The Little World

Meetings in the design bureau of a scale model company must be interesting to attend.

Are there knives? Do people disappear? Do they call in dancing girls and order pizza? I ask because some of the decisions that come from these meetings seem to be motivated by strange desires.

Who would have split the fuselage just aft of the wing – albeit with locating pins – and what did his underwear smell like afterwards? Did the designer of the wing struts go out half-way and get lost in the car park? These are the sort of questions the buyers want to know.

I have learned to view ICM, IBG, and Rodin kits with the sort of respect I used to feel for swollen masses under patient’s skin. You could poke – you should poke – you were professionally-bound to poke. But you never knew what would come out, or at what pressure.

There are design decisions taken that require keys to be left in the mould to match other parts. Some of these are obvious – others are mere blebs that suggest flaws in the casting. It is up to you and to fate to decide which. If you guess correctly it all fits – otherwise you are gluing and hoping in equal measure.

As Basil Fawlty said – I think we got away with it…