The Little World

The Lockdown Bulldog was finished – and a day before time. Shows what you can do when you are doing what you can do…

Someone – I cannot think who it was – gave the big horse laugh at US Navy and US Army aircraft of the 1930’s for being too colourful. He saw the silver fuselages of the former and the blue or green ones of the latter as too bright – particularly when combined with the chrome yellow wings. Yet he was quite at home with the chequerboards and striped panels of the RAF aircraft of the period. Perhaps as they were British, they were part of his father’s youth and therefore sacrosanct.

For my part I can quite understand the silver fuselages – doped linen or polished metal. Easier to maintain than complex paint jobs and no necessity for wartime camouflage if you are not intending to rattle sabres. The patterns on the RAF planes were a good way of checking squadrons in the air and their practice of painting a squadron leader’s pennant on his plane let people know who to follow if their W/T was out.

The yellow wings of the US planes made them easier to search for if downed in forests or at sea. The red diagonal stripes let the pilots form neat vic’s and the coloured tails and cowlings served the same organisational function as the RAF patterns.

The Bristol is a straight OOTB build – I could not better it by variance. I was delighted with the fit, assembly, and eventually with the Airfix decals. I’ve had a friend report a crook sheet of navy decals but so far I’ve never had a bad one from this firm. They released with 15 seconds soaking and a further 30 seconds resting time and dropped into the contours perfectly. Didn’t even need any Mr. Mark Solver to finish.

The most impressive ones were the trim rings round the wheel rims.

Reginald Fotheringay is installed in the cockpit and doesn’t even need cement – he is a tight fit. Quite the best pilot figure so far, and a favourite orbiting Piccadilly Circus late at night before peeling off and shooting up Shaftesbury Avenue on a scouting mission.

Pip Pip, Reggie…