Ian Jukes

 Zvezda Beriev Be-200, 1/144 scale

Built by the Beriev aircraft company the B-200 was designed as a jet-powered amphibious flying boat of utility type, for fire fighting, search and rescue, maritime patrol, cargo, and passenger transportation. Capable of carrying 12,000 litres (3,200 US gal) of water, or up to 72 passengers, only 20 of these aircraft were ever built.

The Zvezda kit offers top quality injection moulded parts and fault free clear glazing. I used a mask set but found it tricky to apply the smaller masks on some of the side windows. So I must admit I dispensed with them and airbrushed over the glazing and afterwards scraped off the paint with a cocktail stick. At 1/144 the kit provides a detailed cockpit, engines, and undercarriage. It even comes with a stand so you can pose the aircraft in flight mode if you wish. Decals provided are for the white scheme or the plant egg greyish maritime version.

Listed by Legend Productions as 'German Cossack Colonel' their 1/9th scale resin bust is clearly inspired by the real life character of Colonel Ivan Kononov 5th Don Cossack Regiment, Wehrmacht. 

The German invasion of the Soviet Union was welcomed by some communities in Eastern Europe as a liberation, over the repression of Stalin. As fiercely independent and democratic in organisation, Cossack units fought for both sides during WW2. 

This bust is from the Korean kit manufacturer Legend Productions. The original box art shows Kononov posed in a field grey-green jacket  but looking at an online studio portrait of Kononov  the style and cut is more indicative of the German khaki tropical field blouse. To match the portrait I needed to sculpt a red Cossack cowl to the figure and fit a braid underneath the shoulder boards. The most consuming part was trying to work out the colours of the various awards and ribbons earned by Kononov. The skin was painted with artist oils and the uniform, decorations were done using Humbrol Enamels.

The snow scene picture was done by asking AI to swap out the background of the original.

1/35 Crossley Armoured Car.

 This is a made up 1/72 scale scenario that is inspired by the "Keep Calm and Carry On" philosophy and the contribution towards the war effort of Bee Keepers

All the figures 3D printed resin. The bee keepers I printed out from a file I bought online, the remaining figures were from the range  of 1/72 figures by info@modelu3d.co.uk. The fence was scratch built from wood. Traditional scenic grasses were used and airbrushed to create added variegation.

 1/72 diorama of USN SeaBees on Iwo Jima 1945. The composition is based upon an actual wartime photo (left) with a slight tweak. 

The Deuce and Half is an Academy kit, the D7 bulldozer is from Orange Hobby. The figures are a mixture of 1/72 3D resin US Navy Sea Bees and US Marines. The figures are a mixture of ebay purchases and figures from the range by White Stork Miniatures. The vehicles were airbrushed using enamels and figures a combination of enamels and War Hammer paints.

 Ian bought the excellent book by Sgt. Richard Denis Johnsons that provides extensive examples of the Tiger Stripe camo shirts and trousers. Using this he was able to scale the painting of the pattern in line with the proportions of the torso. The Boonie hat, jacket and trousers were all panted as separate projects, using different mixes in order to replicate the different influences of weather, climate and suppliers had on the varied tones of Tiger Stripes available to the LRRP troopers. Ian used Humbrol enamels throughout, except for the skin tones that were painted using oils, and the heavy grime washes and water stains applied using Games Workshop acrylics. The kit was a considered purchase so to find it did not have a small set of decals for the smoke and egg grenades was an oversite he feels, so to replicate the typical stencils applied to these munitions, he bought a 3rd party set of water slide decal letters in various small scales and just did his best to make up the words by eye. 

  3D Resin Print of Timothee Chalamet' portrayal of Paul Atreides in the 2021 version of 'Dune'. Flesh tones are painted using oils. his desert suit is painted using Games Workshop acrylics, heavily dry brushed using the same range. The pose is taken directly from the film but interestingly the STL vendor changed the hand he is holding the knife in, as he's right handed in the film. The figure stands at 150mm tall.