Area 88 project

[strobez]

This is my first real post here, but I was quite happy to see people working on models that are strictly taken from real life. I'm working on a project based on the the Area 88 manga from Kaoru Shintani, but with a twist. Not only am I planning to build out the numerous planes featured in the story, I'm also doing a WWII "reimagined" concept. So each of the planes will be decked out using the Area 88 colours markings.

A couple of examples I'm currently working on... Shin Kazama's F-8E Crusader (complete with flaming unicorn crest) side-by-side a F4U-1 Corsair with the same colouring/markings. I chose the Corsair as a "direct ancestor" of the Crusader, seeing as how they're both built by Vaught. I'm also doing a Gary MacBurn Mig-21 PFM (yellow/red) as a MiG-3.

I'm having a lot of fun coming up with direct and/or spiritually connected planes for each of the projects. I've got a couple albums going at stalemates, but I'll post pics here if anyone's interested.

[strobez]

Starting with the Corsair... Here's a link to my build log at Scalemates.

Man, those photo etched parts in 1/72 scale are small. My wife keeps asking me if I'm praying because I've spent so much time on my hands and knees searching for bits and pieces that have jumped out of tweezers.

[Spey_Phantom]

first off, welcome to the nuthouse , i mean boards 

second, very nice project you have going on there, ive seen and read a few Area 88 comics too, a very interesting anime with great attention to detail.
i have a few Area88 builds on the drawing board myself in 1/144 scale (finished an F-5E and F-14A, got an F-20 in progress and im planning an F-16A and F-104G soon).
im on scalemates too, so im gonna be following your builds 

[strobez]

Thanks Nils! I'm mostly interested in building interesting-looking aircraft - mainly from Area 88 with a few Tintin projects thrown in too - rather than a strict attention to accurate-to-life detail. I hadn't really found an online community that fit until I stumbled across this board.

I actually have plans for around 40 planes related to Area 88 (roughly twenty from the comics directly and then with a WWII "soul mate", so it should keep me busy for a long time. I was thinking it might have been better to do it in 1/144, so I'll follow your projects as well.  I'm working on some customized decals, so if they work well, i might be able to give you an option besides the Rose Ridge ones, if you're interested.

The F-104G is one of my favourites, so I'm really looking forward to that one.

[Captain Canada]

Nice work ! I like the effort you are putting in to the details...very nice ! I love the 104 myself, so that will be good !

[TheChronicOne]

This is my first real post here, but I was quite happy to see people working on models that are strictly taken from real life. I'm working on a project based on the the Area 88 manga from Kaoru Shintani, but with a twist. Not only am I planning to build out the numerous planes featured in the story, I'm also doing a WWII "reimagined" concept. So each of the planes will be decked out using the Area 88 colours markings.

A couple of examples I'm currently working on... Shin Kazama's F-8E Crusader (complete with flaming unicorn crest) side-by-side a F4U-1 Corsair with the same colouring/markings. I chose the Corsair as a "direct ancestor" of the Crusader, seeing as how they're both built by Vaught. I'm also doing a Gary MacBurn Mig-21 PFM (yellow/red) as a MiG-3.

I'm having a lot of fun coming up with direct and/or spiritually connected planes for each of the projects. I've got a couple albums going at stalemates, but I'll post pics here if anyone's interested.

MY HERO. I love Area 88. I've only seen maybe 5 minutes of the actual show (of which I was BLOWN AWAY AND WANT MORE) but I've been a huge fan of the planes and characters ever since the renamed "U.N. Squadron" hit SNES.  Also, I have a number of the planes on Ace Combat: Infinity, including Greg Gates' A-10. I saw your pic over on scalemates....  how convenient is it that you share the name?

Welcome aboard, bud... looking forward to your projects.

[strobez]

Thanks for the warm welcome!  As a Canadian in Korea, it's always nice to get some kind words from Captain Canada himself! I'm also glad to find a few more Area 88 fans. I've seen some nice Area 88-themed builds on Japanese and Korean blogs, but not a lot in English.

I've been a fan of Area 88 ever since the comic came out in the late 80's, and Greg Gates was the first "comic book Greg" I'd ever seen, so that helped turn me into a fan.  Working on a few Gunpla models with my son rekindled my interest in modelling, and being in Korea really helped (especially in finding cheap Academy kits!)

Speaking of which, my two usual haunts for kits are Joy Hobby (https://www.joyhobby.co.kr/mall/main.asp?siteid=joyhobby&Menutype=) and Neighbor Hobby (http://www.modelsale.com/main.php) which is literally in my neighbourhood. The websites are in Korean, but easy to search. If you're looking for a hard-to-find Academy kit, let me know. I know where the distributors are and can get 20% off local box price. Happy to post out a few at cost.

[TheChronicOne]

Mighty generous offer there..   

I've also noticed a lack of 88 stuff stateside. Same goes for other popular stuff over in Asia, like the aforementioned Ace Combat stuff which there are also numerous kits and transfers for but hard if not nearly impossible to get in the U.S for less than big bucks.

I think you'll fit in great here!! I'm new, myself. It's been maybe a month or month and half since I've joined and I've had a blast ever since. I think you will, too.

Cheers,
Brad(2)

[strobez]

Well, I'm not planning on opening a distribution centre... but I also like going to the LHS and would be happy to buy stuff with other people's money.

Academy (obviously), Hasegawa and Tamiya are particularly well represented here in Seoul.  Trumpeter/Hobby Boss are pretty good - even though I had to resort to eBay from Beijing for both my Trumpeter F-105D Thunderchief and Hobby Boss MiG-3 kits.  Anything non-Asian in origin (Italeri/Zevzda/Airfix/Revell/etc.) is nothing to write home about.

[TheChronicOne]

Well, I'm not planning on opening a distribution centre... but I also like going to the LHS and would be happy to buy stuff with other people's money.

Academy (obviously), Hasegawa and Tamiya are particularly well represented here in Seoul.  Trumpeter/Hobby Boss are pretty good - even though I had to resort to eBay from Beijing for both my Trumpeter F-105D Thunderchief and Hobby Boss MiG-3 kits.  Anything non-Asian in origin (Italeri/Zevzda/Airfix/Revell/etc.) is nothing to write home about.

Hey, a bit of an aside, but you mentioned Hobby Boss. Are you familiar with any of their F-16 offerings?  I've been looking at an Oklahoma ANG F-16 with the sweet Tulsa Indian Chief deco on the tail but I read somewhere that their F-16 is a pile of junk...     That said, I've read about OTHER Hobby Boss stuff being very nice, indeed.

[strobez]

At the risk of sounding overly ambitious... this is basically the overall Area 88 project plan.  There's still a few holes, and as I'm going through the manga series I'm finding more planes/helicopters/tanks (like the T-38 Talon) that make minor appearances that might get added to the list as it strikes my fancy.

Since I couldn't resist some of the WWII planes, I decided to mate all of the jets with propeller equivalents.  I've got relatively good reasons (and it seems like background stories are a fun part of WHIF modelling) for choosing each of the mates, but I'll see if anyone can guess them first. 

Comments/suggestions are welcome~!

The "Good Guys"

NAME	JET PLANE	PROP PLANE
GREG BAKER	Super Etendard	Typhoon Mk.IB
SHIN KAZAMA	F-8E Crusader F-5E Tiger II J35J Draken F-20 Tigershark X-29	F4U-1 Corsair A6M5c Zero Fighter SAAB J21A -- Kyushu J7W1 Shinden
MICKY SIMON	F-100D Super Sabre F-14A Tomcat	F6F-3 Hellcat F7F-3 Tigercat
SAKI VASHTAL	KFIR C7 F-15C Eagle Rockwell B-1B Lancer	P-51B Mustang P-38 Lightning B-25G Mitchell
SIREN BARNACK	F-104G Starfighter	Focke-Wulf FW-190A
GREG GATES	A-10A Thunderbolt II	P-47D Thunderbolt
KIM ABBA	Harrier FRS.1	Hurricane Mk I
MAJ. ROUNDELL	Buccaneer S2B	Sea Fury
NGUYEN	F-105D Thunderchief	P-40E Warhawk "Flying Tiger"
WARREN COLDMAN	A-4E Skyhawk	A-1H Skyraider
MORRIS	T-6G Texan	Dh.82a Tiger Moth
McCOY	C-130H/E Hercules	C-47 Skytrain
BORIS	F-8E Crusader	Spitfire XIV

The "Bad Guys"

SATORU KANZAKI	F/A-18C Hornet	Messerschmitt Bf 109G-14
"PHOENIX" CHARLIE	F-4E Phantom II	--
GARY MacBURN (Project 4)	MiG-21 FPM "Fishbed D"	MiG-3
COL. KILVICK "Wolfpack"	MiG-27 "Flogger D"	Il-2 Shturmovik
Anti-Government Forces	MiG-21 "Fishbed"	Mig-3
Anti-Government Forces	Yak-38	Yak-3
"THE ESCAPE KILLERS"	Lightning F Mk.6	Tempest V

The "Others"

ROCKY

T-38 Talon

T-6G Texan

[TheChronicOne]

No suggestions from me, only encouragement. I love your ideas and I want to see you fulfill them all.

Your contemporary to old school shifts are really good.

The subject matter is choice. Even those unfamiliar I'm sure could hop on board after seeing some of the visuals from area 88.

I'd wager (as something to convince) the Shin K. F-5 would be a good start, as the other craft I've seen are equally well done.



And, why not, since I'm here... Greg Gates A-10:

[Spey_Phantom]

i like that list, for a WW2 alternative to the Draken, i would suggest the SAAB J21.

as for Mickey's F-100 (and the F-4 Phantoms), the WW2 counterpart would be either P-47 Thunderbolt or the Curtiss P-40.
for the F-15, i would go with either P-51D Mustang or the P-38 Lightning.

for the escape killers Lightnings, i think the Spitfire or Hawker Typhoon/Tempest would make a good alternative.

[Snowtrooper]

Surprised about the choice of Hellcat to represent Tomcat - but then again, Tigercat was a bit late to the party and Hellcat is the more iconic of the two.

Gotta agree with Nils, SAAB for Draken, Lightning for F-15, and for BAC Lightning, definitely Tempest.

Would probably go with a P-51D for F-20 or F-100; maybe even P-36 for F-100?
For Phantom, something big and twin-engined and twin-seater and beautifully ugly is on order, so P-61 or Bf 110.
X-29, some crazy Luft '46 thing, or for the more conservative, Do 335 Pfeil.  Or maybe XP-55 Ascender?
T-6 Texan, well, T-6 Texan would be obvious choice but if going for an older-looking trainer, Tiger Moth?
Boris's F-8, F4F Wildcat?

[strobez]

Wow these are really great suggestions!

The SAAB J21A went straight on to my wish list and the website for the LHS suggests the latest Heller boxing is in stock...

For the F-15 I decided to add the P-38 to the list... Partly because a Mustang is already there as a stand-in for the KFIR.  I Academy's "North Africa" boxing (complete with Willis Jeep) and made a mental connection. Israel's not quite North Africa... But close enough.  Besides the fact, this gives me the tinniest excuse I needed to snatch up that boxing I saw of Academy's "European Theatre" P-38.

The fact that I just picked up an Academy boxing of their Tempest V makes that as a stand in for the BAC Lightning an easy choice as well.  They share some visuals in the large bulges department.

I'm really intrigued by the F7F Tiger Cat.  It seems there's an old Revell boxing of an ancient Monogram offering. Is it any good?  It probably is a closer relative to the F-14... Apparently they even wanted to name it Tom Cat but thought it was too suggestive(!) at the time.

I love Airfix's new tool Tiger Moth... And that makes perfect sense for the Texan, so that was easy.

I'm going to look into those other suggestions... I'm intrigued.