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If You Don’t Build It, Who Will?

The topic of the most expensive kit…or the rarest kit…or the best bargain kit…has been raised on the Flory forum recently and the team assessed their experiences with these categories. They have had access to far more than any of us, yet they speak about kits that seem somewhat pedestrian. It is most noticeable when…
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Messerschmitt Me 109 E – Part Three – Never Mind If You Don’t Read German

Get up in that airplane, Pilot, and fly it. Ignore the instruments on the dashboard. You’ll be fine. Okay, it’s a small cockpit and you’re very tall. We can fix this. The fitters will unscrew the canopy and take it off. Wear a flying helmet. Or a wooly cap. You’ll be fine. Yes, I know…
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Messerschmitt Me 109 E – Part Two – Airfix’s Steady Earner

The old saw about selling people bread applies to the scale model business as much as it does to bakeries. If people want bread, you bake bread. Never mind the fact that every other establishment in town also turns out loaves – and put aside your enthusiast’s desire to bake upside-down unicorn croissants…bread sells, and…
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Messerschmitt Me 109E – Part One – The Internet Delivers Again

If you have nothing to do for the next few hours, start Googling. Tear yourself away from the porn, conspiracy theories, and on-line shopping and research something arcane. I just did and now I can have a week of fun with it. I don’t build aircraft with certain markings – which is somewhat of a…
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When To Close The Doors Of The Hobby Shop

A. Never. Hobbies can occupy 25 hours per day and enthusiasts need things ASAP. This means selling paint at 3:00AM. Use cheap staff and chain them to the till. b. At the end of the day. 5:00 is the accepted end of the day unless you want to go to 6:00 in case there might…
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De Havilland Heron Mk II – Part Six – Boarding Now On The Tarmac

No smoking, please. The De Havilland Heron Mk II has just been rolled out onto the tarmac at Wet Dog Regional – ready to inaugurate the first Wet Dog – Quesnel – Salmon Arm – Milk River service. The company anticipates a steady flow of passengers over this vital route. They are counting on it,…
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De Havilland Heron Mk II – Part Five – Whew

Well, the colour coats are done – the trim stripe is done – the decals are on. The various pieces are being cemented and snapped in. The air crash did not destroy the bird. Every speculative colour scheme that you think up – every set of decals you print yourself – every artistic decision you…
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De Havilland Heron Mk II – Part Four – Air Crash

Every build has a mistake – a flaw – a piece of bad judgement. In the case of the Airfix DH Heron Mk II it has come in a rush. I was shifting photographic backdrops in the workshop this morning and inadvertently hit the wing of the Heron. It slid off the building stand and…
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De Havilland Heron Mk II – Part Three – The Suitcase Closes

Always that moment when you have packed up your clothing at the end of a holiday and are gingerly trying to get the suitcase closed – against the pressure of dirty laundry and souvenirs. Will it creak shut…? Before I could latch the Heron together I tested the balance – Airfix said 15 gms of…

