David Jones1707820337

I've probably missed out a few recent ones, but in the last week From Ebay, an original Matchbox HP Heyford, multi-coloured plastic and all - one of the "so ugly it flew by repelling the ground" type From the same source, the Matchbox 1/72 Fairey Seafox - still shrinkwrapped The Airfix 1/72 Airborne Jeep, Howitzer and Trailer, found lurking in a corner of the Hobbycraft sale. I probably won't use the gun, but want the rest for a diorama Down to London in a week, so Hannants order going in today

I probably shouldn't mention this here, but the all new-tool 1/48 LM from "another brand ending in -vell" looks to be an amazing kit. The moulding is rough to simulate the foiling on the legs and descent stage, and the blast deflectors are (correctly) attached to the descent stage rather than hung off the RCS thruster quads. I got it recently with paints/glue at £50. Note there is an "old tool" in the same scale, which has more errors than you can count. The Airfix 1/72 LM is correct from a distance, but as you get closer, the errors accumulate. I've still got the 25th Anniversary LM and 40th Anniversary "One Small Step" sets, so look forward to adding another, although I hope it is boxed as "50th Anniversary"

With the Revell equivalent, I pull the metal tube out with pliers and hold it over a gas burner for a few seconds. Pop, some flames from each end, and done. Then push it back into the glue container. Obligatory H&S warning: do not hold the tube in your bare hands when heating it, use the pliers or some other insulated gripper

So buy some better paints. The ones in the starter sets are the very lowest common denominator, and if you build more than a very few models, you will get better value buy buying regular kits (often with two build options, better decals etc, and buying separate paints.

There is a rather good (IMHO, obviously) 1/48 Lysander Mk III from another company (sounds a bit like Edward) which includes two SOE schemes. Some day it will be in a diorama with a Citroen and "Michelle from ze Reesistance" climbing aboard, but until then it lives in the endless stash Personally I would prefer to see some more 1/48 vehicles - the bomber support set scaled up, also the USAAF vehicles and maybe a revisit of the ancient airfield sets (Queen Mary and crane for example) with some decent crew/support figures. For aircraft, a Battle would be nice, as would a Hampden

At a loose end between meetings, so dropped into Models Unlimited in Inverurie (Hi George and Karen....) and emerged with the new 1/48 Hunter and the 1/72 Phantom FGR2. Both very nice, and just about completed another floor to ceiling stack of unbuilt kits....

"The Empire Strikes Back" One of three (and only three) Star Wars films. Nice trilogy, I'm so glad they never made any pre- or se-quels 😬

In my LMS on Saturday and they had a really big Avro - the HKM Lancaster in 1/32! I had a look inside the box and was very impressed, but the thought of (a) £400 and (b) how many decades it would sit on the bottom layer of my stash put me off (fortunately!)

Damn... wrong yellow then. I was going by memory from the box lid and got the XF3 flat yellow. Looking at the colour chip on the back of the box, the lid of the XF3 looks a good match for thr Hu69 Airfix specify. tbh, I don't mind if it is the "wrong" shade - she's in a Harry Potter phase and really wants a Hufflepuff model, so the yellow with black fin fits the bill, while I can do an all yellow one as a wingman, muddling up the serial number to build a different (ahistorical) aircraft. ...thats once I get all my pre-Christmas business admin out of the way....

Its Christmas, so I popped in to my LMS (Models Unlimited, in Inverurie) and emerged with yellow paint (my daughter wants to have a Daddy day joint building the Yellowjacks Gnat) and the 1/72 Dakota Mk III. Somehow I managed to distract SWMBO enough to smuggle the box past her.... Merry Christmas to all here!

Nice work. What did you use for the seatbelts? (and also what paint did you use?)

There are a number of online sites which have the full instructions. I am not sure if mentioning any particular one is against the rules, but a quick google (other search engines are available) should get you there with minimal effort

Many, many years ago, as a teenager, attempting German WW1 lozenge patterns - basically ended up as random blobs of the colours. All done as decals, now, although I suspect forming them around fuselages etc will be just as bad. More recently, before I got an airbrush (and before I discovered proper thinning), trying to get a consistent coat of any colour with a hairy stick

Working near London, so a pilgrimage to Hannants: Pre ordered - the new 1/48 Blenheim, plus a few masks, photoetch etc for various kits In the second hand section, a Revell Dornier 215 Nightfighter, plus some PE thrown in, then I saw the "Classic Airliner" HP-42 in 1/144 (two brand new, sealed, copies) so obviously I had to take it! I was hoping for the new Hunter, but it is "delayed", so no luck... Now I'd better get SWMBO something VERY nice for under the tree!

Nice model, and very nice groundwork. I hope you get the urge to complete it some time

Ratch, very nice modelling, especially the highly weathered wagons. I know you said the base had been consigned to the shelf of doom (or similar), but any chance you could repost a few of the lost pictures to remind us of the overall layout, and some of the groundworks?

Very nicely finished - aged "considerably more than 10" I wish some of my builds (a) finished and (b) looked as good. What paints did he use?

A B29 lurking under the keel?

Working in Glasgow so dropped into Scott's Models for a chat (never got the promised cuppa though...) and saw the new Bf-109E kit. Ever since I read "The one who got away" I have had a mental image of a diorama, basically replicating the box art, although probably with Von Werra being prodded (at bayonet point) away from his plane.

Glasgow this week (yes, I do get around) and dropped into Scott's Models for a chat (never got the promised cup of tea, though) and ended up with a riveting wheel set - long absent from my toolbox) and the new-tool Revell Beaufighter TF.X in 1/48. It will look good next to the Airfix Blenheim when that appears.

IMHO it is not down to the company, but to the individual kits. Airfix offer some incredible new-tool kits - the recent Wellington (1/72) and Spitfires (1/48) are testament to that. Equally they have some absolute crud - at risk of offending someone, the DH Comet, dating back to the 1960s I think, springs to mind. Other companies are the same, so Tamiya (taking your example) has the amazingly engineered 1/32 range of aircraft, and some ancient 1/35 armour that bears only a passing resemblance to the original. Airbrushing is up to you - I didnt, but now do when possible, as is weathering (all planes and vehicles start off factory fresh, or are carefully cleaned for an inspection, but careful weathering can add to the appearance of a war-weary veteran. Are you doing it all wrong? Ask the Daily Mail, since that is one of their favourite headlines, but (again IMHO) as long as you get pleasure out of the hobby, you are doing alright.

Yes, e(vil)Bay - I thought FleaBay, and variations thereof, was a recognised alternative. I havent had vouchers before, but they suddenly sent me £15 off if I spent over £50, so far be it for me to argue. I think it was because I looked, placed some buy-it-now items in my basket, and then didnt complete the purchase. With the right encouragement, I did!

The Bay of Fleas kindly gave me a voucher, so I splashed it on the Kitty Hawk Models OS2U Kingfisher in 1/32 plus the Big-Ed upgrade set. Unfortunately some cash was involved too.... Now for it to wend its way around most of the world to me. The kit comes with a British colour scheme and decals - it says RAF, but I presume RN, since they were the only operators.

In Dublin for work last week, and dropped into (shameless plug) Mikes Models in the city centre. A lovely old fashioned model shop, with an eclectic mix of kits, including some older Airfix kits lurking in corners. I ended up with two Italeri kits: 1/48 AD-4W AEW Skyraider (including RN markings) and A6E Intruder, plus the Airfix/Humbrol "Front Line Fighters", a Tornado and a Jaguar, both in 1/48, plus paints etc. Not one I had ever seen before, and a snip at 30 Euros: /media/tinymce_upload/cd7db9e6061c403c290ce06be29ce043.jpg Then yesterday into my LMS for paints, resisting the temptation of the Silver Wings Walrus, and got persuaded to take the Revell Horten 229 in 1/72.

Nice! Who makes the B47 kit? Ever since watching Strategic Air Command, I have wanted one of them to go alongside the B36.