Category: Decals
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Lockheed Vega Model 5 – Part Three – The Wild Goose
The decals are not quite what they might be on the side of the fuselage, but the wing markings have come out well. I am particularly pleased with the Loose Goose. The Vega is ready to fly. There are so few inter-war airliners and light planes readily available that this is a quite a catch…
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Lockheed Vega Model 5 – Part Two – Sleek And Simple
The mental picture of the 1930’s airliner can sometimes be very complex. One thinks of some of the French or British airlines that operated out of Hendon or Le Bourget and sees large biplanes or sesquiplanes with dangling nacelles, spatted wheels, and flying wires everywhere. Yet here is a 30’s ship that is the epitome…
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F-82 Twin Mustang – Part Five – The Black Twin
Lo and Behold. A dear old Monogram F-82 kit at a swap meet. The price of Hobby Boss click-together. What’s not to like! The kit is complete – the decals are reasonable, the canopies are all there. It is out of fashion as an older mould, but the raising of the panel lines has lowered…
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F-82 Twin Mustang – Part One – SOOTB Interception
I had no idea I needed it… Until I stated googling the business of North American air interception in the late 40’s. I identified an interceptor base near to where I once lived and looked over its roster. I was amazed to find the F-82 and to read that it was an effective unit. Then…
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Patience is A Virtue
Or so we are told – by people who want to get in front of us in line at the petrol station. It is also preached for the scale modeller – by makers who give you tank tracks made up of 6 plastic parts per link or sheets of infinitesimally small brass etched parts. Their…
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Curtiss Hawk II – Part Three – The Generalissimo’s Finest
Generalissimo Stein Kai Shek is very pleased with the new Curtiss fighter plane for the Swuping Air Army. The underlings may breath easier. The Generalissimo is relieved as well. The sight of the sprue trees with multiple struts is always a daunting prospect. These went together with absolutely no problems. Even the dreaded photo-etch brass…
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Aichi Val – Part Four – Pearl Harbour
As problematical as this model has been to build, it is still welcome into the collection as the final piece in the set for the USS ARIZONA diorama photo shoot. This is the reason it doesn’t have stationery propeller blades – it will be photographed diving on the battleship from the port quarter. Doing this…
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Airfix Vintage Val – Part Four – The Judgement
The judgement can finally be delivered on the relative merit of the Airfix Aichi Val vs the Fujimi example. The AIrfix model wins – despite being older and sporting the ancient raised rivets. The verdict is based upon the ease of assembly, the fit of the parts, and the quality of the decals. Admittedly, the…
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Aichi Val – Part Three – Stripe Tail
I have often remarked the stripes that appear on the horizontal stabilisers of WW2 Japanese aircraft. They are on the upper side and form a fan radiating outwards from the front of the vertical stabiliser – some tails have them in white – some in yellow. This Aichi Val tail has them in red. They…
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Aichi Val – Part Two – Not Quite Tamiya
I was a bit premature in my assessment of the Fujimi kit of the Aichi Type 11. It is closer to Monogram than Tamiya. The flash encountered was not too bad – nothing that knifing and sanding could not deal with. The location pins were in the right places. Yet the fuselage halves fit only…
The Little World 