Category: prototypes
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” Adopt And Honour “

A phrase spoken by our club President – Rob – when giving me the Grumman F9F Panther model you see in the heading. It is a product of the late John Evans – a prolific and skilled member of SMCWA for many years. He built any number of USN aircraft, as well as RAAF, RAF,…
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Open Form Modelling

You might think that individuality and enterprise would be rewarded enough in scale modelling when we choose one of the options on the kit instructions. Or when we go the whole hog and get a packet of aftermarket resin or brass. Past that, there are the heady heights of what-iffery and enthusiast sci-fi to absorb…
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Tupolev Tu-2 – Part Four – A Straight Bat

And a fair wicket. This Tupolev Tu-2 WWII bomber eventually got a NATO designation: ” Bat “. It seems to have been exported all over the place after it was second-line for the VVS. The Communist Chinese got some and there are preserved copies in their air museum – presumably Hobby Boss were able to…
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CAC Wirraway – Part Six – No. 4 Sqn RAAF

I have been googling No. 4 Sqn in WW2 with reference to the Wirraway. These were busy aircraft. The squadron was generally intended for reconnaissance when it was formed before the war and was working closely with the Australian Army and US Army in New Guinea throughout the conflict. It looks as if this was…
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Academy C118 Liftmaster – Part Three – Presidential Plane

There were a number of choices of livery for this Douglas aircraft kit. I chose the Republic Of China version as it was a presidential transport for a number of decades – replacing a previous DC-3. It is hard to find positive evidence on the net about the Academy decals but the actual plane itself…
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Academy C118 Liftmaster – Part One – A Deliberate Choice

Having been given a number of 1:144th scale aircraft and successfully completed them…I have decided the scale is a good thing. My main collection is 1:72, of course, but many aircraft are just not made in this size. If they are, the larger ones like transports and bombers become behemoths that devour display space. It…
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Norcanair Bristol Freighter – Part Six – Manitoba

Winnipeg, actually. Remarkable place. When I was a child I spent a month there one week and I shall never forget it. The pills help, though… It is the site of the museum that houses CF-WCE – the Norcanair Bristol Freighter. Ex-RCAF, it served many years flying out of Saskatchewan to points north. Now it…
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Norcanair Bristol Freighter – Part One – Airfix Again

And I could not be more delighted. Some years ago I purchased an Airfix kit for a Mk32 Bristol Superfreighter at WASMex. It cost a dizzying $ 10 and included a vac-form part for a new nose and tail assembly. I decided to build the Superfreighter in the original Airfix form and configure it as…
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CAC Winjeel – Part Four – FTS 1

Point Cook, Victoria. SOOTB rendition of this Winjeel and I don’t think I could be happier with the result. It will form the starting point of a number of RAAF training types – with the occasional side-excursion to an aerobatics team aircraft or the FAC service livery as used on ADF exercises. You have to…

