Imam Ro 63 look-a-like 1/32 Model Kit conversion Dornier do 27

 This is quite a curious piece of conversion :) . I bought a Dornier do 27 Revell, in 1/32, dead cheap on eBay (8 GBP maybe? ridiculously cheap), and, due to my tremendous dislike of anything post 1945, which at that time was still fervent in me, I looked how to convert it into something suitably worldwartwoesque. I found that the Imam Ro 63 had it's certain similarities, and so I did that, transform slightly without too much work into it.

 

I added epoxy to the tail, painted over some parts of glass, and hand crafted decals so they looked right. At least is a nice what-if WW2 would have kept on and on.

 

Yes, sounds quite bonkers :lol: . But don't tell me it is unique! anyway, here are the pictures;

 

Arado Ar 168 1/32 Revell Sea Camouflage version WW2 scratchbuilt floats

 

I did post here a long time ago, regarding a kit I bought; in a good closing down sale, I managed to buy a very cheap 1/32 Arado Ar 168, and decided to keep it and give it as a present to my father. Unfortunately, when he was going to start building it, parts were missing! the quality control at revell had not noticed about 3-4 sprues missing! never something like that had happened to me, after buying thousands of kits.

It was lacking canopy, bombs, engine doors, and most important, the floats. By this time the shop had already packed and closed down, so no claim there. (all the same, the very nice chap that bought the shop, gave me a free model in compensation, even if it was not his fault!). I contacted Revell, but was told that only they could send the canopy, as the Arado ar 168 was no longer in production, only the single float version.

So, after browsing all the possibilities, I decided to scratchbuild with paper and cardboard the floats, after printing them from a paper model and adjusting them. My father built all the plane, and me and my brother built the floats and created the engine covers, plus giving a few extra finishes to the paintwork.

The pilots came in a lot of soldiers, I believe from some very old model, but they fit wonderfully.

 

Curiously, it is a floatplane, but better it doesn't get anywhere near water with his paper floats!

New additions; 1/72 Revell Sopwith F.1 Camel + Somua S.35 Heller

 A few kits I have photographed recently ;) . 

s.W.S. Cargo Halftrack with 3.7cm Flak43 Revell 1:35 Built & Painted Model Kit

This is the SWS Halftrack, a nice rather unusual model, I managed to get just for 3 € in a lot (it has to be the cheapest 1:35 kit I've ever bought). Wheels turn, cannon moves up and down. The only snag is that there is no crew included, so had to make a conversion for a man seating at the cannon. Scenario kindly comes offered by the local park  .

Review; Monty's Caravan + Dingo Revell Matchbox 1/76 model kit vehicle afv

Welcome to one of the most singular model kits ever made, the private vehicle of General Montgomery himself.

The Box 

The original box, which is lively, but that green looks a bit strange in what seems apparently a desert road. Maybe it is Italy, but all the same that green colour looks American to me.

The Revell new box is dull, you hardly realize what it is until you read the title, although the black gives a nice sensation of quality.

The Kit 

In the Revell reissue, the flash is quite noticeable, and nearly all parts will require some sanding to look good and fit ok. Some pieces are a bit tiny to handle, as it is again a 1/76 kit. 
The details are slightly thick everywhere, which wouldn't so bad in 1/72, but in 1/76 is more noticeable. What is best of this set are the extras, you get three generals, a big stand, barrels and top to make a table and traffic barriers. This is what I call a good set, and not all these modern kits where you only get exactly one vehicle and nothing else whatsoever. 

Parts fit generally well, the wheels cannot be made to turn without major modification as in most Matchbox kits. I will add that Revell instructions are quite badly done, and you are left wondering what some parts are and how they should be stuck, without help of internet.

The Verdict

For a start  I have to say that I am a Montgomery fan and I love everything related with him  and his campaigns so it is very hard to be impartial here .WW2 specific vehicles are rare to be seen in the modelling world specially in 1:72 (except those standard vehicles that include the militar codes for that general in particular; like Rommel's halftrack) so this italian captured lorry modified as staff lorry for the personal use of Montgomery is a really interesting subject and a must  to complete your 8th army collection.

We cannot also forget the small but very used in combat Dingo light armed vehicle, one of those vehicles that you can't find easily from any other manufacturer  although Britain won the war!!!(if it was german we will be flooded with kits of this vehicle).

For those that also like to make small dioramas or make improvements in interior kits this will be a nice addition for their collection as the interior of the lorry only includes a small bench table.

Accuracy; 6/10, Acceptable.
Mould quality; 6/10, Acceptable. (Revell release)
Difficulty level; 5/10, Moderately easy.
Price/Quality; 7/10 Good, today Revell's reissue should be easy to find and well priced.

My version

This is a particular vehicle, so if you don't modify the lorry to retransform into the regular Italian army version, there is only sandy for North Africa/Italy or green for the european theatre. As you can see in the pics, I went for the sandy version, depicting Italy (as the base is quite difficult to believe it is in North Africa), and I did some interioring work, creating a small bed and a bathroom. I did this many years ago, before knowing the uses of epoxy putty, so I used Patcolor (a self-drying plasticine sold by Jovi) as a putty to recreate the interior.

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Review; Revell Fokker Eindecker Dr. I 1/72 Model Kit WW1 Aircraft Fighter Luftflotte Ottoman Air Force

Welcome to a new kit review, today we'll review a WW1 classic, the Fokker Eindecker.

The Box 

A bit too vintage for my taste, it seems taken from a wartime magazine! the exterior design is quite different.

Quite typical action box, with the strange of addition of the pilot in 1st person which gets your attention.

Typical Revell WW1 box, very finely detailed, made most possibly by the same author. Usually I like Revell boxes, but this one is a bit dull, the Fokker doesn't look as different and unique as it should. This is the version I bought.

The Kit 

Another very old kit from Revell, but it looks as if the mould hasn't been used as much as others, as the flash is still within acceptable levels. Everything fits very well, and there is no problem building the undercarriage, which is something fiddly that could ruin a model. The propeller will turn nicely along the radial engine if carefully built, the same as the wheels. 

Also, and it is very appreciated, you get a pilot, a very charismatic one in my opinion.
Accuracy in this kit is pretty good , I would say that only the machine gun was a bit flat and perhaps you could say that the undercarriage is a bit thick but in my opinion that is good enough as otherwise it will be too fragile for handling.

                                       The Verdict

This is another model kit from Revell that can be bought very cheaply, second hand from ebay / street markets (is easy to see if the rack is complete as it a very small rack) or new from a any respectable model kit shop with Revell kits (as it is has been recently re-released) for roughly 5 € only, or whatever that amount is in your country's currency. 

My version

I really decided to buy this kit in part because it was a different design, easily recognizable from other WWI biplanes, but also and in big part because I had seen pics from another modeller which did a very nice Ottoman version. So, for once, I had already decided how to paint it before owning it! a brief researched proved me there was no better alternative, so I only had to choose what shade of brown I wanted to use (I went for a very reddish one). The pilot looks very Ottoman so it fits perfectly. 

The cabling was rather tricky but I am proud of how it looks, I didn't do all the real cabling, because then it will be very hard to handle, and I must admit I did it rather thick, but that helps in solidness.
I used the original decals painting carefully the black square, just as it was done back at the time by the Ottomans, except for the fuselage logo, which I printed out.

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