The Little World

My vigil at the hobby shop was rewarded – the re-issue of the Vintage Classic Airfix kit came in.

And went out again, under my arm. I did not know in what form it would finally be assembled, but since I had such success with the similar Airfix Beaver, I was confident.

The kit is everything vintage Airfix, and beloved for that. I have no idea whether it will fit together, but that is the least of the thing. Firstly, the internet research.

I could make it as an Australian, Canadian, or British aircraft easily. An Antarctic exploration plane in bright yellow with skis. Just the sort of thing that I do.

So, of course, I decided to convert it to a representation of an Auster Autocrat as flown by the Israeli Defence Force. The only decision was which era to assign it to; the early years or the later ones.

I compromised when I researched Hatzerim. There is an Auster under cover in the vintage shed that is painted in Suez blue and brown with rudimentary markings. There’ll be a bit of surgery needed on the plastic and a bit of subterfuge, but the actual plane has some of this as well – so the representation will be perfectly inauthentic.

If this works, I will consider getting another and dedicating it to the Canadian bush as a float plan. Vintage Classics are good value and you can buy them without having to sneak them in a window after the wife is asleep…