migrating more and more toward military aircraft -- perhaps because of the growing expense of plastic modeling, which is focused almost exclusively on military hardware. mAYBE some of the newer designers will take a look at commercial passenger aircraft in the near future, and help get that piece of the market back on a firm footing.

As Roman points out in his notes on the aircraft, the Yak-18T was originally intended as a multi-force replacement for the primary trainers that the Soviet Union had been using since the beginning of WWII. It moved from military to civilian service, with one variant achieving considerable success in international aerobatics competition in the '60s and '70s. The plane is still in production, some 60 years after its original design, which has got to be one of the longest service lives on record. The 18T variant on which this model is based is a four-seat version of the original design. The surface detail and coloring are very nicely done.

Construction:   Construction should be very straightforward. Fuselage and wing formers that need cardboard backing are clearly marked in red. Parts that could benefit from wire reinforcement (LG struts) are not marked, but should be pretty obvious. Wheels are not built up, and will probably look too thin if constructed out of three layers of card stock. Cardboard backing is advisable here. I would also recommend using either your own gluing strips to attach fuselage sections, or creating additional formers to allow for butt-joined fuselage segments. There are 3-D wheel-wells to include, as well as a moderately detailed four-seat cabin. The plane can be built with an opaque canopy, but it would benefit immensely from a transparent canopy and inclusion of cabin detail. You should note, however, that the interior of the cabin (except for the floor) will be white. You might want to do a little research on the interior coloration and either use waterpaints to color the interior, or priont appropriate coloration on the reverse of the parts sheet.

First Impressions:   Whatever you decide to do in terms of the level of construction detail, this is going to turn out to be a very attractive model; and I am really excited about the opportunity to try it out. Although a beginner could probably construct this model as designed, I think the benefits of built-up wheels, additional cabin coloring and detail, etc., would move it up a notch in appearance -- but would also require a slightly higher skill level.

Bill Geoghegan



Yakovlev UT-1

Description: Soviet primary trainer (1936)
Kit: Kampfflieger Yak UT-1
Scale: 1:32
Designer: Roman Vasilyev
Format: Downloadable PDF file of about 1.1 mb. The download consists of one page of background and specifications, one page of 3-D construction drawings, and two pages of parts.
Parts: 84
Difficulty: Advanced beginner

Kit:   This unusual offering from Roman Vasilyev represents the military trainer variant of the '30s AIR-14 sport plane that had been designed for aerobatic competition.  It's hard to tell from the coloration whether we are looking at a military version or a commercial version, or something in between.  Despite the large 1:32 scale, the model almost looks as though it should qualify at 1:48 or 1:50, the wingspan and fuselage are so small.  The reality is that this is a very small plane that must have been a ball to fly -- open cockpit and absent windscreen and all....

I'd almost put this kit into the "between the wars" classification, which is generally not well represented in card modeling.  Fiddlers Green and PMI have done much to recreate this wonderful era of aircraft design, which gave us the airborne equivalents of the Dusenberg automobile, but the offerings are otherwise pretty skimpy.  It's great to see something like Roman Vasilyev's UT-1 come on the market.  .

Construction:   Construction is reasonably straightforward.  Apart from two formers, one at the rear of the cockpit and one in the nose, there are no fuselage formers. Given the small size of the fuselage, this should not be a problem. No means of connecting fuselage sections is provided.  I would suggest doubling the cockpit formers with thick card and then using either your own gluing strips or creating butt-joined formers to do the job.  The same goes for the wheels, which need backing with cardstock to present a reasonable appearance at this scale.  The cockpit interior is reasonably well detailed, and there is a fully detailed engine up front.

First Impressions:   This is a very appealing model in a number of ways. My principal concern is that it is incomplete -- at least for the novice builder.  Those with experience will figure out that they need to provide backing for fuselage formers and wheels, how to provide connecting strips to attach fuselage sections, and so on.  Beginners may not.  Although I would normally rate this model at "beginner" level, I think that it requires a builder with somewhat more experience to fill in the design gaps.

Bill Geoghegan