Category: Miniature Philosophy
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When Something Tickles Your Fancy

Rejoice. It means you still have a fancy and it is still capable of being tickled. There are people in the world for whom this is just a distant dream. Celebrate the fact that you can still be amused. If the thing that captures your attention is just a passing phenomenon you can take some…
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A Good Club Mate

I normally do not bring other names to this column, but as this will also be read by my scale model club associates I will take the opportunity to pay homage to a former club mate. He has passed on this last weekend. It was not unexpected, though greatly regretted. He told us several years…
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Reaching For Occam’s Hammer

I’ve written before about Occam’s Razor as it applies to scale modelling – the topic at the time was producing rust, and it’s been getting rustier ever after. Today it is Occam’s Hammer. The old chap will forgive me taking his name in vain, but I intend to treat the principles he espoused with affection.…
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Too Many/Not Enough

Our club has a vast library of old model magazines and other publications. I’ve no idea what the oldest model magazine held there is, but I do know what it is bound to contain: a complaint from someone in the UK that a particular model has errors. The writer may not have built the kit,…
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Curtiss Helldiver – Part Three – Green Is The Colour…

As I have written before – it is the colour of my true love’s cockpit. But it is never the same colour as you see in the books, movies, or museums. It is never the same colour as other people use, and it is never the same colour twice. The only thing that cockpit green…
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Petlyakov Pe-2 – Part One – Father’s Day Last Year

Make no mistake about it. When a gift-giving date approaches I do not hesitate to go down to the hobby shop and either reserve a kit or buy one outright. Then the gift-givers can go and pay for it or refund me. Charity begins at home and I know where I live. The Pe-2 is a Mister…
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Lockheed RT 33 – Part Two – Do they Drink At Lunch In Prague?

I’m willing to bet they do – it would explain a number of the design decisions that are found in Czech short-run kits. Not that I should complain, but I am slightly puzzled as to why basic components cannot be moulded as parts of the main fuselage or wing sections. They obviously have the skill…
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Is Unseen Unknown?

Welcome to Scale Model Philosophy 101. You may take notes but remember that there is no exam at the end. Instead we have a sponsored argument. When we see a scale model for the first time it can be an electrifying experience. – particularly the older 240 volt versions with the cloth wiring. You have…
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The Next Big Thing

Is the next small thing. Right now people who went to the recent WASMEX show are planning their next build. The serious have already cut styrene off sprue trees. The real hard core are applying undercoat… Part of it will be inspiration – people have seen lovely models on display and want to emulate the…

