The Little World

A hot Boxing Day is the ideal time to do a new cool kit. You are not stressed by work or family commitments and the precision that good work requires is at your fingertips.

At least it is if you have not been on the turps for the last week. My Christmas had been abstemious so now it paid off. The components fell together.

They didn’t fall in an obvious manner, however. The instruction sheet had all the devious precision of the Czech ones, even if Slovakia is entirely separate now. It paid to read, think, and inwardly digest before trying to bolt anything to anything else. I’ll guarantee that the jigs will be assembled and reassembled at least twice before they enter service.

The standard jig will accommodate most WW2 aircraft smaller than bombers and the jet jig will cope with everything else. It is actually a twin-scale affair as several of the platforms that touch the planes are reversible; one side for 1/72 and one for 1/48. I will see if the 1/48 would be suitable for WW 2 bombers.

Both jigs have neat left and right notches in the internal bracing to allow you to place a wing tip in there and hold the aircraft out at an angle for decals or painting – one of the real needs when you are trying to use tweezers and a brush at the same time. I hope that there will also be provision for securing the model with elastic bands in these eccentric positions – that would be the sweetest thing of all.

Now of course, the jigs will in time get marked and marred. There will be paint spots, and possibly a spill of cement. I hope to reduce this to a minimum, and keep it away from the bearing surfaces. Time will tell.