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On November 1st, Doogs' Models kicks off its first ever kit giveaway. Two lucky winners will receive two fantastic kits, voted on by you, the readers! In the lead up to…

When I asked for feedback about ways to make the blog better, one of the items that jumped out at me was combining build reports into a single post, so the entire build could be perused from first steps to final details. 

This is a test of that concept, using Build Report posts from the Spitfire VIII. Let me know what you think! If this works out, I may be transitioning all future builds to this format, with breakout posts for special modifications and whatnot.

And yes…I realize some of the formatting is a bit weird. Sorry about that, but this is just a test, so who cares, right?

Contents

• Intro
• Cockpit and Main Assembly
• The Merlin
• Paint
• Decals & Details

The Spitfire Mk.VIII was a victim of timing.

In September 1941, the Luftwaffe’s new fighter, the Fw 190, made its operational debut, and quickly outclassed the RAF’s Spitfire Mk.V. That same month, a potential answer, the upgraded Rolls-Royce Merlin 61 engine, made its first flight. The engine was a stunner, and work began at once redesigning the airframe to accomodate the larger, heavier 61. (more…)

When I walked the contest tables at the Austin SMS show in late September, I was shocked to find the “Warships Greater than 1/500” completely vacant. There were a handful of smaller 1/700 scale ships on hand, and one massive fishing boat, but not a one 1/350 scale warship in sight.

That’s when the idea started to form. I think by the drive home, I’d determined that I was going to build a ship.

I started searching and zeroed in pretty early on Dragon’s USS Laffey kit. This scrappy little destroyer served off Guadalcanal in 1942, where it got itself into a point-blank shooting match with a Japanese battleship. Despite a gallant fight, it got its ass kicked, and hard.

Before I could order the Laffey, though, Great Models went and had themselves a big sale on Trumpeter kits.

And Trumpeter happens to make a 1/350 USS North Carolina.

(more…)

I thought it was a great plan. While the bench is packed away for the move, I'll build tanks. I can do that with minimal supplies. Just build a ton…

On November 1st, Doogs' Models kicks off its first ever kit giveaway. Two lucky winners will receive two fantastic kits, voted on by you, the readers! In the lead up to…

This month, Doogs’ Models marks its first anniversary. Kind of amazing to think it’s been around a whole year already!

In that time, traffic has grown from pretty much zero to up to around 8,500 visits per month.

But in that time, what I write about hasn’t really changed. Nor has how I write about it.

Moving into year two, I’m considering shaking things up a bit. Before I do, though, I figured I’d ask you what you’d like to see more of? Less of?

Here are a few things I’ve been pondering… (more…)

Finished up main construction on Dragon's T-34/85 tonight: That makes tank number four of my tank binge. Number three - the Cyber-Hobby M4A4: Number two - Trumpeter's KV-2: And number…