I’m not ready to do a “looking back at this year” post, because I’m not sure how I feel about where I am. But, here are the models which I liked the most over the last few years.
This isn’t a list of my best efforts or favourite builds, but the models which stood the test of time or which I think will. They were the best I could do at the time and ones that I continued to be proud of long after I felt I could do better.
Honourable mention. 1/48 F-15c
This was 100% the best I could do at the time, and it remains quite special.
10. 1/48 Kfir
Something about this one just looks right.
9. 1/32 MiG-3
Not the most technically challenging build, but the result really speaks to me. Looking at this one always makes me happy.
8. 1/48 MiG-31
A nice build and an imposing model that I was pleased to add some authentic-looking character to.
7. 1/32 P-51D
It was tight between this and the AMK MiG-31, but despite how much I hated this build, I always loved looking at the model. This one was a culmination of everything I had learned up to that point and achieved the worn finish I wanted from a MTO Mustang.
6. 1/32 MiG-15
Woeful kit, took every bit of motivation I had to get it over the line… but a stunning result.
5. 1/32 Felixstowe
Huge, imposing, beautiful… this technological terror took everything I had to get it done.
4. 1/48 Fw 190A-5
I have no idea why this little model is so special to me, but it is. By a huge margin my all-time favourite 1/48 prop fighter model.
3. 1/48 Viggen
Another very tough build, this Viggen remains up there as one of my all-time favourites.
2. 1/48 B-17F
This and the next one stand apart from everything else I’ve done because they exhibit a control of the techniques that I had used to that point which allows the weathering to be more than dirt. I had a mental image of what I was going for: a bomber that had flown 135 combat missions in North Africa and Italy, stained and faded. Layer after layer of oil paints gradually brought it closer to what I wanted.
1. 1/48 F/A-18E
The B-17 was stunning, but I knew I could do heavy-handed oils work: it had just been a question of getting the shapes and colours right, and having the courage to go ham on it. This model was far more of a challenge because I wanted to do subtle dirt: Super Hornets get dirty, but in a much smaller colour range. The low-visibility scheme was going to be unforgiving because of the limited contrast available across the surface. In the end, I loved the result.
