….or, in this case, a recipe…

I don’t have many bread making disasters nowadays but it’s not often a loaf comes out as perfect as this – if only I knew what I got right this time!! Was it the fresh herbs or shaking up the flour that little bit extra…? Kinda like COIN when you think about it – even when you get it right, there’s no guarantee that it’ll work out OK next time…

And speaking of things going according to plan, the big Russian cannon, Trumpeter’s B-4 203mm monster, is progressing really well and is pretty well ready for its first coat of paint.

As I have mentioned previously, this is a delightful kit to build: it looks complex while being relatively straightforward; it is big (about 30cm long when complete) without being a shelf hog; and it was relatively inexpensive (in Singapore anyway) at $44.50.

Gripes? Only a few…the brass plates as a waste of time and couple be done as well in plastic – they would also stick in place a lot better – extra detail is nice but only if it actually adds some value and isn’t there for its own sake; the parts layout needed some more thought: although there are a number of very fiddly little pins in some places, they could just have easily been molded in place as they only represent a small bump on the model – on the other hand, the pins that hold the gun in place are fixed so that you can not add the gun as part of final post-painting assembly. This means that there are small detail parts that can not be added until after painting (Grrrr!) or you have to try to paint the gun on its mount which will be almost impossible. I’m going to paint it pretty much as you see it (once I replace the two detached – again! brass plates and trim back the gun mounting pins just enough so that I can pop the gun in as a final assembly…

Gripes aside, this is a great kit, interesting subject and good value for outlay. Good on Trumpeter for one again taking a punt and bringing us some a little different…tempted as I am but a what-if SP version on a JS-III chassis as suggested by the evil Mr Regan this early in the year would not be in keeping with my ever so sincere NY resolution regarding model procurements…I’m completing it in its towing configuration so am now on the hunt for any info as to what might have towed this beast…who knows – it might be something that I already have int eh stash…?

Next cab off the rank for production in the plastic media will be Trumpeter’s 1/32 A-10B Kiwi-ised