Leopard.Das Panzer

Historical Background
In the late 1960s, West Germany and the United States signed a Memorandum Of Understanding to build a common main battle tank designated Main Battle Tank 70 (MBT70) / Kampfpanzer 70 (Kpz70). The parties involved however did not agree over almost every part of the design; each trying to 'pull' the design in their directions. This almost inevitably led to cost increases. The US Congress eventually pulled the plug on the program in 1971, after which each country resorted to their own MBT programmes (the US MBT-70 was renamed XM1 and eventually led to the M1 Abrams MBT).  The work on the new MBT had actually been started by Krauss-Maffei-Wegmann in 1970 and in 1971, a design based on an even earlier Experimetalentwicklung, armed with a Rheinmetall 120mm L/44 gun was chosen and given the name Leopard 2 (with the original Leopard restrospectively named 'Leopard 1'). After a number of tests from 1974 to 1977, the Leopard 2 was accepted for production. In September 1977, 1,800 Leopard 2s were ordered and to be delivered in five batches, with the first vehicle delivered on 25 October 1979.

The Leopard 2 was protected with spaced, multi-layered composite armour, a combination of steel plates of different hardness, elastic and other non-metallic components. In the 1980s, it was estimated that frontal armour of the Leopard 2 can resist 125mm APFSDS rounds fired fired from the range of 1,500 meters. Estimated protection was roughly 590-690mm RHA equivalent (RHAe) for the turret, 600mm RHAe for the glacis plate (2A4 version) and 920-940mm RHAe for the turret. The hull sides is covered with armoured skirts to increase protection from projectiles and RPG rounds. From the 2A5 version upwards, additional armour was added to the turret front (up to 150mm in a wedge-shaped armour module), hull and the side skirts while Leopard 2A4M and 2A6M added further armour to the belly, to increase protection against anti-tank mines and Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs). Secondary protection was provided by two banks of four Wegmann 76 mm smoke mortars either side of the turret

The Leopard 2 is armed with a 120mm Rheinmetall smoothbore gun, either in L44 variant (up to 2A5 variant) or L55 (2A6 and subsequent models). 42 rounds can be carried - 27 in a magazine to the left of the driver's compartment with another 15 to the left of the turret bustle. The turret magazine is separated from the fighting compartment by an electrically operated door. Blowout panels on the turret roof would direct explosions in the magazine away from the fighting compartment. The gun is able to fire a variety of ordnance such as DM-33 APFSDS-T armour-piercing round and DM-12 Multi-Purpose Anti-Tank round. Secondary weapons are two 7.62mm machine guns (MG3 for German Leopards), one on the roof and the other co-axially mounted with the main armament.  The tank is powered by a MTU MB 873 diesel engine producing 1,500 hp.

Leopard 2 was produced in a number of variants. Leopards 2A1 to 2A3 was only produced in rather small numbers. The 2A4 was the first major variant, which introduced automatic fire and explosion suppression system, all-digital fire control system and improved turret with titanium/tungsten armour. The 2A5 version introduced a wedge-shaped, spaced armour to the turret front and the frontal area of the sides. The new armour was intended to defeat HEAT rounds by detonating it before it can reach the main armour. The spaced armour also was intended to defeat long-rod penetrators ('sabot' or APFSDS rounds) by forcing them to change direction. The interior of the turret was fitted with spall liners, to reduce flying fragments should the armour was penetrated. The front third of the side skirts were also replaced with a stronger substitute. The gun mantlet were also modified to accept the new armour. The gunner's sight was also relocated from the turret face to a position on the roof. The commander's independent sight was relocated to a new position behind the hatch. Turret controls become all-electric, saving some weight while increasing reliability and crew safety. The 2A5 entered service in 1998. The 2A5 together with 2A4 version was used by the German contingent of KFOR (Kosovo Force) peacekeeping force. The Dutch used their Leopards for the IFOR/SFOR missions in Bosnia-Herzegovina. The Leopards' first combat use was at Afghanistan when Denmark and Canada joined the ISAF, bringing their Leopard 2A5DKs and 2A6Ms with them.

The Kit
When the Leopard 2 became the prime MBT for the Bundeswehr since the late 1970s, the modeling companies were somewhat cool towards the then-new tank. I think only Heller and Italeri made the models of the 2A4 back then. In 2000 however, Tamiya came out with an all-new kit of the 2A5. The kit feature all the hallmarks of Tamiya with well-detailed parts, spread among five olive green sprues, a one-piece hull, two lengths of glueable tracks plus the usual decal and instruction sheets. My gripe is that the transparent parts are supplied as acetate, rather than moulded clear plastic pieces. For the turret bustle rack, Tamiya provided a sheet of mesh which need to be cut into shape. Decals provide marking for five 2A5s. For this build, I'm using Lion Roar Models' PE set to replace and/or add parts provided by the kit.

Building
Construction starts with the suspension assembly, which I painted prior to attaching the road, idler and sprocket wheels. Moving on to the upper hull, disaster strikes when I lose the right rear tow hook to the Carpet Monster. I can't find it (and scratchbuilding one is beyond me) and decide that no photos of the rear of tank will be taken! I intend to use the PE engine grilles but decided not to as the kit-supplied ones are quite nice (plus I don't have the proper tool to cut through the rather thick plastic!). I also did not use certain PE parts as I am too clumsy to handle them. The ammo belt for the MG3 is taken from Academy's US machinegun set (at 1/35 scale, one is hard-pressed to notice the difference between .30-06 and 7.62mm x 51 NATO rounds!). The toughest part in building this kit for me had to be the vision blocks as they are made from thin acetate can be easily spoilt by glue marks.

Painting and markings
I painted the Leo according to instructions using Tamiya acrylic paints, all using the NATO colours from their range (XF-67, XF-68 and XF-69). The transparent parts were painted Smoke X-19 and layered with clear red and blue. The MG is painted German Grey XF-63 and dry-brushed with silver for the metallic parts. The tracks are painted Gunze Steel whilst the track pads are painted German Grey. For markings, I choose the markings for a vehicle serving in Kosovo in 1999. XF-57 Buff is then applied to simulate dust.

Conclusion
Again, it's a Tamiya! Construction is fun with almost no problems. The Lion Roar PE parts is however quite hard and need to be malleated over a flame.

Falcon Of The Rising Sun

Historical Background

By 1937, the Imperial Japanese Army realised that a more modern successor to Nakajima's Ki-27 fighter was needed. The Army approached the Nakajima Aircraft Company again specifying an aircraft with a top speed of 500km/h, a climb rate of 5,000m in 5 minutes and a range of 800km. Maneuverability was to be as good as the Ki-27. The new aircraft was designed by Hideo Itokawa and the prototype was first flown in January 1939. The test pilots however complained that the aircraft was not as manuverable as the Ki-27 and not much faster. To overcome the problem, Nakajima produced a number of successively modified prototypes. The changes include major weight-saving measures, including the deletion of pilot armour and self-sealing fuel tanks, a slimmer fuselage with the tail surfaces moved further aft. And from the 11th prototype onwards, the so-called 'butterfly' maneuvering flaps were installed, improving performance in tight turns. Armament however remained two 7.7mm machine guns with 250 rounds each.

The new aircraft was formally designated Ki-43 Hayabusa (Peregrine Falcon) with deliveries commencing in June 1941. The Army designated it as Army Type 1 Fighter and the first production version was designated Ki-43-I. Due to its light weight, the Hayabusa also had a tremendous climb rate, apart from its outstanding manuverability. Power was provided by a Nakajima Ha-25 radial engine turning a two-bladed, two-position variable pitch propeller. Apart from two 7.7mm Type 89 machine guns, the other sub-variants of the Hayabusa was also armed with a 7.7mm machine gun and a 12.7mm Ho-103 heavy machine gun or two Ho-103 machine guns.  In February 1942, prototypes of Ki-43-II flew. The Ha-25 engine was replaced with the more powerful Ha-115 engine and to absorb the increased power, a new three-bladed propeller was installed. The wing structure was strengthened annd a 13mm armour plate was provided to protect the pilot's head and back. The fuel tank was coated with a layer of rubber, as a form of makeshift self-sealing tank. The telescopic gunsight was replaced with a reflector-type sight. Production of the -II began in November 1942. Apart from Nakajima's own factory in Ota, the Hayabusa was also built by Tachikawa Hikoki KK and the Army's Tachikawa Air Arsenal. Tachikawa Hikoki KK also built the prototypes of Ki-43-III, which however did not enter large-scale production.

The first unit equipped with the Ki-43 was the 59th Sentai, based an Hankow from June to August 1941. The second unit was the 64th Sentai, from August to November 1941. Like the Navy's Zero, the Hayabusa initially enjoyed air superiority over South-East Asia. This was partly due to its own superior maneuverability over Allied fighters at the time and also partly due to insufficient numbers of high-performance Allied fighters. It was also mistaken for the Zero because of its rather similar side profile with the Navy's fighter. When it was clear that the Hayabusa was a different plane from the Zero, it was assigned the Allied reporting name 'Oscar'. The Hayabusa however suffered from the same weaknesses that plagued the earlier Ki-27 and the A6M. This was further worsened by the weak armament of the Oscar, which were inadequate against the armoured Allied aircraft, not to mention the lower quality of later, wartime-trained pilots. Nevertheless the superb maneuverability of the Oscar allowed it to prevail against Allied aircraft, especially against those flown by young, brash pilots.

With the reduction of the Japanese perimeter around the Pacific, the Oscar were used as homeland defence interceptor, flying over the Home Islands , Formosa and Okinawa. Apart from the IJAAF, the Ki-43 was also exported and used by the pro-Japanese air forces of Thailand and Manchukuo. After the war, captured examples were operated by both sides of the Chinese Civil War, by Escadron de Chasse 1/7 of the Armee de l'Air over Indochina between 1945-1946 and by the North Korea Air Force. The fledgling Indonesian People's Security Force also intended to use one Ki-43 but it failed to fly because of mechanical problems. In all, 5,919 Hayabusas of all marks were built, making it the most numerous IJA fighter, and second to the IJN's A6M.

The Kit

Hasegawa's 1/48 Ki-43-I was released in 2001, which was their diamond jubilee year. The kit came in 60 parts spread among five light gray and one clear sprues. Also included is a quartet of polycaps. Surface details feature crisp panel lines and good details inside and out (although the seat belt is still absent). The tyres came pre-flattened and a pair of fuel tanks formed the external stores. The canopy and the butterfly flaps can be posed in the open position. And to help themselves when making the longer-winged later versions of the Ki-43, Hasegawa moulded the wing tips as separate pieces. Decals are for two machines - Major Tateo Kato, 64th Sentai, Burma 1942 (no surprises there) and Major Kinshiro Takeda, Indochina 1942 with the latter more colourful with yellow rudders and elevators. Major Kato's plane featured stripes and arrows and Hasegawa provided two types of decals for them : with and without the white portion. I guess the latter is geared towards those who prefer painting the white themselves.



Building
As usual, construction starts with the cockpit which I assembled first before painting. I use kit decals for the instrument panel which was bathed with Mr Mark Softer, causing it to lie flat against the raised details, which looks nice. There is no seatbelt however, which I leave it as it is. Whilst waiting for the glue to dry, I glued together the fuselage and wings assembly. Hasegawa makes the wingtip separate, probably to facilitate production of the later variants of the Oscar. And as can be expected, fit is not that good. Wing-fuselage joint however is very good with no need for a filler. The same thing goes with the horizontal stabilizer. The butterfly flaps were glued in the open position even though there are no pictures showing them deployed whilst on the ground.


Painting and markings


Hasegawa suggests that the Oscar is painted in Nakajima Green. However I don't have stock of that particular colour and I use Tamiya IJA Green (XF-13). But before that I painted the airframe overall bare-metal using Tamiya AS-12 'Bare metal Silver'. The painting instructions calls for IJA Grey as the underside colour but my search on the internet reveals that 64th Sentai's planes have NMF undersides. Control surfaces are painted IJA Grey however. Decals are then applied using the usual method.

With this model I intend to apply weathering, in contrast to my previous modeling style. Using Dymo tape, I ripped up the freshly painted green to reveal bare-metal silver sprayed previously. Ripping is also applied to the decals as pristine markings on a heavily chipped airframe would look weird. I however think that my weathering method is too much as these planes were fairly new when delivered to the 64th Sentai just weeks before the outbreak of war. Ripping method whilst producing random chipping, is also quite uncontrollable as some rip patterns look artificial. Anyway, paint chipping is followed by the usual weathering regime. A strand of fishing line is used as radio antenna, which I paint steel. Perhaps I shouldn't as the paint makes the antenna look overscale.

Conclusion

Another great kit from Hasegawa! Now, where can I find Tamiya's Brewster Buffalo?

The Platypus

Italeri 1/72 Sukhoi Su-32/34 'Strike Flanker'

Background

The Sukhoi Su-34 (NATO : Fullback) is developed as a strike/fighter-bomber version of the Su-27 'Flanker'. Severe budget restrictions following the collapse of the Soviet Union repeatedly stalled the project and the aircraft received confusing designations : Officially described in 1994 as Su-34, then making an appearance at the 1995 Paris Air Show as Su-32FN and as Su-34MF at MAKS 1999. The plane is nicknamed 'platypus' because of its oddly-shaped nose even though it was coded 'Fullback' by NATO.

As of January 2007, two airframes have been delivered to the Russian Air Force with approximately 200 to be in service by the year 2020.

The kit

My version of the 'Fullback' is produced by Italeri. Kit parts looks fine with petite recessed panel lines. Detail-wise, some parts are well-detailed (such as the landing gears) whilst a few others are simplified (like the cockpit). A pretty comprehensive weapons load is included which comprises of missiles and guided bombs. A small decal sheet with markings for 'Blue 43' at Zhukovsky Test Centre and 'outline 45' / 'white 349' from the 1995 Paris Air Show.

Building

As usual, I start building the cockpit first. As mentioned before, details are simplified here and I believe the cockpit could benefit from an aftermarket resin set. I was thinking of getting the Neomega set but shelved it because of budgetary constraints (like the real Fullback I guess?) The dashboard is also 'wrong' as it lacks the three MFDs of the real plane. The K-36 ejection are also simplified although it looks better than the one supplied with Italeri's own MiG-29 Fulcrum kit. The cockpit also lacks crew entry door (or at least an engraved panel-pretending-to be- a door).

Moving on to the rest of the plane, assembly/construction is almost a breeze except for the wings which doesn't fit very well, but nothing serious. One catch though, the kit vertical fins are wrong. It should be shorter (as in the single-seat Flankers). Surgery would be quite major and I'm not prepared to splash my hard-earned money on another Flanker kit, even the cheap, crap one, just for the fins! So the original fins are used; I can live with that!

Painting and Markings

I must say that the Fullback has one of the most confusing colour schemes in the world today (or is it just my eyes?) I decided to paint my Fullback as the Paris Air Show machine using the kit colour guide. It end up looking reeeaaal weird and does not match the photos I've seen. So, I strip the paint off using Easy Off kitchen cleaner and used my own concoction of Tamiya X14 Sy Blue + XF2 Flat White for the blue, XF-13 plus a shade of grey (can't remember which one) for the green and Gunze H307 for the grey plus Gunze H308 for the dielectric panels. It still looks quite weird but at least closer to the photos. Later on I found an online shop website where they make available the instruction sheets of various kits in their catalogue. The instruction sheet for Tamiya's boxing of this kit is available and should be of immense help had I discovered it earlier! (I almost exclusively use Tamiya paints)

Decals went on without much problem. However I left off the Paris Air Show registration number.

Final Run

In the meantime I assembled the weapons and painted them according to instructions except for the AA-11 and AA-12 missiles which are painted overall white. Once they have been attached to the pylons, I attached the small fiddly bits such as pitot probes. And as usual, I leave weathering and other finishing works for a later, undetermined date.

Conclusion

A good kit of an interesting aircraft. Quite easy to assemble and I recommed it to those who want to have it in their collection. Those who wish for better details and accuracy can opt to get the Neomega cockpit, replace the vertical fins and other small modifications which I didn't bother to do.

'The End'

As much as I want to continue building models as possible, logistics (or rather the display area/cabinet) plays a significant part whether you can do so or just have to stop when the space finally runs out. And with a heavy heart I have to say that I have been nearing the end. There are now 4 display cabinets full of models in my house and no re-arrangement of the models inside can yield more space....The only solution is to get more cabinets but you can't fill the house with them, at least that what the HM (Home Minister = wife!) told me. The only other alternative is to build your own house to your own specifications - in which I have no Ringgit Malaysias to fork out. It's kind of sad when you have to stop your hobby because you have run out of space!

Anyway, after taking into account my unbuilt kits, I found out that there is is still space left for the last models of mine. My wish list would be:

1/72 planes (5 slot) : I intend to choose from F-15E, Eurofighter Typhoon, Rafale, Su-30, F-105D or G, A-4 Skyhawk, F-86 (CA.27) Sabre, F-4 Phantom and the F-104S.

1/48 planes : 8 from this list - P-39/-400, SBD Dauntless, Hellcat, Fulmar, Barracuda, Firefly, Me163, Ar 234, Bf 110, MC200, MC202, MC205, G50, G55, Re2000, RE2001, CR32, MS406, MB152, MiG-3, LaGG-3, Il-2m3, Ki-44, Ki-27, A6M3 Type 32, A6M2 Type 21, J2M, D4Y, Buffalo and Boomerang.

1/35 AFVs : 6 from this list T-80BV or UD, Ariete C1, Challenger 2, Char B1bis, Hotchkiss H39, Somua S35, AB41 and AS42 Sahariana.

1/350 ships : 6 from this list - HMS Hood, Fletcher-class DD plus whatever kits manufacturers come up.

When these 25 kits are complete, a chapter of my life has ended...well not really I guess since basically I haven't done any weathering job on my completed kits!

Kit From Hell - Shanghai Dragon 1/35 MAZ-543 w/Scud missile

Background
The SS-1 'Scud' (or more appropriately R-11, R-17 and/or R-300 Elbrus) is a series of tactical ballistic missile developed by the former Soviet Union during the Cold War. Developed from the German V-2 missile, the Scud can carry conventional (HE), chemical or tactical nuclear warhead. The missile are carried onboard a TEL (transporter-erector- launcher) based on the chassis of the IS-3 heavy tank (early versions) or the MAZ-543/9P117 8x8 truck. The Scud missile became infamous during the 1991 Gulf War when the Iraqi Army launched several missiles into Saudi Arabia and Israel. Such was the impact of the Iraqi Scuds that their own modifications and other nations' tactical missiles derived from the original Soviet missiles are 'Scuds'.

The kit

Honestly I can't recall when did the Dragon offering enter the market (probably in mid-90s in the wake of Desert Storm). Certain sources in the internet argue that the Dragon kit is not of their own mould as the kit came in rather thickish sprue gate plus some short-cuts (such as the underbelly). I bought the kit at Hobby HQ KL for RM85 in 2003. The kit bought by me is a re-issue by Shanghai Dragon which IIRC re-release Dragon/DML kits at lower prices.

ConstructionConstruction starts with the cockpit, I mean driver and crew cabs. The interior is very spartan (as if Spartans use the Scud!) and almost devoid of details. There are instrument decals provided but I decided to diregard them as they look 'funny'. Instead I just paint the relevant areas flat black and add circles using white paint to represent dials. This is the start of my adventure with ugly gaps throughout the building process. The roof of the cabs need careful aligning - even that does not eliminate the gaps fully and liberal amount of putty is needed.

The same story goes for most of the kit...the worst however concerns with the undercarriage. I believe the original manufacturer based their kit on pictures alone...and pictures don't show the underbelly of the vehicle. So what we get are 8 large wheels without axles or connection with each other and no detail whatsoever! Oh boy, the least the manufacturer could do is to study the underneath of large trucks and makes the approximation for the underbelly. Fit is quite OK for the 4 front wheels but not for the rest. To make matters worse, one of the rod pretending to be an axle broke. In true Krapp Plastik tradition, they are left like that, misaligned wheels and all!

One other thing, the windows are to be made using templates and clear acetate supplied. I need to have a very steady hand (or learn to fine tune the controls) - some of the windows are undersized! I also left off the tow cable as the part look more like a 'string' than a 'cable'.

Painting

At first I want to paint the model to represent a vehicle used by the Red Army. However I later decided to have the model in the colours of its most famous (or infamous) operator-Iraq. Unable to find the best approximation of the Iraqi vehicles colour, I settled for Tamiya's XF-59 Desert Yellow. The missile is suggested to be painted white. However, research through the internet reveals that some missiles exported to Iraq are painted in its original green colour. This finding, coupled with the inherent difficulty in painting whites, makes me paint the missile in (supposedly) Russian Green (XF58 + a dash of XF-3 and XF-2).

I'm too lazy to coat the model with gloss coat and as the result some of the decals silvered (but not too badly). Dragon includes what is supposedly a graffiti in Arabic but since I cannot make out the characters, I just leave it off. I was thinking of applying my own graffiti (such as 'Death to the Iranians!' - in Arab of course!) but in the end I decided to shelve it. Oh, in case one is wondering why my proposed graffiti reads 'Death To Iranians', it is because the Iraqi flag supplied lacks the inscription 'Allahuakbar' (God Is Great) added in 1990 following the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. So my model represents a MAZ-543 during the Battle of The Cities in mid-1980s between Iraq and Iran.

The model is finished with a general wash to bring out details. I would only do further weathering much later.

Conclusion

The Dragon Scud kit is not easy to assemble. Apart from suspect accuracy, the kit also suffers from poor fittings and details. It however makes a nice display, especially when you can pull everything off.

Collections - AFVs and Arty

1/35 AFV and artillery

T-55A (Tamiya)
M48A3 (Tamiya)
T-62M (Tamiya)
M60A1 RISE/Passive (Academy)
T-72A (Zvezda)
MAZ-543 TEL w/SS-1b Scud-C (Shanghai Dragon)
Tiger I initial production (Tamiya)
King Tiger 'Production Turret' (Tamiya)
Panther G 'steel wheel version' (Tamiya)
Churchill Mk VII (Tamiya)
KV-1B Model 1940 (Tamiya)
M26 (T26E3) Pershing (Tamiya)
IS-2m (Dragon)
T-34/85 model 1944 (Dragon)
M4A3 Sherman '75mm gun' (Tamiya)
Cromwell Mk IV (Tamiya)
T-34/76 Model 1943 (Tamiya)
Panzer IV Ausf.J (Tamiya)
Carro Armato M13/40 (Tamiya)
Grant Mk.I (Tamiya)
Type 97 Chi-Ha (Tamiya)
Matilda Mk.II (Tamiya)
Panzer III Ausf.L (Tamiya)
Crusader Mk.I (Italeri)
Jagdpanther late version (Tamiya)
M40 75/18 SPG (Tamiya)
Panzerjager Nashorn (Dragon)
M12 155mm GMC (Academy)
Type 1 Ho-Ni I SPG (Tamiya)
M10 GMC (AFV Club)
M18 Hellcat GMC (Academy)
Marder II SPG (Tamiya)
SU-122 SPG (Tamiya)
SU-85 SPG (Tamiya)
M20 armored utility car (Tamiya)
Type 94 tankette (Fine Molds)
M16 MGMC (Tamiya)
SdKfz 251/9 kanonenwagen (Tamiya)
SdKfz 222 armored car (Tamiya)
M3 Stuart (Tamiya)
M24 Chaffee (Italeri)
Panzer II Ausf.F (Tamiya)
SAS desert jeep (Tamiya)
Type 95 Ha Go (Fine Molds)
Universal carrier MkII (Tamiya)
PAK 40 75mm AT gun (Tamiya)
Flak 36/37 88mm AT/AA gun (Tamiya)
leFH 18 105mm howitzer (AFV Club)
25-pounder field gun (Tamiya)
6-pounder AT gun (Tamiya)
M1 155mm howitzer (AFV Club)
M1938 122mm howitzer (Zvezda)
M1942 76.2mm AT/field gun

unbuilt stash
Merkava Mk III (Academy)
Leopard 2A5 (Tamiya)
ISU-152 SPH (Dragon)
Sherman Vc Firefly (Dragon)

The Collection - Ships and Rides

1/350 Ships
USS Missouri (Tamiya)
DKM Bismarck (Tamiya)
HMS King George V (Tamiya)
IJNS Musashi (Tamiya)
Type XXI U-Boat (AFV Club)

unbuild stash
USS Arizona (Mini Hobby Models)

1/24 Cars
Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI (Tamiya)
Honda NSX (Tamiya)

Collections (cont'd)

1/72 aircraft

Mil Mi-24 Hind D/E (Tamiya)
Mil Mi-17 Hip (Zvezda) given to a friend
McDonnell Douglas AH-64A Apache (Hasegawa/Italeri kitbash)
Bell AH-1W Super Cobra (Italeri)
Agusta A129 Mangusta (Italeri)
Kamov Ka-50 Hokum (Italeri)
Boeing F/A-18D Hornet (Hasegawa)
Northrop F-5E Tiger II (Tamiya)
Northrop F-5E Tiger II (Mini Hobby Models)
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-29N Fulcrum (Italeri)
BAe Hawk Mk108 (Italeri)
Aermacchi MB 339A (Supermodel)
Vought F-8E Crusader (Academy)
Grumman F-14A Tomcat (Fujimi)
Boeing F-15C Eagle (Hasegawa)
Lockheed Martin F-16C Fighting Falcon (Hasegawa)
Boeing F/A-18E Super Hornet (Hasegawa)
General Dynamics F-111A (Italeri)
Mikoyan Gurevich MiG-21bis Fishbed-N (Fujimi)
Mikoyan Gurevich MiG-31B Foxhound (Zvezda)
Sukhoi Su-34 Strike Flanker (Italeri)
Sukhoi Su-25 Frogfoot (Zvezda)
Fairchild A-10A Thunderbolt II (Italeri)
McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II (Hasegawa)
Panavia Tornado GR.1 (Hasegawa)
SEPECAT Jaguar A (Hasegawa)
BAe Sea Harrier FRS.1 (Italeri)
Lockheed Martin F-117A Nighthawk (Academy)
Dassault Breguet Super Etendard (Academy)
Dassault Breguet Mirage 2000C (Tamiya)
Saab JAS39A Gripen (Italeri)
Chengdu J-10 (Trumpeter)

unbuild stash
Shenyang J-8II Finback (Trumpeter)
Mikoyan Gurevich MiG-23MLD (Zvezda) cannibalized for parts!
Cessna A-37 (Hasegawa)
Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer-C (Dragon)

Intro and Collection (with updates, as of January 2014)

As stated in blog title, I have indulged in this hobby since 1981 when I was 11. I was attracted by my friend's model of a spaceship from a Japanese anime. My first kit was a 1/144 F-14A Tomcat and since then kits have come into and gone out of my collection. Here's my current collection (looks large but I know other modelers who have bigger collection).

1/48 Aircraft models
Yakovlev Yak-9DD (ICM)
Yakovlev Yak-3 (Eduard)
Yakovlev Yak-1b (Accurate Miniatures)
Lavochkin La-7 (Academy)
Polikarpov I-16 Type 18 (Academy) replaced with Eduard I-16 Type 24 'Weekend Edition'
Dewoitine D.520 (Tamiya)
Republic P-47D Thunderbolt (Academy) replaced with Tamiya P-47D Thunderbolt Bubbletop
North American P-51D Mustang (Tamiya)
Grumman F4F-4 Wildcat (Tamiya)
Vought F4U-1D Corsair (Tamiya)
Lockheed P-38L Lightning (Hasegawa)
Mitsubishi A6M5c Zero (Tamiya) replaced with Hasegawa A6M5c Zero
Aichi D3A1 Val (Hasegawa)
Kawasaki Ki-61-I Tony (Hasegawa)
Nakajima Ki-84-I Frank (Tamiya) replaced with Hasegawa Ki-84 Frank '22nd Flight Regiment'
Nakajima Ki-43-I Oscar (Hasegawa)
Kawanishi N1K1-Ja George (Tamiya) replaced with Hasegawa N1K2-J 'Late Production'
Supermarine Spitfire Mk.I (Tamiya)
Supermarine Spitfire Mk.V (Tamiya)
Hawker Hurricane Mk IIb (Hasegawa)
Hawker Typhoon Mk Ib (Hasegawa)
Focke-Wulf Fw 190A-3 (Tamiya) replaced with Tamiya Fw 190A-8/A-8 R2
Focke-Wulf Fw 190D-9 (Tamiya)
Messerschmitt Bf 109E-3 (Tamiya)
Junkers Ju 87B-2 Stuka (Hasegawa)
Heinkel He 219A-7 Uhu (Tamiya)
Bristol Beaufighter Mk X (Tamiya) given to a friend
de Havilland Mosquito FB.VI (Tamiya)
Mitsubishi Ki-46-III Dinah (Tamiya)
Nakajima J1N1-S Irving (Tamiya) given to a friend
Gloster Meteor MkI (Tamiya)
Messerschmitt Me 262A-1a (Tamiya)

unbuilt stash (all now completed)
Heinkel He 162A-2 Salamander (Tamiya)
Supermarine Spitfire MkXIV (Academy)
Curtiss P-40C Tomahawk (Academy)
Fiat CR.42AS Falco (Classic Airframes)

to be continued....