matthew_teevan

Roy Cross celebrates his 99th Birthday this weekend (Sunday - April 23rd). I imagine msot people on thsi forum know of Mr Cross and his iconic box top artwork. The the subjects were always shown in the thick of it, performing their specialised tasks and carrying out their missions heroically. They were shown off in their best light. It made you not only want to buy the kit, but to learn more about the subject. As a youngster growing up in the 1970s I would vist my local Beatties model shop and gaze at the rows and rows of model kits. I did not know what many of them were. What was a Blohm & Voss BV 141? But it sure looked cool on the box! A bizarre looking aircraft with an off-centre cockpit nacelle on one wing, and the single engine on the fuselage boom. Possibly the oddest aircraft ever built. Kudos to Airfix for making such a variety of kits, and so many. It is great to see some of the old boxes again in the 'vintage classics' range. Artists and model builders alike will continue to be inspired by his work. It will live forever. The attached is a painting I did, imagining Mr Cross at work.

When growing up in the 1970s I went through a phase of building figure kits, starting with the 54mm military figures on horseback, I think inspired by the BBC TV Series 'Model World'. And then progressing onto the 1/12th scale Historical Figures. I recall Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. With the historic Diamond Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II I wanted to propose a 1/12th - an additional to the Historical Figures series. Here is a mock-up box top of what it might have looked like at the time, celebrating the year of the Coronation. I am pretty sure the kits in this is line were never big sellers, but I believe the Airfix brand is at its strongest when handling distinctly British subjects. Whether that is a Supermarine Spitfire, an E-Type Jaguar or Her Majesty herself. Come on Airfix

This is not a real product. just wishful thinking on my part.

It is never really examined. Although in the episode 'Perils of Penelope' they imply the train is fed by a current from the rail. But in 'Brink of Disaster' the train is self powered although that is a special design that is heavily automated.

A like to do artwork for imaginary 'what if' model kits. But it being Christmas, my mind went to train sets and thought it would eb fun tio imagine a train set based on the ultra cool Monorail trains seen in Gerry Anderson's 'Thunderbirds'. I imagine a system with a very smooth, free running train. Magents in each of the support arms controlled by the power controller to are switched on to attract the train, pulling it forward. then automatically switch off as it gets close and the next one would switch on maintaining ithe train's momentum forward. The train itself would have no weighty motors or electronics like the traditional railway engines and would swoosh along! In the artwork I've imagined this unique 'propulsion' being called something natty like 'magna-motion'. Just a bit of fun... but come on Hornby, turn this dream into the real thing. Like Jeff Tracy said, sometimes a dream is just like the real thing.