Category: Scale Models
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Vickers Delta Mk III – Part Two – A Sensible Cockpit
I wonder why the designers of the Vickers Delta Mk III kit in The Czech Republic resisted the temptation to put photo-etch brass and resin castings in the kit? Perhaps they relegated this on to the apprentice with instructions to make it simple. if so, I am grateful. The interior parts were sturdy enough to…
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Vickers Delta Mk III – Part One – One From the Book
Never pass by a book on a shelf. This may make you a menace in the public library, but trust me that your modelling will improve. I found a copy of ” Canadian Aircraft Of WW II ” in the now-defunct Hylands bookshop in Melbourne. There were multiple copies of what must have been a…
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Australian Hurricane – Part Two – The Fairly Green Machine
The RAAF wartime colours of Foliage Green and Sky Blue were not shown on the DK decals sheet that prompted the construction of this Hurricane, but they crop up in innumerable other sets of decals and aircraft profiles. As I have not done one exactly like this, it became the logical choice. And fortunately most…
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Australian Hurricane – Part One – The Oncer
I was surprised as I could be to see a set of markings on an Australian 1:72 decal sheet that were purported to be for a Hawker Hurricane. I thought the RAAF never had them here in Australia. As it turned out, I was nearly right – they had one. The plane, V7476 was sent…
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Ooh! We’ll Build THAT One…
Aaaaaand We’re there! We’ve succeeded in the most difficult part of scale modelling – deciding which model to make. The question and decision may have been asked and made in several ways: There is a picture of a ship, plane, or tank that we’ve seen on the net…or in a book…that just calls to us.…
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Northrop P-61 Black Widow – Part Six – Any Colour You Want
As long as it’s black. Henry Ford woulda been proud… The Northrop night fighter is ready to roam the dark skies. I have a feeling that it was just good luck on the part of the Japanese and Germans that it was so late in development. Had the Northrop designers not footled about with that…
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Northrop P-61 Black Widow – Part Four – The Black
If you want to be nervous, spray an undercoat of grey or white on your model kit. Then you’ll see just how good you were at spotting gaps and crevices. Of course then you’ll get a chance to correct them with putty or paint and you can get set to get nervous a second time.…
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Northrop P-61 Black Widow – Part Three – Under Tension
Remember I mentioned that the disparate parts of the P-61 Black Widow fit well together? Well that was before I tried to mate the belly pan to the rest of the fuselage. The basic fit is fine, but tight. The makers have exercised computer machines to measure where the parts slide over each other –…
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Northrop P-61 Black Widow – Part Two – The Parts Are Greater Than The Whole
I am often overwhelmed when I open a new kit and see the dozens of sprues that they pack in the box. Well, make that several, rather than dozens, but you get the idea. Seeing the bits laid out on the runners makes the whole project seem more formidable, mysterious, and complex than it often…
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Northrop P-61 Black Widow – Part One – My Second Widow
Ninth grade – Christmas in Calgary, Alberta. The tree held a number of real surprises…a Guillows SE5A and and Aurora 1:48 Northrop Black WIdow amongst others. It was the first time I had ever seen the aircraft and I was astounded. The Aurora kits were fun for their time but their time was a long…
The Little World 