The Little World

I’m a bigger sucker for novelty than I readily admit – I make noises like all the old goods and methods are the best and the new ones are rubbish, and you’d think I have not advanced since the 1950’s. But in truth l’m always buying something new from the shops just to try it out. I fail about as many times as I succeed, but even the failures are instructive.

This Hawker Sea Fury kit would not have entered my mind except for the email advertisements of a Melbourne hobby shop. They stock a fair number of odd international kits and if you are quick with your on-line order, you can get the goods sent over to Western Australia free of shipping costs. I was captivated by this plane and by two others from the same maker, so I ventured my credit details and settled for a wait.

It was longer than usual – the virus having disrupted the system so radically – but eventually the Australia Post courier pressed the new doorbell and dumped a box on the doorstep. In the interim I had been having buyer’s regrets  – the maker was unknown, the prices were ridiculously low, and I was steeling myself for trash.

Imagine my surprise when I unpacked the carton and the model boxes were seen. Very sophisticated artwork on the outers and evidence that the a great deal of care had been taken in the design. And the maker is in Turkey!

Inside was a good plastic package with three sprue trees; two grey and one clear. A reasonable quality instruction sheet – though with very little printed information – and a glorious decal sheet.

The parts are slightly dull in finish, free of most flash, and only have small sink holes. The canopy is somewhat thick but quite clear. The feel of the plastic is somewhat harder than Airfix or Italeri.

I’ll have three choices : Cuban, Australian, or Pakistani.

I was going to dedicate the thing to the Royal Canadian Navy but I’ve decided to dedicate it to the Pakistanis – there is an Indian plane of roughly the same era that I can pose as a display with it. If the result is good I will get another kit for the RCN.