Category: research
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De Havilland Twin Otter – Part Four – They Said It Couldn’t Be Done
But they didn’t say it to me. When I saw the separate wings for the Twin Otter with no tab to fasten them back onto the fuselage, I started to worry. I know modern cements can do a great deal to weld plastic surfaces together but those long, thin wings stretch out quite a distance…
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Following The Instructions…
To your doom. I’ve written before about the Czech, Russian, Polish, Ukrainian, and Chinese instruction sheets that we get with our kits. I won’t repeat the sly digs at the Chinglish, Czechlish, or other dialects involved – suffice it to say that we should be grateful for the kit and not be such English language…
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McDonnell Banshee – Part Three – The Paint Call-Out
At a certain point in the construction of the McDonnell Banshee in Royal Canadian Navy livery I needed to consider the paints required. I took to the Academy instruction shoot and looked at their colour call-out chart. It confirmed what I already knew from looking at internet pictures of the plane ( I had never…
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Canadair Sabre – Part Five – Better Than I Expected
An up and down experience, the Canadair Sabre. As are many aircraft…that’s why they have elevators and engines. The Airfix kit was delightful – the Mr Color paint was not what I wanted…but that was my fault. The clear coatings went very well. The decals were an experience. But the ensemble has come together better…
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Grumman Martlet Mk. IV – Part Five – The Problematical Star
The Martlet is done and I am very pleased with it. The folding wing feature is perfect for my Air World museum theme and this time the paint job looks good. And I am expecting a world of weird questions when people see the insignia on the plane. The official story is this: The invasion…
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Grumman Martlet Mk IV – Part Three – A Long Way
It is said to be a long way to Tipperary but it cannot be much further than the distance between the modern Airfix kit and the 50¢ baggie of my childhood. Today’s work on the Grumman Martlet emphasised this to me as I undertook the delicate job of closing the fuselage. It required the subtle…
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Toy And Doll Collectors Fair
I went to the Toy And Doll collector’s fair yesterday at my local exhibition centre. I’ve been to many events at this building and am impressed with how convenient it is, how well suited it is to the average small display, and how ugly the interior is. It was not always this, but someone with…
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Consolidated Liberator B.VI – Part Four – Weigh Day
Well, I learned my lesson early. I built an Airfix model of a Vickers Wellington back in the 1960’s and no-one told me about nose weights. The plane turned out to be a tail-sitter… I was cautious with the new Airfix Liberator I am building in case the plastic model company was going to fool…
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Consolidated Liberator B.VI – Part Two – The Green Crew
And green they are – if not in experience, then at least around the gills at that horrible chromate colour in the aft fuselage. The cockpit is proper FS cockpit green for the Skipper and the co-pilot but everyone else has to work in the cheap section of the plane, and the cheap sections are…
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Boeing Fortress Mk III – Part Four – Debut Day On The Club Bench
The Tuesday Soviet saw my new Airfix model box for the first time today and most seem to approve. I opened it up and started to study the instructions – fully intending to do most of the building on my Tuesdays to prolong the pleasure. The Airfix instructions are good – I experience little or…
The Little World 