Hi folks!
After spending 3 wonderful weeks in hot Sweden I'm back home at the bench and would like to show you my latest built kit, which I finished early in July just in time for the expo in Lützen near Leipzig. It's the rare seen PZL 37 A Los from Mirage Hobby in 1/48 ....



.... the PZL 37 Los ("Moose") was built by Panstwowe Zaklady Lotnice and was one of the most modern aircraft of the Polish Air Force when WW 2 broke out. Development started in 1934. After 3 prototypes were built and tested the Air Force ordered 30 aircraft, named as PZL 37 A. In 1938 the aircraft was shown at the Paris Air Show and several countries were interested to buy or build the bomber in licence. Due to the outbreak of war, none of these plans were realized. The PZL 37 A had a single tail fin, while the PZL 37 B (and the final produced 37 A) had a double tail fin. The aircraft was powered by 2 licenced built Bristol Pegasus XX engine with 925 hp each which gave the aircraft a maximum speed of nearly 450 km/h in 3400 meters. The range was 1500 km with a bomb load of 2200 kg ....



.... I have built PZL 37 A No. 72.11 of the 212. Sqn. The aircraft was sponsored by several banks and handed over to the Air Force in Warsaw on the 8. December 1938 ....



.... the kit is from the polish manufacturer Mirage Hobby and I've had it for several years in my stash. The new Bombers 2 Campaign gave me the chance to build it now. It's a Short Run Kit and has its flaws. So the wings don't fit well to the fuselage. There are big gaps on both sides all around which I had to fill and sand. Also the fitting of the tail section was not without problems. Some more sanding here. But the most annoying issue was the fitting of the front clear parts in front of the cockpit. Another gap of 1-2 mm width showed up which I had to fill. I didn't want to use Evergreen profiles or white glue. So I ordered Micro Kristal Klear at my LHS and had to wait nearly 2 weeks for it to arrive at my door. In the meantime I couldn't work on the kit .... When I finally got it I filled the gap 3 times and am quite satisfied with the result. I did not sand it ....



.... for the main painting I have used Brown 381 from Revell Aqua for the upperside. It's the only tone I had which came close to the real one, though it should be a bit darker. For the underside I wanted to use the same light blue I've used on my Pe-2 Peshka but noticed there is not enough paint left in the tin. So I went for Light Blue RLM 65 from Agama, which is a bit too bright for RLM 65 in my opinion but here it fits perfect. The interior, wheel wells and bomb bays are painted with Aluminium 99, again from Revell. The decals are taken from the kit, which offers 3 options, 2 polish and 1 romanian. It's okay if you have thin decals but these are simply far toooooo thin and also brittle. So I had to do some surgery to rescue them. I've lost only one, the "Los" decal on the upper right side rudder. Needless to mention, that the kit is not weathered, or ....?
So I say "bardzo dziekuje!" for walking around my first polish aircraft. This is sure no easy kit and needs a lot of TLC but in the end I'm happy to have it in my collection now. If you're interested, have a look at my build during the Bombers 2 Campaign on pages 4-6. I think I needed 9 or 10 weeks to build it. More than usual for me. But now on to new sins!

Happy modelling!
Torsten

Torsten,
Now that's one nice build of what seems like a real "killer" of a kit. Up until now, I had no idea that this aircraft ever existed. And as usual, your tutorial fills my educational needs.

Really a nice job on the decals, they look rather quite nice.

Joel

Torsten,
Very nice looking build! What's next?

Gaz

Thanks for your feedback, guys!

Joel, this aircraft had only a short combat career. Poland had some 60 PLZ 37 when the war broke out. The first mission was flown on the 4. September 1939 when german tanks were attacked near Czestochowa. The aircrafts were used for bombing raids and reconnaisance missions. The gunners also shot down a few german fighters. Most PZL 37 were lost during the conflict. Those which survived, escaped to Romania and were taken over to their air force and used in the war against the Soviet Union. None has survived the war. But there are a few replicas built in Poland including this beauty.
The kit really brought me to the border of my patience but as with the Henschel Hs 123 some years ago I wanted to have this kit in my collection. Never spent a thought to throw it in the bin. It's too expensive to do that. The decals were also tricky. That big decal on the fuselage with the star constellation needed a lot of patience because it broke into several pieces. To make things worse it also flipped over. But I think, I did quite a good rescue job. Another polish aircraft I would like to build is the PZL 23 Karas, a light bomber/dive bomber.
I've checked your new build of that Porsche 917. Well done, my friend, well done! It's still a famous racing car here in Germany. I've never tried to build a civil car. Do you also plan a build blog for your Lotus or have I just missed it?

Gaz, thanks also to you. On my work bench right now lay many parts of the new Airfix Hawker Sea Fury FB 11. Just started it. Hope it pleases me more than the PZL 37 .... What about your Barkhorn Bf 109?

Torsten

On Wednesday I've finished the Hot Out Of The Moulds 2018 Campaign and today I would like to show you the result. Here's my new Hawker Sea Fury FB 11 from Airfix in 1/48 ....



.... the Sea Fury was developed out of the Hawker Tempest and introduced to the Fleet Air Arm in October 1945, so a bit too late to take part in WW 2. It was the last propeller driven fighter in the FAA and is known to be one of the fastest piston-engined aircraft. During the Korean War the Sea Fury FB 11 was in use with the FAA. Lt. Peter Carmichael of No. 802 NAS was even able to shoot down a chinese MiG 15 on the 08.08.1952. Out of a total of 864 built Sea Furys 615 were FB 11. It was in use between 1945 and 1953. The engine was a 18 cylinder Bristol Centaurus XVIIC with 2480 hp which gave the aircraft a speed of 740 km/h in 5500 meters. The range was 1100 kilometers without external tanks and the service ceiling was about 10900 meters. The Sea Fury was armed with four 20 mm Hispano cannons and could carry up to 900 kg of bombs or 12 76 mm rockets. The Sea Fury was also used by others nations, mainly Australia, Canada and Pakistan, but also Egypt, Iraq, the Netherlands and West Germany. There are still some Sea Furys surviving in airworthy conditions, somes as modified air racers and some also on air shows. I've seen a Sea Fury in RAN markings several times at the Hahnweide Oldtimer Festival near Stuttgart in Germany. Just awesome ...



.... I have built a Sea Fury of No. 801 Naval Air Squadron aboard HMS Glory during the Korean War 1952. The pilot of this aircraft is not mentioned ....



.... Airfix came out with this kit late in 2017 and I bought it in March 2018 at the expo in Stetten. So when Michael Satin announced the new HOOTM Campaign for this year, the descision was quickly made for the Sea Fury. There are no major problems with the kit, everything fits very good together. There's no need for putty or even sanding at the point where the wings meet the fuselage. This was amzing! I only made one real beginners goof because I mistook the main wheels right and left. They looked the same when I painted them but when I noticed my mistake it was too late to change. So please don't look too close at the wheels .... Airfix offers the option to build the Sea Fury with extended or with folded wings. As you can see, I took the easier way. The kit consists of 123 parts for both options and there are 80 steps for the final result. There are also 2 decal options, the other one is a machine operated today by the Naval Historic Flight in Yeovilton. The decals are well printed and not too thin to flip over. They go in the panel lines without problems ....



.... the painting is not very difficult but I used a lot of masking tape. Most of the paints I used come from Vallejo. For the underside and the fuselage sides I used Sky No. 71302, for the upperside and the upper fuselage it is UK Extra Dark Sea Grey No. 71110 and for the wheel wells I have used US Interior Yellow No. 71107. The cockpit inside is painted in black and for the heat resisting plates behind the exhausts I used Steel from Revell No. 91 and added a few drops of Black to it. Final coating was again made with Matt Varnish from Marabu. Needless to say that my Sea Fury is not weathered. After a lot of work with the PZL 37, building this kit is pure fun and I can highly recommend it. Well done Airfix!

Again, I say thanks for walking around my latest model and maybe you like to have a look at building it in the campaign blog pages 2 + 3. First flight for the Sea Fury will be this coming weekend to the expo in Basel.

Happy modelling!
Torsten

Torsten
Airfix certain has a winner with the Sea Fury. Your Museum quality finish as usual is flawless. Well done my friend, very well done.

Joel

Love the Sea Fury buddy! Loving the museum quality finish and I enjoyed following along with your build. Got a real soft spot for this particular aircraft it's just one hell of a brute! Airfix has certainly produced some outstanding kits recently which are gaining an enviable reputation I'm glad this build was no exception.

Very nice, Torsten! Very clean, neat finish.

Gaz

Thanks for your feedback, friends! Much appreciated!

Chris, you are right. Since Airfix got a new owner and was "refurbished" they have brought out some excellent kits and I have built a few of them over the past few years, starting with the Spitfire Mk. XII, then their BP Defiant, last year the Hurricane Mk. I and now the Sea Fury. Still have the "Night Defiant" in my stash which is reserved for the RAF 100 Campaign. Have built also some quarterscale cars and trucks like the Bedford MWD and the Albion Refueller. Now I'm waiting more or less impatiently for their new Blenheim Mk. I. I got news from my LHS that the kit is scheduled for November over here.

Oh and this is a video of the Sea Fury in RAN colours at the Hahnweide Festival in 2013. I've seen exactly this display but from another position. And play it loud!

Torsten

Second this , well done Torsten



Terri

Thank you, Terri! I'm glad you like it.

Torsten! Another beauty! And thanks for sharing that video!



Magnus

Thanks Magnus! Glad you enjoyed walking around my new "Plastic Air Force" member. Sorry for the delayed reply, but I've been at the expo in Basel/Switzerland over the weekend and returned yesterday evening.

I'm glad you like the video of the Sea Fury. Unfortunatly this air show moderator (like so many others) just can't shut up and keeps on talking about things nobody is really interested in. Sometimes I just want to kick him off the tower and I believe I'm not the only one ....

Torsten

A few days ago I have finished my first Aeroscale Campaign for this season and today I would like to show you what I have built. Yes, another Bf 109, this time a Bf 109 F-2 from Hasegawa in 1/48 ....



.... at the first glance it looks just like another ordinary 109, but when you have a closer look you see some unsual signs and markings on it. I have built an aircraft of the 2. Escuadrilla Azul as part of the 15./JG 51 in Orel/Russia, late summer 1942. The Escuadrilla Azul, or Blue Squadron, was formed by spanish volunteers, who flew with the Luftwaffe from 1941 to 1944. All in all there were 5 Blue Squadrons over the years. 90 pilots achieved a total of 159 aerial victories. 19 spanish pilots were killed or missed in action. My "Black 7" shows some interesting markings. On the left fuselage you can see the emblem of the Blue Squadron on the cowling and between the fuselage band and the Balkenkreuz there are the "yugo y flechas" (yoke and arrows in english), the emblem of Franco's Falange Party. On the right cowling the aircraft wears the name "Cabo Meccanico Zaro" in memory of Cabo (Private) Tomás Zaro, a mechanic of the 2. EA, who was killed in action on the 28. July 1942 ....



.... Hasegawa came out with this limited edition in 2008, a time when I didn't know neither about the Blue Squadron nor the Blue Division. Meanwhile I have a great book about these spanish volunteers (in german) which is called in english "The flying units of the Blue Division". And when Michael Satin suggested the Foreign Fighters Campaign, I knew it was time for this kit to be build ....



.... though the kit is quite old (I think Hasegawa came out with the "Friedrich" in the late 1990's), the 67 parts still go together well, but they have some issues, especially the fuselage/wing section and the parts of the cowling. But it's a quick build and I did the best I can do to make it look good in the end. Unfortunatly one of the underwing balance weights got lost late in the assembly and was eaten by the carpet monster. I see if I can take one from another kit later. As usual this bird is build out of box and not weathered at all ....



.... for the painting I have used Vallejo and Revell Aqua paints. RLM 74/75/76 are done with Vallejo No. 71257, 71258 and 71259, the yellow fuselage band and underwing section was made with Revell No. 310, RLM 02 for the landing gear is Revell No. 45. The mottling is made with highly thinned Vallejo paint (ratio 1:4). I sure can do better and next time I will use Gunze paint for that again. Hasegawa offers 2 decal versions for this kit. The other option is "Black 1" with the name of Capitán (Captain) Antonio Noriega, a killed pilot of the 1. EA, but I couldn't find a photo of that aircraft in my book. Of my "Black 7" there are 2 good photos in it.
This old Hasegawa kit is surely no spectacular build of me, what makes it so interesting are the unsual markings of this small and more or less unknown unit.
So again I say "muchas gracias!" for stepping in and walking around my latest build. I hope you enjoyed it and if you have comments about it I would love to hear them.

There hasn't been any traffic in this thread since October last year but that doesn't mean I haven't built anything. I was just walking around here and there. Just scroll down the pages and you see what I did.

Happy modelling!
Torsten

Torsten my friend,

While you haven't added to your online museum thread in some time, your latest addition of a very old Hasegawa kit has been built to your current standards by the looks of your pictures.

A Museum quality finish as always, & your most informative narrative about the aircraft/Squadron, still make my visits more then worth while. See, even a now converted car builder can still appreciate a well built and executed model aircraft.

Joel

Thanks for your kind words, Joel! Your visit to my thread is always more than welcome.

As I wrote I haven't added anything here because I have built other aircraft (2 x Saab Viggen) and a military vehicle (my truck from the army time back in the 1980's for an Armorama Campaign). Meanwhile I have also become a part time armor builder because I have collected about 30 of those kits in the past years and they also want to be build. But that's nothing compared to my aircraft kits, so I will always return here. Currently there are 2 kits on my bench, one of them is a Henschel Hs 129, which can been seen here in some time.

And as you know, I'll come to visit you guys at the Automodeller Forum frequently. So we'll always meet somewhere.

Happy modelling!
Torsten

Hi Torsten. I always enjoy a wander through your "Assembly Line" threads, as much for the historical education as for the builds. It's been a while since I was here so it is good to catch up with the last couple of additions. The Sea Fury is a tough looking airframe and your build looks great.
I built one a few years back after seeing it in action at the Avalon Airshow.



Your Friedrich "Black 7" is a very nice build as well, great work on the mottling and the decals are laid down beautifully.

I look forward to the Hs 129, another great looking airframe, and I won't miss an opportunity to give you a nudge to join us on Automodeler soon, we have the "Blue Oval" Group Build starting in October. Go out and buy a Ford Mustang kit and come and play with us!

Cheers, D

Torsten,
What a great looking model! I’m always happy to see another 109.

Gaz

Thanks for stepping in, Damian! I knew we are one big Kitmaker Family, no matter on which end of the forum. It's great to hear that you always enjoy reading my little history lessons about the aircraft, unit or pilot. Though it can only be a brief story. So the book I have about the Blue Squadrons, or "Escuadrillas Expedicionarias Españolas en Rusia", as their official spanish name was, is more than 200 pages big.

Thanks also for posting your Sea Fury. You did a wonderful job there. The original looks pretty much the same as the one I have seen a few times flying over the Hahnweide near Stuttgart in the past years. I guess you have watched the video I have copied in my posting above. That Henschel Hs 129 is on the way already but I will need some time for it. Maybe at the end of May I can show it here.

I have already noticed the Ford Campaign on Automodeller and I must admit it's a real teaser for me as I drive a Focus for more than a decade now. Unfortunatly my car isn't famous enough to come out as a 1/25 plastic kit, so I had to go for the little diecast brother of my faithfull road runner ....

Well, I have to think about that campaign, Damian. Revell Germany offers some Ford kits and I really like the old Mustangs. Btw, did you know that there are not few people here who think Ford is a german car company like Volkswagen or BMW? I guess it's because of their 2 big plants in Cologne and Saarlouis. My father used to drive also Ford in his early days before he switched to Audi. I went the other way, driving Volkswagen before that Focus. I think my next car will be again a Focus. It's a very reliable car.

Gary, thanks also to you. I'm glad you like my latest 109. This one is indeed a bit unsual because of its markings. And I can promise that there will follow some more. Gerd Barkhorn flew a few of them as did Erich Hartmann, Hans-Joachim Marseille and so many others. No matter if the 109 had a Balkenkreuz on the fuselage or a different national insignia.

Happy modelling!
Torsten

Torsten,
D asked me to help out with the Ford GB, so I ended up as the GB Moderator Go figure that one out.

Personally, I'd love to see you build a Ford and join us. Now that would really be something.

Joel

That was my cunning plan for you. You could always say that you just picked up the box without looking at the pictures and thought you were buying a P-51 kit

Cheers, D

D,
Even this old goat wouldn't have fallen for that one.
Joel

Hi Torsten!!!

Already admired at the exhibition in Stetten, I can only say that your Sea Fury has become really great.

Horrido
Stefan

Damian, Joel - you cheeky guys! I sure won't mix up a Mustang with a Mustang .... Okay, of a Ford I have none, but of a P-51 I have built 2 (seen here on page 5) and have another 7 in stash. I think that's enough for me but I'm pretty sure Terri won't agree with that ....

Thanks Stefan! Yes, the Seafury is a great kit. It's pure modelling fun. So go and get it! You know where.

Torsten

Torsten,
I'm counting on you to build a Forde Focus for the Ford blue Oval GB. You've got 6 months, and you drive one daily. You just might like it, and spend even more time with us "Greasers"

Joel