Category: British aircraft
-
When You See A Better Model

Do not be envious. Don’t resent the other person for their success. Regard it as a chance for a free gift from them; one they will probably be delighted to give you. Study the model carefully. Ask about it, and in particular the bits of it that are better than you can do. Nearly everyone…
-
Airfix Auster – Part One – Vintage Classic Day

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…
-
Will The Robber Baron Succeed Where The Red Baron Failed?

Will Trump manage to shoot Snoopy down? If the Petulant of the United States succeeds in nailing his tariffs to the fence and/or increases them to an unsustainable level, will he put the nail in the coffin for imported model kits? Will US citizens be restricted to what they can buy from US moulders? Will…
-
Hawker Hunter FGA 9 – Part Five – Singapore 1962

A squadron brought into Singapore for ground support in what was to become a confrontation of the Cold War. This one was with Indonesia – at that time backed by the USSR and Communist China. The Hunters worked with spotter aircraft to deliver effective air support for Commonwealth and Malaysian troops on the ground. The…
-
Hawker Hunter FGA 9 – Part Four – Clearing The Air

Or ” Glossing Over All Problems “. Hey, it works for federal politicians – it should work for me. However, it can sometimes be harder to do than you’d think. I have invested in more types of varnish than you’ve had hot dinners. From bottles of clear lacquer to gloss coats in alcohol solution to…
-
Hawker Hunter FGA 9 – Part Three – Two Day

Confused yet? Sit beside me at the club and prepare yourself… The second day work on the Hunter was paint; undercoat, masking, colour coats. The scheme has a hard delineation between lower and upper but soft lines on the top. The silver is Mr Color Duralumium thinned with new GGX rapid thinner. This is to…
-
Hawker Hunter FGA 9 – Part Two – One Day…

My Prince will come… Oh, wait, that was Disney; this is Airfix. Well the Hunter at dry fit was one of the best experiences in the hobby. Not a bit of flash and the locating pins were in just the right position. It snapped together at the club so satisfyingly that I could just get…
-
Tasman Airspeed Oxford Mk I – Part Six – French Silver Grey

The Mr Color pot of French silver grey may have started life as a grey – or a silver… I can’t remember which. Over several years it has been topped up with a dash of whichever sliver I have in the airbrush pot as a left-over – and equally be whatever light grey is swirling…
-
Tasman Airspeed Oxford Mk I – Part Five – Wild Blue Yonder

And off we flaming go… Someone at Tasman was enamoured of the vacuum moulding machine – the one they used for clear canopies – and of the possibilities that it presented. So they made a decision to try something that is – so far – unique in my model-building experience. They vac-formed the canopy a…

