Blog Entry #322

first of all, thanks everyone for the supportive words 
i have been feeling better mentally, but i still have some problems at stressfull moments sometimes.

meanwhile, back to modelling 

i have 3 new 1/144 build on the bench since my last blog entry, these are 3 1/144 P-51D Mustangs, all 3 will be painted in Belgian WW2 colors, flown by 3 different squadrons. but they will not be the only Belgian aircraft im building, also, as part of the 1/144 WW2 Build series, im planning 2 P-38J Lightnings, 1 Martin B-26B Marauder, and a Belgian Naval Aviation PBY Catalina among other things, might even throw in a pair of Hawker Typhoons or Tempests   

im also looking at other nations in the series aswell, not just real countries, but also fictional countries such as Syldavia, Borduria, Khemed, San Theodoros,...and a "yet to be named" Eastern European country.

as my youtube project channel (Belgiums Flying Past) is becoming a succes, and i really like making content like this, ive been thinking of doing something different, combining my passion for scale modeling with video content creating. ive been thinking of using lessons learned to make kit review video's and film the building process   

but thats something in the long term when i get more free time 
no building this weekend though, as im planning my son's 3rd birthday party 


more soon....

A lot of interesting material here!

As an "Eastern European Country", you could use Ruritania https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Prisoner_of_Zenda  or Rubovia https://en .wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Rubovian_Legend   or even possibly Transtatria

Much more importantly,  Happy Birthday to your son.   Family Rheged hope that you all have an extremely memorable day!

Quote from: Rheged on January 24, 2023, 10:53:54 AMA lot of interesting material here!

As an "Eastern European Country", you could use Ruritania https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Prisoner_of_Zenda  or Rubovia https://en .wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Rubovian_Legend   or even possibly Transtatria

Much more importantly,  Happy Birthday to your son.   Family Rheged hope that you all have an extremely memorable day!

There's also Freedonia and Sylvania (both from Duck Soup)

And don't forget ELBONIA!

QuoteForgotten Weapons: A viewer submitted a question to Ian for one of his Q&As that took an interesting twist on the very common question of "It is [year] and you are a defense minister of a newly-independent country and you are tasked with acquiring new small arms, what do you pick?", with the twist being that "You are a traitor and your goal is to sabotage the newly-independent country's military with the worst weapons and logistical situation you think you can get past a panel of politicians". After he answered that question along with the spins he'd give each weapon to convince a civilian panel that these were actually a good idea, he also took a question of "The traitorous defense minister has been found out and executed. You are his replacement, a loyal officer, and you have been tasked with making the best use of these weapons, which we can't replace because the traitor spent all of our money". Since Ian felt the country needed a name, he borrowed the name of Elbonia, a fictional country from Dilbert known for its petty conflicts and dubious decision-making. After this, several other military history channels like Drachinifel (naval history) and the Chieftain (tank history) took up the "Elbonia challenge" as well, covering both questions within their own respective fields of expertise.

Edited excerpt from: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Trivia/ForgottenWeapons


Also, check out the videos: Forgotten Weapons vid's featuring "Elbonia"

zenratravia.  A privately owned Baltic state about which little is known except for its extremely tight border security.

Happy birthday to the laddie! 

Blog Entry #322b

im right now working on a little "of the record" in between builds.

3 Belgian P-51D mustangs, in pre-war colors (for a What If diorama)





an N-scale aeroclub clubhouse (converted from a bungalow)



and a WW2 RAF Control Tower (scratchbuild)

Blog Entry #323

not much progress lately, except for the 3 WHIF 1/144 P-51D Mustangs im working on.
most of the time, ive been doing prepwork on the next batch of long-term projects.

ive recently rediscovered a small 30 x 30 centimeter diorama base i started on 3 years ago, decided to clean it up and turn it into a WW2 forward operating airfield. this is not the only diplay base im planning, as i have 3 or 4 more in the works.
ive bought N-scale trees, railway model grass carpet and 3 16 x 25cm wooden cuttingboards, im gonna turn these into small diorama's of an aeroclub, a Syldavian and Bordurian airfields. im also scratchbuilding RAF-style control tower buildings to place on them along with the aircraft and vehicles.

another WHIF project ive started researching is a 1/144 scale radial-engined Messerschmitt Bf110, i think it would look nice in Swedish colors.

ive been looking at future builds in 1/144 scale aswell, including more Bordurian aircraft and tanks (He111, FW190A, Ju52, Tiger tank, panther tank,...), but also Syldavian aircraft and vehicles. and not just only WW2 stuff, but also more modern warfare equipment such as Bordurian T-80 tanks, Mig-21's, MiG-27's, Su-22M and Syldavian Mirage 2000's, Challenger tanks, Stryker AIFV's,....

i got some big builds planned, but at the moment, its like im too much on my plate.
if i want these builds to look right, i have to take it one kit/idea at a time.


more soon....

Quote from: Spey_Phantom on February 18, 2023, 02:07:24 PMi got some big builds planned, but at the moment, its like im too much on my plate.
if i want these builds to look right, i have to take it one kit/idea at a time.

Me too, mate. To get anything done, I sometimes need to just put half-built things to one side, or split larger projects in smaller chunks just to be able to breathe.


That is when I actively try to remember myself that this is a hobby. Not a job. 

I tend to have 3 on the go at a time, but concentrate on one of them. Any more gets confusing, any less and to much down time.

Blog Entry #324

little by little, im making progress on the bench, utilising the little time i have to the best.
ive started pre-painting the canopies for the 3 1/144 Mustangs that are now nearing 90% completion.
once done, these will be placed on the aircraft and are to be covered up until serial and squadron marking decals are designed.

in the mean time, ive started another in-between build, also in 1/144. this time, its the radial engined Messerschmitt Bf110 ive noted last time.
ive scratchbuilt some radials and cut some tubing for the cowlings. the wings are also glued together and i cut off the DB engines.

the start of the radial Bf110 has sparked me to start prepwork on another Bf110, this time a realworld Iraqi version. is till need to start designing decals for this one.

ive also been looking at 1/72 scale too, actually a series of undelivered Belgian WW2 aircraft, the last kit i was looking for to ad to this collection, a Douglas DB-7 (Special Hobby 1/72 DB-7B/A-20A Havoc/Boston), arrived earlier this week.

i also managed to obtain a 3rd Airfix Handle page HP.42 heracles on the cheap (one to be built OOB, one as a WHIF Sabena version and the other im planning a military transport version).


more soon....

Good to see things are moving forward!

Quote from: Spey_Phantom on March 03, 2023, 10:24:43 AMthe start of the radial Bf110 has sparked me to start prepwork on another Bf110, this time a realworld Iraqi version. is till need to start designing decals for this one.

Nils I've got some 1/72 transfers for a shark mouthed Me 110D of 4./ZG76 Sonderkommando Junk off a DP Casper sheet. Yours if you want them ? I'm not sure if your planed build will be 1/144 though ?

Blog Entry #325

i bit more progress since the last update.

the 3 1/144 Mustangs have been placed in dust-free storage until i can design the decals for the underwing serials and squadron markings.
little progress has also been made on the radial engined messerschmitt Bf110, but the tailwheel of the old MHM/Crown kit is so bad (practicly a ball on a stick) that i will have to replace it with something else.

meanwhile  i have added 2 more larger wooden cuttingboards to the stash to turn into diorama's, making a total of about 6 or 7 planks to have a bit of fun with. the first one has revieved a small bi of paintwork on what will be a road next to a grass field with a a small treeline, im still goin out on a limb on this one. the larger cuttingboards will recieve a grass field with a strip of concrete to add buildings on, one will be a Bordurian Airfield with an Bf109F (to replace or supplement my earlier built Bf109E). the other will be a Syldavian version with a Hawker Hurricane Mk.II as see in the TinTin album "Destination moon" (2 small blue silhouettes on one page that look like  Hawker Hurricanes, propably night fighter Mk.II's).

ive also layed out multiple 1/144 kits on what will become a Bordurian Air Force fleet, these are an Eduard Ju.52, Ju.87B (will replace an older Revell Stuka), Zvezda Messerschmitt Bf109F and Henschell Hs126, and finally a Revell Messerschmitt Me262.
there's also a Roden Focke-Wulf Fw200 Condor, that will become a civilian airliner buildin Air Borduria markings.

Aside from Syldavia and Borduria, ive also added a 3rd What If country for my WW2 Theme Build series that borders both of them, "Valdovia".
its a small nation that borders west of both countries. i still havent settled on a flag for it, but i do already have a map and some city names.
as for a military, im thinking mostly Brittish and American equipment, much like Syldavia. im still working out the details.

ive also designed decals for a number of 1/144 MAN 630 trucks (as found in the Revell 1/144 Bundeswehr vehicles set or the German LCM). one will be made as a realworld Belgian Army version, one was already built as a fuel bowser a few years ago, the other 2 i have no idea yet (maybe Valdovian & Syldavian Army), the most prominent thing i had to design for it were the grills on the front end of the trucks, as these are pretty much void.

i also started building a second N-scale Bungalow, i might turn this into an Ops-building for one the afformentioned diorama's, maybe for a Bordurian Airfield or Syldavian Aeroclub. there's a lot more planned for these, but im still trying to work out the designs for the control towers, barracks, etc...


more soon....

Progress Nils