It's my pleasure to announce that my website celebrated its 10th Year Anniversary on 9 November 2008 and it is now entering 11th year of service.

And for this occasion, Model Maniac Page 45 - Part A is now available! There are four new armors and a new diorama on show, as follows :

- Dragon's M1A1 HA Iraq 2003
- SKIF's MT-LB 6M1B3
- Italeri's Schwerer Panzerspahwagen 2cm
- Esci's BMW R/75 1:9
- Diorama "Belgium 1944" using Italeri's Sd.Kfz.10/4 Flak30 and Dragon's German Infantry

All by "Art Instructor"

Index and sample pics :













For more pics please try my latest page :

http://www.falconbbs.com/model45a.htm

Have fun!

Hi FalconBBS,

I have been enjoy your gallery and amazed by your collection for long time.

I don't know you remember me but I'm glad I found your website again!

You and AI are a great team! Please keep up the good work and continue to burn money LOL~

Any plan to build the new HASEGAWA AKAGI? I would love to see it on your website!

Takecare

Wildcard

Hi Wildcard,

It's my pleasure that you've enjoyed my website for a long time and I'm glad that you tell me about it. Your login name 'Victorius_Secret' sounds familiar but I don't remember exactly who you are. Are you in Thailand?. I have no plan to build the Akagi, a fellow modeler has offered to sell me the Matsu + 3 PE sets at cost which is 10,290.- Baht or around $275. The Akagi will cost $100 more - or around 10,400.- Baht. I don't understand why the price is so high. I'm running out of both display space and cash!

All the best,
FalconBBS

Hi Falcon,

I'm in USA. I remember when you post in Armorama and I think I'm the only one who didn't give you the hard time about AI's work LOL~

Last time I saw your post was when you just build your extra room... I think that is about 3 or 4 years ago. I'm glad to see you are still passion about the models.

About Akagi... I feel the same!! I was going to buy one but price stopped me from getting it... its just too much and I rather buy from Trumpeter instead.

Here's are my work if you still remember...


http://s113.photobucket.com/albums/n231/Gelgoogmarine/Armor/?start=all


Please give my regards to AI as well

WC AKA VS

Hi WC,

I see that you're in the USA. First I thought you may be in Thailand because of some grammatical errors that native speakers of English usually don't make. LOL
At Armorama, as at anywhere else, I have more friends than foes and more admirers than nay-sayers. The reason I stopped posting there over 3 years ago was because I didn't like the way the moderator there editted my post unnecessarily (a guy asked in his thread about Russian Surrender figures, I answered and showed a few dio's using such figures and names of manufacturers. The picture part was editted out with no reason given, I was enraged and stopped posting there since then.

I forgot to ask you how did you find my site again after so many years. Was it my post on Yahoo's Modelling Message Group? Now my show room is more than 3 years old and it's almost full.

Trumpeter's getting more and more expensive too. Their M-16 1:16 is more expensive than their T-34 1:76, even with ugly one-piece rubber tracks.

The link to your work doesn't work. Please provide a new one.

Thanks for your well-wishing to me and AI. Many happy returns!

All the best,
FalconBBS aka Model Maniac or MM

Ha~

I totally agree with you on the recent model price... Did you see the price on the Lionroar's BMW R75?! It is 30 USD just for one! The Trumpeter's 1/16 Tiger is at a whopping 500 USD!! Now I just buy old model collections on eBay so I can improve the details of the model by myself. Deos the price of model expensive in Thailand?

Oh by the way, here is my model link again:

http://s113.photobucket.com/albums/n231/Gelgoogmarine/Armor/?start=all

WC

Hi WC,

I think maybe Lionroar just put Master Box's BMW R75 1:35 in their boxes and added up the price. Master Box used to charge
$22 for it, but now reduced to $17 ($21 with riders). The prices of models in Thailand are quite high, but there're sale period usually at year's end when I can buy at 30-50% off. Yesterday and today I bought 22 boxes mostly at 50% off. These include 14 armors, 5 figure sets, 2 warplanes and 1 battleship 1:350. All these cost me nearly $300, but it's a good buy.

I've seen your photos, very nice work. Your link remains the same but it works this time. Nice dog too, how many do you have? I have 3 in the house. And what's the last tank in your page? I don't have one yet.

Well, Masterbox's BMW just can not compare to Lionroar's. However, I still think it is rediculous to charge a motorcycle for the price of an armor. I think Lionroar is taking advantage of the market right now. I'm hoping Dragon or Trumpeter will come out with a cheaper version with photo etch spokes. As for now I decide to wait until the hype is down.

I dont buy in bulk so I just wait until I want to build something and find cheapest price as possible. However, even with minimum spending and good deal, each of my armor still cost average about 100 USD per armor. >"< I think you save alot of money even though you spent 300 USD... what a great deal!! <br>
Thank you for your comment about the dog LOL~ I only have one and he is a big Doberman. You have 3 Dobermans? That's alot of dog food haha~

The last armor in my photo album is called VK4502. There are total of two version of this tank, VK4501 and VK4502. It is the prototype of Tiger II designed by Dr Ferdinand Porsche. VK4502 have alot of engine and maintance problem therefore it was redesigned again to the Tiger II as we know of now.

WC

Are you sure Lion Roar produce a motorcycle by itself?
They usually produce PE upgrade parts for others' kits, so plastic molding is not their line of production and business. Just my 2 cents.

You said you pay about $100 per armor, so you always buy PE upgrade kit for your armors?

As for dogs, I have three in the house namely Bank, Big and Brown. The first two are domestic dogs, midium size but the last one is a big golden retriever and the greediest dog that I've ever seen in my life! But he's cute and most friendly to all visitors:



Thanks for your info about the VK4502. Did you modify the kit? and what kit? I think I have some of them built before (Italeri's and Dragon's) but they don't look like yours.

Hi MM,

Yes Lionroar produce the entire kit by itself. Here is the link of it:

http://www.perthmilitarymodelling.com/newkitnews/lion_roar.htm



The VK4502 is the prototype of Tiger II and it has not been produced by either Dragon or Italeri. I think you are thinking of Ferdinand Tiger I, which it was the prototype of Tiger I and it is available in Dragon and Italeri. Since I like German prototypes I have built both Ferdinand Tiger I and Tiger II


Ferdinand Tiger I (This perticular version 003 was the only Ferdinand tiger I served as command vehicle and it was the only one fought in the war on eastern front. It was later destroyed.)

[IMG][/IMG]

Ferdinand Tiger II (VK4502) (If I'm correct, this version never served on the frontline.)

[IMG][/IMG]

The VK4502 is built with Tamiya Tiger turret and Dragon Chassis.

I'm one of those people who likes to built historically accurate superdetailed vehicles LOL~ so all the photo-etch and tracks add up very quickly. I rarely build out of the box... I think I have a serious problem :^p



About your dogs...

Ha! It's a goldie! I love all dogs especially Golden Retrivers. Here are two of mine. I adopted mine 3 years ago.

[IMG][/IMG]

WC

reference picture of the Ferdinand Tiger I 003 (VK4501(P))

[img][/img]

reference picture of the Ferdinand Tiger II (VK4502)

[img]
[/img]

By the way, King Tiger as we know of is VK4503

Hi WC,

Thanks for your information, link and pictures, they're very informative. So LionRoar really produce their own 1/35 motorcyles and they're Zundapp while Master Box's is BMW (I'm waiting for 2 BMW w/ figures - one for myself and another for resale). I normally don't seek or buy PE upgrade sets for my kits but there're some exceptions. Recently I bought Trumpeter's KV-2 w/ Eduard PE and M270 MLRS w/ Voyager PE from a fellow modeler. I have both built by my main modeler and their pictures were taken yesterday (my new page will be available tomorrow). I don't see much differences from the ones without PE, and still wonder whether they're worth the extra money for PE and 50% more building price for adding the PE.

About historical accuracy, sometimes it's not as important as the satisfaction of the model owner. I know a Singaporean collector who had his Leopold Railgun 1:35 painted in green (historically they were painted in grey or camo, but never in green) and a Thai collector who had his F-105 1:32 painted and drabbed with Thai markings (Thailand has never owned an F-105). They said they just wanted to see them that way.

About dogs, first you told me you only have one, but now you have two. Maybe the next time the third one will emerge! LOL
Both are cute and they're luckier than my dogs because they have blankets and live inside the inner house. All my dogs live without blankets at the outer side.

Hi MM,

I think the problem I have with the plastic motorcycles and bicycles are really just the wheel spokes. While the MB bikes are nice, I just could not get pass the fact they have much thicker plastic wheel spokes. Sigh... BMW and Zundapp are one of my favorite military modeling subjects. If they could just include the PE spoke, I can deal with the rest.

Yes you are correct about modeling accuracy. It is a matter of personal preference. After all, it's only a hobby. You and I just happen to have a different style of modeling. I think it is refreshing to see a unique color scheme (BTW, I would love to see the green Leo you are talking about). However, I have yet to try. I'm so interested in the historical background of the vehicle sometimes I have a hard time to be creative.

Well, according to what I read, I think there are only gray Leopolds but I'm not 100% sure. If you have photo reference on a camo Leopold please show it to me! As you can see I have not yet paint my Leopold and I rather have a camo version than the mono gray.

About my dogs LOL~ the white one is actually owned by my brother but I treat them both like my own. I should have mention that LOL~ and YES! there might be a third coming because we are thinking about getting another dog. I would like to have a German Shepard or a Golden Retriver like yours.


So what is AI working for you these days? Are you going to get the 1/35 Italeri Schnellboot? It cost about 250 USD here in U.S. Once again, I was disappointed because I think it is too expensive. One of my best recent purchase is the SDKFZ 263 Funkwagen conversion. I have waited to get this armor truck for years. I hope I can build it soon.

WC

Oh I forgot to ask you when will your next update be? I can't wait to see them. Also since you have so many models I think it would be great if you do some kit review.

Do you own any military modeling books? I never seen any picture showing you have books LOL~

WC

Hi WC,

About the motorcycles, to build one without wheel spoke problem you need to build a bigger scale - 1:9 from Dragon or Revell (both are old Esci's but very good details) - if you can find one.

About the Leopold, I think I have seen one historic picture showing it in camo. I'll have to search for it and will show you later. I didn't tell AI what color to paint but he chose grey quoting the reason that rust is more evident with grey than with camo.

So the white dog is your brother's, very well. How much does it cost there for a few months old German Sheppard or Goldie? And be careful, Goldie is very greedy! A lot more dog food will be needed. My Mr.Brown doesn't like dog food though, he prefers human food.

I may not buy the 1/35 Schnellboot because of space problem. I have 1/35 Elco torpedo boat being built by another modeler named "Niphon" who's very good at building warships and warplanes, and I still don't have a showcase big enough for it. I bought it for 3,000.- baht or $86 only!

AI is now working on these:
- Trumpeter's LAV-AD
- Italeri's Autoblinda AB43
- Revell's T-34/76 model 1943
- Italeri's M4A3 76mm
- Ark's Flakpanzer 38(t)
- Diorama "The Wespe" using Tamiya's Wespe and Master Box's German Signal Personnel
He can finish all in about 2 weeks' time - or around year's end. He got them on 15 Dec.

My next update is available now! I'll post about it right after this. It's hard to do a kit review because I don't build myself and my vocaburary is very limited.

I don't own any book of any kind, just a 10 years old Website which I maintain as a public service to modelers of the world. I've never claimed any copyright or embedded watermark in any of my 6,600+ pictures, so they are in effect in the public domain. Anyone can use them anyway they want. LOL

A Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 2009 to you and your loved ones!

MM