Clearwater Models

Tuesday, 7 July 2020

OBJECT 703, IS-3 HEAVY TANK (Airfix)

This is the old Airfix 1:75 scale model (A01307) of the Объект 703 (Object 703) Ио́сиф Ста́лин Joseph (Ioseph) Stalin 3 (IS-3 or JS-3) heavy tank introduced at the end of the Great Patriotic War Вели́кая Оте́чественная война́ against Nazi scum.

This tank was originally named PROJECT 703. The tank was built by the Chelyabinsk Kirovskiy Tank Factory #100 (Челябинский тракторный завод or ЧТЗ ChTZ) from 1944 through 1947. This was actually a tractor factory converted to tank production. Over 2300 were built. It had a 122 mm main gun.The very wide tracks and the multiple bogeys gave it a comparatively light footprint and an ability to move over soft ground and snow. The first tanks reached Berlin too late for the final defeat of the Nazi scum armies, but it did take part in the giant Moscow victory parade that September. Superb armour meant the design was almost impregnable from the front, but the 46 tonne tank was not suitable for fast manoeuvre warfare, especially in hot or desert climates. The most recent known use is by the Russian-sponsored groups in Eastern Ukraine in 2014.

There are 46 individual wheel components. The original paint is matte Russian green from Vallejo; covered with Future floor wax for the decals; then matted and weathered. I drilled out the muzzle brake recoil compensator and the end of the gun barrel as these were solid. The railings are very thin rod pushed into holes drilled with a very tiny bit. I added a wooden log across the back, which has tiny metal tie down straps. The tanks treads have pencil graphite rubbed on to simulate bare or worn exposed metal. The pencil edge was also used to accent metal corners on the body and turret. The Guards regiment crest comes on the decal sheet, as does the red star for the bow. Extra decals were used to put the hull number (37) on the turret. The coaxial gun was replaced with some metal-looking item found on my table. The hull-mounted rear fuel tanks were a mess, and I toyed with replacing them, but gave up and used the kit ones. I added the rusted chain on the bow. The street scene is resin. I added snow. The graffiti on the wall says FOR COUNTRY and FOR STALIN in Russian. This is a three day build during the COVID-19 period. The model arrived unexpectedly via post from a dear musician friend in BC. I built it immediately in honour of his recently deceased father.

What it really needs is a Hungarian holding a Molotov cocktail, emerging from a manhole behind the tank. That would be brilliant!

Объект 703, Object 703, ИС-3, IS-3, Heavy Tank, c. 1950

inside the Chelyabinsk Kirovskiy Tank Factory #100,
which tums out to be the spare bathroom in my home

Tuesday, 16 June 2020

HUNGARIAN AIR FORCE MiG-15 (KP Models)

This is the very old Czech kit of the original MiG-15 by Kovozávody Prostějov Models. The 1:72 scale kit is very basic, but has some under-appreciated details in the form of rivet lines showing actual structure. It also come with rocket assist boosters, and ground attack rockets.

The model came used for only $3. from Hobby Centre in Ottawa, but was missing decals. I built and painted and decaled the entire thing in exactly 24 hours just for fun. This is another in my series of COVID-19 models.

The early version MiG-15 is shown in Hungarian Air Force (Magyar Légierő) markings which appeared in 1951: the same year the air force got their first MiG-15 interceptors. These only served for 2 years, and were quickly replaced by some 200+ MiG-15bis aircraft which served until 1978. The Hungarians called the MiG-15 "Eagle" (Sas). The Hungarian Air Force was stood-down and almost totally dismantled in the wake of the USSR invasion of Hungary in 1956 when several units attacked Soviet tank groups.

Paint is Vallejo metal covered with future floor wax. Decals are from the IPMS Ottawa decal bank.

Hungarian Magyar Légierő MiG-15 in 1:72 from Kovozávody Prostějov

Friday, 5 June 2020

PLAAF MiG-17PF or J-5A (Hobbycraft)

This is the 1991 Hobbycraft 1:48 scale kit of the MiG-17PF (Микоян и Гуревич МиГ-17).

The model is done as a Chinese People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) MiG-17PF or J-5A (歼-5A) interceptor from the period of the Great Cultural Revolution, circa 1966. The aircraft is representative of the MiG-17PF and J-5A types used by the 14th Air Division 41st Air Regiment at Wuyishan Air Base in the Nanjing Military Region tasked with air defence against attacks from the Taiwan direction.

China assembled their initial MiG-17F aircraft from kits imported from the USSR in 1956, then building their own under license in Shenyang from 1957 as the J-5 (Fighter-5). Shenyang also built the MiG-17PF as the Shenyang J-5A (歼-5A), making some 767 of these aircraft by 1969. Over 10600 airframes of all versions were built by MiG and license holders. The first combat of this type was in 1958 when China and Taiwan engaged over the Straits of Taiwan. The first recorded kill was that same year when a US spy plane was shot down inside the Armenian SSR. The type went on to shoot down many faster US military aircraft during the air defence war against US attacks in Viet Nam.

This piece is named after a bizarre air force cult-of-personality artwork entitled "Mao Zedong Thought gives us direction, we do not lose course in the vast sky" (毛泽东思想指方向万里长空不迷航). During the GCR China was so wracked with political upheaval that many things ground to a halt in order to worship Mao and read the little red book. The air force did little maintenance and flew few hours. China was very vulnerable to US attack for several years, and was essentially being protected by the USSR despite the Sino-Soviet Split.

This is another in my series of COVID-19 models, and was built OOB in 72 hours just for the fun of it. I bought it as a previously-owned kit from Hobby Centre in Ottawa. Thank you Bill. The tail is badly warped, and the ejection seat is too tall for the canopy. I could only fix one. The nose section I wanted to use did not fit at all (too small), but there was another. I attached the landing light in the open position. The wavy line between the blue underside and the top colours was done with sticky notes cut to shape and lightly tacked on. Topside black and tan are freehand airgun, with hand washed additional paints overcoating and correcting overspray. Paints are all Vallejo and Tamiya acrylics, coated with sepia and distressed. Decals are from the IPMS Ottawa decal bank.

PLAAF MiG-17PF or J-5A (МиГ-17 or 歼-5A), circa 1966.
"Never tire of training to destroy the enemy"

PLAAF MiG-17PF or J-5A (МиГ-17 or 歼-5A), circa 1966

"Mao Zedong Thought gives us direction, we do not lose course in the vast sky"
毛泽东思想指方向万里长空不迷航

Sunday, 31 May 2020

D.P.R.K. AIR FORCE JJ-5 FIGHTER-TRAINER (Trumpeter)

This is the Trumpeter 1:32 scale early mould model (kit #03) of the Chengdu JJ-5 (FT-5) fighter-trainer as still used by the Air Force of the D.P.R.K.

The JJ-5 is an all-Chinese design based on their need in the early 1960s for a training version of the MiG-17. This is a unique aircraft made only in China, and eventually exported to several countries. The JJ-5 (Jianjiji Jiaolianji meaning fighter-trainer) went into production in 1965, and over a thousand were built by the time production ended in 1986. The export version was named the FT-5 using more obvious code letters. It is a twin-seat trainer version of the J-5 (歼-5) designed and developed by Chengdu Aircraft Corporation. Combined the J-5 airframe, J-5A airbrakes and the tandem twin-seat cockpit section of the JJ-2 (MiG-15UTI). Export version designated FT-5.

The aircraft is still flown as a primary jet trainer by The Korean People's Army Air and Anti-Air Force KPAAF 조선인민군 항공 및 반항공군.

The Beijing authorities gave about 150 of the FT-5 to the DPRK Air Force, and over 130 are still technically in use, some 50+ years after first entering service in China. However, spare parts are rare as production ended 34 years ago, and due to a lack of fuel and serviceability, the aircraft and pilots get very little flight time. Remaining aircraft are probably based at the 8th Air Division at Orang on the north-east coast; and at Pungchon on the coast west of Pyongyang. Both sites host operational conversion units transitioning pilots to modest fighter aircraft. Strangely, KPAAF has more of the JJ-5 than of any other aircraft.

The model is built and painted to show how it probably looked in about 1990 in full service.

The build took nine days, and this is another in my series of COVID-19 model builds. I bought it as a used kit (missing plans and decals) from Hobby Centre in Ottawa. The model is large and heavy, but it is a tail-sitter even with the weight which is included with the kit glued into the weapons bay. The model comes with a complete Chinese Wopen WP-5 engine (derived from the Rolls Royce turbojet Nene engine and the Klimov VK-1A), but I did not add it as it would have been buried in the fuselage, and it will make a great stand-alone kit.

I added brake and hydraulic lines to the main gear and wheel wells; seat belts and buckles; throttles; and built an entire gun sight with clear head-up display. All instruments are hand-painted, then covered with a clear glue to show as glass. Paint is Vallejo acrylic metal coated with Future floor wax. Decals are from the IPMS Ottawa decal bank.

KPAAF JJ-5 / FT-5 Fighter-Trainer

is this the Batplane under construction?

JJ-5 / FT-5 cockpit model - with hand-painted instruments