Category: 1:72 scale
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Caudron C-445 – Part One – The Metro Trawl

I don’t know whether Metro Hobbies in Melbourne lie in wait for me or if it’s the other way round. As the flow of money goes east and the flow of plastic comes west, it doesn’t really matter. I tend to shop in three modes: Cheap, Curious, and Canadian. Some say that this is tautology,…
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The No-Stick Decal

A close cousin to the folding decal and distantly related to the ones that explode when they contact water. They are not meant to decorate our scale models – they are a practical joke that the kit makers like to amuse themselves with. They sit there in the factory with a bag of these and…
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Lockheed Vega Model 5 – Part Three – The Wild Goose

The decals are not quite what they might be on the side of the fuselage, but the wing markings have come out well. I am particularly pleased with the Loose Goose. The Vega is ready to fly. There are so few inter-war airliners and light planes readily available that this is a quite a catch…
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Lockheed Vega Model 5 – Part Two – Sleek And Simple

The mental picture of the 1930’s airliner can sometimes be very complex. One thinks of some of the French or British airlines that operated out of Hendon or Le Bourget and sees large biplanes or sesquiplanes with dangling nacelles, spatted wheels, and flying wires everywhere. Yet here is a 30’s ship that is the epitome…
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Lockheed Vega Model 5 – Part One – Legacy Stash

John Evans bought this model from Stanbridge’s model shop may years ago. Unfortunately neither John, Jack, nor the shop still exist. But that doesn’t stop us from remembering them fondly. My part in this will be to build up the MPM model of the Lockheed Vega Model 5. I suspect that John planned it to…
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F-82 Twin Mustang – Part Nine – Northwest Air Defence

I had no idea as a kid. ( I don’t have much more sense now. ) But I sure wish I had known about the F-82 Twin Mustang long before my old age. I might have been able to see one in real life – because they flew from an air base near to a…
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F-82 Twin Mustang – Part Eight – No. 92

A slight pause in the proceedings to praise a paint maker. GSI Creos in Japan are in deadly rivalry with Tamiya for the hobby painter’s dollar or Yen. I am not a zealot – I use paints from both of them. But I always turn to Mr. Color No.92 when night falls. It is listed…
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F-82 Twin Mustang – Part Seven – Long Dong

All right. We might as well get this over with… Those of you inclined to ribaldry may dissolve into laughter at the thought of the Long Dong radar pod joke. Elbow each other in the ribs and snort. The rest of the readers just be patient. The Monogram F-82 is proceeding wonderfully well, with no…
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F-82 Twin Mustang – Part Six – Afternoon, All…

Just sat me down to the Monogram night fighter kit and have progressed well. Progressed by dint of the simple moulding and precise fit of the parts. Make no mistake – when the classic kit makers were in their prime they could turn out some precise work. There might be raised panel lines, but the…
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F-82 Twin Mustang – Part Five – The Black Twin

Lo and Behold. A dear old Monogram F-82 kit at a swap meet. The price of Hobby Boss click-together. What’s not to like! The kit is complete – the decals are reasonable, the canopies are all there. It is out of fashion as an older mould, but the raising of the panel lines has lowered…
