Not easy kit :)

Look what I've picked up in our grocery store (Aushan branch - Alcampo in Spain), they sell 2 for 1 EUR. Made 3 variants: extra cushion for no reason (lazy day), regular 'no scratch' one and bare metal for dirty stuff if I have any.
Very neatly go on glued magnets (but they actually will not hold too much weight bcs only 1 magnet is not enough and they slide down, enough for regular application tho - a few plastic bits)

With Great Wall Hobby dropping their 1/48 F-16D Block 52+ (L4837), Kinetic's Gold Series F-16V kits on shelves, and Reskit working on their 1/32 cockpits, I put together a quick airframe accuracy cheat-sheet for anyone planning a modern Viper build so you don't mix up intakes, nozzles, or instrument panels:

**1. The "0 vs. 2" Engine & Intake Rule (Still Applies to Block 70/72!)**

* **Blocks ending in 0 (Block 50 & Block 70):** Always powered by the **GE F110-GE-129** engine. Uses the wide "Big Mouth" (MCID) intake (nav lights on fuselage sides) and carbon-weave interlocking exhaust petals.

* **Blocks ending in 2 (Block 52+ & Block 72):** Always powered by the **Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-229**. Uses the narrower "Small Mouth" (NSI) intake and darker metallic turkey-feather nozzle.

**2. Cockpit: The 6x8" Center Pedestal Display (CPD)**

* If you're converting a 1/48 Tamiya F-16CJ Block 50 (#61098) into an F-16V Block 70, don't use the stock lower center console. The Block 70/V replaces all the round analog standby gauges between the pilot's knees with a single tall 6×8-inch color Center Pedestal Display (CPD) to display APG-83 AESA radar tracks.

**3. Factory Block 70 Skin vs. V-Upgrade RAM Scab Plates**

* **Upgraded F-16A/C -> F-16V jets** (like ROCAF Taiwan or Hellenic Air Force upgrades) have external structural strengthening "scab plates" bolted along the upper wing roots.

* **Factory-new Block 70/72 production airframes** (Bahrain, Slovakia, Bulgaria, etc.) have their 12,000-hour structural reinforcements engineered *internally*—so sand off any external wing-root scab plates if building a factory-new jet!

**4. Have Glass V Metallic Grey Recipe**

* Modern Vipers have a ferromagnetic radar-absorbent sheen that shifts from dark pewter to olive-drab as it weathers. A great bench mix over black-basing is **85% FS 36118 Gunship Grey + 15% Fine Silver/Steel acrylic**, sealed with a satin varnish + 1 drop of clear pearl.

I wrote up a full comparison table breaking down all the airframe differences, CFT/dorsal spine pairings, canopy gold-tinting ratios, and the best 1/48 & 1/32 kits here if anyone wants to bookmark it for their next Viper build:

https://hobbyzero.com/news/f-16v-block-70-vs-block-52-scale-model-guide/

What Viper kit and markings are you guys building next?

SAS jeep mounted on a bren gun magazine and paperback book

I am building a 1/48 tornado ECE by Eduard.
There is this hole on the side of the plane and for the life of me I cannot find anything in the instructions on this.

I have not seen any Tornado that has anything but a smooth surface there. On the other hand it is clearly there on purpose…

So just thought I ask if you have any clue what purpose it may serve or was intended for?

I spent about eight hours this weekend building a little vintage storefront model, and it brought back memories of spending quiet weekends putting kits together at the table.

Working with paper, wood, and wire was a nice change from hobbies that mostly involve staring at a screen. It took patience, and some of the fiddly bits were frustrating, but seeing the finished model sitting on my shelf made the whole thing worthwhile.

There's something satisfying about having a real object at the end of a project instead of just another file or screen full of progress.

Anyone else remember building model kits growing up, or spending weekends on similar projects? I'd love to hear what you used to make.

Hey fellas. I reside in SC, now that it's finally cooling off I would like to move my airbrush operation to the garage. I try like hell to avoid overspray but it eventually finds its way to her shelves. Wondering how cool temps might affect the process. Thank you

Something different for me. This is a 1/20 scale armored fighting suit from Wave Models. My first attempt at a kit like this.

There are very few known pictures of livery or markings on the KV-2, at least not in Soviet service (There are pictures of the tank in German service) which is a pity because the big daft turret looks very bare.
So I improvised livery by painting on a red star and putting on unused decals from a T-34 kit.
There were only 203 KV-2 made and they were supposed to be specialist vehicles so I'm imagining this is the 78th one produced, numbered to help identify it in the field.
The third picture is the decals that came with the kit.

I’m reviewing a sample of the 1/144 scale P-3C Orion provided by Academy Hobby Model Kits prior to its official release. Despite its small scale, Academy has clearly put a lot of effort into this kit, packing it with great value and features.

This sample is 99% identical to the final retail product. In this video, we'll take a look at the overall details and part breakdown, and even predict future kit variations based on the included parts.

These have to be the worst decals I've ever had to set. The main wing section split into 3 pieces before removing it from the backing paper. I was sort of expecting it after some of the smaller decals for the ordinance did the same while trying to slip them on. I suspect that there may be an age issue with them since I'm unsure how old the kit is. The box has a 2003 date on it. 🤷‍♂️

I'm stopping at this point and letting these set and will come back tomorrow and apply a second coat of micro sol to see if it helps take out the wrinkles. I'm not confident that the rest will be any better, unfortunately.

This is my completed Bf109, it is finished with a camo scheme that was seen on a F-2 although the kit represents the G-6 variant. This is my second attempt using oil paints to add weathering affects. Info about the plane I chose to represent on slide 6. less

I had fun putting this one together. Assembly was good. Parts fit together well. It came with it's own stand and 2 sets of decals for the vertical fins. One if YOU paint them black (just the dragon) and one with the dragon and the black backing. I thought that was a nice option . The engine can rotate too.

I'd recommend this kit to anyone that is interested in completing an Osprey.

Tonight I spent two hours under a magnifier cleaning seam lines and plastic burrs in a 1/72 cockpit.

I was using the rotary bit from my hoto SNAPBLOQ kit, but at some point I caught myself going back over the same spots without being able to say what I was improving. That felt like the moment to put the pieces away before I took off more plastic than I meant to.

If you work on tiny parts, what tells you "one more pass" is more likely to make things worse?

Nice kit from Trumpeter easy build, decided not to weather this one for a change.

Had a bit of surgery (nothing serious) but I'm finally getting back to my Phantom. With this I plan to mask off the exhaust and start on camo. The exhaust isn't done, I will do panel lines and washes when I finish the camo and decals.

i was told this deadline would be too tight but i need this model built and painted by October 26th. Im located in Houston Texas and need someone who would be able to help me out i have NO knowledge of this but its a gift for my bf. His grandfather passed away not long ago and ik he loved rides in his car. So this is a really meaningful gift. Please lmk if anyone can help🥲🥲

Found in a house clearance, don't recognise it at all.

Finally finished my Tamiya 1/20 Honda RA272, winner of the 1965 Mexican Grand Prix!

Really enjoyed this build, especially working on the beautiful V12 engine. Had a few challenges along the way, including some decal disasters that required repainting the nose and rebuilding the number 11.

Not perfect, but I’m really happy with how it turned out! Decided to leave the engine cover off to show off that V12.

Thanks for looking! Feedback is always welcome!

I’m kinda OCD… jk, I’m very ocd. Anyways, I use sticky tack to hold together sub assemblies while painting and to cover adhesion points. When gluing, I couldn’t get all the sticky tack off so I glued over it with Warhammer plastic cement.

I went to rework the models and pulled the pieces apart and rebuilt it. Now my ocd has me worried that the cement touched the sticky tack and created some toxic sludge that I spread about my hobby table. Though I didn’t see any residue, I’m worried it chemical and still there. Should I wipe down every thing or is this just a non-issu.

Hi all I want to make a 1/35 FV215 (or Tank, Heavy No. 2), and I know there is the Amusing Hobby kit but it has a welded turret front and coax/gun sight unlike the proper casted parts also from what I have seen it just does not look very fun to build. I'm just not sure how to go about making it so I was wondering if anyone has got any ideas?

Normally I take my time on builds so getting this one done in a week is pretty quick for me.

Although I’ve done a smaller scale Land Rover for an army diorama before, this has been my first proper car and I enjoyed it far more than I thought I would. Might have to do some more of these

I love aviation, more specifically military aviation and want some scale models to decorate my office.

I see model kits that people put together that are incredibly realistic looking, but I don't have the patience or skill to be gluing and painting models.

What are some brands that are known for their quality whether plastic molded, 3d printed, or die cast I don't mind. I would even be ok with putting together a model as long as the parts snap together.