Category: Model Airplane
-
North American AT6 – Part Three – The Universal Airplane
What do you want from a model kit? A unique subject that was only ever built once, by one maker, for one flyer? A model that can never be made in an alternative form? Buy yourself a ” Spirit of St. Louis ” and a pot of silver paint, Charlie, and away you go. After…
-
North American AT6 – Part Two – Building The Factory Build
I am aware that Hobby Boss airplane kits are viewed as little-kid stuff by many modellers. Easy assembly, few extra parts, defined edges to some mouldings. The up-and-down assembly of a fuselage and wing unit – sometimes with horizontal stabilizer attached – suggests an activity for the ungifted. Perhaps it is so, but you need…
-
North American AT6 – Part One – The Kosher Texan
We often buy a set of decals to match a kit we have – but in this case I have reversed the procedure. I had a leftover set of Israeli Air Force markings for an Academy kit and I purchased a Hobby Boss substitute to use them up. The original Texan became an RCAF Harvard…
-
” The Standard Of Modelling In This State…”
I must stop listening to people speaking. It leads to thought. And that leads to trouble. The recent model exhibition being a case in point. At the display hall I kept hearing people saying that they did not see as many models on display as last year and that the standard was lower… Then I…
-
Mitsubishi A5M-2 – Part Two – A Nipponese Quickie
I’m not sure if I should leave money on the mantlepiece. I’ve just had my moment of pleasure and it’s all over. But I don’t regret it at all. Lets face it – building a Hobby Boss fighter plane is never going to be a case of long-term employment. Unless you pace yourself, you’ll find…
-
Mitsubishi A5M-2 – Part One – CLAUDE
I often wondered about why the WWII Allied command code-named the Japanese aircraft in the way they did. So I analysed the names – ZEKE, RUFE, BABS, BETTY, TOJO, NATE, CLAUDE, etc. and here’s my conclusion, unsupported by any research… a. The names are short. They needed to be to be spoken or telegraphed quickly.…
-
Scale Model Kit Building Is Craft Beer In Styrene
Here’s two parallel experiences; buying a plastic model kit in a hobby shop and buying a six-pack of craft beer at the local Dan Murphy’s. In both cases you are basically paying out for a pig in a poke. The externals are generally confusing…the plastic model kit has either great box art or horrible writing,…
-
Shaky Legs, Don’t Just Stand There…
And bite that trembling lip. A good idea has just surfaced. Model airplane kit builders can access any number of specialized kits and parts these days. If you find something crude in the box, you just keep shopping until you find a Czech firm that have made a better replacement part for it. Of course…
-
Fairey Fulmar – Part Four – Sub-Lt. Chondomley-Smythe
” Sir? ” ” Yes, Sub-Lt.? ” ” Sir, why to the Yanks call us chinless wonders? ” ” Jealousy, Chondomley-Smythe…pure jealousy. They look upon our Fairey Fulmars with a horrible envy while they are forced to fly their F6F Hellcats and F4U Corsairs. Now glue your oxygen mask on with this surgical plaster and…
-
Fairey Fulmar – Part Three – The Dirty Bird
The Mister Craft Fairey Fulmar is proceeding apace. There were so few pieces to assemble that the basic structure went together in a day – and the decision to use solvent-based lacquers meant that the following day saw most of the painting taken care of. So now it is sitting on the jig airing out…
The Little World 