jopres57

I always thought that the Paras were a good quality set compared to earlier Airfix offerings such as British and German infantry. I didn't think that not wearing 37 pattern webbing was a problem but I never realised that the Paras didn't usually use the Tommy gun or bazooka. Ironically enough most releases of this set have a picture on the front of a sergeant wearing webbing.

You've made a good job of a kit that has been well liked over the years but is a bit basic to say the least. I'm glad to read that other people are still using brushes for painting.

I seem to remember that back in the day Airfix aircraft kits were quite often moulded in the colour of the underside. I think it's a good idea to have kits destined for a light coloured finish, such as white or yellow, to be produced in a light coloured plastic. It makes things a lot easier when painting by brush.

I've posted pics of this model before but I think they were lost when the web site was changed a couple of years ago. The old Airfix small scale Crusader was a nice looking kit that could be built into a Mk 2 or Mk 3. Apparently it isn't entirely accurate but I still find it worth building.

I'm glad that black is definitely an alternative because light stone and black are the colours I painted my 1/76 Crusader a while ago. Most illustrations I've seen show tanks in a light stone and dark green scheme but its good to know that modellers have a choice, and there's no need to fret too much about accuracy. I noticed on the wikipedia entry for the tank that the vehicle pictured at the Tank Museum also appears to be in light stone and black. I do wonder if some vehicles that were delivered brand new to the middle east may have been painted overall green and given a disruptive coat of light stone in theatre, I think this cammo was fairly common for some years post war.

That's a really good collection. I would like to see a return, in 1/72, of the British 105mm light gun and 1 tonne land rover by Airfix. The latter was used as a towing vehicle for the gun in its early days. The kits were originally issued separately by JB models about twenty years ago then re-released by Airfix, but only for a short time. They aren't easy to find at a sensible price these days.

These are well painted figures Tomek22. As a matter of interest what do you think is wrong with the figures? I have some in my stash that I haven't started yet.

Can't believe that I actually started thinking about who would buy these paper planes and how big would they be. Still, my email arrived well after twelve as well so the jokes on Airfix. It was a good effort though 😀

Checking out the Hannants website over the weekend I noticed they have some interesting future figure releases that are compatible with the Airfix Ferret. There are several resin Ferret crewmen from the 60's and 70's from the firm of 'Flightpath UK' and some new decals from 'Star Decals'. Along with various detailing sets that are becoming available the kit seems to have become really popular already.

This is a vintage Hunter kit that I built recently. I finished it out of the box as a stress free build to remember one of my favourite Airfix models from back in the day. Not long after I finished this I saw a short documentary on telly about the famous Black Arrows display team. Quite a few good shots of the Aircraft were shown, one in particular was shown taxiing on the ground. This particular machine had its outer wing leading edges in good condition, but the edges inboard of the strakes were distinctly weathered. . I don't know why this should be, unless the outer wings had recently received some maintenance.

Interesting to read that you're vintage bagged kit has parts missing. I have quite a few old kits like this and some of them have clearly been put into new plastic bags and re-sealed. One give away is when the old staple holes are still visible in the instructions.

I have a kit of the SR 53 made by Ursus of Poland which, according to the net, is a re-boxing of the Airfix tool. Unfortunately I haven't got an Airfix original to compare it with. The AZ model is still simple in layout but has much better detail, although I do like to build old Airfix kits now and again, especially those that I missed back in the day. Wouldn't it be good though if something as rare as the Guideline missile set turned in an Eastern European factory.

Regarding the SR 53, I understand the original Airfix molds have been re-released by various eastern European companies over the years. I wondered if any of the old kits that are thought to have been lost actually have molds that have been stored abroad for years. Might it be financially viable to search them out and buy them back?

Nice looking diarama. Just goes to show that many older kits still have mileage in them. The Liberator is a good example because of the wide choice of markings and colour schemes.

Its a pity about all the lost images. Looks like Airfix have had an experience similar to that of Basil Fawlty with O'Reilly the builder; the lowest quote doesn't guarantee a decent job.grinning

I also have a few models on stands but I don't like the idea of having unnecessary holes in the kits. I usually cut off the top hook on the Airfix stand and use clear plastic card to make a platform for a completed model to rest on. These platforms usually vary in size and construction depending on the subject, and often include a box type structure to cope with bombs or fuel tanks. It's a bit of a rough and ready solution but it does the job and more time could be taken for better results than mine.

From what I can gather the future of the Rotodyne was dependant on American sales that failed to materialise. If it had been bought, a few companies over there, like Pan Am, might have used it.

That's an interesting photo of two well made models. I've made this kit before but never really appreciated the difference between out of the box and final appearance in 1941. As they say, a picture's worth a thousand words.

A while ago I used to read a couple of aviation modelling magazines that now seem to have ceased publication. One of them used to have regular reviews of new kits by readers, accompanied by a couple of pictures. Sadly an editorial mentioned that people had complained about some of these reviews because the completed models weren't up to standard. I think this attitude is just sad because it discourages people from enjoying the hobby.

I heard someone on telly recently saying that the hand and eye coordination required by scale modellers is good for your mental health, especially as you get a bit older. I'm not sure how accurate this is but it seems to be good news and an excellent excuse to keep buying kits.

I would like to see another Harvard in 1/72 scale or even the old one re-released as a vintage classic. A 1/24 model would be good but I think it's unlikely to be made by Airfix. It's difficult to anticipate new releases because the Airfix staff seem to be very good at keeping secrets.

Some good ideas there. A 1/72 Stingray would be a great kit although I don't know exactly how big it would be. Watching the old series it's hard to judge the exact size of Stingray, it may be the size of a Flower class sloop.

Thanks for the positive comments. If this new Liberator kit lasts for over sixty years as well it won't do too badly. After building the old version I can believe it had the most working parts. Bits and pieces that moved were a big selling point back in the day. Most people didn't seem to care then that there often wasn't much distinction between toys and models.

The shortly to be released 1/72 Liberator H is very good news and I'll be certain to buy at least one. Its predecessor , the J version, dates from 1963 and has had a lot of stick from people claiming it is toy-like and inaccurate. It obviously isn't the best of kits compared to todays offerings, but it was a welcome addition back in the day and still doesn't look too bad with a coat of paint and some colourful markings. This is one that I built some time ago and has decals from a Superscale sheet. There must still be a few of these in the stashes of plastic kit fans so its probably a good idea not to write them off completely.

The Jadlam model shop have a display of the artwork for this. Don't know how they obtained it because I can't find it anywhere else. The other marking option is apparently another olive drab version with a picture of the statue of liberty on the nose. Underneath is a prominent red scroll with the name 'Valiant Lady'