Articles
History, build logs, and lessons learned — from the bench and beyond.
February 27, 2026
Paint Cross-Reference Charts: Tamiya, Vallejo, AK Interactive, Mr. Color, Mission Models
Every modeler eventually faces the same problem: the instructions say one paint, you own another. You're building a P-51 Mustang and the Hasegawa instructions call for Mr. Color C304 Olive Drab — but…
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February 27, 2026
Mission Models Paint Colors: Complete Reference for Scale Modelers
Mission Models is the dark horse of model paint. A small American company, they've built a devoted following among military aircraft modelers by doing one thing exceptionally well: making a water-bas…
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February 27, 2026
Mr. Color Paint Colors: Complete Reference for Scale Modelers
Mr. Color is the gold standard of lacquer model paint. Made by GSI Creos (formerly Gunze Sangyo) in Japan, these paints have been the backbone of Japanese kit building since the 1970s. When you open …
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February 27, 2026
AK Interactive Paint Colors: Complete Reference for Scale Modelers
AK Interactive came into the hobby primarily through weathering products — washes, filters, pigments — and quickly earned a reputation for quality. Their paint line is newer than Tamiya's or Vallejo'…
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February 27, 2026
Vallejo Paint Colors: Complete Reference for Scale Modelers
Vallejo is the most comprehensive paint range available to military modelers. Period. No other manufacturer offers the sheer depth of historically researched military colors, the breadth of product l…
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February 27, 2026
Tamiya Paint Colors: Complete Reference for Scale Modelers
Tamiya is the reference standard in scale modeling paint. When you open a kit from any manufacturer — Tamiya, Hasegawa, Eduard, Airfix, Academy — the painting instructions almost always call out Tami…
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February 26, 2026
Tamiya Acrylic Paints — Complete Guide for Scale Modelers
A practical guide to Tamiya's acrylic paint lines (X, XF, AS, LP) — what each one does, how to thin them, and which ones you actually need.
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February 22, 2026
B-17 Test Flights Resume
B-17 test flghts have resumed over Airbase Urbana
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