Monday, July 23, 2018
Ben Builds Season Six: Albatros D.III ep 13
What's going on everybody? Today, we are back with more Eduard, 1/48th scale, Albatros D.III and in this episode we are finally going to begin to assemble this cool little plane. But before that, we need to do a few things before we can hit that glue. For example, I want to do some shading on the rear tail and I want to install some of my homemade turnbuckles and see how that all goes.
A side form that, we are moving right along and this kit is getting closer and closer to being done.
As always, a huge thank you to everyone hanging in there with this build. I'm really enjoying this build and I hope that everyone is enjoying watching this journey. Until next week, happy building!
-Intro Music by Chillhop: http://youtube.com/chillhopdotcom
Artist - Title: Birocratic - Sleepyface
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/birocratic
-Video music by Epidemic Sound (http://www.epidemicsound.com)
Wednesday, July 18, 2018
Bandai A-wing Build Report
RZ-1 A-wing Interceptor
Kit: A-wing Interceptor
Mfg: Bandai
Scale: 1/72nd
Of all of the many ships in the Star Wars universe (and trust me, there are a lot,) my favorite design is definitely the RZ-1 A-wing interceptor. From the first moment I watched it in Return of the Jedi as it went careening into the bridge of the Emperor's Flagship, I became an immediate fan. Sure, it isn't as iconic as an X-wing or as prolific as a Tie Fighter, but this plucky, little interceptor immediately earned my admiration and respect.
Even with its very limited screen time, the A-wing became embedded in my brain as the sleek, sexy, F1 race car of the Rebel Fleet. Unfortunately, when I was a lad I never got a chance to build a kit of this subject. My local hobby shop and toy store, never had one on the shelves. That was fine, since I usually stuck with World War II aircraft and Cold War jets, but I kept the A-wing on my Model Bucket list.
As the years went on, I still maintained a healthy admiration for the little ship and when Bandai began pumping out Star Wars model kits I knew my time had come. The A-wing Interceptor was my 1st target in the Bandai line. After a good 25+ years, it was finally time to build that awesome ship.
Now, back in the 90s, most of the Bandai kits that I built were based Anime series like Patalabor, Tekkaman, Neon Genesis and of course Gundam. Even though, none of these shows were well known here in the U.S. that didn't stop me from trying to get my hands on as many as I could. I have to admit, I built a lot of these subjects and loved every moment of assembally.
Fast forward to 2016, I find out that Bandai is producing Star Wars kits. Based on my earlier experiences, I figured that these models would probably be great in both fit and function, but I needed to see for myself. I can happily report that after eight YouTube episodes and a completed A-wing, I can confirm that these kits are in fact, awesome.
Even with its very limited screen time, the A-wing became embedded in my brain as the sleek, sexy, F1 race car of the Rebel Fleet. Unfortunately, when I was a lad I never got a chance to build a kit of this subject. My local hobby shop and toy store, never had one on the shelves. That was fine, since I usually stuck with World War II aircraft and Cold War jets, but I kept the A-wing on my Model Bucket list.
As the years went on, I still maintained a healthy admiration for the little ship and when Bandai began pumping out Star Wars model kits I knew my time had come. The A-wing Interceptor was my 1st target in the Bandai line. After a good 25+ years, it was finally time to build that awesome ship.
Now, back in the 90s, most of the Bandai kits that I built were based Anime series like Patalabor, Tekkaman, Neon Genesis and of course Gundam. Even though, none of these shows were well known here in the U.S. that didn't stop me from trying to get my hands on as many as I could. I have to admit, I built a lot of these subjects and loved every moment of assembally.
Fast forward to 2016, I find out that Bandai is producing Star Wars kits. Based on my earlier experiences, I figured that these models would probably be great in both fit and function, but I needed to see for myself. I can happily report that after eight YouTube episodes and a completed A-wing, I can confirm that these kits are in fact, awesome.
Construction Report
Let me start out by saying that Bandai makes excellent models. Their ability to engineer kits that are both detailed and intricate, yet extremely simple to build is unrivaled in this market. I can honestly say that I have never been disappointed by any of their kits.
While building the A-wing, I didn't have any fit issues. I didn't have confusion at the instructions. The parts were flash free, cleanly molded and right on the money. Assembly went along without any issues. From the cockpit to the cannons, this kit just flowed, from one step to the next.
Much like my old 90's Gundam kits, certain aspects of the Bandai A-wing give it an almost toy like feeling. Yes, it has stickers for markings and it has some gimmicky laser bolts for the guns muzzles, but these are all optional. Bandai has included parts and pieces that gives this a very legitimate, fine scale vibe. You have the option to use actual decals instead of stickers, you can paint and weather the kit, instead of keeping it molded in colored plastic. There are some really nice details in the landing gear areas, the cockpit and the engines. This kit can be enjoyed by modelers of any skill level and that is a beautiful thing.
Not only do you get a very nice A-wing, you also get a stand to showcase the A-wing in flight and a bonus Turbo Laser tower that attaches to the A-wing's stand. Of course it is WAY out of scale, but it is still a nice addition. Even the clear engine parts are designed with the potential of lighting them with LEDs. This kit is truly awesome.
Final Thoughts
Let me start out by saying that Bandai makes excellent models. Their ability to engineer kits that are both detailed and intricate, yet extremely simple to build is unrivaled in this market. I can honestly say that I have never been disappointed by any of their kits.
While building the A-wing, I didn't have any fit issues. I didn't have confusion at the instructions. The parts were flash free, cleanly molded and right on the money. Assembly went along without any issues. From the cockpit to the cannons, this kit just flowed, from one step to the next.
Much like my old 90's Gundam kits, certain aspects of the Bandai A-wing give it an almost toy like feeling. Yes, it has stickers for markings and it has some gimmicky laser bolts for the guns muzzles, but these are all optional. Bandai has included parts and pieces that gives this a very legitimate, fine scale vibe. You have the option to use actual decals instead of stickers, you can paint and weather the kit, instead of keeping it molded in colored plastic. There are some really nice details in the landing gear areas, the cockpit and the engines. This kit can be enjoyed by modelers of any skill level and that is a beautiful thing.
Not only do you get a very nice A-wing, you also get a stand to showcase the A-wing in flight and a bonus Turbo Laser tower that attaches to the A-wing's stand. Of course it is WAY out of scale, but it is still a nice addition. Even the clear engine parts are designed with the potential of lighting them with LEDs. This kit is truly awesome.
Final Thoughts
As a kid, Bandai had a very impressive list of selling points for their models. Not only were these kits robust and well engineered, they didn't require any glue or paint. They came molded in color, with clearly illustrated and very colorful instructions. They used stickers instead of decals, (which for a kid is excellent news, by the way.) They could take quite a beating without breaking or snapping apart. They were designed in such a way that you could actually play with your finished models. That was unheard of in the fine scale hobbies. These kits were poseable, colorful and looked epic on your display shelf. For a young boy, every step with these kits was super fun.
Fast forward to today and my modeling tastes have changed a, yet the Bandai kits still appeal to me. It isn't just for kids or younger builders. No, this kit possesses enough detail to give a more advanced builder a ton of options. If you want to super detail this kit, you can. Go crazy! The nice thing is, even after you are all done, the kit will still retain that "fun" factor that Bandai instills in all of their kits. And after an imaginary flyby, past all of your other finished kits, it will look great on the shelf.
If you are so inclined, I have the full build series on my YouTube channel and the images of my progress are on my Facebook page, so feel free to check them out.
Until next time, I hope you enjoy your kits and thanks for stopping by.
~GB
Monday, July 16, 2018
Ben Builds Season Six: Albatros D.III ep 12
What's up modelers! After a few weeks being away from the bench, we are back at our Eduard, 1/48th scale, Albatros D.III. It is good to be back.
Today, we are going to paint the tail surfaces, the wheels, the propeller hub, the wing struts and a few other odds and ends. We will be using Tamiya Flat White, Gunze Flat Red and a custom gray-green color mixed with Vallejo paints. This should be fun.
A side form a bit of touch ups here and there, I think we will have the majority of the painting done. That means that next episode will have to be the beginning of the building and rigging phases. Those should be interesting to try.
A big thank you to everyone hanging in there with this one. For my first WWI aircraft, I am really taking my time. I really appreciate everyone watching and happy building!
-Intro Music by Chillhop: http://youtube.com/chillhopdotcom
Artist - Title: Birocratic - Sleepyface
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/birocratic
-Video music by Epidemic Sound (http://www.epidemicsound.com)
Friday, July 6, 2018
4Wheel Fridays - Revell '41 Chevy Pickup - Ep. 6 Final
Welcome back to another episode of 4Wheel Fridays! Today we are finally finishing the Chevy Truck Month, '41 Chevy Pickup! Let's get on with it.
We have a few things left to do such as painting some whitewalls on the tires, a gloss cost of future, some black washes on the grill and the main final assembly. After all of that, we will be done.
I have to say, this kit was a lot of fun. Not only was it my very first truck kit, it was also my first civilian vehicle since the late 1990s. I had a super time with this one and I'm thinking, I'm going to need to get a few more trucks.
As always, a big shout out to Fred Henry over at West Georgia Rod and Customs! I know this was a week late, but I still had a ton of fun. Thanks Pappy!
Check out "Pappy's" YouTube channel for more awesome builds: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmuE3MANu2RDKINwDWtUBZA
Thanks for watching and I hope you enjoy!
Music by Epidemic Sound (http://www.epi
Monday, July 2, 2018
Ben Builds Season Six: Albatros D.III ep 11
Welcome back to our Eduard, 1/48th scale, Albatros D.III.
Today, we are going to start preparing for the rigging. A few episodes ago, I created some wire loops to act as anchor points. I want to try my luck at installing the majority of those loops. I figure that that will be enough to tackle right now, since they are very small and will probably be difficult to work with.
Just a short update this time, but next episode should be a bit more intensive.
Until next week, thank you for watching and happy building!
-Intro Music by Chillhop: http://youtube.com/chillhopdotcom
Artist - Title: Birocratic - Sleepyface
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/birocratic
-Video music by Epidemic Sound (http://www.epidemicsound.com)
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