Category: Canadian aircraft
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Short Sunderland – Part Three – The Problem Of Dimension

The choice of 1:72 scale to model for my collection is politic – I can only fit so much in a small space. Most of the aircraft can be built on a bench and shown on shelf. My new jigs make this a real pleasure. But occasionally the sheer scale of the subject defeats this…
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Short Sunderland – Part Two – Like Painting A Fish

Well, that’s what it reminded me of…as well it might – being a flying boat. If it was to go on water, a fish shape would be most a appropriate. The insides are bare, but at least they are decorated. And the windows will not fall inward. I’ve seen that trick too often not be…
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North American Yale – Part Three – Canadian Peculiarities

It’s a nation that pours tree sap on its food. That eats strawberry jam pies. That considers chips in gravy and cheese to be healthy. Peculiarity is in the air. This also extended to the products of Canadian Car Foundry and the training airfields. Hence the odd hole in the side of the engine cover…
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North American Yale – Part Two – Cage Fighting

Or fighting with a cage, if you prefer. The business of welding together a plastic cockpit frame inside a plastic fuselage. Faint hearts need not apply. I have served my cage apprenticeship on a Special Hobby Avro Anson with a resin tubing structure and as a result I have been excused several centuries of Purgatory.…
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North American Yale – Part One – Exact Fit

When you find a pair of shoes that fit exactly – and they are on special sale – and you have the money – you owe it to your feet to buy them. And the same applies to model kits. I know I’m preaching to the choir here – I mean it’s model kit builders…
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Canadian Car And Foundry Harvard II – Part Four – Goldilocks

You can’t make this stuff up, folks. This Harvard was a part of an RCAF flight display team called ” the Goldilocks “. I believe they were sort of slow-speed comedy relief for air shows. I agree with this. You need some variety at military displays. There can only be so much of the troops…
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Canadian Car And Foundry Harvard II – Part Three – Precision in Plastic

We are accustomed to read about how precise Tamiya model kits are. This is no exaggeration – they fit pretty well perfectly as soon as you clean the sprue feed points. We are also used to reading the groans of people who have tried to work with Mach 2, Amodel, or PM kits. They also…
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Canadian Car And Foundry Harvard II – Part Two – You Need Not Believe All You See

But you should believe me. Honest. The aviation aficionados may be wondering why a railway carriage company should be credited with building Harvard II aircraft – when we all know North American made the AT-6 Texan and SNJ. Well they also leased out the plans for the things to other makers – a lot like…
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Canadian Car And Foundry Harvard II – Part One – The ’62 Model

Well, that’s the number engraved on the inside of this Airfix kit’s wing. It has a very long history – with this re-boxing probably being put out in ’79. I am fortunate in being able to remember both years, though I struggle to tell you what I had for tea two weeks ago. The kit…

