Category: Model Airplane
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The Peculiar Model
The oddity. The kit that everyone else avoids. The scratch-built model that no-one has ever heard of. In other words – just down your alley. I have been the recipient of numerous models that fit into this category – and I’ve gone out and spent actual money on others. Not a lot of it, mind,…
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The Two Musketeers
Dumas became an economical man. And it was just gilding the lily to add an extra hero. Porthos was a nightmare to feed. I often wonder what we would have seen if accountants had as much control over literature as they seem to have over the cinema. Two coins in a fountain? And get a…
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” Launch At Unfriendly Target “
I kid you not…this was part of an advertisement for a scale model kit. It described a navy attack fighter. Presumably the launching of anything would most likely be done at a target…and unfriendly ones the first choice. Friendly targets are also possible, but you use smaller missiles. Advertising in a language that is not…
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De Havilland Beaver – Part Four – Bluebell Bay Belle
Kootenay Lake in British Columbia is long, wide, and very deep – and hemmed on every side by mountains. Perfect flying water for an air taxi. Thus was born the idea of providing an air service connecting Kuskanook, Kootenay Bay, and Kaslo – with stops at Riondel. Balfour, and Lardeau. The perfect vehicle is the…
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De Havilland Beaver – Part Three – Beaver On A Stick
When you’re a Cub Scout in the Kootenays, you’ll eat anything… The De Havilland Beaver a’building is using three of my favourite things; Mr Color No. 208 duraluminium paint, 3M double sided foam tape, and plastic clamps from Bunnings. The Airfix kit is slotting together nicely, though you need your wits about you if you…
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De Havilland Beaver – Part Two – Let Me Clear Something Up…
A recent build of another Airfix Vintage Classic kit – a Westland Whirlwind helicopter – pointed out the perils of remoulding 1950’s models. The clear plastic on that one was appalling. This Vintage Classic is of a newer year – 1971 – and the clear parts have improved immensely. But they are still just the…
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De Havilland Beaver – Part One – Leave it To Me, Wally
Those of a ” certain age ” will get it… Those of that samecertain age will recognize the Airfix Vintage Classic Beaver kit as one of the British Army cooperation planes – but will be surprised when they look at the side of the box – it appears to have been used by the US…
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Every Time You Bolt On A Main Spar
A Fairey gets its wings… The magic of scale model building is far greater than any mousey studio could dream up – we actually get to do things instead of just watch other people do them. One of the things we do is cement wings onto aircraft. We can do this neatly or not, but…
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Avia B-135 – Part Four – One Time Lucky
But there’s more than one kind of luck… Sold to Bulgaria by the Czechs, relegated to training duties even in that air force, and out for a four-plane mission in 1944 when American B-24 Liberators approached Bulgarian air space after attacking Ploesti. They were unable to catch most of the bombers but at least one…
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Avia B-135 – Part Three – Black Green
Or Green Black – you can please yourselves as to what the colour was called. I suspect you will also be flailing about trying to pin it down exactly. Like PRU Blue, Russian Green, and Zinc Chromate, there will be as many shades of Black Green as there are paint manufacturers and club anoraks. I…
The Little World 