Stowage from D-Day Miniature Studio and figures from Jaguar Models helped Thorsten Herbes model a well-known scene from the Battle of the Bulge with a Tamiya 1/35 scale Schwimmwagen. He painted with Vallejo acrylics and 502 Abteilung oil paints. Thorsten covered the foam base with Vantage Model Solutions textured pigments and a smattering of AK Interactive snow.
Tamiya acrylic paints color Gary McDowell’s Tamiya 1/35 scale Sherman Firefly, which he weathered with oil washes and pigments. The hessian camouflage netting came from Black Dog in the Czech Republic.
Mark Danko’s Hasegawa 1/48 scale A6M2b “Zero” benefits from an SBS Model resin and photo-etched metal cockpit upgrade. He airbrushed the camouflage freehand and post-shaded with Mr. Hobby acrylic paints. Oil washes and pigments popped details and added wear. The artfully painted plastic base of a Japanese navy carrier deck came from Eduard.
Building and finishing this AMT 1/25 scale 1949 Ford coupe custom took Shadow Mendiola a year of work. It rolls on Pegasus tires and rims, boasts a detailed engine and interior, and finished undercarriage. The body wears HOK Champagne under a Kandy Pagan Gold and Kandy Butterscotch fade. The brightwork shines with Bare-Metal Foil.
Randal Dieck is known for his bare-metal aircraft finishes, and he displayed his skills on this Monogram 1/48 scale B-17G in markings for “Little Miss Mischief.” He used aftermarket decals, Model Master enamels, sludge washes, and a Harbor Freight airbrush to bring this notoriously challenging kit to life.
Al Grimm wanted to model a crude, field-applied camouflage, and that’s exactly what he did on his Tamiya 1/48 scale MiG-15 night fighter. After detailing the cockpit with aftermarket parts, installing metal tubes for guns, and replacing the gunsight reflector, he freehand airbrushed custom-mixed Tamiya acrylic paints for the camo, made dings and wear using a silver colored pencil, and dirtied it all up with pastels.
According to Neil Prentice, the F-14X O.T.M. was an early prototype for variable fighter designs. Inspired by the “Macross” anime series, he modified a Tamiya 1/48 scale F-14 Tomcat with parts from a Hasegawa 1/48 scale VF-1 Valkyrie, including FLIR pods on the nose, a gun pod, and missiles. Neil sculpted the pilot’s head and scratchbuilt the vectored-thrust nozzles.
Tom Reese has modeled practically every jet his son has flown for the U.S. Air Force, and here’s his replica of Capt. Brandon “Nitro” Reese’s F-16CJ Block 50. The cockpit is a 3D-printed affair from Red Fox Studios, and the fighter lugs Eduard Brassin bombs, Sniper pod, and targeting pod. He painted with Hataka and Alclad II lacquers and finished with oil washes and Ammo by Mig Jimenez Panel Line Wash.
Here come’s Jimmy Thach’s F4F-4 Wildcat from the Battle of Midway. John Tokarewich modeled the famous aviator’s Grumman from a Tamiya 1/48 scale kit, Eduard photo-etched metal parts, and fishing line for the antenna. He masked areas with poster putty and Bare-Metal Foil while airbrushing Model Master acrylics and then weathered the model with oil paints and pastels.
Eric Hrymak’s 1/35 scale M26 Pershing in U.S. Marine service in North Korea started as a Tamiya kit to which he added an Aber metal barrel. He also drilled out the kit’s machine-gun barrels and added a reversible helmet cover to the tank commander. He captured the Korean War olive drab with paint from Model Car World and weathered it with pastels and Tamiya Weathering Master pigments.
A master of modeling beat-up vehicles, Troy Deal’s 1/25 scale 1968 Ford F-250 pickup exemplifies his artistic and detailed work. Inside, he scratchbuilt seats using aluminum foil, copper springs, and foam padding, installed a drooping headliner, and wired the 370 engine. And did we mention modeling rust? Lots and lots of rust. But Troy takes the model to another level with an old ice freezer in the bed made from resin and a spare tire on a pallet. He painted with Rust-Oleum Semigloss Black over coats of red and gray primer before wet-sanding and weathering. He made the holes in the body with a rotary tool.
Bruce Williams modeled France’s first tank, the Schneider CA 1, in 1/35 scale from a HobbyBoss kit. He fashioned beam brackets from an empty soda can, made a beam from balsa wood, and added scale barbed wire. He made the ground cover from real mud and sticks and painted the tank with Tamiya and Vallejo acrylics.
Charles Schlom became a U.S. Army aviator and chose to model the helicopter he trained in when learning to fly, a TH-55A Osage. He started with an AMP 1/32 scale kit and added a heater blower and seat belts. He airbrushed the heli Model Master Russian Orange, masking the large windscreen to keep it clean. The wooden base has a Coastal Kits tarmac on top. To complete the scene, Charles added a figure of his instructor (left) and him (right) based on a photograph of the two during a training session.
This Reaper Miniatures 25mm heroic scale Queen of Hell figure appeared at the show with Gary Slomczynski. He painted with Reaper Miniatures acrylic colors over a base of Testors Red enamel doing all of the work with brushes. Gary made the base from Osage Orange wood and tufted groundcover.
You can practically hear Nathan Parrow’s Forge World Warhammer 32mm Dread Saurian ROAAR! He built the kit without modifications and went to work with Citadel (what else?) acrylic paints and an airbrush, spraying the main body. Then Nathan came in with brushes and finished details. The base includes various flocking materials and bits of Warhammer scenery.
Rick Doering’s JoHan 1/25 scale 1969 AMC Rambler custom restomod grabbed our attention. He upgraded the kit with a 3D-printed interior based on the upcoming Dodge Charger EV, LS engine, and wheels. He painted with a Lesonal urethane base coat and clear using a Paasche VL-2 for the color and Stat RP for the topcoat.
Demolition derby scale models have become a whole movement in recent years, and Rick “Doc” Buikema has become a convert. This 1/25 scale derby car came from a JoHan 1968 Imperial glue bomb Rick inherited. Inspired by the types of cars run in demo derbies in the early 2000s, he modeled damage with aluminum foil and painted with Rust-Oleum Camo Green straight from the can to replicate a pre-run car repainted for another go at the track. He detailed with plenty of spare and scratchbuilt parts.
Erik Hjelmberg built his Master Box 1/72 scale British Mark I male tank out of the box. He airbrushed with Tamiya acrylics and masked for the markings, forgoing decals, weathered with a “little bit of everything,” and placed the tank on a box that once housed cellphone screen protectors.
Ronald Neuendorf built “The Exterminator” for an online competition. “All of the participants had to use the [1/25 scale] ’67 GTO from MPC,” he says. The engine, transmission tunnel, seats, and rear spoiler came from a Monogram pro street kit. He had to widen the hood scoop to fit over the induction and added photo-etched metal hood pins. He painted the body with Dupli-Color lacquer.
This beautiful 1/48 scale replica of the Republic P-47D Thunderbolt “Ozark Queen” began as a Tamiya kit. Joseph Schock upped the detail with an Eduard Zoom set and bombs and a Quickboost resin engine. He made the base from a Custom Dioramics kit and scratchbuilt parts.
Sally Hansen Pumping Iron and Magnitize nail polish enamels make a gorgeous finish on James Palicka’s 1/24 scale Revell Shelby 427 S/C Cobra. He airbrushed the colors onto the old model, in addition to wiring and plumbing the engine, running transmission cooling lines, and making Cobra logos on his computer.
Quinta Studio cockpit decals, Eduard Brassin Lantirn pod, and Model Maker decals all grace Adam Hills’ Kinetic 1/48 scale F-16C Block 52+ in Polish air force 100th anniversary Raven scheme. All the weapons and the conformal fuel tanks are held on with magnets and fully removable! He painted with MRP lacquers and Tamiya and Vallejo acrylics over Mr. Finishing Surfacer 1500 Gray primer.
Bob Clift based his Dragon 1/72 scale T-34 and surrounded it with sunflowers. He airbrushed with Tamiya colors and weathered with AK Interactive washes and pigments. The base is foam insulation planted with sunflowers from JTT, a model railroad products company.
Bob Kremer’s wife asked him to build her an AMT 1/25 scale 1950 Chevy pickup and specified it be painted Testors Purplicious. Far from box stock, the truck has a lowered suspension, scratchbuilt intake and exhaust, a bed floor with a wood grain finish, and wheels from his spares box. We hope Bob’s wife was ecstatic with the finished product.
Jeremy Olson fully disassembled and stripped a Greenlight Collectibles 1/64 scale flatbed and hot rod to start on the road to his Mad Max-style model. He added armor made from styrene sheet and mesh, an animal skull from Games Workshop, and various bits from his spares box. He primed with Krylon and repainted with Tamiya, Vallejo, and AK Interactive acrylics. He uses this model for the Gaslands tabletop game.
Surprised to have his Gundam model chosen to be photographed, James Binder says he built the Bandai 1/100 scale MG Gundam Heavy Arms EW straight from the box. No paint was used here, he differentiated parts by brushing Tamiya Gloss and Flat Clear in select locations and picking out details with Tamiya Panel Line Accent.
“Gangreen” is a ’60s-style 1955 Chevy gasser from Vic Rood. He added an I-beam front axle and a plumbed and wired 327 V8 to an AMT 1/25 scale kit. Vic covered the headers in Bare-Metal Foil and airbrushed the body with emerald-green metallic paint before adding a bit of light weathering.
We meant to photograph Felix Gonzales’ IJN Mogami at this year’s Mad-City Modelers competition but ran out of time. So, we took the chance to capture the ship at NimCon. He built the model from a Tamiya 1/350 scale kit and incorporated a Flyhawk superdetailing set. He airbrushed Tamiya, Vallejo, and Pactra paints to achieve the finish and weathered with Tamiya Weathering Master sets.
This haunting 1/35 scale rendition of Nikolai Kulikov, spotter for famed Soviet sniper Vasily Zaitsev, during the Battle of Stalingrad in December 1942 comes from Chris Cortez. He finished the 1st Legion miniature with Vallejo and AK Interactive acrylic paints. He made the base from black walnut and added dirt, sand, and cloth sculpted out of Green Stuff two-part epoxy putty.
Bob Sheehan’s Aoshima 1/350 scale IJN Kongo benefits from various photo-etched metal detail sets and a Hunter wooden deck. He pre-shaded and primed with gray Tamiya Primer before airbrushing with mostly Tamiya and Vallejo acrylics. He weathered the blast bags and decks with inks and otherwise utilized oil-paint washes and powdered pastels.
Always sure to surprise at shows, John Anton displayed his version of the Monogram 1/24 scale Sand Shark. Departing from the bright yellow image on the package, John went with a killer silver metal flake with pearl blue fade.
Johnny Novak’s Sweet 1/144 scale A6M2-N “Rufe” is a gem of a plane. He scratchbuilt the interior and ran an Infini radio wire. He airbrushed the minute seaplane with MRP lacquers, popped panel lines with a basic wash, and painted the base that came with the kit in Tamiya and Vallejo acrylic blues, whites, and clear-coated with Alclad II Aqua Gloss.
Depicting a lower-class Roman soldier on the frontier, John Werwie painted a 120mm Rollcall Military Miniatures figure. He enhanced the shield’s perimeter with lead X-ray backing and sculpted the snakes at the base from Aves Apoxie Sculpt. He painted with a combination of Winsor & Newton artist oils and Vallejo acrylics, and applied pigments to the face and shield. The bits of brush come from the shores of Lake Michigan.
Yes, we know we try to limit ourselves to one model per modeler, but we’re making up for missing Felix Gonzales’ IJN Mogami from the Mad City show. So, for NimCon this year, here’s Felix’s IJA Type 94 light armored car from Fine Molds. Built box stock, the airbrushed the colors in order from light to dark, masking with Tamiya tape when necessary. He weathered with Testors Aluminum and Tamiya Smoke along with powdered pastels.
Bill Cook’s Revell 1/24 scale Deutz D30 tractor looks good in Tamiya Green and Revell Satin Red. To improve the model’s accuracy, he wired the fuel injectors and battery, ran fuel lines, replaced the starter with one from his spares box, detailed the hitch supports with wire and tubing, and it was all made possible with reference photos from the internet.
John Fluck wasn’t content to build a Tamiya 1/35 scale KV-1 (early) out of the box. He opened the toolbox, filled it with components from a range of kits, and made the rag that’s draped on it using VMS Paper Shaper. Further details are a Eureka XXL tow cable, Scale Colors 3D-printed spare tracks, and Value Gear stowage. The base comes from Bases by Bill.