Construction (AB-43, AS-4, Aerovan, Fw-200)

There has been some construction going on in the mighty 72Land factory complex, though the emphasis lately seems to have been on the paint shop. Cementing bits and sanding seams can be seen as the tedious part of the process (unless you are a confirmed Engineer) but it is a necessary preliminary to getting paint and decals on the model.

Two types are getting close to their first airbrush session. The first is the Italeri AB-43 light recon vehicle. It was part of a development cycle that includes the AB-40 (many of which were converted for rail use), the AB-41, and the AB-42 Sahariana desert vehicle. All of these are produced in 1:72 by Italeri. The experience of putting together the AB-43 was enjoyable enough that I’ve got the AB-41 and AB-42 on the way from Hannants. I’ll get the AB-40 in a future order. The Italeri kits provide good detail without the unnecessarily high parts count and parts breakdown that, for example, seems common with IBG. Still, both manufacturers provide opportunities to build lesser known combat vehicles, so bless them for that. The main bits of the AB-43 are together and I am just waiting to get the details added before giving it a coat of Signalbraun for a postwar version based in Rome.

The other model falls into the ordnance category. This is the AS-3 Kangaroo, a Soviet missile that was typically carried by the Tu-95. Well, it would have to be; this is a large missile. The fuselage is actually longer than the CR-25 that it is sharing construction queue space with. Being an AModel kit, there are the typical short run fit issues, though this is one of the middle releases and not as rough as the earliest kits. Like drones, you at least don’t have to worry about masking canopies. I’ve already had some PSR work done on the fuselage prior to attaching the wing and tail, and suspect there is more such work in the future before I get to priming it. I am sort of working my way through the AS series of Soviet air-to-surface missiles, having recently completed the AS-1 Kennel, also from AModel. I don’t know of a 1:72 model of the AS-2 Kipper, unless it is included along with one of the big Russian bomber kits.

The Miles Aerovan is painted and awaiting some of the last detail bits to be added. I discovered to my distress that one of the props has gone missing. I’ve had to do a lot of moving between rooms since we adopted the most recent cat. We used the hobby room as an isolation room so that he could get adjusted to the house prior to introducing him to the other animals. Where the prop has gotten to is unknown at present, though I will continue to search. Without access to the range of metal props that Aeroclub once produced, replacing them may be a challenge.

Finally, I’ve revived a model from the Shelf of Shame. I had nearly completed an FW-200 airliner when I managed to break off the wings (don’t ask) and got so disgusted it sat on the shelf for a couple of years. But I recently picked up a PrintScale decal sheet for the type and decided it was time to bring it back to life. It is currently being masked up for the rather complex series of black strips on fuselage and engine nacelles. Then I’ll reattach the wings and get the paintwork finished.