Category: Decals
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English Electric Lightning – Part Four – The Cold Warrior
The English Electric company made several notable aircraft in the 50’s and 60’s. This interceptor was designed to tackle Soviet bombers before they could get to the UK – hence the high speed climb and short range of the prototypes. The over-wing tanks were a novel way to supply enough fuel to permit this remarkable…
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Chinese Flying Animal – Part One – The Dollar Army
I need to find a Chinese airplane enthusiast who can tell me whether the Polikarpov I-16 in Nationalist Chinese service in the 1930’s and 40’s carried an animal’s name. When the Soviets used them they were the Ishak – mule. When the Spanish Nationalists flew them they were the Rata – rat. And the Spanish…
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McDonnell Douglas F-15 – Part Two – Where Are The Spooks?
I thought McDonnell always named their fighters after some form of apparition, ghost, or ghoul – did Douglas make them pull their head in? Well, whatever – the 1/144 Academy kit has turned out well. And I have been sharply rapped on the nose for indulging in presumption… The basic assembly of these little kits…
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McDonnell Douglas F-15 – Part One – Big Little
I was amazed to see the size of the F-15 when I built it in 1/72 – and this little scale is equally interesting – it bulks over the other models on the shelf. I guess this is because of he engines and the amount of flying an air superiority fighter needs to do; shoot…
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Polikarpov I-3 – Part Four – Lightning
Like my luck, it never seems to strike twice in the same place… Fortunately, this AGA kit has proved to be good luck and has come out far better than might have been expected upon opening the sad old box. The assembly of the wings was easier than many biplanes have been – I made…
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Polikarpov I-3 – Part One – Fillin’ In The Numbers
I did not realise how many Polikarpov aircraft I have in the collection until I reviewed it to see if this was new. It is – This will slot between the monoplane I-1 and the biplane I-15. A totally new ( but probably defunct ) Polish model making firm, too. In any case this stash…
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Too Many Decal Systems
Too many to make your hobby shop choice an easy matter. And that’s the way it is with scale model chemicals – whether that is paint, cement, or polish – in the 21st century. We might have passed cheerful childhoods with tube cement, tinned paint, and a bottle of turpentine, but we ain’t going to…
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Nieuport 24Bis – Part Three – The Clean Machine
I suspect I could not have used this title two minutes after the ground crew swung the propeller for this French fighter. The exhaust provisions for the rotary engine seem to be two oval holes cut into the lower portion of the engine cowling. Given the castor oil thrown out by the motor plus the…
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Nieuport 24Bis – Part One – So What’s With The Bis, Eh?
What was wrong with the plain letter B? Not European enough to be sophisticated? Well, the dictionary defines it as meaning ” again ” so the Bis version is the second one. Like we couldn’t have gotten that from a simple ” B ” ? Son of a Bis… This is another Roden kit, and…
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Junkers Ju-86 – Part One – The Lumbering South African
And I am not talking about elephants here… How often do you get to see South Africans flying overhead? Or landing on a local field? Or eating things off your lawn? Those of you who live in Perth know that the chances are quite good – we have seen many South African migrants over the…
The Little World 