4/13/2024 - Well I got pictures of SOME of the new builds. 1/72 aircraft and 1/24 cars. Take a look over on the respective pages!
3/5/2024 - Holy hell! Its been a LONG time since an update... That does not mean I have not been busy - I have been building away, but not taking pictures (which I will...eventually). But I have picked up another money sucking hobby - RC Cars!
See the build on the Automotive side.
5/6/2023 - Well I have been busy building and with work, but finally had some time to update this and add images of what I have completed since the last time I posted. Star Wars kits, a few cars, airplanes and a ship too!
11/30/22 - I will be adding options to buy prints of photographs I have taken to the store. Keep an eye out for them!
11/24/22 - New store page is up and running - Take a look! And Tamiya's 1/72 BF-109 G6 is up as well.
10/24/22 - Airfix's Lancaster and Mustang are added (both 1/72 scale) to their respective pages. Take a look!
10/13/22 - Figured I would unify things between here and Instagram, so I created a logo and background to make things seem like the belong together. The Lanc is going well - and I am super excited to finish it.
10/5/22- Well the new school year is off and running smoothly, so back to the routine of work and models! (And I love it!) I have been working on some new tool Airfix kits, and uploaded a few of them as well as the one I have in progress. The P-40, Typhoon and Victor are on the American and Other Country aircraft pages. The Lanc is on the bench.
8/31/22- If I may vent for a bit: I started this website and my public Instagram that is linked to this site for one simple reason: To share my scale models. Not my frustration with the current state of world affairs, not push my political views, not insult others with different opinions. I enjoy looking at others builds- I like learning new techniques. After 38 years of scale modeling I still find things to learn and try on the next build. I like that there are still people out there who can give meaningful, constructive feedback. I welcome those who offer tips without being insulting.
I loathe those people who have such insecurities in their own lives, that they feel the need to force their opinions on everyone - modeling or otherwise. I despise those people who are belittling to others because they "know". I have NO respect for any of those so called modelers who never have anything remotely useful to say and who never post their own work.
This hobby still brings me great joy. I love being able to share it with people who choose to follow me. At the beginning of each new school year I show my incoming students my work - and it always brings along with it great conversations. Hopefully inspiring at least one student to try modeling at some point.
I dont expect people to have the same views as me, or same tastes or perspectives. One thing this website, or my instagram will NEVER do is push any sort of political viewpoint, agenda or belittle those who have opposing views.
I keep my private views to my private outlets. I am seeing a disturbing trend of sites and pages I once enjoyed interjecting political views. I dont care to know about your politics (especially the current situation in the US...), I choose to follow the page for the models.
That said, can we just get back to why we are all here? The builds. The tips. The inspiration for our next builds.
Ok so this was a lot longer of a rant than I was planning to write - but this is something that has been bothering me and eating at me for a while.
8/31/22- Been busy getting ready for the upcoming school year - but I have had a chance to build engineering lessons around scale modeling and aviation (woo!). I have just about wrapped up the 747SP and DC9 I have been working on and will have pics soon. Also a new side project is posted on the bench!
7/19/22- Working on some civil airliners and thinning the collection to fit more in the case. A few older builds have gone to new homes, And I think there are a few more that can go too.
6/9/22- Wow. Forgot to take pictures of some builds, and then life gets in the way. I have added images of the Special Hobby P-35 and the Revell An-225. Hopefully my current project will be photographed in a timely manner!
4/13/22- FINALLY got around to taking pictures of builds that were finished in the last 3 months. All 1/72 scale aircraft. Some Experimental, some American, some French. All were fun to build. Pictures are on the respective pages! I also will have a new on the bench image or two soon.
3/26/22- Been busy with work and new projects on that front, so the build progress is a bit slow. I have added a page specifically for in progress/bench pics, so that those interested can see the process. Its under On The Bench.
3/2/22- Not a model, but I was fortunate enough to collaborate with an awesome modeler - Max_Afterburner, on some things to help support his Youtube channel. If you don't already follow him on Youtube, you need to! His channel is Max_Afterburner Channel - Very inspirational and informational builds. His channel store is linked HERE
2/12/22- I have added images of a bunch of builds that I have completed since the beginning of the year (yes, 2022...) I have added shots of the E-4B Nightwatch, Mig-25 RBT, and some civil airliners - 737's, 747, A300 and White Knight/Space Ship two. They are on the respective aviation pages (US, Other Countries and Civil).
1/18/22- I finally got around to taking pictures of some builds that I finished at the end of last year. All 1/72 scale airplanes, they are two F-4u-5 Corsairs from the Korean War. I also built a Spitfire Mk I and an HE-111 H-6. All images are on their respective pages. The HE-111 and the Italeri Corsair both have Eduard photoetch sets added to them. The HE-111 has a lot of cool stuff that I cant get good pictures of - like ammo clips in all the gun positions, seat belts, and detailed panels. I will try and get pictures of these things for everyone to see.
12/3/2021- My recently finished Airfix 1/72 ME-262 with its Eduard PE cockpit has been added to the aircraft gallery. I also added some pipes in the landing gear bay that were not included.
11/27/2021- I have made some changes to the gallery pages - hopefully to improve loading times. I have sorted out the aviation and space model pages into categories. Hopefully this helps with loading times.
I also added images of a bunch of new builds, all in 1/72 scale. They are Academy's B-29 and P-47D. RS Models P-39 Bandai's T-70 X wing in a Red 3 scheme, and their green X-wing from the Rise of Skywalker movie. They are on their respective pages (US aircraft, science fiction models).
11/3/2021- Finally got around to adding images of a bunch of things I had completed. Mostly Star Wars kits but another 1/72 Helicopter as well. Images of them are on the respective pages.
Speaking of which - I am planning to sort the aircraft into smaller subgroups so that it wont take ages to load. Same with the Space and Sci-fi builds. So if that is causing you slow loading times, I am addressing that. Sorry!
8/3/2021- Having a broken ankle has really slowed me down a lot more than I had wanted it too. Especially since I also really hurt my back in that fall, so sitting in my studio chair has been an issue.
In any event I finished Italeri's 1/72 UH-1D and Hobby Boss' 1/72 N/AW-10. Both were on the low end of the parts count, and lower end of the detail scale but they finished up nicely. I do wish the A-10 had its FLIR pod instead of a massive amount of empty pylons. Both can be seen on the Aircraft page.
6/18/2021- Well one of the larger kits I have ever built is done. Not in parts count, or complexity but in just sheer size. The Dragon 1/72 Saturn V. I added a bunch of 3d printed parts on the inside and outside to make it a bit closer to the real thing. Out of the box it was lacking any real detail. I used the decals offered by CultTVMan on this to mark it up as Apollo 14. The LEM is the last bit to finish but I will add those images later. What has been uploaded is on the Atmospheric page.
5/12/2021- I have completed the Valkyrie (Italeri rebox of the AMT kit) in 1/72 scale. Being one of my favorite airplanes, and having great memories of the first time I saw her as a kid in '96, it was a special project to me. That is up on the aircraft page. There is also an addition to the atmospheric page- Ed White and James McDivitt and their Gemini 4 spacecraft! It was a fun, quick build.
3/29/2021- Some images of my completed 1/144 Zvezda A-320 in Spirit Airlines colors have been added. The decals came from DRAW decal - and were awesome to work with (as usual!). Tried to make it look like one I have taken a picture of way back while on my first real spotting adventure.
3/26/2021 - Wow! 2 updates in 2 days! I have FINALLY taken pictures of the F-89 Scorpion that I finished over a month and a half ago. The other completed build still needs its photoshoot. Take a look on the aircraft page.
3/25/2021 - Well not a new build (or pictures of the 2 I have finished and have yet to take pictures of)... but a new layout. Hopefully it makes it easier to find things. I might change it again - by adding sub categories to the image heavy pages, to cut down loading times. Oh and I did add images of OLD builds on the ship page.
2/5/2021- I have added images of the latest 2 completions. Both are in 1/72 scale; One is the EF-111 Raven from Hasegawa with Caracal decals, and the other is my latest Bandai Star Wars build. I built another A-Wing fighter with its gear down, because you dont see many of these kits built like that. I like the difference in color and weathering from my first one, and like the look with the legs down. The images are on their respective pages.
1/25/2021- Some images of my completed 1/72 A-7d Corsair II from Hobby Boss have been added. This bomb delivery service was finished right from the box, with added cockpit decals from scans of the real thing. Sure makes it look a lot better under that glass!
1/13/2021- I have added images of the 2 latest builds I have completed. Italeri's 1/72 MC-47 and Hasegawa's 1/72 MV-22. Both are not exactly the most eye catching birds out there but they build up very nice - and finish to an impressive piece.Images are on the aircraft page.
1/4/2021- Images of one of the ugliest airplanes I have ever built are up. The Martian P5m Marlin flying boat. Its finished in USCG colors. being based in salt water, I tried to weather and "crusty up" the metal with pastels and a dull finish. Images are on the aircraft page.
1/1/2021- I meant to get this up a week or so ago, but it was nice to actually drop it and have to do repairs before I could take pics of it. The old AMT EC-135 is now up on the airplanes page. Not a ton of pics, because I was afraid to drop it again.
12/9/2020 - Well it looks like I need to redesign the page- there are a bunch of things I want to change and I want to sort the builds better so they are easier to see/find. Plus I have ships I want to add that I havent photographed.
In the meantime...
I added images of the 1/72 Hasegawa F-14a to the airplane page, and to the RC Boat page, I added 2 galleries of ships I have built. One is the 1/350 Minicraft Titanic with PE addons. This was an old build that I started years ago, but it was moved around so much I forgot about it. I ended up finishing it this summer, and gave it to my Dad- the first time I built that kit it was actually my first model. I also added images of the G-S 1/450 Queen Elizabeth 2. Such a different approach to a ship to say the least. A lot less parts but the painting was a pain to keep things neat and clean.
I have more already built ships I want to photograph, and a few more I have to build... plus that massive 1/200 Titanic with all its KA and Pontos add-on goodness... That will most likely get its own page to document the progress.
11/19/2020 - Wrapped up a few more builds. One is DML's 1/72 YF-23. Not a bad kit but shows its age, and lacks a lot of detail. I tried to add some back with adding the engine tiles, hoses on the landing gear and cockpit detailing behind the seat. The other is one is different. Its a 1/144 Revell A-320 with Liveries Unlimited decals. I hang airliner models from my classroom ceiling, and this was done in hopes of landing a new job sooner rather than later. Both are on the airplanes page.
11/12/2020 - Just completed Meng's 1/72scale F-106 Delta Dart. This was a lot of fun to build - and came with a ton of optional parts. I closed up the nose, but left the rest wide open. Images added to the airplane page.
11/7/2020 - 2020 sucks. No seriously - as if it couldn't get worse, it does. Have had a lot of time to get this big bird done since I am now unemployed. Building as much as I can to keep myself focused on the positive. Gunship II is now done. Italeri's 1/72 AC-130a in its Vietnam glory. Old kit with raised panel lines, but it was still fun to complete. I have the -119 and a new -130u to build as well.
10/28/2020 - Completed my build of the Italeri AC-47 Spooky gunship wrapped in its SEA cammo scheme. This was another 1/72 scale build. LOVE how the colors came out, but still super angry about the fact I broke the 3rd minigun mount, and the gun is now forever glued to the floor inside the plane (*tear*).... oh well. Might need to build the other gunships while I am at it!
10/24/2020 - Wrapped up the Italeri offering of the Mirage 2000c and added to the Aircraft build page. Finished this in the Desert Storm tan camouflage which I thought looked pretty sharp. Never built a Mirage before and never did a tan cammo job before so it was a nice change. Really happy with how the final piece looks.
10/15/2020 - Put the finishing touches on the 1/72 Zvezda SU-24 Fencer. Not the most involved project but a nice test bed to practice things and get spare weapons from. Images added on the Aircraft build page.
10/7/2020 -FINALLY I get the Revell of Germany 1/72 C-54 Skymaster off the bench and into the case. First a few pictures. It was an interesting build, and had a ton of interior detail that is now hidden forever inside. But it was well worth the effort! Images on the aircraft page.
9/4/2020 - I have created an Instagram account for the page- to show off more detailed, and work in progress pics. Look for us at Models_By_Phil
9/2/2020 - Images of the latest completions have been added to the aircraft page- they are (shocker) both 1/72 kits from Italeri. One is the HSS-1 Seabat, and the other is the JAS-39 Gripen.
8/28/2020 - Just added images of a few new projects. First off, something different - a 1/25 Peterbilt 352 Pacemaker. Its been a while since I built a truck, and this one was at best... a train wreck. The parts were mis numbered in the directions, the chrome wouldn't want to come off, and at the end the exhausts wouldn't line up at all... I made the best of it as you can see.
The other 2 builds are 1/72 aircraft- an X-29 FSW tech demonstrator from Hasegawa, and the 1/72 F-4G Wild Weasel. It was a Hasagawa kit, and I used some MilSpec decals on it. The weapons came from the Hasegawa ground weapons kit to wrap it up.
8/13/2020 - Images of the newly completed 1/72 F-15C MSIP II from Academy have been posted. I added the Eduard photoetch to the kit as well, which made the cockpit a lot more realistic. The kit decals were terrible so I used Caracals' National Guard Eagle sheet to finish it off.
7/21/2020 - Added a bunch more progress pics of the 10 hatch coaster build that is nearing the finish line. The actual build is complete, the wiring for the lighting is finished, and the servo switch is set up as well. I did a quick sea trial with it a week or so ago, and with 2 SLA batteries in it (one for ballast the other for power) it sat right where I wanted it to in the water. My goal is by the end of the week to have it completely done. Still no name yet.
6/23/2020 - I have added images of my new RC build - the as of yet unnamed 10 hatch coaster from Model Slipways. So far I have been working on it a few hours here and there, but hopefully will have it ready for paint in the next week or so. Pictures will be added to the construction gallery of the build process.
5/21/2020 - New Star Wars builds and real space builds have been added. The 1/144 AT AT, and 1/72 X-Wing (ROS, Poe's Orange Leader) and Iden Versio's Inferno squadron TIE. Real space builds include 1/72 Mercury Atlas - Friendship 7 and 1/72 Apollo XI moon landing - Columbia and Eagle with Buzz and Neil.
I also added images of the Airfix 1/72 U-2 (an A and C) as well as the O-2 Skymaster. Also added were images of Italeri's RF-84. Somehow these old builds were not photographed and uploaded.
5/3/2020 - May the Forth be with you... well almost. I have added some more Star Wars builds from Bandai. They are the 1/5000th Star Destroyer (with lights!), the 1/144 Lando Millennium Falcon (from Solo), and the 1/10,00th (??) Death Star II. All on the SciFi builds page.
4/21/2020 - Hopefully everyone is staying healthy and well during this pandemic. I have seen that keeping busy has been a challenge for some - not me thankfully. I have added more 1/72 builds to the Aircraft page. They are the Italeri RAH-66 Comanche, Academy Ah-64D Longbow, Eduard Mig-21 and 4 (yes 4) different Italeri B-58 Hustlers. The Hustlers were done using a combination of kit and aftermarket decals. I have a TB-58 in my stash to build as well at some point.
3/26/2020 - Well I had one project finished, but with the way things have been lately and a lot of time on my hands, I now have much more than that. They are all on the aircraft page. Completed builds include; KA-50 Black Shark, Mi-24 Hind, T-6G Texan, C-130J Hercules, F-117 Night Hawk. There is one more I have yet to take pictures of. Its Minicraft's 1/144 757-200. I picked up some Draw decals for the Aer Lingus green scheme. The completed model is destined to be hanging in my classroom once I am able to get back into the building and this whole social distancing thing is done.
2/26/2020 - I have a few black projects coming up, and didn't want just a solid mass of black plastic. With these two builds I tried a few different pre and post shading ideas and techniques. One is the B-57 from Italeri and the other is DML's P-61.
1/6/2020 - Added a few new builds on the Aircraft page. Both in 1/72. One is the Monogram A-1E Skyraider in all its SEA Glory, and the other is something I have never built before - a helicopter! Its Italeri's 1/72 H-19 Chickasaw. Goofy but appealing all in one. I also added images of the inside, since I put a lot of work into it.
12/15/2019 - Today images of some smaller (if that is even possible) 1/72 builds are up. The F-86f from Academy and the Bell X-1 from Tamiya. Both were a lot of fun to build, and went together really easily. The only issue being masking the window on the X-1. Both are on the aircraft page.
11/25/2019 - Well I finally got around to taking pictures of some recent builds... and in the process noticing that I missed and messed up some stuff. Uploaded pictures of the F-15E, F-84 and F-51 all in 1/72 scale are on the aircraft page.
9/10/19 - I just added some images of the 1/72 builds of the MENG F-102 and the Monogram F-101. Guess I was in a century series mood the last few weeks. Now before anyone goes banana crackers about the color on the F-102.... hear me out; I did some research as I wanted one that was close to the example at the Air Force Museum in Dayton. I saw that there were a few in a metal finish in the Minnesota Guard, so I went for it. I think it looks pretty sharp. I have another one for the ADC gray (even though I wanted to do SEA Cammo on it...) which will get completed at some point.
8/2/2019 - Life... sometimes it can be amazing, others it kicks you when your down. It has been a tough few months, resulting in a lack of builds or desire to build. I forced myself to try a build but it was a disaster - so I wont be posting it here. Thankfully with the help of friends, family, co-workers, my students and doctors, I am ready and anxious to pick up where I left off !
I have added a few images of builds that I have completed recently (in the last month or so) - All 1/72 scale aircraft. They include, Academy's OV-10 Bronco, Italeri's B-57G, Hasegawa's Su-27, and Zveda's MiG-31. All of the images are on the aircraft build page.
I also just finished Meng's F-102 (case xx) which I will add once I take pictures of it.
11/20/2018 - Added some more Star Wars kits from Bandai. The 1/12 R5-D2, Kylo Ren and General Grievous , and the 1/72 B-Wing from SDCC with its lights. They are on the Space and Sci-Fi page.
11/12/2018 - Added some Star Wars kits from Bandai. The 1/12 Boba Fett, and the 1/72 B-Wing and Resistance X-Wing in Blue 2 markings. They are on the Space and Sci-Fi page.
11/3/2018 - I have uploaded some of my recently completed builds - all 1/72 scale aircraft. They include the Italeri B-26K Counter Invader used in Vietnam, an Esci F-5A Tiger - the kit might be older than me too! I also added Trumpter's F-100C, which used some of the worst decals I have ever seen - and its actually the second time I built the kit!
10/20/2018 - Added better (more clear?) pictures of my 1/20 and 1/72 scale Bandai Star Wars builds.
10/8/2018 - Added pictures of Hasegawa's 1/72 A-1H Skyraider in SEA camo. For whatever reason this airplane/scheme has always been one of those "must builds" in any scale - and now I have a 1/48 and 1/72 version. To me its the epitome of the air war in Vietnam, and the link between the hell on the ground and the fight in the sky.
9/24/2018 - Images of the Douglas RB-66B Destroyer in 1/72 scale have been added. It was an Italeri kit and went together well. I finished it off in its SEA cammo scheme.
9/15/2018 - Added some pictures of the smallest airplane I could have possibly built - EVER! Its Academy's 1/72 Cessna A-37 Dragonfly in all its South East Asia cammo.
9/9/2018 - Pancakes' done! Added images of the 1/72 Hasegawa XF5U-1 "Flying Pancake".... quite the unusual airplane!
9/3/2018 - Added images of my finished Special Hobby 1/72 P-59A. Another beast of a kit - poor fits galore- but its the only game in town. I think it came out pretty good considering. I think I am most annoyed that I had added the recommended amount of weight - maybe more - and it still is a tail-sitter in the case... oh well...
9/2/2018 - Added a few images of my newly finished 1/72 F-84 Thunderstreak. Not the best Italeri kit... raised panel lines, no real detail - and the "cockpit" was missing.. but it looks the part, and with some added weathering and a few bombs from the spares, it looks well worn.
Its been a busy summer - but not building. I was able to spend 4 days at the Air Force Museum in June/July and ended up shooting over 3100 pictures with a friend of mine. Its been a challenge going through them and picking out my favorites!
6/24/2018 - Added images of the finished 1/72 A-10 in its Euro I scheme. If I build another one of these, I would leave the vertical tails, and pylons off the kit until final assembly. The wrap around camo scheme made painting a bit tricky with these in place. Im still very happy with how it came out in the end!
6/18/2018 - Updates have slipped my mind! I had taken pictures of my latest builds but forgot to upload them ere. The images added are of my 1/72 F-16D, 1/72 A-6 Intruder and 1/72 F-80 Shooting Star. On the bench is a 1/72 A-10 in Euro I camo. I hope to have this done within the week.
I have also added a page for the new RC build I am embarking on - my 10 Hatch Motor Coaster. Its still in the early stages but this time next year she should be ready for launch!
4/25/2018 - Added images of 3 new 1/72 scale aircraft. They are the F-104 Starfighter, the Mig-29 Fulcrum and the F-117 Nighthawk. The Starfighter is my first natural metal finish ever (and thats weird to me because I have been building for over 30 years), and the Mig is my first Mig! Well might have to add more metal birds to the collection.
3/24/2018 - Was trying to keep the updates about a month apart, but had a bit of an OOPS with one of the builds I was working on. This update includes images of Trumpeter's 1/72 scale F-105 D and G models. The single seat fighter bomber, and the two seat wild weasel. I also added pictures of my 1/72 scale Hasegawa F-15c, and F-16c and some of the 2nd tank I built a 1/35 Panther D.
2/3/2018 - Added 9 images of the Revell/Monogram 1/48 Scale F-15E Strike Eagle. It was built with a bunch of things learned over the past year or so, and is only my 3rd or 4th airplane in the last 6 years or so (been busy building other things). Im pretty happy with how it came out, and was even happier giving it to a friend who is an Eagle fan.
I also added images of the 1/12 scale First Order Executioner and C-3PO Bandai kits. I tried to get a nice finish on C-3P0, to give him the look of weathered shiny metal. Overall I am pleased with how it came out too. The kits are a blast to build, and are a lot of fun to weather too.
I also have begun to separate out the builds onto their own pages, so more images will be added of older models as well.
1/4/2018 - Added 68 images of various Star Wars builds; Figures and star ships. I also added an image or 2 of my only armor build (Hetzer's gonna hetz! - sorry WOT reference!)
See the build on the Automotive side.
5/6/2023 - Well I have been busy building and with work, but finally had some time to update this and add images of what I have completed since the last time I posted. Star Wars kits, a few cars, airplanes and a ship too!
11/30/22 - I will be adding options to buy prints of photographs I have taken to the store. Keep an eye out for them!
11/24/22 - New store page is up and running - Take a look! And Tamiya's 1/72 BF-109 G6 is up as well.
10/24/22 - Airfix's Lancaster and Mustang are added (both 1/72 scale) to their respective pages. Take a look!
10/13/22 - Figured I would unify things between here and Instagram, so I created a logo and background to make things seem like the belong together. The Lanc is going well - and I am super excited to finish it.
10/5/22- Well the new school year is off and running smoothly, so back to the routine of work and models! (And I love it!) I have been working on some new tool Airfix kits, and uploaded a few of them as well as the one I have in progress. The P-40, Typhoon and Victor are on the American and Other Country aircraft pages. The Lanc is on the bench.
8/31/22- If I may vent for a bit: I started this website and my public Instagram that is linked to this site for one simple reason: To share my scale models. Not my frustration with the current state of world affairs, not push my political views, not insult others with different opinions. I enjoy looking at others builds- I like learning new techniques. After 38 years of scale modeling I still find things to learn and try on the next build. I like that there are still people out there who can give meaningful, constructive feedback. I welcome those who offer tips without being insulting.
I loathe those people who have such insecurities in their own lives, that they feel the need to force their opinions on everyone - modeling or otherwise. I despise those people who are belittling to others because they "know". I have NO respect for any of those so called modelers who never have anything remotely useful to say and who never post their own work.
This hobby still brings me great joy. I love being able to share it with people who choose to follow me. At the beginning of each new school year I show my incoming students my work - and it always brings along with it great conversations. Hopefully inspiring at least one student to try modeling at some point.
I dont expect people to have the same views as me, or same tastes or perspectives. One thing this website, or my instagram will NEVER do is push any sort of political viewpoint, agenda or belittle those who have opposing views.
I keep my private views to my private outlets. I am seeing a disturbing trend of sites and pages I once enjoyed interjecting political views. I dont care to know about your politics (especially the current situation in the US...), I choose to follow the page for the models.
That said, can we just get back to why we are all here? The builds. The tips. The inspiration for our next builds.
Ok so this was a lot longer of a rant than I was planning to write - but this is something that has been bothering me and eating at me for a while.
8/31/22- Been busy getting ready for the upcoming school year - but I have had a chance to build engineering lessons around scale modeling and aviation (woo!). I have just about wrapped up the 747SP and DC9 I have been working on and will have pics soon. Also a new side project is posted on the bench!
7/19/22- Working on some civil airliners and thinning the collection to fit more in the case. A few older builds have gone to new homes, And I think there are a few more that can go too.
6/9/22- Wow. Forgot to take pictures of some builds, and then life gets in the way. I have added images of the Special Hobby P-35 and the Revell An-225. Hopefully my current project will be photographed in a timely manner!
4/13/22- FINALLY got around to taking pictures of builds that were finished in the last 3 months. All 1/72 scale aircraft. Some Experimental, some American, some French. All were fun to build. Pictures are on the respective pages! I also will have a new on the bench image or two soon.
3/26/22- Been busy with work and new projects on that front, so the build progress is a bit slow. I have added a page specifically for in progress/bench pics, so that those interested can see the process. Its under On The Bench.
3/2/22- Not a model, but I was fortunate enough to collaborate with an awesome modeler - Max_Afterburner, on some things to help support his Youtube channel. If you don't already follow him on Youtube, you need to! His channel is Max_Afterburner Channel - Very inspirational and informational builds. His channel store is linked HERE
2/12/22- I have added images of a bunch of builds that I have completed since the beginning of the year (yes, 2022...) I have added shots of the E-4B Nightwatch, Mig-25 RBT, and some civil airliners - 737's, 747, A300 and White Knight/Space Ship two. They are on the respective aviation pages (US, Other Countries and Civil).
1/18/22- I finally got around to taking pictures of some builds that I finished at the end of last year. All 1/72 scale airplanes, they are two F-4u-5 Corsairs from the Korean War. I also built a Spitfire Mk I and an HE-111 H-6. All images are on their respective pages. The HE-111 and the Italeri Corsair both have Eduard photoetch sets added to them. The HE-111 has a lot of cool stuff that I cant get good pictures of - like ammo clips in all the gun positions, seat belts, and detailed panels. I will try and get pictures of these things for everyone to see.
12/3/2021- My recently finished Airfix 1/72 ME-262 with its Eduard PE cockpit has been added to the aircraft gallery. I also added some pipes in the landing gear bay that were not included.
11/27/2021- I have made some changes to the gallery pages - hopefully to improve loading times. I have sorted out the aviation and space model pages into categories. Hopefully this helps with loading times.
I also added images of a bunch of new builds, all in 1/72 scale. They are Academy's B-29 and P-47D. RS Models P-39 Bandai's T-70 X wing in a Red 3 scheme, and their green X-wing from the Rise of Skywalker movie. They are on their respective pages (US aircraft, science fiction models).
11/3/2021- Finally got around to adding images of a bunch of things I had completed. Mostly Star Wars kits but another 1/72 Helicopter as well. Images of them are on the respective pages.
Speaking of which - I am planning to sort the aircraft into smaller subgroups so that it wont take ages to load. Same with the Space and Sci-fi builds. So if that is causing you slow loading times, I am addressing that. Sorry!
8/3/2021- Having a broken ankle has really slowed me down a lot more than I had wanted it too. Especially since I also really hurt my back in that fall, so sitting in my studio chair has been an issue.
In any event I finished Italeri's 1/72 UH-1D and Hobby Boss' 1/72 N/AW-10. Both were on the low end of the parts count, and lower end of the detail scale but they finished up nicely. I do wish the A-10 had its FLIR pod instead of a massive amount of empty pylons. Both can be seen on the Aircraft page.
6/18/2021- Well one of the larger kits I have ever built is done. Not in parts count, or complexity but in just sheer size. The Dragon 1/72 Saturn V. I added a bunch of 3d printed parts on the inside and outside to make it a bit closer to the real thing. Out of the box it was lacking any real detail. I used the decals offered by CultTVMan on this to mark it up as Apollo 14. The LEM is the last bit to finish but I will add those images later. What has been uploaded is on the Atmospheric page.
5/12/2021- I have completed the Valkyrie (Italeri rebox of the AMT kit) in 1/72 scale. Being one of my favorite airplanes, and having great memories of the first time I saw her as a kid in '96, it was a special project to me. That is up on the aircraft page. There is also an addition to the atmospheric page- Ed White and James McDivitt and their Gemini 4 spacecraft! It was a fun, quick build.
3/29/2021- Some images of my completed 1/144 Zvezda A-320 in Spirit Airlines colors have been added. The decals came from DRAW decal - and were awesome to work with (as usual!). Tried to make it look like one I have taken a picture of way back while on my first real spotting adventure.
3/26/2021 - Wow! 2 updates in 2 days! I have FINALLY taken pictures of the F-89 Scorpion that I finished over a month and a half ago. The other completed build still needs its photoshoot. Take a look on the aircraft page.
3/25/2021 - Well not a new build (or pictures of the 2 I have finished and have yet to take pictures of)... but a new layout. Hopefully it makes it easier to find things. I might change it again - by adding sub categories to the image heavy pages, to cut down loading times. Oh and I did add images of OLD builds on the ship page.
2/5/2021- I have added images of the latest 2 completions. Both are in 1/72 scale; One is the EF-111 Raven from Hasegawa with Caracal decals, and the other is my latest Bandai Star Wars build. I built another A-Wing fighter with its gear down, because you dont see many of these kits built like that. I like the difference in color and weathering from my first one, and like the look with the legs down. The images are on their respective pages.
1/25/2021- Some images of my completed 1/72 A-7d Corsair II from Hobby Boss have been added. This bomb delivery service was finished right from the box, with added cockpit decals from scans of the real thing. Sure makes it look a lot better under that glass!
1/13/2021- I have added images of the 2 latest builds I have completed. Italeri's 1/72 MC-47 and Hasegawa's 1/72 MV-22. Both are not exactly the most eye catching birds out there but they build up very nice - and finish to an impressive piece.Images are on the aircraft page.
1/4/2021- Images of one of the ugliest airplanes I have ever built are up. The Martian P5m Marlin flying boat. Its finished in USCG colors. being based in salt water, I tried to weather and "crusty up" the metal with pastels and a dull finish. Images are on the aircraft page.
1/1/2021- I meant to get this up a week or so ago, but it was nice to actually drop it and have to do repairs before I could take pics of it. The old AMT EC-135 is now up on the airplanes page. Not a ton of pics, because I was afraid to drop it again.
12/9/2020 - Well it looks like I need to redesign the page- there are a bunch of things I want to change and I want to sort the builds better so they are easier to see/find. Plus I have ships I want to add that I havent photographed.
In the meantime...
I added images of the 1/72 Hasegawa F-14a to the airplane page, and to the RC Boat page, I added 2 galleries of ships I have built. One is the 1/350 Minicraft Titanic with PE addons. This was an old build that I started years ago, but it was moved around so much I forgot about it. I ended up finishing it this summer, and gave it to my Dad- the first time I built that kit it was actually my first model. I also added images of the G-S 1/450 Queen Elizabeth 2. Such a different approach to a ship to say the least. A lot less parts but the painting was a pain to keep things neat and clean.
I have more already built ships I want to photograph, and a few more I have to build... plus that massive 1/200 Titanic with all its KA and Pontos add-on goodness... That will most likely get its own page to document the progress.
11/19/2020 - Wrapped up a few more builds. One is DML's 1/72 YF-23. Not a bad kit but shows its age, and lacks a lot of detail. I tried to add some back with adding the engine tiles, hoses on the landing gear and cockpit detailing behind the seat. The other is one is different. Its a 1/144 Revell A-320 with Liveries Unlimited decals. I hang airliner models from my classroom ceiling, and this was done in hopes of landing a new job sooner rather than later. Both are on the airplanes page.
11/12/2020 - Just completed Meng's 1/72scale F-106 Delta Dart. This was a lot of fun to build - and came with a ton of optional parts. I closed up the nose, but left the rest wide open. Images added to the airplane page.
11/7/2020 - 2020 sucks. No seriously - as if it couldn't get worse, it does. Have had a lot of time to get this big bird done since I am now unemployed. Building as much as I can to keep myself focused on the positive. Gunship II is now done. Italeri's 1/72 AC-130a in its Vietnam glory. Old kit with raised panel lines, but it was still fun to complete. I have the -119 and a new -130u to build as well.
10/28/2020 - Completed my build of the Italeri AC-47 Spooky gunship wrapped in its SEA cammo scheme. This was another 1/72 scale build. LOVE how the colors came out, but still super angry about the fact I broke the 3rd minigun mount, and the gun is now forever glued to the floor inside the plane (*tear*).... oh well. Might need to build the other gunships while I am at it!
10/24/2020 - Wrapped up the Italeri offering of the Mirage 2000c and added to the Aircraft build page. Finished this in the Desert Storm tan camouflage which I thought looked pretty sharp. Never built a Mirage before and never did a tan cammo job before so it was a nice change. Really happy with how the final piece looks.
10/15/2020 - Put the finishing touches on the 1/72 Zvezda SU-24 Fencer. Not the most involved project but a nice test bed to practice things and get spare weapons from. Images added on the Aircraft build page.
10/7/2020 -FINALLY I get the Revell of Germany 1/72 C-54 Skymaster off the bench and into the case. First a few pictures. It was an interesting build, and had a ton of interior detail that is now hidden forever inside. But it was well worth the effort! Images on the aircraft page.
9/4/2020 - I have created an Instagram account for the page- to show off more detailed, and work in progress pics. Look for us at Models_By_Phil
9/2/2020 - Images of the latest completions have been added to the aircraft page- they are (shocker) both 1/72 kits from Italeri. One is the HSS-1 Seabat, and the other is the JAS-39 Gripen.
8/28/2020 - Just added images of a few new projects. First off, something different - a 1/25 Peterbilt 352 Pacemaker. Its been a while since I built a truck, and this one was at best... a train wreck. The parts were mis numbered in the directions, the chrome wouldn't want to come off, and at the end the exhausts wouldn't line up at all... I made the best of it as you can see.
The other 2 builds are 1/72 aircraft- an X-29 FSW tech demonstrator from Hasegawa, and the 1/72 F-4G Wild Weasel. It was a Hasagawa kit, and I used some MilSpec decals on it. The weapons came from the Hasegawa ground weapons kit to wrap it up.
8/13/2020 - Images of the newly completed 1/72 F-15C MSIP II from Academy have been posted. I added the Eduard photoetch to the kit as well, which made the cockpit a lot more realistic. The kit decals were terrible so I used Caracals' National Guard Eagle sheet to finish it off.
7/21/2020 - Added a bunch more progress pics of the 10 hatch coaster build that is nearing the finish line. The actual build is complete, the wiring for the lighting is finished, and the servo switch is set up as well. I did a quick sea trial with it a week or so ago, and with 2 SLA batteries in it (one for ballast the other for power) it sat right where I wanted it to in the water. My goal is by the end of the week to have it completely done. Still no name yet.
6/23/2020 - I have added images of my new RC build - the as of yet unnamed 10 hatch coaster from Model Slipways. So far I have been working on it a few hours here and there, but hopefully will have it ready for paint in the next week or so. Pictures will be added to the construction gallery of the build process.
5/21/2020 - New Star Wars builds and real space builds have been added. The 1/144 AT AT, and 1/72 X-Wing (ROS, Poe's Orange Leader) and Iden Versio's Inferno squadron TIE. Real space builds include 1/72 Mercury Atlas - Friendship 7 and 1/72 Apollo XI moon landing - Columbia and Eagle with Buzz and Neil.
I also added images of the Airfix 1/72 U-2 (an A and C) as well as the O-2 Skymaster. Also added were images of Italeri's RF-84. Somehow these old builds were not photographed and uploaded.
5/3/2020 - May the Forth be with you... well almost. I have added some more Star Wars builds from Bandai. They are the 1/5000th Star Destroyer (with lights!), the 1/144 Lando Millennium Falcon (from Solo), and the 1/10,00th (??) Death Star II. All on the SciFi builds page.
4/21/2020 - Hopefully everyone is staying healthy and well during this pandemic. I have seen that keeping busy has been a challenge for some - not me thankfully. I have added more 1/72 builds to the Aircraft page. They are the Italeri RAH-66 Comanche, Academy Ah-64D Longbow, Eduard Mig-21 and 4 (yes 4) different Italeri B-58 Hustlers. The Hustlers were done using a combination of kit and aftermarket decals. I have a TB-58 in my stash to build as well at some point.
3/26/2020 - Well I had one project finished, but with the way things have been lately and a lot of time on my hands, I now have much more than that. They are all on the aircraft page. Completed builds include; KA-50 Black Shark, Mi-24 Hind, T-6G Texan, C-130J Hercules, F-117 Night Hawk. There is one more I have yet to take pictures of. Its Minicraft's 1/144 757-200. I picked up some Draw decals for the Aer Lingus green scheme. The completed model is destined to be hanging in my classroom once I am able to get back into the building and this whole social distancing thing is done.
2/26/2020 - I have a few black projects coming up, and didn't want just a solid mass of black plastic. With these two builds I tried a few different pre and post shading ideas and techniques. One is the B-57 from Italeri and the other is DML's P-61.
1/6/2020 - Added a few new builds on the Aircraft page. Both in 1/72. One is the Monogram A-1E Skyraider in all its SEA Glory, and the other is something I have never built before - a helicopter! Its Italeri's 1/72 H-19 Chickasaw. Goofy but appealing all in one. I also added images of the inside, since I put a lot of work into it.
12/15/2019 - Today images of some smaller (if that is even possible) 1/72 builds are up. The F-86f from Academy and the Bell X-1 from Tamiya. Both were a lot of fun to build, and went together really easily. The only issue being masking the window on the X-1. Both are on the aircraft page.
11/25/2019 - Well I finally got around to taking pictures of some recent builds... and in the process noticing that I missed and messed up some stuff. Uploaded pictures of the F-15E, F-84 and F-51 all in 1/72 scale are on the aircraft page.
9/10/19 - I just added some images of the 1/72 builds of the MENG F-102 and the Monogram F-101. Guess I was in a century series mood the last few weeks. Now before anyone goes banana crackers about the color on the F-102.... hear me out; I did some research as I wanted one that was close to the example at the Air Force Museum in Dayton. I saw that there were a few in a metal finish in the Minnesota Guard, so I went for it. I think it looks pretty sharp. I have another one for the ADC gray (even though I wanted to do SEA Cammo on it...) which will get completed at some point.
8/2/2019 - Life... sometimes it can be amazing, others it kicks you when your down. It has been a tough few months, resulting in a lack of builds or desire to build. I forced myself to try a build but it was a disaster - so I wont be posting it here. Thankfully with the help of friends, family, co-workers, my students and doctors, I am ready and anxious to pick up where I left off !
I have added a few images of builds that I have completed recently (in the last month or so) - All 1/72 scale aircraft. They include, Academy's OV-10 Bronco, Italeri's B-57G, Hasegawa's Su-27, and Zveda's MiG-31. All of the images are on the aircraft build page.
I also just finished Meng's F-102 (case xx) which I will add once I take pictures of it.
11/20/2018 - Added some more Star Wars kits from Bandai. The 1/12 R5-D2, Kylo Ren and General Grievous , and the 1/72 B-Wing from SDCC with its lights. They are on the Space and Sci-Fi page.
11/12/2018 - Added some Star Wars kits from Bandai. The 1/12 Boba Fett, and the 1/72 B-Wing and Resistance X-Wing in Blue 2 markings. They are on the Space and Sci-Fi page.
11/3/2018 - I have uploaded some of my recently completed builds - all 1/72 scale aircraft. They include the Italeri B-26K Counter Invader used in Vietnam, an Esci F-5A Tiger - the kit might be older than me too! I also added Trumpter's F-100C, which used some of the worst decals I have ever seen - and its actually the second time I built the kit!
10/20/2018 - Added better (more clear?) pictures of my 1/20 and 1/72 scale Bandai Star Wars builds.
10/8/2018 - Added pictures of Hasegawa's 1/72 A-1H Skyraider in SEA camo. For whatever reason this airplane/scheme has always been one of those "must builds" in any scale - and now I have a 1/48 and 1/72 version. To me its the epitome of the air war in Vietnam, and the link between the hell on the ground and the fight in the sky.
9/24/2018 - Images of the Douglas RB-66B Destroyer in 1/72 scale have been added. It was an Italeri kit and went together well. I finished it off in its SEA cammo scheme.
9/15/2018 - Added some pictures of the smallest airplane I could have possibly built - EVER! Its Academy's 1/72 Cessna A-37 Dragonfly in all its South East Asia cammo.
9/9/2018 - Pancakes' done! Added images of the 1/72 Hasegawa XF5U-1 "Flying Pancake".... quite the unusual airplane!
9/3/2018 - Added images of my finished Special Hobby 1/72 P-59A. Another beast of a kit - poor fits galore- but its the only game in town. I think it came out pretty good considering. I think I am most annoyed that I had added the recommended amount of weight - maybe more - and it still is a tail-sitter in the case... oh well...
9/2/2018 - Added a few images of my newly finished 1/72 F-84 Thunderstreak. Not the best Italeri kit... raised panel lines, no real detail - and the "cockpit" was missing.. but it looks the part, and with some added weathering and a few bombs from the spares, it looks well worn.
Its been a busy summer - but not building. I was able to spend 4 days at the Air Force Museum in June/July and ended up shooting over 3100 pictures with a friend of mine. Its been a challenge going through them and picking out my favorites!
6/24/2018 - Added images of the finished 1/72 A-10 in its Euro I scheme. If I build another one of these, I would leave the vertical tails, and pylons off the kit until final assembly. The wrap around camo scheme made painting a bit tricky with these in place. Im still very happy with how it came out in the end!
6/18/2018 - Updates have slipped my mind! I had taken pictures of my latest builds but forgot to upload them ere. The images added are of my 1/72 F-16D, 1/72 A-6 Intruder and 1/72 F-80 Shooting Star. On the bench is a 1/72 A-10 in Euro I camo. I hope to have this done within the week.
I have also added a page for the new RC build I am embarking on - my 10 Hatch Motor Coaster. Its still in the early stages but this time next year she should be ready for launch!
4/25/2018 - Added images of 3 new 1/72 scale aircraft. They are the F-104 Starfighter, the Mig-29 Fulcrum and the F-117 Nighthawk. The Starfighter is my first natural metal finish ever (and thats weird to me because I have been building for over 30 years), and the Mig is my first Mig! Well might have to add more metal birds to the collection.
3/24/2018 - Was trying to keep the updates about a month apart, but had a bit of an OOPS with one of the builds I was working on. This update includes images of Trumpeter's 1/72 scale F-105 D and G models. The single seat fighter bomber, and the two seat wild weasel. I also added pictures of my 1/72 scale Hasegawa F-15c, and F-16c and some of the 2nd tank I built a 1/35 Panther D.
2/3/2018 - Added 9 images of the Revell/Monogram 1/48 Scale F-15E Strike Eagle. It was built with a bunch of things learned over the past year or so, and is only my 3rd or 4th airplane in the last 6 years or so (been busy building other things). Im pretty happy with how it came out, and was even happier giving it to a friend who is an Eagle fan.
I also added images of the 1/12 scale First Order Executioner and C-3PO Bandai kits. I tried to get a nice finish on C-3P0, to give him the look of weathered shiny metal. Overall I am pleased with how it came out too. The kits are a blast to build, and are a lot of fun to weather too.
I also have begun to separate out the builds onto their own pages, so more images will be added of older models as well.
1/4/2018 - Added 68 images of various Star Wars builds; Figures and star ships. I also added an image or 2 of my only armor build (Hetzer's gonna hetz! - sorry WOT reference!)