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Westland Wallace – Part One – An Unconsidered Trifle
This model kit was an overlooked box in the estate stash that came to our modelling club. But not overlooked for long. I looked it over, and decided building it was the best way of remembering the old club mate who had relinquished it. I suspect he had plans for it as an RAAF aircraft…
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Hoothehell?
Or in polite terms, ” Who in their right mind…? “. It is a phrase that whispers to me every time I cruise the kit aisles of HobbyHell. The other part of the question is ” would ever buy this thing? “. The kits or parts or tools or toys in question are not forbidden…
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Polikarpov U-2 – Part Four – St. Ivan’s Ambulance Service
In the service of Soviet humanity… This is the second air ambulance I have constructed, and by far the most ambitious one. It was born of necessity and nurtured on the makeshift – just as well there was a solid foundation of simple airframe to support it. The use of air ambulance transport by definition…
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Polikarpov U-2 – Part Three – Time To Box Clever
When you are confronted with a complex model design – multiple wings or complex landing gear – it pays to stop and think. You need to get your sequence of painting and assembly right to avoid making hard work even harder. Or worse – to avoid the risk of spoiling vital parts. No-one likes to…
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Polikarpov U-2 – Part Two – Small Steppes
Well, they would be with a model from Ukraine, wouldn’t they… Boom Boom. The odd little slippers are not for feet – they are the over-wing gondolas that were apparently fitted to the Polikarpov U-2 to evacuate wounded Soviet soldiers. The instruction sheet shows a U-2 in winter camouflage with ski landing gear and these…
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Polikarpov U-2 – Part One – Washing Machine Charley
I’ll explain that later. In the meantime I need to start work on the ICM model of the Polikarpov U-2. This is not the U-2 that was shot down with Francis Gary Powers in it. Very similar but a different engine… In any case, the ICM kit was quite inexpensive in a hobby shop where…
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Craquelure
The word is from the art world and it describes a fine network of lines or cracks in the surface of an oil painting. This is observable in most famous paintings in galleries and is not considered a fault. However, when it invades our scale model workshop it is to be deplored. We may be…
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Bomber In A Box
No, it’s not a horrible new addition to home delivery of food and parcels. This bomber is in a box for a good reason. When you start a collection of scale models, you really need to start with the biggest darn one you’re ever going to build and work back from that. Then, when you…
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Isuzu TX-40 – Part Three – Now You Don’t
But the Isuzu is there in full glory. And the people at Hasegawa have been thoughtful enough to provide a hand trolley and two ground crewmen to push it, plus 5 fuel drums. This has been one of the best little mojo builds I’ve encountered in a long time. Every part went on it and…
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Isuzu TX-40 – Part Two – Now You See Him
Yoshi is a driver for the Imperial Japanese Army on Lakanuki Island. He is in charge of the refuelling truck. Always impeccable in his freshly-pressed uniform, he wheels the Isuzu TX-40 around the airfield servicing army and navy planes as they land and take off. Everyone else on the island is dressed in rags and…
The Little World
Close focus on the world of scale models
The Little World 