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Updated 16/08/2008: BTR-80 bearing Macedonian colors ( Trumpeter 1/72 scale).

It's a BTR-80 bearing Macedonian colors. The vehicle is stopped by sheeps crossing the road, under the eyes of the sheperd and his (not very courageaous) dog.
 

Updated 23/04/2008: M1126 Stryker APC (Trumpeter 1/72).

Updated 25/12/2007: Daniel's very special diorama at 1/72 scale; it's a "what if" considering that Belgium collapses and that Flanders and Wallonia become independent.

"June 13th, 2009. One year after the Belgian elections, there is no new government yet. The Flemish and Wallonian points of view for what concerns communautaries problems sounds irrevocably unconciliable. The socio-economical situation of the country is catastrophic; and for other countries Belgium sounds more and more like a “bananian republic”…

All the politicians becomes tired of that situation; Flanders and Wallonia decide to “divorce”, hoping to become better neighbours than compatriots.

01/01/2009: Flanders and Wallonia become independent. “All quiet on the front”… But the young nations are suffering from obsolete military equipment, due to the bad gestion of the last years of the common land. So, it’s time to re-arm! Not to make war, but prudence is better than stupidity…

The French president decides to offer to “his French-speaking brothers” Wallonians, 50 Leclerc tanks + 20 Rafale jets. He hopes in fact that, soon, Wallonia will become a new French department, so all what he offers actually, he hope to recuperate later…In reaction, Germany proposes to Flanders 60 Leopards 2A5 + 20 Eurofighter Typhoons in leasing, at very low cost.

The tanks are quickly delivered: in april 2009, all the tanks are operational in their new countries.

It’s now july 2009. Frontier is quiet. There are some patrols along the frontier.

Today, the crewmen of a Leclerc and of a Leopard stop their tanks one near the other. A game of Wings of War (aerial warfare) is engaged between two soldiers; the other are watching the game (the tankleaders discussing about the quality of the beers there are drinking!)

In fact, there is no news in Belgium, except of course a new frontier and new military material…

…No, no news…

…Even not some intelligent politicians…"

Updated 17/12/2007: SpaPz 2 Luchs (Revell 1/72 scale).

Here are some pictures of my last build (just finished today): a SpaPz 2 Luchs (kit Revell at 1/72 scale) from the 2.Kompanie, Gepz. Einsatzverband GECONSFOR, Rajlovac, Bosnia 1998.
 

Updated 15/07/2007: Update to Belgain T15 light tank (kit: Retrokit 1/72). Now set in a diorama.

Imagine the scene took place during Belgian manoeuvres in 1939, somewhere in the Ardennes...

Updated 08/07/2007: Added Belgain T15 light tank (kit: Retrokit 1/72).

Updated 01/04/2007: Update on the 48th DML Fokker E V of LTT Van Cotthem.

As you have seen the pics of my Belgian EV below, there is no cockades on the wing. The (very few) photos of that a/c didn't let to think that there were cockades.

Didier Waelkens, the IPMS-Belgium President, discovered in a private collection a pic where it is evident that the a/c was bearing our cockades!!! So he told me that fact.

I've corrected my kit and here are the photos.

Updated 27/02/2007: Roden 1/32 Fokker Dr I.

Seat has been detailed and painted. Engine has been finshed.

Updated 03/01/2007: Roden 1/32 Fokker Dr I.

 I've begun the Roden 1/32 Fokker Dr I. I'm completing this kit with some aftermarket: Part and Eduard photoetch; and the resin cowler made by Squadron.

Some elements from Part:

The wooden triangles of the interior of the fuselage are made from scratch with Evergreen products;
painted with a white base; than Vallejo wood; than the nerves are painted in Vallejo woodgrain with a fine paintbrush and after drying, I made a drybrush with Vallejo Woodgrain

The piece of dope behind the seat is preferred to the Part photoetch: just ameliorated with lot of
holes and fishing thread tinted in black with a permanent pencil - some weathering is added too).
The dope color is Mister Kit color.

The semi-wings are glued together, putty applied.

Begin of painting work on the engine:

The engine is finished.

Updated 09/12/2006: Work finished on the 48th DML Fokker E V of LTT Van Cotthem.

Updated 29/05/2006: Work in progress on a 48th DML Fokker E V of LTT Van Cotthem.

here are some pics of my actual workbench: the Fokker E V of LTT Van Cotthem. This is
the only Fokker E V that ever flew bearing Belgian colors... The original aircraft was found after the Armistice in a German depot near Evere. Van Cotthem kept the a/c as his personal mount.
In a first time, the a/c weared the German camo (lozenges) but, early in the 20s, she was repainting khaki overall. For the meeting of Evere, 1921, she was bearing the number "17" on the fuselage and under the wing.

I already have built that a/c, but at 1/72 scale (kit Roden), but with two minor errors:
the propeller comes from a Revell D VII and is not really correct; and the khaki is too
greeny. Now I'm building her at 1/48th scale (kit Dragon). The particularities of the a/c are:
- unarmed
- haubans reinforced
- "Belgian made" windshield
- propeller is not an E V / D VIII one but comes from a D VII

Belgian khaki is made with 50% of Dark Green + 50% of Dark Earth. I based my color on the actual khaki of the Nieuport 23 being restored at the Brussels Air Museum.

The numbers "17" and the plate of the cowlers comes from the decal sheet that was offered with KIT 134 (IPMS-Belgium magazine - see my comments for the Roden kit).

The pilot figure comes from PJ Productions. It's only the 2nd figure I'm painting for our hobby...

Updated 28/01/2006 1/48 DML D VII being done as a Belgian Fokker D VII

Daniel sent in some more pics of this great build...

Updated 23/01/2006 1/48 DML D VII being done as a Belgian Fokker D VII

Pilot figure from PJ Production.

                     I'm trying to finish the kit for the Ransart Expo 2006 (last week-end of January); but I'm afraid it's short in time...

Added 2/10/2005 Emhar 72nd Whippet MK I; and MK IV Male and Female.
 

                     Whippet MK I; and MK IV Male and Female.
The Male is completely OOB. The female and the Whippet have just the guns ameliorated.
Painting with a mix of Vallejo green and brown; matt varnish made with Klir and Tamiya Flat Base.

    

Added 26/08/2005 Daniel's daughter Mathilde (7 years old):
 the "giant" ant from Heller

                     The ant was painted with Citadel Color Dark Flesh, drybrushed with a more clearer brown. No wash, but "lines" in black applied with the paintbrush.

I've placed my "1/300th scale diorama" to show the size of the ant. Fortunately, here in Belgium, those insects are not so big... ;0)

  

Picture of herself, taken at the Brussels Air Museum

Added 11/08/2005 Eduard Albatros DII (L.V.G.), 1/48 non-profipack.

                     For plywood rendering, I used Vallejo Wood + Caran d'Ache aequous pencils. Other paints are Mister Kit Colors, and Tamiya Sky. I used Eduard spare photoetch for
 seatbelts and machineguns. Rigging is made with fishing nylon, tainted with
 permanent black marker. Ailerons were cut off and ameliorated.
 

Added 10/08/2005 1/300 Scorpion and a Spartan.

My last realisation: a diorama with two CVRT (a Scorpion and a Spartan). I was gunner on Scorpion (and also Scimitar), in 1978...

Scale is 1/300.

Added 04/11/2004 : 1/72 Revell Fokker D VII (Belgian Aéronautique Militaire, 10è Escadrille, 1920s).

1/72 Czech Omega kit of the Renard Epervier,

Fokker E V 201/18,

1/72 scale LIPPISCH DM1 from HUMA MODELS.Lippisch

DM1 was a glider, built to study the capacity to fly for the future Lippisch P13.
 I've built this kit mostly OOB (just added the seatbelt). My goal was to try to realise a good plywood rendering. I used Vallejo acrylic wood paint as base, and after that I used watercolour pencil (chestnut) for the wood effect and watercolour pencil brown for the engravings of the panels.

1/72 Eduard Albatros DV (non-profipack).

Build OOB, except the adding of seatbelts (photoetched parts from Eduard). For the Plywood rendering, I used Vallejo acrylic "Wood" with a Caran d'Ache Supracolor pencil; and then sprayed "Klir" (the European equivalent of Future). Rigging is made with 0.1 mm fishing thread.

All those kits were made some years ago; at that period I worked OOB only, excepted for "light" modifications to obtain some Belgian versions.

Hawker Hurricane MK I Belgian version
It's the 1/72 Airfix kit, with a resin bipale propeller (PJ Productions), and decals from (? Have forgotten the name...). The insignia is not correct (circle is chocolate and not yellow).

Fiat G50bis Freccia
The good old 1/72 Airfix kit, strictly OOB.

Morane Saulnier MS406

kit Hasegawa 1/72, strictly OOB. I like the green/black camouflage of Finnish airplanes.

Curtiss H75 Hawk
1/48 Hobbycraft kit, OOB