Category: Blog news

Hello everybody,

I have been working on one of my 1/144 catering trucks because I wanted to do a finished version with the new chassis model.

The new chassis is very fun to build and I am currently half way finishing the model, I am also taking this oportunity to take photos during the process to aid on the building (although there are plenty of detailed drawings in the instructions) and specially to show which parts I prefer to paint first and then join them together.

I will publish the process photos here in the blog in a few days once I finish the model, my goal is to complete it this week.

The compartment here is placed just to see the effect, but the whole model still requieres more work, no matt varnish has been applied yet.

The first units with this new chassis were released a few days ago and run out of stock recently, therefore I am currently starting to prepare the next batch.
This time in the product page, I specified that if anyone wants a custom decal for the catering or AST-1 pushback, it is now possible.

I am also looking forward to retake the current projects after I finish this catering truck model. As I mentioned in the past, the 747 cargo deck set will also bring new GSE models, so I am going to be working on them alongside the cargo set. Currently working on the AFT cargo holds of the 747-8F.

Best wishes,
Guillem

Hello all,

With a little bit of delay, I want to wish you all a very happy holidays!
2019 is around the corner and I do hope from heart that we can all be in good health and doing what makes us the happiest.

I personally have lots of projects for this coming year, (perhaps too many!) but I will be putting all my effort in every single thing, that is why sometimes things take such a long time to be completed, you can’t rush something that you do from heart.

I have been off from work (with model items) for a few days, mainly focusing onto adjusting the several artworks that were made in order to be printed with the new equipment, and so far I can say that the A320/A320Neo liveries have been adjusted, the A350 “generic” has been adjusted as well and now it is time to do the same for the rest of the A350 liveries. From there I hope to keep on creating new artworks for future aircraft models as well.

During the rest of this and the upcoming week, I will be working on an A320 finally wearing the Brussels Airlines colors as I wanted to make a “quick” build in order to do the final test with the decals on a model.
I can tell for sure that the decal can resist the 2k clear coats (but I think that is normal in all decals due the nature of this kind of clear coat) so I am sure they will work as all the other decals in the market regarding the clear coats/varnishes.

For this reason, projects such as the 747-8F are currently on pause for the next few days, but I am going to retake them once we start the next year.

I have set a goal to have completed the next Neo engine for around January-February. It will be the other variant, the LEAP 1A engine, which hopefully won’t give me as many headaches as the PW did.

These are the two first items I am going to be working on during the beginning of next year, and once completed I am going to be working on a series of new GSE models such as; the new cargo loader which will include the double sill, a new tug; the Charlette version and I am also going to make the hydrant truck. The 747-8F project also gives me the oportunity to create some other GSE items related to the cargo operations, so I expect to make new pellets/containers, dollies and transporters. Since the 747-8F will have the L1 door opened, I would also really like to work on boarding stairs vehicle.

I am not forgetting the long long project that the B737NG cockpit is, so I am taking this project step by step, considering every area a single model because there is a lot of detail to include and I don’t want to rush things as they have to be perfect. Such big projects require lots of planning and I have been able to see that I can’t do two big projects at the same time (747-8F / 737NG cockpit) so once I start the next GSE, I really hope I can work between these and the cockpit.

Livery decals have been on pause for a very long time due all the troubles I found in the way, but finally things are going alright and I do hope I can update the blog/store regularly with new liveries.

 

Thank you all so very much for your time reading my usual long posts and for trusting in the items I make. I put all my effort in them and I really hope that all of you like them and cherish them as I do, there is always this special feeling knowing that a little piece of me is around the world being in good company with all your models.

Wish you all a very nice entry to the next year, and see you soon on 2019!

Best wishes,
Guillem

Hello everyone,

There are a couple updates I would like to share in the next few days, no pictures yet but I plan to upload them in due course.

I’ve been able to work a little bit more on the 747-8F side cargo door and I am happy with the results, although there are still some more details to be added. I have also temporarily attached the cockpit as it is literally the ceiling of the cargo compartment, I will extend the cockpit floor as it marks where there is a kind of cut on the cargo deck ceiling (floor of the crew rest area).

I have also done a good progress on the livery decals, successfully printed a set which I am going to put on practice during the Christmas holidays (or earlier) as I will be taking a little break at that time.
I will upload a few pictures of these as well as screenshots that will show the new organized layout for each decal section. I chose Brussels Airlines A320 since it is a small aircraft and a livery that has both colors on white and white markings on dark areas.

Lastly, during the next year I plan to refresh the GSE troop, the FMC15i and the Tug MA50 will most surely be discontinued as I am really looking forward to make new versions (Charlette for the tug first, and other manufacturers later on) with more detail and with a more accurate relationship between size and realism.

For this reason, I thought that the next cargo loader will not have a system to raise or lower their platforms, but rather easily interchangeable sills/platforms with different heights which will allow me to focus on scale/size/detail rather than thinking how to make these things move up and down and sacrifice realism.
This is very important specially because the new cargo loader will have the option to be displayed with the double sill for the bridge, this will be produced having in mind the heights of the 747F nose to floor and/or side cargo door as well as other freighter models.

Come to this conclusion has also been good for two other reasons; to apply the same system to the future 1/144 hydrant dispenser truck and to be able to implement the interchangeable sills in a future possible 1/200 cargo loader. Making a realistic/scaled version with movable bridge/platform has always been a nightmare for me when I was thinking about 1/200 scale, these GSE aren’t toys after all, they don’t have to move up and down since we don’t play with them… so selecting different heights for different aircraft/situations fulfills the purpose.

 

After this very long entry today, I hope to be able to upload a few photos during the next days.

Best wishes,
Guillem

Hello guys,

Today unfortunately I do not bring updates one the B737 cockpit project as I wished, reason being that I have been doing lots of new molds to renew them in order to keep the detail on the resin parts. Although I keep the molds as healthy as possible, there is always a moment where the result isn’t as crisp as the original and thus molds need to be renewed, I do that much earlier in order to not to cast any part with detail loss.

Although I did not work directly on the cockpit, I spent some time to get myself back to where I left the project, as it happens in such complex situations, I needed to realize what was going to be made next, what step, what area…
Since this is a big project, I will work on areas, however I feel that it is time to set what is going to be the main structure of the cockpit, prepare the base and prepare the union of the main instrument panel, glareshield and sidewalls. That will definitely be one of the most important steps so I am writing a list of things to be done in order to achieve this.

I haven’t been able to update the project during the weekend but I expect to do so during the next week in order to compensate the time spent in the  last days making the new molds.

Until then.
Best wishes,
Guillem

Hello everyone,

I though to give a quick update on how are things going now that we are reaching the end of September.

The first attempt with the new printer ended up in a disaster which lead me to return the printer as it jammed the paper every time. However, there is another printer on the way and I am hoping to work with it right from the start.
All these problems caused me to stop designing decals at the moment because the artworks will need an adjustment for them to be printed on the new printer with the best result possible.
It is somehow like the early days when I had to test a few things with the printing company such as lines color/thickness and all these matters. Needless to say colors will not be the same, thus artworks will need to be finetuned so that the output color is the desired one.
Lots of work on that regard, but I do like challenges.

Finally I made myself a schedule in order to make sure I do everything that has to be done, time to make units and time to actually work on the new projects.

On regards the new projects; I am expecting to update the 747 cargo set this weekend with photos of the work done so far on the deck. I was finally able to make a better fitting of the deck into the fuselage, so I am really looking forward to assembly a kit soon.
Once the main deck is done, I will focus the work on the interior panels, for this same reason I will include the galley section next to the cockpit part as the whole set will serve as ceiling for the first section.

I also have to say that the B737NG cockpit project isn’t dead, so I will be working with it alongisde the 747 cargo. One week I will work on the 747 cargo project and the next one with the cockpit and so on.

There are also a few things that I am going to change on the GSE models:

• I will make new bigger molds for the baggage carts, belt loader and LD3 trolleys so that I can cast more units at the same time, so far making these units is a bit time consuming so I will try to make the new molds in a better arrangement (similar as I did with the catering) and thus  try to keep the catalogue alive.
• The Tug MA50 may be the first product to be discontinued, the reason is that I would really like to work on a new tug, more detailed and realistic than the first tug I made, and I will base the new tug on the Charlette. That does not mean the MA50 model won’t be made in the future as I plan to have a few types of tugs, but I feel like I learned much more since I first made the tug and I really want to offer a more detailed product.
• The same goes for the FMC15i, I feel like I want to make a more realistic and accurate model for this. Since I am doing the 747 cargo project, I may attempt to make a cargo loader with double sill to increase the bridge’s height. This one will be definitely a challenge, because I also learned with the catering truck on regards making movable sills, so I am really looking forward to this project.

I will upload some progress done on the 747 cargo set this weekend!

Best wishes,
Guillem