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RCAF Privateer – Part Two – Rebox Heaven

I don’t really understand the actual process of re-boxing kits. Whether they are pre-made kits that are packaged up or whether they are re-moulded sprue trees taken from old moulds is still unclear. I think we might be seeing both processes in action sometimes. In any case, I am delighted to report that it works.…
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RCAF Privateer – Part One – Hello, Old Friend

The last time I saw you, you were in three colours in a Matchbox kit. Scalemates says that you have been sold to Revell and reboxed. It also said that you were originally fitted out with alternate nose and tail sections to make an RCAF transport aircraft. Is it possible that you still have those…
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If I Hobby For Money…

Am I hobbying at all? Good question. The idea of making money from your hobby is one that has occurred to 105% of everyone. 75% of us have tried it, 3% have succeeded and the rest…some 230,000 hobbyists…have decided just to go out and buy another kit. The saddest man in the hobby shop is…
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Is There A Worse Feeling?

I mean a worse feeling than seeing someone succeed brilliantly with a model kit, material, or technique that you have failed in. Not bad enough that you threw your model against the wall, but the other person has managed to win a medal with theirs. Jealousy is a green-eyed monster in many fields; love, business,…
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MiG 21 – Part One And Only – The Buffer Zone Interceptor

We often forget that there was more than one side to the Cold War. West, East, and Neutral. And Neutral broke down to Undecided, Uneconomic, and Uninterested. The DDR were trusted by their Soviet masters more than you’d think. The Russians were no fools – they knew the quality of the East Germans and had…
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The Shady Business Of Uploading Images

Or how I tried to tame the computer. Here is a typical image of a model airplane. One I built. Modest model, modest builder… Now I am trying to see if it will save, then preview, then publish. If you are confused, please don’t be concerned. I have been so for years and it is…
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The Curse Of The Were-Lancaster

Or FrankenHalifax. Or worse “ The Superfortress That Took Over The Lounge Room “. We’re talking about aircraft model kits that have dazzled their builders with large-scale detail. The 1:32 and 1:24 scale kits that are the talk of the modelling world right up until they are built and the proud owner tries to find…
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A Decoarsing Moment

That’s like a defining moment but in the other direction. Recently a friend referred to my models as cheap and cheerful. A phrase that sounds intimidating…but it turns out not to be so. An English definition of the phrase says that it doesn’t necessarily mean bad quality – just good value for money. This certainly…
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Sopwith Triplane – Part Three – Black Maria

As a straight-out-of-the-bag build I could not have asked more of the Revell Sopwith triplane. It cost me nothing, it delivered a lot of pleasure. The plastic parts fitted as well as any baggie would…but yielded well to the cut and sand that you normally expect to do. The interior is a seat and a…
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Sopwith Triplane – Part Two – The New Techniques

I have decided to risk navigating this PaulPlane in only two uncharted waters: the use of the new decal technique and a new finishing varnish. The third experiment – the plastic rigging – will be postponed until a slightly larger model offers. It’s nice stuff, but a little thick for this job. The decaling system…
