David’s Scale Models 2023 – The Year in Review!

The year is coming to a close in just a couple of days. This year I completed ten builds. Seven of these were commission builds. Below are the synopsis of each build along with a link to the build log.

At the start of the year I finished off the 1/32 Trumpeter A-7E Corsair II from my old squadron VA-37. This was a tribute build for my time in the Navy. I made the scheme that of my Commanding Officer at the time and utilized 17 LED's and over 38” of fiber optic lines to illuminate the model which was then mounted onto a base representing the tarmac at NAS Cecil Field in Jacksonville Florida which was home to the Atlantic fleet A-7's and S-3 aircraft. You can see all the details and photos in the build log at:

The second build of the year was the first commission of the year. This was the Moebius 1/35 Jupiter 2 from the TV show “Lost in Space”. The client added numerous accessories like the light kit, aftermarket decals, sound card, resin figures of the Robinson family, and all of the electronics was controlled by a single remote control. There were many obstacles to overcome like dividing the power for the electronics and having the kit powered off of an AC/DC adapter instead of batteries. I added some extra LED's and modified a few items for a better presentation. The client was very happy with the finished model. You can see all the details and photos in the build log at:

The third build was one of my favorite aircraft the P-40. This was Academy's 1/48 P-40N and the scheme represents 2nd LT. Philip Adair's P-40N named “Lulu Belle” of the 89th fighter squadron in the 80th fighter group. They were known as the Burma Banshees and instead of the typical shark mouth they used skulls for the nose art. You can see all the details in the build log at:

The fourth build was my annual movie themed model. I do one of these a year. This one was using the Hobby Boss 1/48 A-6A intruder flown in the 1991 movie “Flight of the Intruder. For those unfamiliar with the movie, it is about a Navy pilot Lt Jake Grafton (Brad Johnson) and his bombardier LCDR Virgil Cole (Willem Dafoe) who flies an unauthorized mission to bomb the “SAM City” during the Viet Nam war in 1972. The aircraft was built to replicate the aircraft as depicted on that particular mission from the movie. I used Eduard's “Big Edition” photo etch set as well as Eduard resin racks and Flying Leathernecks resin bombs to add details. I also made custom decals for the aircraft for the specific names and numbers on the aircraft. You can see all the details in the build log at:

The fifth build was the second commission build. I used the 1/48 Kitty Hawk AH-1Z “Viper” attack helicopter. For this build I added the Eduard interior and exterior photo etch sets, the Model Master M197 (20mm) brass barrels, and the Flying Leathernecks TSS Turret. The scheme is the aircraft 47 from the HMLA-267 Stingers. You can see all the details in the build log at:

The sixth build – third commission build I used the 1/48 Revell/Monogram AV-8B kit. The client supported the Marine squadron VMA-223 in Afghanistan in 2011. In appreciation of his support they carried an American flag on a mission aboard and aircraft call sign “ALAMO 12”. Upon their return the American flag and a certificate were presented to him. I was commissioned to replicate the aircraft. You can see all the details in the build log at:

The seventh build is the fourth commission for a returning client. The kit is the Hasegawa SR-71 Egg Plane. Hasegawa has a large series of these egg planes. They feature an egg-shaped distorted interpretation of a real world aircraft. They are quite easy to build. It took me only a few days to build this interesting kit. You can see all the details in the build log at:

The eighth build for the fifth commission build I used Dragon's 1/72 P-61A/P-61B Black Widow Night Fighter. The client is a huge fan of the Northrop P-61 and really liked the 1/48 scale I built last year. He wants a 1/72 version in a case for his desk. For this build I used the Ares resin cockpit detail set, Eduard's exterior photo etch set, Quickboost resin engines, Quickboost resin gun barrels for the upper turret, and Print and Scale decal set. The aircraft was mounted in an acrylic display case with a diorama scene of a Pacific Island airfield to protect it. You can see all the details in the build log at:

The ninth build – sixth commission build was another Egg Plane. A couple of years ago I built a 1/48 A-10 for a client that wanted it to match the aircraft he flies in the online at the Digital Combat Simulator website. It had custom decals and was fully illuminated. He liked the novelty of the Egg Plane's and decided he wanted an A-10 with the same scheme. He located an A-10 egg plane from a company called ‘Chilled Toon”. The thing is this kit was not your typical plastic injection type like the Hasegawa egg planes. This is a 3-D printed resin kit. This required a little more work to build. Also regular model adhesives do not work on resin. The aircraft will be put together using CA glue. You can see all the details in the build log at:

The last build of 2023 was the seventh commission build. This build I used the Hasegawa's 1/48 AV-8B Harrier Plus. The client is a former Harrier pilot and wanted a model of one of the many aircraft he flew in his career. I used Caracal's AV-8B+ decal set and using the VMA-214 “Blacksheep” aircraft #2 scheme. The other accessories I used were the Quinta Studio's 3-D cockpit decal set, Eduard's 500lbs JDAM's, Meng AIM-9 missiles, and the aircraft was mounted in a display case with a base replicating the flight deck of a carrier. You can see all the details in the build log at:

For this upcoming year I have a few ideas for my summer movie themed project, a few more commission works lined up, and one big project. This year the International Plastic Modelers Society (IPMS) is having their National convention in Madison Wisconsin July 17th thru the 20th which is a short drive from Illinois. I have a few choices for this big project and will be starting soon. In terms of decals, I have had very little time to work on more decal sets. Between my new position at work, life events this past year, and the commission builds I completed and have lined up the time to sit and work on the artwork is very limited. I am hoping to have a couple of new air wing sets available by late spring or early summer.

Thank you all for following along on my builds and have a very happy new year!

Happy modeling,

Dave