Category: American aircraft
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Cougar F9F-8P – Part Two – Bass Ackward
I am not a naturally suspicious man. I allow people to control my computer frequently and am always sending out my credit card details. I’ve invested frequently in Nigerian investments. But I now look upon any Czech model aircraft instruction sheets with the same trust that I would give a 500Kg German bomb that was…
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Cougar F9F-8P – Part One – Sword Again
I seem to have hit upon a theme recently – the photo-reconnaissance aircraft as moulded by the Czech firm of Sword Models. An RT-33, a Thunderflash, and now a Grumman Cougar F9F-8P. The RT 33 was diverted to a Canadian hack aircraft, but the two others are up there taking pictures. The box yielded several…
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Curtiss Shrike – Part Five – Bombs Away
And to think I was considering chopping the tail off this plane and making it into a silver prototype. I’m so glad I’m lazy. The Dragon model of the Shrike A25-A has come out very well, despite the funny landing gear doors. The interior is detailed enough that if I had wished, the glasswork could…
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Curtiss Shrike – Part Four – Dragon Boo Boo
I generally have complete faith in things I read. This has served me well with all the elections I’ve ever voted in – I follow the instructions on the how-to-vote card and so far all my candidates have been elected. I also follow the printed instructions on the back of the Betty Sydney cake packets…
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Curtiss Shrike – Part Three – Army Green
” Is That Olive Drab? “ Yes it is. ” Is that the correct shade of Olive Drab? “ No, it isn’t. There is no correct shade of olive drab – it is a fluid, melding hue that goes from light pink to deep violet depending upon the phase of the moon. It was a…
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Curtiss Shrike – Part Two – Folding Wing Or Not?
Not. The USAAF was not concerned about squashing a dive bomber onto a deck-edge lift to strike it down to a hangar deck. They could specify a fixed wing and get a stronger one that would hold more bombs. The Dragon model company makes this kit serve several purposes – US Navy SB2C as well…
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Curtiss Shrike – Part One – Down From The Shelf
This Dragon Models kit of the Curtiss A-25-A has been sitting in Hobbytech for ages. In the early days I would have put it down to a high price…but this has been surpassed by Czech kits since then. Or to the odd-looking box art. But this is no worse than some Eastern European stuff. Or by…
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Martin B 10 Bomber – Part Seven – The Japanese Raider
The original of this Martin B 10 bomber was not a hangar queen. Part of a 10-plane shipment to China, it and one other were the last of their lot as war took its toll. I get the feeling that there were issues with aircraft maintenance, airfield protection, and crew performance that gradually took out…
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Martin B 10 Bomber – Part Six – Far Side Of The Hill
And we know what colour that is because it featured in a folk song… The shade of green that the Martin B 10 wears as a Chinese Nationalist Air Force plane is speculative – there are a number of sources that insist upon olive drab and an equal number that place the hue closer to…
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Martin B 10 Bomber – Part Five – Naked Whale
Well, you can see the corrugated strakes on the top of the Martin, and I assure you they are there on the bottom as well. I’m going to be grateful when it comes to the decals that – unlike the JU 52 – these ripples do not interfere with the decorations. The seams of the…
The Little World 