Homepage Text - December 2011

Friday,   Dec 30  2011 
ARC Auto was updated today - - - - - - ARC Armor was updated today - drop by and check them out.....plenty of great models to see.

Stephen Holben is here with his very BIG and impressive 1/72 Revell-Monogram B-36.  Stephen chose to build his B-36 "Peacemaker" as an in-flight model over a layer of clouds.  The markings were from a Warbird decals sheet and look fantastic on this massive bomber.

Shawn "phantom" Weiler is on a roll today with Tiger Meet aircraft.....and none are Phantoms.  This is his eye popping brightly coloured 1/48 Hasegawa CF-104 Starfighter in a in-flight display which brings out the dart like lines f the Starfighter.  As an added bonus Shawn has another CF-104 in Tiger stripes as well as a CF-18 in Tiger stripes.  I love Tiger Meet aircraft, so this article made me grin from ear to ear.  Thanks Shawn.

Giannis A. Asimakos has been busy adding detail to his 1/72 Airfix Westland Aerospatiale SA-341 Gazelle.  Giannis added scratchbuilt detail to areas such as the turbine, cockpit, weapon system and more and then finished it off with custom made decals for a Gazelle that served in Cyprus.  I love the look of the finished model.

Here's a product article for the 1/72 T-2C VT Buckeyes #2 decal sheet from Twobobs Aviation Graphics.  This decal sheet features markings for four different aircraft with enough stencils for two complete jets. These markings mirror Twobobs previous aftermarket releases and kit decals in 1/48th scale.

Bonus markings on this sheet for the 75th Anniversary of Naval Aviation.

The 1/32 &1/72 Braille Scale Sale! is still on but items are selling out so get 'em while they are only $5Includes most 1/72 and 1/32 sheets...only $5Supplies are going fast.


Here's a product article for the 1/48 NSAWC F-16NA/B/N "Holy Sh**t It's Vipers Part 2 decal sheet from Fightertown Decals.  This decal sheet includes markings for 6 different 1/48 NSAWC F-16NA/B/N in 3 different camo schemes and includes single and two seater jets.  


Here's a product article for the 1/72 Supermarine Spitfire Prototype K5054 model kit from Czech Master Resin - CMR Models This model kit includes 2 different colour schemes.

Here's a product article for the 1/32 Land based wooden wheel chock from Wheelliant These are suitable for land based USAF and USMC aircraft.


Thursday,  Dec 29  2011 
Ronald Beelen has done a marvelous job building and finishing his 1/48 Hobbyboss MiG 17F.  Ronald  chose to finish his MiG in Egyptian markings which meant a great looking camo scheme.  This is a very attractive model of this classic jet.

Lars Opland has been bust reworking his 1/72 resin Dujin Waco ZQC-6 to make it more accurate to the original aircraft.  This is a classic bush plane from the 1930's and Lars tells the whole history and then explains what he did to upgrade his Waco ZQC-6.  I'm pleased to see he added quite a few in-progress photos to help you see all the changes to his model. 

Ian T.M.Holahan has been busy getting the details right on his 1/48 Hasegawa F/A-18F. Ian added scratchbuilt details to the cockpit and then added resin seats and some amazing cockpit painting.  The exterior was weahtered with shaded panel lines and then given retro Centennial of Naval Aviation markings using Two Bobs decals.

Here's a product article for the 1/72 F/A-18F Rockin' Rhinos #2 VFA-11/VFA-106 decal sheet from Twobobs Aviation Graphics.  Two aircraft are represented in their new Super Hornet markings.  Enough marking options for two complete jets.

The 1/32 &1/72 Braille Scale Sale! is still on but items are selling out so get 'em while they are only $5Includes most 1/72 and 1/32 sheets...only $5Supplies are going fast.


Zoltan Pocza is here with a product article for the new VF-11 to VFA-11 Red Rippers Transition, 2005 / F-14B Tomcat - F/A-18F Super Hornet from Deployment Productions20% off of any products for every ACTIVE, registered ARC community members!


Here's a product article for the 1/48 Yak-38 variable exhaust nozzles from Aires These resin parts are replacements for the kit parts.

Here's a product article for the 1/48 CF-104 Starfighter decal sheet from WINTERVALLEY This decal sheet features natural metal RCAF CF-104's stationed in Germany and Canada.


Wednesday,   Dec 28  2011

   End of Chanukah (Festival of Lights)  

  Australia - "Proclamation Day" in South Australia 

  Nepal - Birthday of H.M. Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev 

ARC Auto was updated today - - - - - - ARC Armor was updated today - drop by and check them out.....plenty of great models to see.

Harv is here with a diorama that is about as Canadian as you can get.  This is Harv's Search and Rescue scene with a crashed DeHavilland Beaver with a yellow SAR Labrador hovering overhead and a SAR tech next to the crashed Beaver checking over the crash site.  It's a very cool idea for a diorama and Harv pulled it off in true first class style.  Nicely done Harv,,,,,it is great to see your diorama.. 

Jeong cheol, Kim did a beautiful job building, detailing and finishing his 1/48 Kinetic F-16D BLOCK 52+ 'Polska'.  This 2 seater F-16 is finished with a flawless weathering job and is wearing Polish markings.  I really like the look of this F-16.

Jorge Bonilla is here from sunny and warm Monterrey, N.L. Mexico with his latest model.  This is his 1/48 Academy F4U 5N Corsair finished off as a night interceptor from the Korean war....complete with a radar unit under one wing and a tiny bit of scuffed paint on the wing from the pilot and ground crew.  Jorge is an excellent modeler and I always enjoy seeing his latest model on ARC.

Here's a product article for the 1/72 F/A-18E VFA-137 Kestrels decal sheet from Twobobs Aviation Graphics.  Three complete aircraft are covered on this sheet from the Kestrels, the CAG jet and two line birds.  There are enough markings for the modeler to build three complete jets.

Here's a product article for the 1/32 MiG-29 Fulcrum C conversion from Zactomodels.  This resin MiG-29 Fulcrum C conversion set is designed for the for the Revell kit.  It includes 7 parts cast in beige resin, pre-cut vinyl parts and styrene. 


Here's a product article for the 1/48 F-104 Starfighter Pitot Tubes from QuickBoost.

Here's a product article for the 1/48 Hurricane Mk IID conversion set from 3D-KITS.co.uk.  This conversion set features injected plastic parts for the Vickers 40mm S guns, high quality decals and full colour instructions to convert a Hurricane IIC to IID. The cannons can also be used on the Hurricane Mk IV.  


Tuesday,    Dec 27   2011 
ARC Auto was updated yesterday - - - - - - ARC Armor was updated yesterday - drop by and check them out.....plenty of great models to see.

Jens Gerber has done some beautiful work on his 1/48 Hobby Boss Me 262 A1a U4.  Jens added the Schatton-Modellbau 50mm gun conversion set which include a resin nose and 50mm gun barrel to change his Me 262 to the U-4 version.  This is one of the more interesting Me 262's and this one by Jens looks excellent.

David Rapasi is here with a Tools 'n' Tips article about doing Highly Polished Aluminum Finish.  This process uses the RubN'Buff and is well worth reading about.  There's no denying the fantastic results Dave can achieve with this technique.

Mario Fernandez had a heck of an adventure with his 1/144 Minicraft Boeing 777-200ER AeroMexico N746AM.  Mario covered his airliner with bare metal foil.....he did that more than once on this model and he explains the whole story in his article.  He had to hunt down the correct engines and the story goes on from there.  I'm pleased to see it is wearing AeroMexico livery.  Beautiful job Mario....it's good to see a model by you here on the ARC homepage.

I have a product article for the 1/72 T-2C Colorful Buckeyes decal sheet from Two Bobs Aviation Graphics.  This T-2C/D/E Buckeye sheet from Twobobs features markings for five different aircraft with enough stencils for two complete jets.  Jets include Greek, Venezuelan and US Buckeyes.

The 1/32 &1/72 Braille Scale Sale! is still on but items are selling out so get 'em while they are only $5Includes most 1/72 and 1/32 sheets...only $5Supplies are going fast.


Here's a product article for the 1/72 ROKAF F-4E Dry Transfers from Hobby Decal. This decal sheet includes dry transfer stencils for the 1/72 ROKAF F-4E with the 17th FW in 2008 plus as an added bonus you also get a pitot tube set and a 2 sided A2-Size Poster-Manual (pay $3 extra and get the poster mailed in a tube rather than folded and put into the envelope with the decals).  It's a fine looking 2 sided poster and doubles as the instruction sheets.


Here's a product article for the 1/32 Spitfire Mk. V Stabilizers from QuickBoost.  These resin Spitfire Mk. V Stabilizers are designed for the Hobby Boss kit. 


Monday,    Dec 26  2011

  Slovenia Independence Day 

ARC Auto was updated today - - - - - - ARC Armor was updated today - drop by and check them out.....plenty of great models to see.

Carmel J Attard is here with a very interesting conversion.  This is his 1/72 Airmodel Grumman F9F-8T Cougar which is a combination of a Hasegawa Cougar kit and the Airmodel 2 seat vacuformed conversion kit.  Carmel explains the build/conversion process and I must say it looks fairly straight forward and there is no doubt the finished model looks exceptional and I have always had a love for 2 seat trainer aircraft.  I do agree with Carmel.....if you want to have a try at a vacuformed kit, then a conversion like this is an excellent start.  This really is a great looking 2 seat Cougar.....I love it. 

Franz Galli has done a wonderful job building and weathering his 1/48 Tamiya Mitsubishi J2M3 Raiden Jack.  Franz added photos etch seatbelts to the cockpit and enhanced the cannon barrels with metal tubes and then gave it the perfect weathering using a combination of post shading and paint chipping.  This is a great looking Raiden.....well done Franz.

Francone Diego joins us with a beautiful looking Italian Starfighter.  This is his 1/72 Hasegawa F-104 S ASA wearing special Squadron Anniversary markings from Tauromodel decals.  This is a great looking paint scheme and I'm happy Francone shared it with us.  Well done Francone.....I love these special paint schemes.

Here's a product article for the Eagle Trail Poster from Reid Air Publications This poster print comes in 2 different sizes.


Here's a product article for the 1/72 U.S. Recognition Lights Antenna from QuickBoost.

Here's a product article for the 1/48 C-130 Hercules Landing Gear from Scale Aircraft Conversions This latest release features a set of landing gear for the C-130 Hercules from Italeri/Testors.



Sunday,    Dec 25   2011

Merry Christmas

I would like to wish everyone a peaceful Christmas full of warm memories as they spend time with the people you love.  Merry Christmas everyone.

Saturday,   Dec 24  2011

  Serbian Air Force Day 

  Christmas Eve

To track Santa on Christmas Eve with your kids...go to this website 
http://www.noradsanta.org/  this is the NORAD Santa tracking website with plenty of great videos of Santa doing his deliveries on Christmas Eve.

Alvis 3.1 is here with his Christmas Eve tradition.  This is his article of the "The Shepherd" from the short story by Frederick Forsyth of a young fighter pilot lost over the north sea as he tries to head home on Christmas eve in 1957.  In Alvis' article you will find a link to the 32 minute audio story which is a most enjoyable listen.

Friday,   Dec 23  2011

  Japan - Birthday of H.I.M. Emperor Akihito 

ARC Auto was updated today - - - - - - ARC Armor was updated today - drop by and check them out.....plenty of great models to see.

Polly Singh starts today's update with 3 of his jets....all wearing Indian Air Force markings.  These are his 1/72 Indian MiGs (again) which include his Academy MiG 29, MiG 23 MF, and a MiG 23 converted to a MiG 27.  These are 3 great looking jets.....flawless work by Polly. 

Paolo De Sanctis joins us from Italy with one of the most famous Sea-Kings in history.  This is his 1/72 Airfix Sikorsky SH. 61 Sea-King in the markings for the recovery helicopter for Apollo Recovery 11 mission days after the first humans walked on the moon.  Paolo scratchbuilt the rear interior and the cockpit of his Sea-King which shows very well with the open cargo door.  His model is display on the deck of the USS Hornet.  Wow this model brings back memories of those very exciting days.

David C S Teo is here with his very colourful 1/144 Revell Singapore Airlines Airbus A380-800 (9V-SKA).  this is the first Airbus 380 on ARC wearing Singapore livery and it is quite the beautiful sight.  David went all out creating a stand and special display case for the massive Airbus 380.  He posed it with the landing gear down in all its detail and glory.  David used the decals from Two Six decals to complete his majestic airliner.

I have a product article for the 1/72 F-117A Silver Anniversary Bandits decal sheet from Twobobs Aviation Graphics. Twobobs Aviation Graphics.  This F-117 sheet features four different aircraft in the twilight of their careers.  Two jets are in the experimental gray schemes that have been in use for the last couple of years.  With the retirement of the Nighthawk currently in work, this very well may be the last set of markings ever to be on these jets. 

The 1/32 &1/72 Braille Scale Sale! is still on but items are selling out so get 'em while they are only $5Includes most 1/72 and 1/32 sheets...only $5.  Supplies are going fast.


Zoltan Pocza is here with a product article for the new  Boeing 747-400 (JA8957) - All Nippon Airways - "Pokemon" / Japan print from Deployment Productions.   This is one of the special Pokemon airliners.

20% off of any products for every ACTIVE, registered ARC community members!


Here's a product article for the 1/48 VFA-103 F/A-18F Super Hornet Jolly Rogers Victory Hat Trick decal sheet from Fightertown DecalsThis decal sheet includes markings for 7 different 1/48 F/A-18F's with VFA-103 Jolly Rogers.  This decal sheet includes the First Combat cruise, plus a Summer 2008 Update and the 2009 OEF Update.



Tuesday,    Dec 20  2011

  Beginning of Chanukah (Festival of Lights)  

There will be no updates on Wednesday or Thursday.....I'll be tied up with out of town guests.

Hot Babe of the Week!  this week  from Twobobs is courtesy of James Eberling, Slick, Bulldog and Opus. Great help from the 65th AGRS to get these Digital Flanker decals done up "proper". Just have to finish some wheel chock markings and these are done and to the printers!   Bob


Bill Gilman has been busy with modification to accurately create his 1/72 Revell F-4EJ Kai Phantom II Conversion.  Bill details all the work involved in his article which also include an Aires cockpit set and a stunning colourful decal sheet from Platz.  Wow.....this is one great looking Japanese Phantom.

Andrew Weaver joins us today with his nicely weathered 1/48 Revell Messerschmitt Bf-109G-10.  Andrew added paint chipping with a technique he explains in his article.  The finished model is beautifully weathered to resemble a war weary fighter.  Very nicely done Andrew.....I love it.

Babak Chalangi has done an exceptionally fine job on his 1/48 Academy Mig-29A.  Babak finished his MiG-29 in Islamic Republic Iranian Air Force markings and camo.  This is a very attractive looking MiG-29.....amazing work Babak .....thanks for sharing the photos with us.

Here's a product article for the 1/32 MiG-29A Correction kit for Revell kit from ZactomodelsThis resin 1/32 MiG-29A Correction kit corrects all the exterior detail and issues with the Revell MiG-29A. 

Here's a product article for the 1/32 P-51 Mustang Part 2 decal sheet from Lifelike Decals.  This decal sheet features four different very colorful P-51 Mustangs.  This is Part 2 of  a series dealing with the P-51 Mustang in Europe from June 1944 to May of 1945. 

The 4 aircraft all have some sort of noseart or artwork and 2 have D-Day stripes and one has a blue nose...plus 2 have the Malcolm hood canopy and 2 have the later canopy...and one aircraft has sexy noseart.


Here's a product article for the 1/48 Ju 87B/R Stuka Propeller w/Tool from QuickBoost.  This propeller is designed for the Italeri kit.

Here's a product article for the 1/72 Mk II Spitfires "The End of the Beginning" decal sheet from 3D-KITS.co.uk.  This decal sheet features 4 different Mk II Spitfires from September 1940 to September 1942. 



Monday,    Dec 19  2011
ARC Auto was updated today - - - - - - ARC Armor was updated today - drop by and check them out.....plenty of great models to see.

This weeks Twobobs Newsletter is up.  Bob has Christmas greetings for everyone.  On the news front....the Bitburg Eagle sheets are selling fast (even in 1/32), so don't delay if you want one of these sheets.  The design of the new Digital Flanker sheets is almost done and WOW.....these are very cool looking jets.  The 1/32 &1/72 Braille Scale Sale! is still on but items are selling out so get 'em while they are only $5Includes most 1/72 and 1/32 sheets...only $5.  Supplies are going fast.

Kevin Cader has done an awesome job adding scratchbuilt detailing to his 1/32 Revell Spitfire.  Kevin has built this kit before, so he knows the tricks to turning out a first class model using the big Revell Spitfire and you will see that when you read his article and enjoy his photos.  The engine cowls are removed to show off all the scratchbuilt detail in the engine compartment and it's finished in D-Day stripes.....which always looks great on any aircraft.  It's a beautifully done Spitfire Kevin....I enjoyed seeing it very much.

David Rapasi is here to show you some old school modeling talent.  This is his 1/72 Grumman F 14 Tomcat that he built back in the 1970's and what a magnificent build it is.  Dave scratchbuilt a ton of items and added scratchbuilt details all over his Tomcat and then went on to remove and reposition the molded on stabilators.  He also used plenty of scratchbuilding tricks such as making the colored marker lamps  using LiteBrite pegs.  It's a fantastic looking F-14 model and unbelievably so when you consider it was built in the 1970's.

KNES Armin is here with something very special.  This is his 1/48 Hobby Boss Yak-38M built to Armin's usual high standards and finished in a very attractive blue.....and of course the wings are folded.  It's an excellent looking Yak-38M and the perfect addition to Armin's Soviet/Russian collection in Armin's display case.  I'm glad you got a model of the Yak-38M Armin....it was worth waiting for and it's very cool to see.

Here's a product article for the 1/72 F-14 Pitot Tube & AOA Probe set from Hobby Decal.

Here's a product article for the 1/72 F6F-3/5 Hellcat Exhaust from QuickBoostThese resin exhausts are designed for the Eduard kit.


Here's a product article for the 1/48 P-61 Black Widow Landing Gear from Scale Aircraft Conversions.


Alexey Sulla is here with a product article for the new 1/144 Airport Luggage carts, set of 3 included from Northstarmodels If you're into building airliners, then these baggage carts are very cool to see.



Sunday,    Dec 18  2011

  Niger - Proclamation of the Republic 


Saturday,   Dec 17  2011

  Bhutan National Day 


Friday,   Dec 16  2011

  Bahrain National Day 

  Kazakhstan National Day 

ARC Auto was updated today - - - - - - ARC Armor was updated today - drop by and check them out.....plenty of great models to see.

Kenan TURHAN has added some very nice scratchbuilt detailing to his very attractive 1/48 Academy MIG-29 UB Fulcrum B and you can see all this wonderful detail up close in his photos.  The camo scheme and markings are for a Russian jet and the weathering and tiny details in the painting make this a very realistic looking 'Fulcrum'.  It looks wonderful Kenan, thanks for sharing the photos with everyone here on ARC. 

Carmel J Attard joins us from Malta with his 1/72 Pavla Cessna L-19 (0-1) Bird Dog.  This is the Airfix kit with added resin detail items from Pavla and in the skilled hand of a modeller like Carmel, this kit builds into a great looking model of this iconic aircraft.  Carmel tells history of the Maltese Bird Dog and well as what the process was to build this gem.  Markings were of course custom made.  It's good to see the Bird dog in Maltese markings

Shawn "phantom" Weiler had a challenging time building his 1/48 Hasegawa F-4F Phantom #142.  His Phantom is wearing the special Luftwaffe scheme with the big horse artwork down each side of the fuselage.  Sadly Shawn had some major problems with the decals which required much skill on his part to save the situation.  He tells the whole story in his article and also includes a photo of his display case......full of models.  It turned out looking great in the end Shawn.

Here's a product article for the 1/32 F-15C Eifel Eagles decal sheet from Twobobs Aviation GraphicsThis sheet features F-15C Eagles from the 36th TWF of historic Bitburg AB in Germany. Multiple time frames are captured on this sheet with a great selection of squadron and wing commanders aircraft as well as MiG killer and special scheme aircraft. Three different stencil styles are included.  

This sheet is also available in 1/72 and 1/48


Here's a product article for the 1/32 VF-31 "Tomcatters" F-14D's Last Cruise/Work-Up's decal sheet from Fightertown DecalsThis decal sheet includes markings for 6 different 1/32 F-14D's with VF-31 "Tomcatters".  The 6 aircraft includes 3 jets in hi-viz markings and 3 line jets in lo-viz markings plus you get the Last Cat Shot jet. 


Here's a product article for the 1/48 F-14B/D Super Tomcat weighted wheels from Wheelliant.  These wheels are designed for the Hasegawa kit.


Here's a product article for the 1/72 LET L-13AC Blanik/TG-10C Kestrel model kit from Czech Master Resin - CMR Models.  This model kit includes pre-painted photo etch and markings for 3 different aircraft



Thursday,  Dec 15  2011 
ARC Auto was updated yesterday - - - - - - ARC Armor was updated yesterday - drop by and check them out.....plenty of great models to see.

David Walker has done an exceptionally fine job on his 1/48 Hasegawa Nakajima Ki.44-II Hei (Shoki) TOJO.  David added Eduard photo etch throughout the model and then dressed up the engine with copper wire.  He also used Air Master brass barrels for the 13mm Machine guns and out-of-production Moskit Exhausts and  Fukuya Brass Pitot Tube.  This was all followed up with a fascinating camo scheme and a careful application of weathering.  This is quite the sharp looking Ki.44....well done David.

Pierre Christian Baudru has done a marvelous job detailing and weathering his 1/72 AZ models Mig-17F.  Pierre added photo etch to the cockpit and separated the canopy from the windscreen to show off that wondrous cockpit detailing.  He also added a Quickboost exhaust and an intake cover to hide the lack of detail in the intake area.  The markings are for a Polish jet wearing a very attractive camo scheme complete with paint chipping and subtle weathering.

Hakan SÖYLEMEZOĞLU did a beautiful job building and finishing his 1/48 Bronco RQ/MO -1 Predator.  Hakan finished his Predator in Turkish markings and displayed his model on a  diorama base complete with figures.  I love the look of this Predator Diorama.

Here's a product article for the 1/48 F-15C Eifel Eagles decal sheet from Twobobs Aviation Graphics.  This sheet features F-15C Eagles from the 36th TWF of historic Bitburg AB in Germany. Multiple time frames are captured on this sheet with a great selection of squadron and wing commanders aircraft as well as MiG killer and special scheme aircraft. Three different stencil styles are included.  

This sheet is also available in 1/72 and 1/32


Zoltan Pocza is here with a product article for the new Boeing 787-8 (JA801A) - All Nippon Airways / Japan print from Deployment Productions

20% off of any products for every ACTIVE, registered ARC community members!


Here's a product article for the 1/72 F-22A Raptor exhaust nozzles from Aires.  These exhaust nozzles are designed for the Academy kit.


Here's a product article for the 1/48 Mk II Spitfires "The End of the Beginning" decal sheet from 3D-KITS.co.uk.  This decal sheet features 4 different Mk II Spitfires from September 1940 to September 1942. 

This sheet is also available in 1/72.


Here's a product article for the 1/48 A6M3 Zero resin and photo etch cockpit set from SBS Model This cockpit set is designed for the Hasegawa kit.



Wednesday,   Dec 14  2011 
ARC Auto was updated today - - - - - - ARC Armor was updated today - drop by and check them out.....plenty of great models to see.

  Hobbylink Japan was at the recent All-Japan Mokei Hobby Show 2011 and they have a series of videos about the latest news and kit releases.  There is even a interview video with Mr. Tamiya himself!

Philip De Keyser starts your Wednesday update with his wonderfully weathered 1/48 Eduard Profipack P-40. This is the profipack kit from Eduard that comes with resin and photo etch for the cockpit, so Phil kept very busy adding all the wonderful detail.  Phil then turned his attention to a faded weathered camo job with added paint chipping for that perfect look for his Royal New Zealand Air Force P-40.  This one heck of a nice P-40.....read his article to find out how he did the painting/weathering and then sit back and enjoy all the photos.

Daniel Radford has done a gorgeous job detailing and finishing his 1/48 Airfix Lightning F6.  Daniel has a passion for the Lightning so he added the Neomega cockpit and Eduard photo etch sets and then finished it off with a perfect bare metal paint job complete with very subtle weathering.  Looks great Daniel.....I love the look of the weathering.

Jens Gerber has done a lovely job detailing and finishing his 1/48 Hobby Boss Ta 152 C-1.  Jens added some photo etch details including the seat belts and then gave his Ta 152 an excellent looking paint job with the perfect amount of weathering.  Beautiful Ta 152 Jens......I really enjoy seeing each of your models on ARC. 

Here's a product article for the 1/72 F-15C Eifel Eagles decal sheet from Twobobs Aviation Graphics.  This sheet features F-15C Eagles from the 36th TWF of historic Bitburg AB in Germany. Multiple time frames are captured on this sheet with a great selection of squadron and wing commanders aircraft as well as MiG killer and special scheme aircraft. Three different stencil styles are included.  

This sheet is also available in 1/48 and 1/32.


Here's a product article for the 1/32 MiG-23 Splitter Plates from Zactomodels.  This set from Zactomodels provides new splitter plates, new intake trunk blades that mount inside the intakes, plastic strip to make new supports between the splinter plates and the fuselage and mounting pads for the fuselage.  These are designed for the 1/32 Trumpeter MiG-23


Here's a product article for the 1/32 P-51 Mustang Part 1 decal sheet from Lifelike Decals.  This latest release  features four different very colorful P-51 Mustangs.  This is Part 1 of  a series dealing with the P-51 Mustang from November 1944 in Europe to August of 1945 in Okinawa. 

Here's a product article for the 1/48 Spitfire Seat with Safety Belts from QuickBoost.


Alexey Sulla is here with a product article for the new  1/48 Kh-25 MP PRGS-1 VP missiles with APU-68 pylons from Northstarmodels.  This resin and photo etch missile features a pair of Kh-25 MP PRGS-1 VP missiles (NATO Karen-12) and their associated APU-68 pylons, and combines high quality resin and etched parts with a comprehensive sheet of stencil decals.



Tuesday,    Dec 13  2011

  Saint Lucia Independence Day 

ARC Auto was updated yesterday - - - - - - ARC Armor was updated yesterday - drop by and check them out.....plenty of great models to see.

Hot Babe of the Week!  this week  from Twobobs  is courtesy of Dozer and company at VFA-147/USS Ronald Reagan. Dozer's been kind enough to get all the cameras on the boat spooled up to capture these jets as their markings "mature" during their cruise. Some good looking pics have been coming our way the last few months. The Argos sheet along with a couple of other jets are in work as I type this!        Bob


Burt Gustafson got he bare metal finish on his 1/48 Trumpeter F-100C Skyblazer looking perfect.  For markings Burt chose the colorful markings for the USAF Skyblazers European flight demo team.  Burt explains in his article how he managed to get such an impressive bare metal finish and his techniques are well worth reading as his finished model turned out looking fantastic.  Burt has high praise for the Trumpeter F-100C kit.  Beautifully done Burt.

Dave Hill went all out on his gorgeous 1/48 Tamiya P-47D.  Dave added scratchbuilt and aftermarket detail to almost every area of his P-47 to make sure he had a stellar model and to top it off....he added a electric motor to turn the prop.  Amazing P-47 Dave...I am very impressed.  Everything about your model is pure perfection.

Istvan Zoldag is here with his latest model and what a fantastic job he did on it.  this is his 1/48 KP Models Su-7BKL with an excellent looking camo scheme...just the perfect amount of weathering.  He finished it off in  Czechoslovakian markings...which looks excellent.  I always love to see Istvan's latest models and this one made me quite happy when I saw the photos.  Beautiful work Istvan.

Here's a product article for the 1/48 F-14 Pitot Tube & AOA Probe set from Hobby Decal.

Here's a product article for the 1/72 B-24 Liberator Propellers w/Tool from QuickBoost.  These props are designed for the Hasegawa kit.

Here's a product article for the 1/48 F-100 Landing Gear from Scale Aircraft Conversions.


Here's a product article for the 1/48 A-6E/EA-6B profiled intakes from DMold Modelworks.



Monday,    Dec 12  2011

  Kenya Independence Day 

This weeks Twobobs Newsletter is up.  Good news...the F-15C Eifel Eagle sheets just went on sale....only 250 of the 1/32 were printed and they are selling much faster than normal...you get With options for 13 different A/C.  The 48-095 1/48 AIM-120/AGM-88 Missile Markings sheet is back in stock....usual low price of $10.  Bob also has images of the upcoming 1/48 F-5F Double Trouble Bandits sheet as well as images for the 1/48 T-6A Texan II sheet.

Martin Doman, SVK has done an excellent job on his 1/48 Vought F-8J Crusader VF-211.  Martin has a passion for the Crusader and you will see that in all the detail he added to his F-8.  Martin added items from Aires, Eduard and Wolf Pack and then finished it off with great looking markings and panel lien shading and a wonderful paint job with just the perfect amount of weathering.  This really is an exceptional looking Crusader.....well done Martin.

Kees Kuyper joins us with one of his more creative aircraft designs.  This his 1/72 Republic Rodeo, which is a kit bash of a variety of kits and kit parts.  The best part is the finished aircraft does look like something that could have been built.  Very creative Kees......and very believable....I love it. 

Enrique Cardenas was very skilled in the way he built his 1/48 Scratch Built IAI -201A ARAVA.  The model was built much the way real aircraft are built.......fuselage bulkheads covered in this sheet styrene.  He explains with text and photos in his article how he built his magnificent IAI-201A which I am happy to see if wearing Mexican markings.  This is a fantastic model Enrique.

Here's a product article for the 1/48 F-14D Tomcat VFA-213 "Black Lions" Last Cruise decal sheet from Fightertown Decals.  This decal sheet includes markings for 8 different 1/48 F-14D's with VFA-213 "Black Lions".  This decal sheet includes a CAG jet, 2 Retro schemes and 3 Last Cruise jets and 3 line jets.


Here's a product article for the Eagle Trail Poster from Reid Air PublicationsThis poster print comes in 2 different sizes.


Here's a product article for the 1/72 Su-33 Flanker D Control Levers from QuickBoost.  This latest release features 3 resin Su-33 Flanker D Control Levers for the Hasegawa kit.

Here's a product article for the 1/72 Boulton-Paul P.111/P.111a model kit from Czech Master Resin - CMR ModelsThis model kit includes markings for 4 different aircraft as well as pre-painted photo etch.



Saturday,   Dec 10  2011

  Constitution Day in Thailand 

  Sinking of the HMS Prince of Wales and Repulse   (1941) 

Mr Apirak joins us from Thailand on the Constitution Day in Thailand with his 1/48 AFV Royal Thai Air Force F-5 F.  This is a special F-5F wearing RTAF 30th Anniversary (Eagle) using Siam Scale decals.  This F-5 looks beautiful with this special tailart.

Friday,   Dec 9  2011 
Vitor Sousa has been extremely busy correcting and detailing not one but two 1/72 HobbyBoss Navy Lynx.  Vitor explains the whole build process in his article and also include plenty of helpful text and in-progress photos.  He also used some Pavla detail sets to dress up the interior which shows very well with the open doors.  His models were finished as an Royal Navy chopper using Model Alliance and a Portuguese Navy Lynx using Santa Cruz decals.  Wow....spectacular work Vitor.

Steve Negley has done an exceptional job on the bare metal finish on his 1/48 Trumpeter North American F-100C Super Sabre.  Steve added extra detail to the cockpit and gave it a fill weapons load.  Steve did the markings using 2 different decal sheets.

Juan Jesús Moreno is here with something I don't recall seeing before......this is his 1/48 Tamiya Fw 190 D-9 in captured Russian markings. Juan did a fantastic job on the Russian markings and modified paint job as well as the whole weathering job.  This really is an amazing looking Dora.

Here's a product article for the 1/72 & 1/32 F-16C Buckeye Vipers #1 decal sheet from Twobobs Aviation Graphics.  This sheet is a combo sheet in both 72nd and 32nd scale for the Ohio ANG.  There are enough markings to build two 72nd scale jets and one 32nd scale jet.  Enough options are available for all three jets.

The 1/32 &1/72 Braille Scale Sale! is still on but items are selling out so get 'em while they are only $5Includes most 1/72 and 1/32 sheets...only $5.  Supplies are going fast.


Zoltan Pocza is here with a product article for the new  F-5N Tiger II VFC-111 Sundowners AF101 & AF102 - 2007 print from Deployment Productions.

20% off of any products for every ACTIVE, registered ARC community members!


Here's a product article for the 1/48 F-16C Barak block 40 cockpit set from AiresThis cockpit set is designed for the Kinetic kit.

Norris Graser is here with a product article for the new 1/48 P-47D razorback Thunderbolts of the PTO Part 2 decal sheet from Thundercals.  This second release from Thundercals includes markings for 3 different P-47D complete with colorful markings that includes noseart.  Two of these aircraft have never been done before and Fiery Ginger IV has not been featured on a 1/48 decal sheet in several years .



Thursday,  Dec 8  2011 
No Update today.....I'm working on some other work on ARC today.

Wednesday,   Dec 7  2011

  Pearl Harbor - Attack on U.S. base 1941 

David Rapasi is here with another of his PTO beauties.  This is Dave's 1/48 Eduard F6F-3 Hellcat wearing some very rare modified markings.  David has a talent for finding rare exceptions to the usual markings worn by US aircraft in the Pacific during WW2.  And of course this Hellcat is wearing one of David's expertly faded and weathered paint jobs.. 

Olivier Barles has done a magnificent job painting the tired camo on his 1/32 Hasagawa Kawasaki Ki-61 I Kai C (Hei) "Hien".  After Olivier gave his Hein this flawless weathered paint job, he then hand painted the markings for a fighter that serves on Okinawa, Spring 1945.  Beautiful Ki-61 Olivier.

Waldemar Pupar joins us from Poland with his 1/72 Heller Mirage III.  Waldemar gave his Mirage II an excellent looking weathering job and finished it with green and tan camo and French markings.  Very nicely done Waldemar. 

Here's a product article for the 1/72 & 1/32 F-16ADF L'Ultima Diana decal sheet from Twobobs Aviation Graphics.

The 1/32 &1/72 Braille Scale Sale! is still on but items are selling out so get 'em while they are only $5Includes most 1/72 and 1/32 sheets...only $5.  Supplies are going fast.


Here's a product article for the 1/32 Sorbitsya Pods for the Su-27, Su-30 and Su-35 Flanker from Zactomodels.


Here's a product article for the 1/48 Hurricane De Havilland Propeller w/Tool from  QuickBoost.  This is designed for the Hasegawa kit.


Here's a product article for the 1/48 A6M2 Zero resin and photo etch cockpit set from SBS ModelThis is designed for the Hasegawa kit.



Tuesday,    Dec 6  2011

  Finland Independence Day 

Hot Babe of the Week!  this week  from Twobobs is courtesy numerous photographers this week. With the forthcoming release of our F-5F Double Trouble Bandits sheet, I went ahead and posted the subjects that will be on the sheet. The jet that was last week's Hot Babe will also be on this sheet.      Bob


Phil De Keyser has been busy added exceptional detail to his 1/48 ICM MK IX Spitfire diorama.  Phil showed all the wonderful detail that comes with the ICM kit and then gave it the markings for the famous RAF Wing Commander Johnnie Johnson with full D-Day stripes as his plane appeared shortly after the D-Day landings.  Phil has the ICM engine fully exposed along with the wing guns.  The diorama is a work of art.....enjoy the photos.....wow....great job Phil.

Bruno Monti Colombani is here with his glorious RACF bare metal 1/48 Hobby Craft T-33.  Bruno  dress up the cockpit with a resin cockpit from Verlinden, a Squadron Canopy, True Details Wheels Late and then did a flawless bare metal finish using Model Master Enamel and Alclad.  I love the look of Bruno's T-33.

Bob Bartolacci is here with his latest gem of a model.  This is 1/48 Italeri CR.42LN finished in German markings with a very well done spotted camo scheme as this plane appeared in 1944 in Italy.  Bob did this one as an out of the box build and the finished model turned out looking great.....well done Bob.

Here's a product article for the 1/48 F-4 (Long nosed) Pitot Tube & AOA Probe set from Hobby Decal.

Here's a product article for the 1/48 Nakajima Ki-44 Part 3 decal sheet from Lifelike Decals.  This decal sheet  features four different Nakajima Ki-44's.  This is Part 3 of  a series dealing with the Nakajima Ki-44 from the summer of 1944 to 1945. 

Here's a product article for the 1/32 MiG-23 Flogger exhaust nozzle – closed from Aires.  This exhaust set features a complete resin and photo etch MiG-23 Flogger exhaust nozzle – closed for the Trumpeter kit.


Alexey Sulla is here with a product article for the new 1/48 Kh-25 MT missiles with APU-68 pylons from Northstarmodels.  This resin and photo etch missile features a pair of Kh-25 MT missiles (NATO Karen-10) and their associated APU-68 pylons, and combines high quality resin and etched parts with a comprehensive sheet of stencil decals.



Monday,    Dec 5  2011

  Thailand National Day (H.M. The King's Birthday) 

  Russia - Soviet winter counteroffensive under Moscow   (1941) 

This weeks Twobobs Newsletter is up.  The much anticipated F-15C Bitburg sheets will be for sale starting this coming Friday.  Bob has artwork on the F-15C Digital Flanker sheet and he's asking for feedback in his newsletter regarding this very exciting sheet......read the newsletter and get back to him with your opinions.  Also he's included artwork for the very cool 1/48 F-5F Double Trouble sheet which includes 5 jets.The much anticipated F-15C Bitburg sheets will be for sale starting this coming Friday.  Bob has artwork on the F-15C Digital Flanker sheet and he's asking for feedback in his newsletter regarding this very exciting sheet......read the newsletter and get back to him with your opinions.  Also he's included artwork for the very cool 1/48 F-5F Double Trouble sheet which includes 5 jets.The much anticipated F-15C Bitburg sheets will be for sale starting this coming Friday.  Bob has artwork on the F-15C Digital Flanker sheet and he's asking for feedback in his newsletter regarding this very exciting sheet......read the newsletter and get back to him with your opinions.  Also he's included artwork for the very cool 1/48 F-5F Double Trouble sheet which includes 5 jets.

Mario Gložinić starts today with what has to be one of the most amazing models ever built.  This 1/72 Revell Supermarine Walrus Mk I has 2279 parts......mostly all scratchbuilt.....remember this is 1/72.  Each wing rib has 19 scratchbuilt parts.  Grab a coffee or tea and sit back and enjoy looking at the photos and reading the stories about this utterly amazing 1/72 Supermarine Walrus Mk I model.  This Walrus is loaded with endless detail.

Robert Heeps is here with his beautifully done model of a little know aircraft.  This is his what-if  1/48 Revell CF-121 Redhawk done up in the markings for one of the Royal Canadian Air Force's MiG-21's.  Robert explains the story behind this aircraft as well as how he got the bare metal finish to look so good.  I loved the background story on the sharp looking CDN MiG.

Jens Gerber joins us today with his exceptional out of the box build of his 1/48 Eduard Weekend Fw 190 D 13 / R11.  Jens used Eduard photo etch seat belts to dress up the interior and then finished it with one of his flawless and beautifully done WW2 Luftwaffe camo paint jobs with all the delicate shading and weathering.  Wonderful work Jens.

I'm pleased to add 3D-KITS.co.uk to the ARC Air links pages.  3D-KITS.co.uk makes a variety of aftermarket injection moulded  conversion sets and decals with a  strong focus on the Spitfire as well as the Hurricane and the Battle of Britain.  Their product range comes in 1/72, 1/48 and 1/32.  Their products are available in the UK from the 3D-KITS.co.uk website and in the US through Squadron  Drop by their website and have a look around.  I'll be reviewing their products in the coming weeks....I like what I see so far.

Here's a product article for the 1/72 Su-33 Flanker D Horizontal Stabilizers from QuickBoost.  These are designed to fit the Hasegawa kit.

Here's a product article for the 1/48 Bf 110 Landing Gear from  Scale Aircraft Conversions.  These are designed to fit the Eduard kit.


Here's a product article for the 1/48 F7F-3N forward fuselage from DMold Modelworks.  This resin nose corrects the shape issues on the AMT and Italeri kits.



Friday,   Dec 2  2011

  Laos Proclamation of the Republic 

  United Arab Emirates National Day 

Jonh Asimakos joins us today with a very special 1/48 Hasegawa Spitfire MkVb.  This Spitfire is wearing the markings of Ace John Agorastos Plagis.  Jonh added further detail to the cockpit with an Eduard set.  This is an exceptional model of a Spitfire flown by an exceptional pilot of Greek heritage

Alex Cimenti has done a lovely job building and finishing his 1/72 Revell Hunter Mk58 Patrouille Suisse.  Alex has high regards for this Hunter kit from Revell Germany.  Once it was built he finished his Hunter in the colors and markings of the The Patrouille Suisse, the Swiss Air Force's display team.  This is a very attractive looking Hunter.

Carmel J Attard is here with another of his vac-u-formed gems.  This is his 1/72 Airmodel He-42 which is pretty tricky to build when you consider it is a biplane with all the struts....plus it is a float plane with 2 floats and more struts to align.  But a vac-u-formed biplane floatplane is no problem for a modeller with Carmel's skill level.  Beautiful Job Carmel....good to see the Bulgarian markings on your He-42.

Here's a product article for the 1/32 F/A-18B Casper and His Bandit Ghosts decal sheet from Twobobs Aviation GraphicsWow...Twobobs has hit a home run with this latest decal sheet.  This new release from Twobobs features enough markings for five complete aircraft from the Rough Raiders of VFA-125. Whites, Greens, Blues, Browns and Grays are all on this monster packed sheet!! 

The 1/32 &1/72 Braille Scale Sale! is still on but items are selling out so get 'em while they are only $5Includes most 1/72 and 1/32 sheets...only $5.  Supplies are going fast.


Here's a product article for the 1/144 F-14B VF-103 Final Tomcat Cruise decal sheet from  Fightertown Decals.  This decal sheet includes markings for 3 different 1/144 F-14B's with VF-103 "Jolly Rogers".  


Here's a product article for the 1/72 F-16I Sufa exhaust nozzle from AiresThis set includes resin and photo etch parts and is designed to fit the Hasegawa kit.


Here's a product article for the 1/72 Hawker Typhoon Mk.IB "Early Version" model kit from Czech Master Resin - CMR Models This resin kit includes pre-painted Eduard photo etch and markings for 3 different aircraft.



Thursday,  Dec 1  2011

  Central Africa National Day 

  Romania National Day 

Marin Gigi Cristinel begins this special update by honouring Romania with his 1/72 Huma Modell Focke-Wulf FW-44 'Stieglitz'.  This is a bi-plane trainer aircraft finished in Romanian markings.  It's a beautiful model of this little trainer.

Marin Gigi Cristinel is here with a second Romania trainer aircraft.  This great looking 1/72 MasterCraft RWD-8 is one of the earlier monoplanes and is also wearing Romanian markings.  Excellent work Marin.

Marin Gigi Cristinel completes this very special  Romanian update with a wonderful looking 1/72 Merlin Models Breguet Br-14 B2.  This is not the best kit in the world, but Marin made it into a fantastic looking model of this Romanian bi-plane trainer.   Very nicely done Marin.

Here's a product article for the 1/32 F-15S Khamis Mushait Eagles decal sheet from Twobobs Aviation Graphics.  This is the first decal sheet ever produced in 1/32nd scale of the Royal Saudi Air Force F-15S Strike Eagle!  You get enough options for eight different aircraft with complete stencil data for one aircraft.

The 1/32 &1/72 Braille Scale Sale! is still on but items are selling out so get 'em while they are only $5Includes most 1/72 and 1/32 sheets...only $5.  Supplies are going fast.


Zoltan Pocza is here with a product article for the new Blue Angels - USN Flight Demonstration Team print from Deployment Productions.

20% off of any products for every ACTIVE, registered ARC community members!


Here's a product article for the 1/72 Su-33 Flanker D Correct Nose from QuickBoost This is a corrected nose for the Su-33 Flanker D from Hasegawa.

Norris Graser is here with a product article for the new 1/48 P-47D razorback Thunderbolts of the PTO Part 1 decal sheet from Thundercals.  Norris is well known among scale modelers due to his extensive research that assists many decal manufacturers, so it is quite the exciting moment when he comes out with his own decal sheet.  This first sheet includes 2 P-47's that have never been offered as decals and both of them feature sexy noseart.  He has a second P-47 decal sheet that will be featured on ARC next week.


Robert F. Dorr has authored a new book called HELL HAWKS:The Untold Story of the American Fliers Who Savaged Hitler's Wehrmacht.  This book is a general-interest history of Americans in a P-47 Thunderbolt fighter group in combat in World War II.