Category: 1:72 scale
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Israeli Bell 47 – Part Two – Production Lines For The Win
The idea of serial building is working out, but there is still a place for sub-assembly lines in the scale model factory Even with modern super-glues there is still time required for re-enforcement to set, and of course the drying and setting times of the various paint coats. So there is a real advantage to…
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Israeli Bell 47 – Part One – Legacy Build
My friend, Warren Hughes, gave me four 1:72 scale kits in the months before he died. He knew he would not get to them, and it was my honour to complete three of them before his passing and show him how well they came out. We were both pleased with the results. This last kit…
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Swiss Ju-52 – Part Three – Iron Annie In The Alps
The discovery of an unbuilt civilian version of the Ju-52 by Italeri in a legacy sale meant it could join the other post-war airliners at Flugplatz Strelsau. The Lufthansa colour scheme was tempting, but I could see the problems that might arise trying to get large block letters to snuggle down into the corrugations on…
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Swiss Ju-52 – Part Two – The Inside Story
I have beetled on before about how I like Italeri kits. I particularly like their multi-engine jobs that have interior fittings. Whether they are civilian or military, the inclusion of inside bits always makes for a more satisfying build. Oh, I know the old argument about no-one seeing in there after you are done, but…
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Swiss Ju-52 – Part One – Straight Out
Of the box. This one is a tribute to a club mate who left a large uncompleted stash. I’ll confess that it is not the first Ju-52 I’ve built – one was a Heller kit repopped by the Czechs, and one was a slightly later Italeri offering. Of course this Lufthansa plane will be the…
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The Peculiar Model
The oddity. The kit that everyone else avoids. The scratch-built model that no-one has ever heard of. In other words – just down your alley. I have been the recipient of numerous models that fit into this category – and I’ve gone out and spent actual money on others. Not a lot of it, mind,…
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The Two Musketeers
Dumas became an economical man. And it was just gilding the lily to add an extra hero. Porthos was a nightmare to feed. I often wonder what we would have seen if accountants had as much control over literature as they seem to have over the cinema. Two coins in a fountain? And get a…
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De Havilland Beaver – Part Four – Bluebell Bay Belle
Kootenay Lake in British Columbia is long, wide, and very deep – and hemmed on every side by mountains. Perfect flying water for an air taxi. Thus was born the idea of providing an air service connecting Kuskanook, Kootenay Bay, and Kaslo – with stops at Riondel. Balfour, and Lardeau. The perfect vehicle is the…
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De Havilland Beaver – Part Three – Beaver On A Stick
When you’re a Cub Scout in the Kootenays, you’ll eat anything… The De Havilland Beaver a’building is using three of my favourite things; Mr Color No. 208 duraluminium paint, 3M double sided foam tape, and plastic clamps from Bunnings. The Airfix kit is slotting together nicely, though you need your wits about you if you…
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De Havilland Beaver – Part Two – Let Me Clear Something Up…
A recent build of another Airfix Vintage Classic kit – a Westland Whirlwind helicopter – pointed out the perils of remoulding 1950’s models. The clear plastic on that one was appalling. This Vintage Classic is of a newer year – 1971 – and the clear parts have improved immensely. But they are still just the…
The Little World 