Category: Utility Models
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Grumman F8F Bearcat – Part Two – Monogrammar

That’s learning to speak the language of the 1980’s, and it’s sort of crude. Not nasty, but basic… The Monogram company was an object of my admiration in the 1950’s. I sought their kits in preference to others as they always seemed to be moulded with better fit and had operating features that rewarded the…
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Christmas Etiquette For Scale Modellers

A valuable guide to the holidays to ensure that you have the right spirit and none of it spills on the tablecloth. a. If you are given a model, it is The Right Model. You may have built eight ME 109’s already and the kit that you have received is an Airfix Me 109… You…
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Beech AT-11 – Part Three – Never Ever

Never ever throw away the extra parts that accumulate as you build your kits. Save them, separate them, and catalogue them if you have time. At least have a good look in the boxes occasionally to remind yourself what you have. Remember modellers have a seventh sense that other people do not have – the…
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Cheap and Cheerful

One of my friends has posted a picture on Facebook of an Airfix De Havilland Tiger Moth kit he’s building. He’s selected the RAF version in A/B camouflage and from the picture it looks delightful. He noted that it cost him $ 11 – and mentioned me as a cheap and cheerful modeller. Oh, if…
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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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US Army Ambulance – Part Two – The Bug Bear

Everyone has a sort of a bugbear in their modelling. One person will have no luck with paints. Another will continually mess up clear parts. In my case it is vehicles – I never complete one without some basic flaw. In many cases it is the basic structure that foxes me. 1:72 and 1:76 vehicle…
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Why Is I Here?

” So tell me, Boss, why is I here? In the stash. In my little bag with my decal sheet and dodgy instructions. Why am I not back in the hobby shop with all the other kits? Why did I get chosen? ” a. You were the only kit of the essential model I need…
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Republic Thunderjet – Part Three – Polish-ed Silver

They said it couldn’t be done. They said it shouldn’t be done. But I did it. Now tell me why I did it…because I am not that convinced that it was a good idea. I have completed as much work as I intend to do on the Mister Craft Republic F-84G Thunderjet. It is stand-off…
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Republic Thunderjet – Part Two – ” Warsaw, We Have A Problem…”

When I introduced this Mister Craft model last post you may have gotten the impression that I was making fun of it. Nothing of the sort. I am coming to the conclusion that there is no fun to be made with any part of it. The good news is the wing top and bottom halves…
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Republic Thunderjet – Part One – Polish Thunder…

Grom, Grom, Grom… I set out this morning to find a Hobby Boss kit of the F-84 Thunderjet to build as a companion to the Boeing KB-29B tanker that is taking shape. Inspired, as usual, by a Squadron profile book that showed just this combination linked together in flight. I’d researched the HB kit and…
