Category: American aircraft
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Boeing Dreamliner – Part Four – Going Up In The Old Style

Retro is a word that is bandied a lot – but it can be a very flexible one – in this case as far back as the 1960’s. El Al got a new Boeing 787 Dreamliner in 2018 and decided to paint it in an older livery. I think this was a superb decision –…
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Boeing Dreamliner – Part Three – Mask And Re-Mask

Just when you think you are done with the paint scheme you realise that there is another stripe… Well, that’s civil aviation. The graphic designers get let out of the dungeon and chained to the drawing boards and new corporate liveries are born. This El Al scheme is to be a retro salute to the…
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Boeing Dreamliner – Part One – Relict

An odd thing to see here on my page – given that I am not a fan of Russian products and do not normally model in 1/144 scale. But it is the relict of a good club friend and I’ll build it as much in his memory as in the spirit of adventure. Goodness knows…
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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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The Fifty Cent Fighter Plane

Sixty years on. My allowance in the eighth grade was 50 Canadian cents per week. It was more than adequate for my needs as I was stuck in a construction camp in the Alberta bush with no place at which to spend it. Our one shopping trip a month went to Drayton Valley and by…
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Academy SPAD XIII – Part One – Comparison Is The Thief Of Joy

However, I am going to do my best to keep the criminal at bay. My Revell SPAD XIII need not distress itself – this Academy model will look quite different. The model kit itself was a kind gift from a friend and has not been long in the stash before being called forth. I am…
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Italeri F/A 18 Hornet – Part Three – Perkkele!

Not really – I have nothing to complain about. Stay where you are. The finish on this Finnish aircraft is courtesy of the paints that were gifted to me by Warren Jones – I am getting to grips with the business of enamels with lacquer thinners and in many respects they seem to be easier…
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Italeri F/A 18 Hornet – Part Two – The Mock-up That Doesn’t Mock

I’ve given up a lot of things in my old age: marathon running, ballet, and regular bathing. But I have not given up dry-fitting models. As a kid it was a major part of a build, with gradual dry assembly taking weeks before any cementation. I’m faster these days ( no school homework ), and…
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Italeri F/A 18 Hornet – Part One – Who Actually Makes This Thing?

I was nearly going to write ” McDonnell Douglas ” in the title until I saw it was claimed to be a licensed product from Boeing. Whether this means Boeing have bought out McDonnell Douglas, or just the company that makes the cardboard box, is unsure. The kit comes from Italeri, so I’ll go with…
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Grumman F3F – Part Four – Red Ripper

Well, that’s what the colour call-out said. VF-4 Red Rippers embarked on the USS RANGER – pre 1941. I have been adding steadily to the Yellow Wing Navy shelf for years. So far I’ve resisted the temptation to paint the scheme on planes that never carried it and I’m glad to see that there were…
