My Favorite Plane Model
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This is one of the most tedious air plane models I have every made. It was part of a 3 float plane package I bought from Tamiya distributor at a clearance sale. No one wanted it, so I decided to do something very different. Armed with an Eduard upgrade kit from M Workshop, I decided to have a go at it, making the weathered look of exposing the Chromium Oxide, Ferric Oxide and the aluminium from below the planes green painted surfaces.
Here are some of the pictures and I have written a long article on the build process which Marcus Nichols has accepted for publication on Tamiya Magazine. I hope it sees print soon so that you guys out there can do what I did.
You can click on the photos to view the larger pictures. Enjoy guys and gals.
You can click on the photos to view the larger pictures. Enjoy guys and gals.
Norman Lim on 5:44 PM
Wolfsburg, Home of VW
After leaving VW Franchise as the Senior Brand Manager (GM in VW speak), I left my two cars, phone, fuel allowances for the deep blue of inventing liquid armour and stab resistance water repel treatments for Kevlar(tm of Dupont) and Twaron(tm of Tejin Twaron).
It is good to be back in head office with my two partners after 2 years being away.
Wolfsburg Power Station. This power station is part of the VW factory. It also contained the VW's own train system and station where the ore is brought, also the loading system for the cars that VW makes here, mainly Passats and Golfs. This place also has its own canal where its own ships brings parts, raw materials in and finished cars to nearby ports by the river Rhine. Here you see VW's own Ritz Carlton Hotel undergoing renovations....Imagine, this is a place where there are so many visitors, they have their own Ritz Carlton Hotel inside the car city, call AutoStadt in German. Click on the picture to view better.
My Partner David Choong, the founding CFO of multi billion contract manufacturer for 15 years, Venture Manufacturing, ranked 11th in the world.... standing in between twin towers. These are brand new car parks where a customer can see the cars from outside or at the basement being moved in and out of the display with a giant robotic arm.
in 2001 VW made some high price tag prototypes of the VW Coupe concept. However, after buying Lamborghini and at that time negotiating to buy Ferrari, conventional wisdom told the management to scrap this idea, one Phaeton is too upmarket to swallow. I will post some photos of Dresden glass factory where the Phaeton and the Bentleys are built.
The original post war beetle made under watchful eyes of the victors. Note the white ang moh is an US GI officer.
The Original Porsche 911 coupe in production from Stuttgart, the founder of VW was Dr. Ferdinand Porsche and Adolf Hitler.
The Original Benz, the first commercial car.
Wall of wing mirrors at the pavilion of SEAT, image of fiery passion.
Wolfsburg castle, where it all began, Hitler and his generals were holed up here for sometime and later it served as the Allied HQ for operations pushing towards Berlin. I am not sure if Patton, Eisenhower or Omar Bradley was one of those who stayed here during 1945.
The side house now a cafe and restaurant opened only during high seasons and for private parties. Castle is now owned privately.
Another view of my partner David, crossing the bridge into the huge 10 acre garden of Schloss Wolfsburg.
Me, at the patent office outside the Wolfsburg town on my way to Dresden from Berlin.Norman Lim on 5:13 PM
Nag Man 1 Completed Pictures
Oh Yes, The Nag Man 1 is finally completed and ready to ship. But Alamak!!!!! Kena May Day holidays man, cock up! Now have to delay.
Burnished track and wheels....my favourite part of any models!
Norman Lim on 9:41 AM
Trip to Berlin
Going to Berlin is a part of my dream for the longest time. Having been working in and out of Germany and France for almost 15 years. Going to Germany has been one of those trips that has become almost a second home to me, but getting to Berlin is exciting. After driving 1000 miles from Paris to Koln, Frankfurt, Dusseldorf, Wuppertal, Wolfsburg, and working and meetings and sight seeing, we are finally arrived in dream city of Berlin. The World Cup crowd is madness when I was there and hotels are 3 times the price, 250 Euros for a 2 star hotel in town like Wuppertal????? Unheard of! That town has nothing going for it except a stupid elephant who struggle on the Schwebbelbahn and fell into the river Wupper and survived! The train is very strange, it has its railway on top of the train instead of below. This system was designed by Eiffel, the one who built the Eiffel Tower for the World Fair as a temporary item, they forgotten to take it down there after. Millions flock to this temporary structure to view the ancient overcrowded province of Africa now that its overran by Africans....the French lived outside of it ..... this is my personal opinion and that of another million honest-to-themselves natives of the land. This land who claims to be the most non racist will charge you 65 Euros per KG for 21 kg load on Air France but will let a white french man in for 36 kg. SNUB that! Moi being their repeated victim, I boycott that stupid airline who hires women older than my mother and treats every asian like a rodent. You bet I have an axe to grind! A French Axe that is!
Festivals are everywhere, so everyone is in festive mood and whole cities are filled with tourists. With football lotteries like this one, Wuppertal comes alive for once. And when Germany won, the traffic were jammed and polizei officers joining the crowds celebrating in the streets with cars tooting their horns and dancing in the streets. Amazing!
This is one place I had always wanted to come see where Eisenhower stood one side and Stalin on the other, the face down between a Sherman M4 and the almighty T34/85. The city was split into 4, the Soviet Quarters, which we see here at the infamous Checkpoint Charlie, the French and the British. How the French got the cut from being a loser and turn coat is still a puzzle to me. Oh yes, recently, in the last two days, one chap from ebay copied wholesale Bernard Cher's Website bidding layout and wordings that Dinesh Ned wrote....what wanton way....there is the gentleman way, and there is always the french way, turning left from the right lane on a 4 lane road....there is always the right way and the french way.....been to Paris 11 times so far and hated every trip.
The once mighty soviet star that is painted with human blood. How Stalin became a hero is a great mystery. He killed three times more people than Hitler, took 5 times more land and did more insane human experiments than the whole history of mankind put together and still get to be the hero. Well, history is written by the victorious and the vanquished often is made the villain. However, that does not mean I support Nazism....it is crazy, but communism is even more crazy than shooting yourself with a small calibre handgun reminding yourself the right footwork while teaching yourself to dance.
The Hindenburg, the president who has to reluctantly accept Hitler as the Chancellor. The latter used his youth wing and thugs to murder, kidnap and instil fear in all aristocracy so that the polls swing in his favour painted in blood. However, in the great depression, where 1 million marks buys a few loaves of bread, when in just five years before 9000 buys you a nice car, turning a 3000% run away inflation to massive nationalised industry through the exploitation of the internal combustion engine, the extensive building of the rail system plus the invention of the Autobahn, this so-called tyrant(which he later turned out to be), turned the country around in a span of a few years into a economic powerhouse, effects still felt today.
The saddest part of the tour is the wall, its a pity looking at those memorials, some were shot trying to cross this stream over to western Berlin just 3 to 4 days before the walls came down...
Remains of the Berlin Wall in central Berlin in the Hauptbahnhof ... Portsdamer Platz, next to the Jewish Massacre Monument, behind me is the hippest place in Europe....the SONY Centre @ Portsdamer Platz!
This picture show comrades that had fallen in their attempts to scale the wall or swim across the freezing river, often cheered on by the yankies, only to be yanked out of the water dead and frozen.
IMAX 3D Theatres, lights after dark till dawn. This place is spectacular. In November while we are there, here are pictures taken 4.30 in the afternoon when the sun has set.
The famous SONY CENTRE in Berlin. 5 to 7 floors of entertainment lies behind these walls in a giant atrium covered by a parachute wall enough to save a dozen falling A380 super jumbo jets! Maybe they should place it in Airbus HQ in France.
Inside the Sony Centre, see the parachute roof?
Entertainment, food, recreation, workplaces and residences all at one stop, this is a small city in its own right, and an intelligent building too managed by state-of-the-art eco-friendly system. Wish our Raffles Place can be done like this. But Asians has a problem that is deeply ingrained into their genes, they can't work together.... they need to have one-up-man-ship.
Building as a giant video wall for advertising, only 40 times larger than our Panasonic screen at Sommerset MRT station....sad case....some more we dare to shout about it!
This restaurant has lights that changes every 1 minute.....6 to 7 styles. its amazing to look at as the mood around it changes completely with the lights.
The train station entrance. Portsdamer Platz Station.
Over view of the city within a city.
The place where we illegally parked our car. Since we drive a Touareg, no body asked thinking that we may be a big shot from this building....heh...heh....heh....
The Opera House....it was Einstein festival. Now hailed as a German...had he stayed, he would have been part of the gassed in Auschwitz in Austria.
Me at the city's cultural centre behind the supreme court.
Slow Taxi at 10 Deg weather is quite lovely. But for 30 Euro an hour rate of sightseeing, I prefer the Touareg, park anywhere we like attitude......
Supreme Court. Click on picture ot look at the larger one and see the amount of nice sculptures that was decked on this building. Its spectacular.
Bungee bouncing in the city.....World Cup festival!
Norman Lim on 8:21 AM
Nag Man 1 second update
Another Hectic Day! Managed to clinged a major deal on a joint venture contract and now in very good mood.
The model was given the mud treatment with brown pigments along with Mig Acrylic gel, Vallejo matt varnish and some flow enhancers. This was given liberally all over the place without real regard for even distribution. Then the surface is hair dried and allowed to crack when cured. Of course it does not mean any old how whack!
The model was given the mud treatment with brown pigments along with Mig Acrylic gel, Vallejo matt varnish and some flow enhancers. This was given liberally all over the place without real regard for even distribution. Then the surface is hair dried and allowed to crack when cured. Of course it does not mean any old how whack!
Another look at the side with the mud added. The track part is further treated with several layers to make sure that it forms a thick wash.
When the thing is dried about 6 hours, I washed the model in sand pastels mixed with white chalk in PVA and EAA resins. Concentrating on the details.
Another look at where fine sand will find its way to the nooks and crannies. Even on the roof.
The wheel and tracks were treated similarly as well, nothing is spared, including the stowage materials as dust do not have preference to areas but concentrating on the nooks and crannies for artistic value sake, otherwise, it may end up looking like a piece of metal that fell into a pot of cream paint and desperately trying to get clean in the rain.
Norman Lim on 7:44 AM
IDF Nag Man updates
I have decided to do this article posting on reverse. The first picture shows that the model has the pastels fixed in place with my flow enhancer and matt varnish.
The model was faded subsequently with pastels from Schminke of Germany with yellow, green, brown, orange, purple, black and khaki colours to get uneven green tones before they are fixed in place.
The model was dusted with a light wash of 90% diluted Vallego sand. More attention is paid to the top surfaces. Then the whole model was give a filter of 95% thinned Tamiya Enamel Sand, light brown and Panzer grey to give the impression of depth.
Top view of the sandy Vallego wash of sand that has been fixed using Panzer grey filters from Tamiya diluted 95% by volume with Daley Rowley Thinners.
Sandy highlight done with Vallego sand with 80% dilution with water, flow enhancer, glaze medium and matte varnish.
Rain marks added to the preshaded two tone green olive drab finish.
Decals are drilled once it cured over 48 hours.
The base coat is epoxy resin matte black. Clouded over with Tamiya XF74 Dark Green and shaded with Tamiya XF64 Medium Green. These are toned with Acetone or Gunze thinners. Then the model is given Raw Umber.
Closer look of the raw materials we use.
Kit bashing, Tamiya M113, Blast Nag Man 1 conversion kit, Academy Zelda kit with Toga armour set.
Side view of the bashed kit.
Norman Lim on 12:09 AM
Weapons Page
Show off just have to slide this in, been to Porsche factory in Porsche Strasse in Stuttgart.I took alot of pictures on weapons on my trip to Milipol. See the best of what I like.
This is a flapping UAV surveillance vehicel disguised as a bird.
For those with too enthusiastic hunting dogs.Norman Lim on 10:14 PM
Eurosatory Pictures
Surprise surprise, a Char 1 Bis tank driven to the show by the museum folks in southern France. Tamiya reference materials for this next to obsolete tank in WWII. 
Humvee with AMRAAM, wanted to build this thing, still not gotten down to do it proper.
UAV control centre for scout vehicle Wiesel from Germany.
Star of the show, the Leopard 2A6 Peace Support Operations.
New Rafael reactive applique armour system with slow insensitive explosive cells. On display is also the new 50 cal M2 Browning based OWS -Overhead Weapon System.
The Stryker vehicle with Canadian ADATs missile systems similar to the Mistral or Bofors RBS70.
Norman Lim on 9:55 PM
Completing the Magach 7A
FINALLY>>>>>PHEW!!!!!! Its completed.
Norman Lim on 9:44 PM
Detailing the Magach 7A
Here is the completed figure glued to the commander hatch of the Magach 7A.
First up, the model was sprayed in black epoxy resin, then drybrushed in white. Here we see the skin tones has been completed
Now the body was drybrushed in white and drybrushed over with khaki and then washed in darkgreen. The body is then given glazing in various shades of green and yellow to complete the model of the commander. Not the fat figure. This is intentional as the model was a reservist vehicle and I want to depict it that way.Norman Lim on 9:37 PM
Back to work on the Magach 7A
Its time again to go back to the Magach 7a. The model recieved some rain marks and drybrushing to give 3D feel to the paintwork.
Then the model was chipped and muddied with pastels, pigments and acrylic flow enhancer along with some matting agent.
See the front glacis plate receiving some chips? This was later dust over with sand water based colours.
The overall model that has been dusted. Careful not to over do it as when its wet, it may not appear as light as when it is dry! Click on photo to see that the mud stains are still there underneath the sand dusting on the side fender armour system.
Overall, Dusted and chipped
Norman Lim on 9:24 PM
Paris and Nancy
Near the old wet market in Paris. The new stadium is around the corner to this site.
It was cold and raining when I took this picture of the Notre Dame at 5pm in November. 4 deg C and my fingers felt like they were falling off. One often wonders, what the heck!
Notre Dame at a better time at 2pm, sky was clear and temperature was about 10 deg C. Bearable.
Me in Chateau du Vincennes. Summer sun on my 9th trip to Paris. Temperature 34 deg C, that is why I am hiding in the shade.
Placed the camera on the bridge ledge on self timer and ran for a shot of myself. I propose visitors to Paris to stay around here, hotels are 30% cheaper than Grand Blvd areas and things are 40% to 50% than downtown Paris where coffee standing at the bar costs about 1.90 Euros, here, seated and with croissant costs only 2.50 Euros. What the world are talking about, the Singaporean will protest....we have a big bowl of famous East Coast Road Prawn noodles for that! Or a big bowl of AH CHWEE Pig Giblets Soup in Geylang! 6 Chopsticks on Makansutra for both!
Well, in Europe, you get to pay top dollars for low quality food unlike Singapore, the haven of gastronomy!
I was driving the rental Opel Meriva on Summer tyres and when I reached Nancy, it was minus 8 deg C and I was sliding all over the place at speeds up to 150 km/h on the Autobahn.....my rally racing days skills come in handy here.
Notre Dame. If you think its Paris then you are wrong.......tehhhhhh.....its in Rheims. This is where the Wehrmacht met the Allies, had it not been clear skies, Patton would have lots his pants here and then some. The bullets are still lodged in most of the buildings here. This is the capital city of Lorraine. Click on the photos to see the larger views.Norman Lim on 8:46 PM
Tour of Lorraine and Champagne
Date is June 14th Eurosatory show in Paris, World's largest defense show. What I'm doing there is personal information that is locked. Anyway, hired a Renault Megane at Gare du Nord for 9 days for 469 Euros. Chap was happy to upgrade us since we are leaving from Frankfurt. He wanted us to return a german car for him at frankfurt and will give us a hefty discount for it. And you know what, he gave us a VW Touareg with GPS system to compliment our TOM TOM. Now we can have zoomed out overhead view on the Touareg SatNav and 3D view from our TomTom. Best thing was, it was only 299 Euros for the 9 days! Praise God!
We shot out east to Nancy Metz area in Lorraine, the place of the battle of the Bulge. We past some farm stays and detoured into the country roads, the Touareg came in handy, especially through some rough country short cuts, including cutting through people's backyard vegetable patches.....oops.... In this picture you see Paul my partner getting a little to enthusiastic with trying to photograph the cows with his cell phone, the bull thought he was trying to get fresh with the cows and got really violent, we have to scoot to save our skins. At this place we bought some nice ham and pate with cranberry jam etc. Half the price of Paris.
We visited some vineyards in Champagne, this shot was taken in the famous Tatlinger Champagne. We also visited Moet Chadon and Castellane.
Tools of the trade, bros, people actually used these till recent years to make wine.
Town Centre at Nancy. Nice Idlic town in the middle of Northern France. Shooting North from her we entre Belgium in the west and Germany in the East.Norman Lim on 8:17 PM
Washing the Magach 7A
Finally, the Magach recieved a wash of artist oils raw umber.
Norman Lim on 8:14 PM
Painting the Magach 7A
Painting started with black, then toned with Gunze mixture of 123 and some yellow and grey.
Decals was a problem, with some scrounching and scraps and junk, since the Verlinden sheet does not stick any more.
Norman Lim on 8:03 PM
April 24th Phew Magach is finished
Hectic week, now completed, phew, just back from JEC Composite show in Paris and rushed through to get the model up for IDF collection. Magach 7A.
Couldn't get the Legend conversion turret to sit properly, so have to redo the turret ring below with plastic cards and putty. Shag man!
The basket at the rear of the turret is made of photo etch vertical plates and steel wires bent with a lot of pain in the fingers. Strong plying but with delicate touch needed.
Finally I added the hatch with copper rod and other handles all with copper rods. The semi circular hooks are simple to make, I coil the thing round a plastic sprue of the correct diameter, then cut it, then press them flat with a big plier!
Norman Lim on 7:34 PM
Personal Profile
Named: Lim Chee Seng Norman
Borned: 1965
Favourite things: Good Laksa, Photography, Material Science (nerdy stuff), Armour modelling, Figure painting (still figuring that out), travelling, son Dominique, Daughter Dorothy and Wife Eunice of 16 years since 1991.
Abode: Singapore
Countries Travelled: Argentina(1 time), South Africa(2 times), German(14 times), USA (16 States), Japan(6 times), Italy(2 times), Netherlands(2 times), Australia(3 times), Taiwan(14 times), China(6 times), Hong Kong(9 times), South Korea(2 times), France(11 times), Switzerland(6 times), Austria (3 times),Thailand(14 times), Malaysia(unnumbered), Indonesia(8 times), Philippines(8 times), Brunei(4 times), India(4 times), Maldives(4 times)
Past thrills: Skydiving, Drag Racing, Shooting, Scuba and all time favourite, making models for sale and collection in museums
Career Path: Professional Soldiering, GM Lighting and Sound company, Supervising Modelmaker, Founder and MD of Norman Audio Works, now called Norman Audio, Founder of Singapore Auto Salon, Manager of Team Mezzo Yamaha Superbikes team, GM of Volkswagen Franchise, Chairman of Protectron NanoComposites, COO Ascendent Technologies.
Crowning Achievements so far: Patents for liquid ceramics, Invention of ceramic reinforced fibre technology, Invention of fibre reinforced metal structures, Invention of metal infiltrated ceramic panels with fibre reinforcement.
Labels: Model Maker's Profile
Norman Lim on 7:19 PM