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John Symmons

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Posts posted by John Symmons

  1. Trumpeter Fw 200c-4, and today heard that a new mdel shop had the 1/72 Academy Opel Blitz in both early & late cab versions so I had to go & check it out, also came away with the 1/72 Blitz & Itateri battlefield building set and the 1/72 Opel Blitz ambulance. I'M building up quite an array of blitz's at the moment & it all started with the Airfix Pak 40 with an Opel Blitz truck.

     

    Also treated myself to an O sable brush I almost choked at the price of R 225, A normal sythentic (nylon) one that size is about R 15. Still you can't beat quality as I find the synthetic brushes soon loose there point.

     

    Remember we do this for fun 

  2. Thanks Paws for that tip, as every time I see the lainch in my stash it gets nearer to the work table.

     

    Went to buy some Vallejo primer at my not too LMS and ended up in a new hobby shop across the road and saw they had a selection of Zvezda figure sets. and they were cheap. I'd made three of these previously, all in soft plastic and wasn't expecting much from them as they are basically game pieces; was I wrong, they made up into beautiful little set piece dioramas, and the fit was something to behold especially as they are push fit. Well; I came away with four kits, two Luftwaffer ground crew sets, a BMW motorcycle & side car set, & a Pak 40 with crew set and I'm going back for more. These new sets are now in the usual hard plastic so the parts can now be glued although they are still push fit. If you've never tried these little figure sets to yourself a favour and try one if you see them.

     

    Also brought 3 bottles of primer and 4 new colours to add to my paint library.

     

    Remember we do this for fun                              John the Pom

  3. Bottle of Tamiya grey primer and thinners. Also finally brought home the Revell 1/96 scale Cutty Sark. I tried the sistership way back in the 1961 and never finished it. I think my mother finally gave it to the milk-man. Those white ribbs (Devils) scared me for life (No masking tape back then.) Hopefully I'll do a better job of this kit.

    Remember we do this for fun                                    John the Pom

  4. It never rains but it pours. Today I collected the three outstanding Roden models from my order from last year. The Opel Blitz (Daimler built) wooden cab, the FWD model B with the 8 inch howitzer & limber from WW 1. (just finished the British army one, and what a neat little kit.) and finally the 8 cm Raketen Velfachwerter, basically an Opel Maultier with an armoured body and a rocket firing contraption on the top. Recently I got the Eduard Neuport 23 and it had two small sprues in a huge box nearly 8 X 12" box, the rocket firing Opel's box is about 6" X 10" and had 10; I kid you not; 10 sprues most being doubles and one quadruple, I'll have to get a bigger spares box. When I came in the door with them I swear I could hear the carpet monster sharpening it's teeth.

     

    Yesterday an acquaintance arrived with two old Eagle Wall kits that he'd started way back when, so I've scored them, the Graf Spee & HMS Achilles, now that's nostalgia for you. I've mentioned them several times on this forum, but today they're like hen teeth, already started to deconstruct what I can, I'll add them to my Airfix Graf Spee post for comparison when finished. He also brought me two Fw 190-D kits to build for him the Airfix one and the Hasagawa one also the Dragon Ta 152-H with after market decals. looks like I'm going to be busy.

     

    Remember we do this for fun.                            John the Pom

  5. They've finally arrived!  About a year ago I ordered some Roden kits through our local LMS, and they've finally arrived. Couldn't get them all at once, OAP does't stretch that far, but did bring home the 1/72 Neiuport 24bis. Should be interesting comparing it to the Neiuport Ni 23 I got from Eduard recently. The Roden one comes in the usual end opening small box, and that is still big for such a small aircraft while the Eduard comes in a box over twice the size; go figure? The FWD WW1 lorry with cannon, the Opel Vielfachwerferauf Panzerwerfer 42 and the Opel Blitz L701 will have to wait untill the end of the month. Oh happy times!

     

    Also picked up a couple of bottles of Tamiya airbrush cleaner and acrylic thinners.

     

    Remember we do this for fun                          John the Pom

  6. Hi James.

    You trying to save your eye-sight after the Eindecker. I see you're going up a scale. good luck with the F.2B Pity we can't see the result on this forum.

     

    Aquired some more paints on Saturday three replacement colours, two new ones and some thinners. I've been concentrating on German AFV,s recenly and finally settled on a yellow, one very good sight recommended Vallejo Middlestone which I've tried, but found it just a touch too green, while another went for Green Ochre which to me is too bright a yellow, Then I tried the next one down on the Vallejo colour chart being Japanese Uniform WW2, but again not quite what I was looking for being just a touch too dark. Finally settled on a 50/50 mix of Middlestone and Green Ochre which to me looks about right, so I mixed up a whole bottle now the original bottles needed replacing.

     

    Recently finished the Airfix Tiger will post soon.

     

    Remember we do this for fun                 John the Pom  

  7. Tamiya set of photo etched micro saws.

     

    Went to a jewlers supply store and picked uo a set of bead reamers, side nippers (Sprue cutters ): I'm now back to my three pairs after I ruined my previous three by trying to sharpen them to take out the nicks from cutting wire, I should know better: and a replacement X2.5 eye glass that clips onto glasses. Also managed to score some elastic invisable thread for rigging, bit on the thick side but as it's multi strand, fine strands can  easily be seperated out. I've been looking for this stuff for ages after hearing about it at our local IPMS meeting. Now i'm itching to try a WWi plane.

     

    Remember we do this for fun                                     John the Pom

  8. Hi Smin1080p

    The Airfix "E" or S boat model is indeed one of the early boats and were launched about 1937 ( Airfix decals are for S10 to S 13) . Not sure what happened to S 11 but S 13 served in the first few months of WW2 before going to a training school but S 10 & 12 both served untill about late 1940 or early 1941 before also going onto training schools. It looks from photos that the fore deck & bridge changed after S 13, as photos of S 14 onwards show a much modified bridge and wheell house. The one thing clear from wartime photos is that the mast seems to have been removed from these early boats when they wee on opperrational duties. Possibly to make them less visible from a distance. 

     

    As I said before this kit is well worth giving it a go if you can find one at a reasonable price, even with the badly fitting hull and deck.

     

    Remember we do this for fun                                John the Pom

  9. Hi Smin 1080p

     

    This old kit is really quite good except for the fitting of the hull parts, the figures especially being really excelent. ( see my build review of this kit in the ships forum) If Airfix could just correct the hull fitting this could easily be re-released as even though it's an old kit it still stands up well with todays offerings, If yo do see one at a reasonable price I can recommend it, just be prepared to do some work on the hull / deck fitting.

     

    Remember we do this for fun                               Joh the Pom

  10. Hi T2B

     

    I've just completed 3 of the Zvezda kits and even though they're game pieces they're really quite remarkable, and being push fit assembly, the fit really is very good. The plastic is a harder version of the soft type used by the likes of Airfix and just a awkward to paint, but the detail has to be seen to be believed. I was really very well surprised by these little kits, and feel it's something that Airfix could look to emulate.

     

    Good  luck with your diorama, it's a pity you'll not be allowed to show it on this forum.

     

    Remember we do this for fun                        John the Pom

  11. Hi James

    @john Symmons

     

    Something a little odd for me a 1/32 Wolesley Viper engine kit by Roden, and the Italeri Dornier Do 24T sea plane with upgraded moulds and decals. Was very tempted by the 1/96 Revell Cutty Sark but just managed to resist.

     

    Remember wedo this for fun                                  Jihn the Pom

    Only tempted by the Cutty Sark - I think the sun's got you John  😆

    That being said, I couldn't resist another Airfix Lancaster - I have a B.II enroute  😎

     

    You must be joking it's been raining here for the past week and very cold ( 7 to 15 degrees C ). Mabe if the sun does come out again that ressistenece could vanish.

     

    Picked up an Airfix Tiger tank (Why I don't know, it just caught my fancy.) and a 1/72 SPAD XIII by Revell.

     

    Remember we do this for fun                              John the Pom

  12. Something a little odd for me a 1/32 Wolesley Viper engine kit by Roden, and the Italeri Dornier Do 24T sea plane with upgraded moulds and decals. Was very tempted by the 1/96 Revell Cutty Sark but just managed to resist.

     

    Remember wedo this for fun                                  Jihn the Pom

  13. Hi Barnacle-Bill

     

    Try thinking it as Buccaneer challenged I had a simular story recently when I almost brought the Roden He 111-B, but after reading up abouit it I chickened out, so I'm He-111B challenged. I hope you do figure a way out to continue with the Bucc, as the part built sample I saw promised the be quite a handsome model. Any way what ever you chose I'm sure it's the right decision for you, but if you do continue I & many others would love to read about your adventures, could be quite a thriller.

     

    Remember we do this for fun                             John the Pom

  14. Nicely done Ratch. Another fine build of one of the better Airfix offerings. Hopefully it'll return in the not to distant future.

     

    Remember we do this for fun                             John the Pom

  15. Visited our LMS today were they had an open model making sesion and saw a half assembled 48th scale Buccaner. I questioned the maker about the fuselarge fit, and he said it wasn't the best, but with some TLC it could be made to fit. As he said that's why we're called model makers and not assemblers.

     

    I must admit on examing the model he'd made a very good job of the fuselage, with very little filling, most of the putty was on the wing and tail joints, and still needed rubbing down, but the fuselage looked good. Maybe he'd just got a good one.

     

    Remember we do this for fun                                John the Pom

  16. Hi Ratch

    I did this one about a year-or-so ago, and I must say I was very pleasently surprised. I feel this kit still holds it's own with the modern toolings, and should be kept in the Airfix catalogue. All it really needs is the triangular stays inside the cowling, & maybe some more detail in the cockpit, although with the pilot in place I'll all be hidden anyway. I found it almost clipped together. Some camo options would also be a good idea, I did mine in a winter camouflage. (See my post Bully Boys)

    Remember we do this for fun                             John the Pom

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