December 2024

I finish the year as it began, with something colourful !

My main build of the month is this colourful Hobby Boss kit of the Sikorsky MH-60J “Jayhawk” helicopter used by the US Coast Guard for medium range rescue and maritime patrol.

And finally, here are a number of small (1/72) AFV models that I have built (or in some cases, simply painted)  as side projects alongside some of my more complex builds:

• FV4333 Stormer HVM anti aircraft vehicle,
• FV180 Combat Engineer Tractor,
• M142 HIMARS artillery rocket system
• Thales Hawkei protected mobility vehicle.

Three of these are 3D printed models, of  varying levels of complexity, but all relatively low cost compared with plastic model kits.   The level of detail achieved is pretty impressive, although it does take away a lot of the fun of model building!

June 2024

Back to my Malta Air War project this month, with two fighter aircraft of the Luftwaffe’s  X Fliegerkorps, based out of Gela and Comiso air bases in Sicily

The Messerschmitt Bf109 was the main Nazi fighter throughout WW2, fighting on all fronts and holdling the record for most aircraft shot down.  The 109-E, or “Emil”was introduced just before the invasion of Russia and fought during the Battle of Britain.

As the Italian campaign in North Africa faltered,  in 1941 the Luftwaffe sent Fliegerkorps X, including many of  its most battle hardenend veterans to Sicily to help suppress Malta and protect Rommel’s supply chain across the Mediterranean.   My first build this month is the Bf109-E7 aircraft of  7/JG26’s Commanding Officer, using the Airfix kit and some Xtradecal markings.

The Luftwaffe returned to their attacks on Malta again in early 1942, bringing with them the latest Bf109 variant, the Bf109-F, or “Freddie”, featuring an improved engine, better aerodynamics and a ground attack capability.  My second build, based on the Italeri kit and Xtradecal markings, is a fighter bomber Bf109-F4 of 10(Jabo) /JG53 that crashed on Donnalucata beach in Sicily in March 1942 when returning from a raid on Malta.

July 2024

This month sees a long delayed conversion project finally reach the top of my build pile !

Some of the less well known variants of the De Havilland Mosquito were the naval torpedo carrying TR.33 and TR.37.  Introduced immediately after WW2, they only served for a short time, and with only one front line Fleet Air Arm squadron (although several went on to serve with the Israeli Air Force).

This is the 1972 Airfix mould, in its final release from 2008.  I have added a thimble nose dome, torpedo, hook and strengthened undercarriage legs to turn it into one of the prototype Sea Mosquito TR.33s.

August 2024

A trip to the RAF Museum at Hendon has inspired two World War 1 builds this month.  It’s perhaps not my modelling speciality, but I definitely enjoy the fine detail of 1/72 biplanes!

The Albatross D.V was one of the late WW1 machines used by the Imperial German Air Force, intended to be an improved version of the earlier flawed Albatross D.III.  Ultimately it proved little better, but remained in service right up to the 1918 Armistice.  

This is the Eduard kit of an Albatross D.V from JaSta 26, based in Flanders, and built mostly “out the box”.

The Fokker D.VII was one of the finest German aircraft of WWr 1, with over 3,300 produced in the 2nd half of 1918 alone.  The aircraft was regarded so highly by the Allies that it gained specific mention in the Armistice treaty, with Germany required to hand over all aircraft .

This is the 1963 Revell kit in its most recent incarnation, with CMK lozenge decals for the undersides.  

The aircraft represented is the Fokker D.VII of  JaSta 15, also based in Belgium during 1918.

September 2024

Yes, I went to Tank Fest at Bovington this year !  Two AFV builds were inspired as a result.

The Challenger Armoured Repair & Recovery Vehicle (CRARRV) is a beast of a vehicle, designed to work with the Britsh Army’s Challenger 2 tanks.  It can tow and recover all current Britsh Army tracked vehicles.   This is a Cromwell Models resin kit, which includes the Theatre Entry Standard (TES) modifications currently fielded by the Army.  Several CRARRVs are currently operating with the Ukrainian Army during its daring incursion into the Kursk region of Russia.

The Sturmgeshutz III (StuG III) was based on the Panzer III chassis and was the most widely produced German tracked vehicle of WW2.  This is an ancient Airfix kit, built very much as a nostalgia build - I first built one of these when I was about 10 years old!  

October 2024

A Ship and an Aircraft this month, representing the best of humanity and also its darker side !

The Shannon Class Lifeboat is the Royal National Lifeboat Institution’s (RNLI) latest seagoing lifeboat.  Airfix have produced a superb and relatively easy to build 1/72 kit of this boat to celebrate the 200th anniversary of thefounding of the RNLI.

The MQ-9A Reaper is widely used by western aligned forces around the world.  Very much larger than its MQ-1 Predator predecessor, it is heavily armed and can remain in the air  for up to 40 hours at  aheight of 50,000 ft.

November 2024

Two helicopters join my early Fleet Air Arm collection this month.

The Hiller HT.1 joined the Royal Navy as a training helicopter in 1950.  A simple and easily maintained design, it was ideal for initial flying training.  This is the recent LF Models kit.

The Wessex HAS.1 started life as an ASW helicopter, but was soon pressed in to an additional role as a commando carrier.  Seeing heavy use in the Borneo and Brunei conflicts where it frequently landed Royal Marines in remote jungle clearings, it was quickly nicknamed the “Jungly”, a title that has stuck with the Fleet Air Arm’s Commando Helicopter force.  This is the Matchbox kit, with a few modifications,plus decals from theold FROG kit.

January 2025

Another year begins (the 19th year of this website).  I have grand plans for this one, so let’s see how it goes…..

The F-35C is the conventional carrier-based variant of the Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter.  With folding (larger) wings and tail hook, it is visibly larger than the F-35A and F-35B variants.   

This is the Orange Kit / Orange Hobby kit of the F-35C.  Up until very recently, this was the only kit available, and it still passes muster.   This one is in the markings of shore-based VFA-101 “Grim Reapers”, one of the first US Navy squadrons formed to use the F-35.

February 2025

A long planned  project finally comes to realisation and a nostalgia ship build reminds me of the 1970s!…..

The Hawker Siddeley Kestrel FGA.1 (XV-8A) was developed from Hawker’s P.1127 vertical take-off development  aircraft for evaluation by a tri-national squadron from the UK, USA and West Germany.   Incorporating quite a few changes from the original P.1127, it paved the way for the amazing Hawker Siddeley Harrier  (AV-8A).

The Royal Navy’s Daring Class of destroyers was developed from the WW2 era Battle Class, to incorporate wartime lessons and subsequent developments. Noticeably larger than traditional Destroyers, HMS DARING was the lead ship of the class.  This is the old Airfix 1/600 scale kit, an example of which must have been one of my very first ship kit builds, back in the early 1970s.

March 2025

A double build covering this month and next (and possibly further) of aircraft from the 1990s Yugoslav Civil War…..

30 years ago this year, I was sitting on a warship in the Adriatic as part of the NATO/WEU Blockade trying to prevent weapons and fuel reaching the warring parties in the Former  Yugoslavia. Ranged against us (but fortunately not actively fighting us) were the Serbian-Montenegro Air Force, Bosnian Serb Air Force and the Croatian Air Force.  

The Super Galeb was one of the aircraft operated by these forces and forms the first of my Yugoslav Wars builds this month.  This is the rarely seen YuMo kit of the Super Galeb, in Bosnian Serb markings.

April 2025

The second of my Yugoslav Wars models is now complete, and another modern AFV joins my collection…..

The SOKO NJ-22 Orao was another Yugoslav design that saw combat during the bitter Yugoslav Civil War from 1992 to 1995.  This is the recent Litaki 1/72 kit, and once again I have chosen markings for the Bosnian Serb Air Force.

My second build of the month is more current; an Archer FH77BW L52 mobile artillery piece, as recently acquired by the British Army to replace AS-90 SPGs that were gifted to Ukraine.  This is another Osiris 3D printed 1/72 kit, once again with some truly superb detail.   Markings are self made (inkjet printed) to represent  the sole British unit using this system,19 Rgt Royal Artillery (The Scottish Gunners).

May 2025

Two more of the superb 1/72 Osiris 3D printed models join the collection..

The FV434 Maintenance Carrier  is used by the REME to undertake maintenance in the filed.  Base don the long-lived FV430 series, it features a load deck and a HIAB crane for engine changes.

The  Foxhound Light Protected Patrol Vehicle was introduced to the British Army in 2012, to replace the infamous “Snatch” Landrover.   Based on the Force Protection Europe “Ocelot” MRAP vehicle, the British Army has a fleet of 300 of these flexible vehicles.